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This is one of the most deceiving times of year where teams can easily be fooled by a string of good workouts and solid interviews. The team that puts more stock in what they’ve seen over the last several weeks rather than what they saw during the regular season is most likely to end up disappointed.

The time leading up to the draft is really just a small piece of the puzzle allowing teams to get to know prospects on a personal level and see some of the skills they have to offer. However, what it all comes down to is whether or not they can play and there’s no better judgment of that than game film.

Everyone in this draft believes their best days are ahead of them. They’re doing everything they can to sell teams on that, but the ones who have truly succeeded are the ones who have a good track record to back it up. Those players compromise our five on the rise:

Brandon Knight (Kentucky, Fr.) – 6’3, 176 lbs. Point Guard
The reason Brandon Knight elected to leave Kentucky after his freshman year was because of the feedback he received at a mini combine put on by his head coach John Calipari. Knight was assured then he was a top 10 pick and this was the right time to leave.

That advice is looking golden for Knight because now he’s actually looking like a lock to go in the top five.

Along with being one of the youngest players in this draft class, Knight was also one of the most productive in 2010-2011. He took a Wildcats team that just lost five players to the first round of the NBA Draft in 2010 to the Final Four. He’s got a lot of room to grow. The combination of his overall intelligence and athletic ability creates a lot of confidence he will fulfill his potential. Word is he’s garnering a lot of consideration from the Utah Jazz at three right now.

Klay Thompson (Washington State, Jr.) – 6’7, 205 lbs. Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Specialists have a place in every single draft, usually somewhere outside the lottery and in the second round. Throughout Klay Thompson’s time at Washington State he was always regarded as one of the most lethal three-point shooters in the country with his overall skill set going underappreciated. That’s why he was originally projected as a fringe first-round pick.

After measuring in bigger than expected at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago Thompson’s versatility is finally getting the recognition it deserves. He could potentially play both wing spots in the NBA, which has his stock moving up towards the top 15.

Several teams in the 11-18 range have expressed strong interest in Thompson, who has also been performing quite well in individual workouts. Don’t expect him to go any lower than 19 to the Bobcats.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Marcus Morris (Kansas, Jr.) – 6’8, 229 lbs. Small Forward/Power Forward
Going on a campaign that he’s a small forward and not a power forward wasn’t the best idea Marcus Morris has ever had. As one of the premier power forwards college basketball has had to offer over the last four years, voicing the desire to move out onto the perimeter full-time initially turned some teams away.

The fact of the matter is that Morris is going to play wherever his future coach asks him. If he tells him to stay in the paint, rebound and score off of the block like Kansas head coach Bill Self did, that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

Morris may get the opportunity to become a full-time small forward, but he’s going to end up wherever he can be most effective. Few players in this draft are as skilled and smooth as Marcus. As one of the most NBA-ready prospects teams in the top 12 looking for instant impact are going to have a hard time passing him up.

Marshon Brooks (Providence, Sr.) – 6’5, 194 lbs. Shooting Guard
This past year at Providence Marshon Brooks was designated as the go-to guy with the freedom to do whatever he wanted to offensively. As the only player on the team capable of carrying such a load, Brooks stepped up to the challenge and upped his scoring average 10 full points from his junior year. What makes that feat more impressive is that he did so while also increasing his field-goal percentage.

At 6’5 Brooks has the prototypical size of an NBA shooting guard. His 7’1 wingspan triumphs that of most other shooting guards. He needs to add some strength, but his competitive edge and pure scoring touch is attracting a lot of teams in the middle-to-late portion of the first round.

Thanks to the seven rebounds he grabbed a game this past season, Brooks isn’t being pigeonholed as just a scorer. Teams are looking at him as one of the most well-rounded and explosive two guards this class has to offer.

Nikola Vucevic (USC, Jr.) – 6’11, 259 lbs. Center
There’s no denying center is this draft’s thinnest position. There are more teams needing help at center in the first round than there are first-round quality centers. Luckily for one of those teams, Nikola Vucevic measured in at a full 6’11 and 259 lbs. at the combine with a 7’4.5″ wingspan.

Vucevic was viewed by many as a power forward whose athletic and quickness limitations would do him a great deal of disservice in the NBA. However, those weaknesses are less magnified now that it’s clear that he has the size and strength necessary to hold things down at the five.

There was some thought Vucevic could end up playing professionally overseas since he has an international passport and is from Montenegro, but now it’s looking far more likely that he’ll be in the NBA instead thanks to having a guaranteed contract as a first-round pick.

Yannis Koutroupis is a senior NCAA and NBA analyst for HOOPSWORLD.com. You can follow him on Twitter.