A look at the top prospects, by position, for the 2009 NBA draft:

(Updated May 1)

POWER FORWARDS

1. Blake Griffin, 6-10, 245, Oklahoma: A tricky top pick in that he doesn't look to be that franchise go-to scorer many want the top selection to be, but he'll be an asset from day one. I compare him to Al Horford, who came in with an NBA-ready body and nearly wound up Rookie of the Year.

2. James Johnson, 6-9, 235 Wake Forest: Blessed with a nice combination of skills and athleticism. If he were two inches taller, he'd probably challenge Griffin for top honors, but as long as he matures and learns to play smarter, he's going to be one of the best in this draft five years from now.

3. Jordan Hill, 6-9, 235, Arizona: Won a lot of scouts over with his play down the stretch, gutting through an ankle injury and putting his team on his back to help them sneak into the NCAAs. If he comes into the league intent on being active, he'll be fine.

4. DeJuan Blair, 6-7, 260,  Pittsburgh: Because of his lack of height, Blair has to come in willing to work on getting his body in peak condition and out-working everyone on the boards. If Paul Millsap can thrive, so can Blair. He turns 20 on April 22.

5. Patrick Patterson, 6-8, 235, Kentucky: His massive wingspan should help offset his lack of height, but returning to UK to play for John Calipari might be the best him for him, considering Coach Cal has promised to put the ball in his hands more often and make him a more complete player.

6. Tyler Hansbrough, 6-8, 245, North Carolina: He'll work hard on and off the floor, which may contribute to him picking up guaranteed money as a late-first rounder. Scouts feel he's close to hitting his ceiling, though, which might result him slipping into Round 2.

7. Gani Lawal, 6-9, 235, Georgia Tech: Great athlete who relies on nice explosion to get work done down low, but he's still very raw, shoots free throws poorly and may benefit from a season alongside Derrick Favors, an incoming freshman who will likely be a lottery pick in 2010.

8. Michael Washington, 6-10, 225, Arkansas: Great athlete with nice size and length, but his game is raw and nowhere near where it needs to be. Could benefit from a shallower talent pool by winding up a late first-rounder.

9. Jarvis Varnado, 6-9, 220, Mississippi State: The nation's premier shot-blocker will be able to translate that talent to the NBA level due to his excellent timing and superb athleticism. He's still very limited offensively, which is why you might see him ultimately pull out after testing the waters.

10. Taj Gibson, 6-9, 225, USC: A high-motor kid out of Brooklyn who did what he could on the left coast, bringing passion and a low-post presence to guard-dominated Trojans squads. If he stays in, he's got to convince a team that he can make up with heart what he lacks in size.

Best of the rest: Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State; Leo Lyons, Missouri; Ahmad Nivins, Saint Joseph's; Dante Cunningham, Villanova; Robert Dozier, Memphis; Milan Macvan, Hemofarm (Serbia); Jeff Adrien, UConn; Connor Atchley, Texas; Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga; Luke Harangody, Notre Dame; Ater Majok, UConn; Ludovic Vaty, Pau Orthez (France).

SMALL FORWARDS

1. Earl Clark, 6-9, 230, Louisville: Undeniably talented, he's got to understand that he's at the top of this list on potential more than performance. Once he gets it, if he gets it, he's got a shot to be special.

2. Terrence Williams, 6-6, 220, Louisville: Owns two of the three triple-doubles in the 'Ville's history. Has always had the physical gifts, but finally seemed to come into his own this past season, emerging as a leader and leaving some of the nonsense in his game behind.

3. Austin Daye, 6-10, 220, Gonzaga: He hasn't lived up to the hype, but you can see the talent despite his slight frame and sloppy ball-handling. Hasn't retained an agent, but in a draft where the talent at this position is particularly shaky, his upside is worth the risk.

4. Sam Young, 6-6, 220, Pittsburgh: Excellent athlete looks like he's got the goods to be a contributor, but doesn't stand out in any major way to merit a lottery selection.

5. Chase Budinger, 6-7, 220, Arizona: Right to come out in that he's done all he can in school, so now he's just got to find a team that fells he can be a piece to the puzzle.

6. Omri Casspi, 6-8, 225, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel): 20-year-old is a major contributor against players far older than him. Finished fourth in FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year voting behind Ricky Rubio, Danilo Gallinari and Kosta Koufos.

