Harrison Barnes and Royce White in Top 5 in New NBA Draft Prospect Ranking

Two basketball standouts with ties to Ames are ranked as top players in a new assessment of the prospects expected to be taken in next month's NBA draft.

, the former student who played college hoops at North Carolina, comes in at No. 4, according to ESPN basketball expert Doug Gottlieb in his new ranking released today.

, the transfer student who came to play his one year at , is No. 5, according to Gottlieb.

Of course, it's all guess work now as to where these players will be taken. We won't even know in which order top teams will be selecting until the draft lottery tonight.

Here is what Gottlieb has to say about Barnes:

Smooth and steady, Barnes is not the next Kobe Bryant, but he is still a solid NBA wing for years to come. His game lacks the burst to create a lot of his own shots, but he can post, will guard some and really made strides in being a solid 3-point shooter.

And this about White: 

White is similar in many ways to former New York Knick Anthony Mason. He is an undersized 4 who can handle, shoot some, rebound and score in the low post. He has been very open about his anxiety disorder, as well as his transgressions that lead to him leaving Minnesota. He is a risk, but he can also be a dominant player, one who took over at midseason after two years of rust wore off.

Take a look at our previous coverage of White and Barnes: