With the NBA opening up the rules a few years back to allow players to test out the waters in terms of the NBA draft and then go back to college as long as they don't hire an agent it has led to a lot more players declaring for the draft.
One of those guys taking advantage of that rule is Tulane forward Melvin Frazier who has decided to enter the NBA draft but won't hire an agent.
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“I've grown and matured so much in the last three years both on and off the court,” Frazier told Jonathan Givony of ESPN.” I feel like now is a great time for me to test the waters.”
This season with the Tulane Green Wave Melvin Frazier averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Although the Green Wave didn't have a lot of success this year finishing with a 14-17 record, Frazier opened up a lot of eyes around the NBA with his play. He increased his shooting percentage from the field by over 12 percentage points and that was the biggest reason for his increase in good play
.”Maturity and hard work,” Frazier said when asked about the keys behind his breakout season. “I put in a lot of work last summer and season. Everything started to slow down for me. I've always been athletic, but figuring out how to use it has taken my game to a different level.”
According to ESPN, he is currently projected as the 30th best draft prospect in their top 100. His 7-foot-2 wingspan is what scouts seem most excited about so it will be interesting to see if he decides to stay in the draft, or if he will return to Tulane for his senior season.