7. DaJuan Summers, 6-8, 235, Georgetown: Had a down season to fuel Georgetown's disappointing showing, but could develop the mid-range game necessary to succeed at the pro level. Has to improve significantly on his handles and his defense, though.

8. Victor Claver, 6-10, 225, Pamesa Valencia (Spain): 20-year-old who injured his knee this past December might have been a lottery lock had he not suffered that misfortune.

9. Danny Green, 6-6, 210, North Carolina: Winner is the consummate role player in that he'll do whatever is necessary for team success. Does a little of everything and is an above-average athlete.

10. Damion James, 6-7, 225, Texas: Longhorns junior is testing the waters, out to show front office personnel that he's more than an athletic power forward stuck in a small forward's frame.

Best of the rest: Brandon Costner, N.C. State; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Vladimir Dasic, KK Buducnost (Montenegro); Paul Harris, Syracuse; DeMarre Carroll, Missouri; Joe Ingles, South Dragons (Australia); Jonas Jerebko, Angelico Biella (Italy); Derrick Brown, Xavier; Lee Cummard, BYU; Marko Keselj, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia); Wesley Matthews, Marquette; Nate Miles, Coll. of Southern Idaho; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU.

CENTERS

1. Hasheem Thabeet, 7-3, 265, Connecticut: The UConn standout should appreciate the Dikembe Mutombo comparisons, as just being projected worthy enough to be in the same sentence as the league's favorite finger-wagger is an honor.

2. B.J. Mullens, 7-1, 260, Ohio State: Turned some off with a lackluster freshman season in Columbus, but he could turn things around and find someone who falls in love with him in individual workouts. May be a lottery pick yet.

3. Paulao Prestes, 6-10, 270, Unicaja Malaga (Spain): Wide-bodied energy guy has already opened eyes in a number of international competitions. Strong rebounder who uses his body well to offset a lack of athleticism.

4. Miroslav Raduljica, 7-0, 240, KK FMP Zeleznik: MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championships a year ago has nice touch for his size, but needs to grow into his frame both physically and mentally. Now 21 years old.

5. Vitor Faverani, 6-11, 230, Unicaja Malaga (Spain): Word out of Spain is that the Brazilian may be willing to come out a year earlier than planned because he's unhappy with his current club. Nice athleticism and size, but he's raw.. Turns 21 on May 5.

Best of the rest: John Bryant, Santa Clara; Goran Suton, Michigan State; Artem Zabelin, CSKA Moscow (Russia); Tim Ohlbrecht, 6-11, 250, Bamberg (Germany); Luke Nevill, Utah; Aron Baynes, Washington State; Aboubakar Zaki, Nancy (France); Russell Hicks, Florida International; Gasper Vidmar, Fenerbahce (Turkey); Boban Marjanovic, Hemofarm (Serbia); Randall Hanke, Providence; Mamadou Diene, Baylor.

POINT GUARDS

1. Ricky Rubio, 6-4, 180, DKV Joventut (Spain): Barely 18 years old, but already looks like he can hit the NBA running at a Kirk Hinrich level and improve from there. He's going to play for a very long time, whether he stays in this draft or opts to wait until 2010.

2. Brandon Jennings, 6-1, 175, Lottomatica Roma (Italy): Odds are good that when he gets introduced for his first NBA game, he'll choose Oak Hill Academy or simply, "from L.A." rather than make further mention of his shaky European experience. Still, he got paid and remains a Top-10 lock.

3. Jrue Holiday, 6-4, 200, UCLA: He failed to blow up in his one college season, but nevertheless has all the tools to be a standout guard at this level. His education should continue in the pros, but this is a player who is going to sky-rocket once he figures it out.

4. Ty Lawson, 5-11, 195, North Carolina: Pro-ready body and championship pedigree. He's not thought to have as high a ceiling as the guys in front of him, but looks to have the swagger and moxie to be successful.

5. Eric Maynor, 6-2, 165, VCU: Four-year standout can get to the lane and drop runners on you at will, and has a nice feel for running an up-tempo offense. Teams worry about the significant step up in competition, but he's as cool as they come.

6. Stephen Curry, 6-1, 185, Davidson: A learning curve awaits him, but the key for him will be continuing to work on all parts of his game while depending on that shooting stroke to get by and compete for minutes. If he doesn't get discouraged, a lengthy career awaits him. 

