As recently seen with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell, superstar-caliber players can fall through the cracks in the NBA Draft from time to time.Last summer, Mitchell was taken 13th overall. In his rookie season, he’s averaging 20.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 33.5 minutes per contest for the Utah Jazz.Therefore, it’s safe to say that he was the steal of that draft by a long shot.With the 2018 NBA Draft fast approaching, it’s time to start looking at some prospects in greater detail. Although the top of the class is absolutely loaded with potential franchise-altering talent, there are a number of other potential targets to look at in a search for value.Keep a close eye on the three names below.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (freshman point guard, Kentucky)

Although Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t yet officially declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, he is expected to announce his decision on Tuesday evening. That being said, the freshman point guard is fully expected to announce that he will forgo the rest of his college career in order to pursue one in the NBA.

Although Trae Young and Collin Sexton have received much of the attention in regards to the point guard position, the Kentucky star put forth quite an impressive campaign on a variety of fronts. At 6’6” and 180 pounds, he possesses impressive size for a ball-handler and averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 33.7 minutes per contest for the Wildcats.

Further, he was extremely efficient for a guard. Shooting 48.5 percent overall from the field, he converted 40.4 percent of his three-point attempts as well as 81.7 percent of his free throws. Although he’s not a prolific scorer by any means, his efficiency was on display all season. On the defensive end, his length and height will serve him well at the next level, as he will be able to defend multiple positions. Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs might be a reasonable comparison for him.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise is the fact that he wasn’t a highly-touted recruit. In fact, he wasn’t one of the six Kentucky players to be named to the top 100 in his class. Therefore, he will undoubtedly continue to have a chip in his shoulder moving forward. As we have seen time and time again, that type of mentality can serve someone well at the professional level.

“We had a young man this year on our team, Shai Alexander, who was in the gym at 7 a.m. shooting, who would come up in the office and want to watch tape of his turnovers,” Calipari said before Kentucky’s first NCAA Tournament game. “Who never missed a class. Never missed a tutor. Was always on time. Worked harder than anybody in every practice. Who works the hardest in the weight room. … And it’s changed who he is and his opportunities and all that.” 

Brandon McCoy (freshman center, UNLV)

Since the UNLV Rebels don’t get much national exposure nowadays, one of the best centers in the country most likely hasn’t been on anyone’s radar. Brandon McCoy, a 7’1”, 250-pound freshman averaged a double-double with 16.9 points and 10.3 rebounds while also swatting 1.8 blocks in just 28.8 minutes per contest this season.

Shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 72.5 percent from the charity stripe, McCoy simply dominated his opponents on the interior pretty much every single game, logging 18 double-doubles on the year. Although the opposing talent that he went up against clearly fell short of any Power 5 conference, there’s no denying that McCoy possesses a solid low-post skill set for such a young player.

Although McCoy declared for the Draft last week, he made it clear that he wants to continue going to school in the hopes of earning his degree. "I plan to earn my degree and will continue to work with coach so that is achieved in the near future,” he said in part of his official release. “His commitment to his academics is real and I am confident he will continue to work toward his bachelor’s degree from UNLV,” his coach Marvin Menzies stated.

Therefore, in addition to possessing a solid low-post and mid-range shooting game on the offensive end and an ability to rebound and protect the rim on the defensive end, McCoy’s devotion to education might set him apart from other rookies. Considering the fact that he’s not quite a finished product, the young center might be able to lean on pursuit of knowledge. Most of the time, there is a massive learning curve that rookies need to get past.

He’s projected to be a mid-to-late first-round selection according to most mock drafts.

Tony Carr (sophomore point guard, Penn State)

Carr is another player who hasn’t quite made up his mind in terms of declaring for the Draft, but he’s expected to announce a decision soon. Averaging 19.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for the Penn State Nittany Lions this past season, he performed at an elite level all year long.

Incredibly converting 43.3 percent of his three-point looks, Carr only shot 40.8 percent overall, but was a high-volume shooter, racking up 16.2 field goal attempts per contest. Further, he went 88-for-203 from three-point range in 37 games played. That makes his accuracy from deep even more impressive and he grades out to be a prolific long-range shooter as a pro.

Carr led Penn State to an NIT championship victory this season and Nittany Lions head coach Patrick Chambers couldn’t hide his love for the standout player.

“He’s got such a high IQ,” Chambers explained. “He really sees the floor. He’s every bit of 6’5. I knew we were getting a good player. I knew he could make shots, but I think his shooting from three has really impressed me the most. He put in a lot of work in the off-season to improve his shooting. Obviously he was in the low 30s last year. … And you know what, he fell in love with the weight room.”

Despite the fact that he might not be the quickest or most athletic player in the draft class, he’s comfortable with the ball in his hands, is a proven scorer and facilitator and has excellent size for the position, just like Gilgeous-Alexander.

As seen with Mitchell in last year’s draft, proven scorers and creative offensive players who aren’t afraid to have the ball in their hands can develop into stars, even if they aren’t picked towards the top of the draft. Depending on the opportunity that he’s given, he could very well excel in a high-usage role similar to Mitchell’s in Utah. Since he’s expected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in most mocks, he could end up being a major steal.

Listen HERE to the first episode of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring former Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin.

Enjoy, and please subscribe for all future episodes.