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2012 NBA Mock Draft: Meyers Leonard To Milwaukee In SI.com's Latest

Illinois center Meyers Leonard is projected to be taken by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 12th overall selection in the latest mock draft from Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated. Over the past few weeks, Leonard has slowly emerged as a likely lottery pick thanks to impressive showings during workouts.

Much like Lillard, Leonard was a combine All-Star by most accounts. He measured well (7-1¼ in shoes, with a 7-3 wingspan) and did more than enough to likely keep him in the lottery. After dealing Bogut, the Bucks could certainly use Leonard. He averaged 13.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for Illinois after a freshman season in which he barely played. Zeller and Syracuse center Fab Melo will likely be considered.

After playing sparingly during his freshman season, Leonard emerged as one of the key players for Illinois as a sophomore. While he couldn't lead the Illini to a NCAA Tournament appearance, he's done enough over the past year-plus to convince GM's that he can develop into a legitimate NBA center, one of the rarest commodities in the sport.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of Illini basketball, head over to Hail to the Orange. And for more from around the world of college hoops, check out SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub. For additional news, notes and analysis from around the NBA, visit SB Nation's NBA news hub.