7. Patrick Mills, 6-0, 180, St. Mary's: At the very least, he's a tempo-changer off the bench who will thrive at pushing the pace and dribbling around opposing guards like traffic cones. The dimunitive Aussie got to improve his shooting stroke and will be a defensive liability over extended minutes, but if he learns to mask his lack of size, he'll be a difference-maker.

8. Jonny Flynn, 6-0, 185, Syracuse: The sophomore guard could've been a lottery pick next year if he returned to school and developed into a more polished product, but there's no question he's got a chance to grow into a starter. It will take some work and patience, but he's got the quickness to erase a lot of mistakes.

9. Jeff Teague, 6-2, 180, Wake Forest: His game needs to grow up, as the tools are there for him to be a lottery pick, but the consistency isn't. Wake would be a championship contender if he returns to run the show. Given how disappointing the Deacs were in the past NCAAs, he owes it to himself to give it another shot.

10. Darren Collison, 6-1, 165, UCLA: Standout defender should also earn a nice living for a long time in this league, thriving with his quickness and positioning. Probably slips into the second round, but shouldn't hang his head. He'll get work.

Best of the rest: Toney Douglas, Florida State; Nick Calathes, Florida; Rodrigue Beaubois, Cholet Basket (France), Daniel Hackett, USC; Lester Hudson, UT-Martin; Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga; A.J. Price, UConn; Brandon Ewing, Wyoming; Devan Downey, South Carolina;  Curtis Jerrells, Baylor; Scottie Reynolds, Villanova; Aaron Jackson, Duquesne.

SHOOTING GUARDS

1. James Harden, 6-5, 218, Arizona State: He'll score. A lot. Invents ways to get his shot off and makes it work no matter the angle. Expect him to improve his range and be a dangerous weapon. Pro-ready body.

2. Tyreke Evans, 6-6, 219, Memphis: Really took off when Calipari allowed him to run the offense, but that isn't likely to be his role at the pro level. Must learn to play off the ball better, but he's got the goods to merit Top-10 consideration.

3. DeMar DeRozan, 6-7, 207, USC: Scouts have long envisioned him emerging as a defensive stopper, but he started looking more proficient late in the college season. He can only improve.

4. Gerald Henderson, 6-5, 215, Duke: Significantly improved from the point he entered college as a celebrated recruit to where he's now a more complete product. Has a high ceiling.

5. Wayne Ellington, 6-4, 190, North Carolina: Smooth shooter can make a future for himself by continuing to knock down clutch jumpers at the next level.

6. Marcus Thornton, 6-4, 198, LSU: Reigning SEC Player of the Year doesn't get the love he deserves. Some of the things he does are unorthodox, but you can't argue with his improvement or results. Has to bust it on defense to make it.

7. Jodie Meeks, 6-4, 208, Kentucky: No, he's not going to light up the NBA the way he did SEC competition, but some of the huge performances he put together do translate. He's got a knack for hitting the big shot and doesn't shy away from the moment. If John Calipari gets him to stay, he could secure a first-round slot by going out and dominating again next season.

8. Jermaine Taylor, 6-4, 214, UCF: Watched this kid grow a lot over the years as a proud member of Knights nation, seeing him transform from someone who only wanted to score early in his career to the leader he grew into his junior and senior years. His stock is soaring after rocking the otherwise disappointing Portsmouth Invitational.

9. Dar Tucker, 6-5, 210, DePaul: His shot-selection was a joke at DePaul, but you have to take into account how overmatched that team was in Big East play. Has enough athleticism and raw skills to earn an honest look.

10. Dionte Christmas, 6-5, 190, Temple: Needs to prove he can score consistently on the pro level, but has pretty good size and a nice array of skills that should help him benefit from not being the focal point of opposing defenses.

Best of the rest: Jerel McNeal, Marquette; Nando DeColo, Cholet Basket (France); Manny Harris, Michigan; Jack McClinton, Miami (FL); Robert Vaden, UAB; Dionte Christmas, Temple; Courtney Fells, N.C. State; Greivis Vasquez, Maryland; A.D. Vasallo, Virginia Tech; Antonio Anderson, Memphis; Alexey Shved, CSKA Moscow (Russia), K.C. Rivers, Clemson.

Tony Mejia is senior writer for Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at mejia@probasketballnews.com.