North Carolina State freshman Omer Yurtseven has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA draft, according to a report from The Associated Press. Yurtseven, a seven-foot center from Turkey, averaged a modest 5.9 PPG and 4.4 RPG in his first – and perhaps only – college season. Per NC State spokesman Craig Hammel, the young big man won’t hire an agent right away, which will allow him to test the draft waters and potentially return to school for his sophomore year.
Here are a few more draft-related items to round up:
- Another seven-footer, Ohio State’s Trevor Thompson, tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility to enter this year’s draft. After testing the waters a year ago and ultimately withdrawing, Thompson appears more likely to keep his name in the draft this time around, though he’s no lock to be selected.
- The nation’s leading scorer, Marcus Keene, has decided to enter the 2017 draft, a source tells Larry Lage of The Associated Press. The junior point guard averaged an eye-popping 30.0 PPG this season for Central Michigan.
- Although only a handful of early entrants – including the three players noted above – have declared for the 2017 draft so far, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) takes a closer look at which underclassmen and international players figure to join that group. Top prospects like Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and Malik Monk are among those described by Ford as having “one foot out the door.”
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News identifies 10 prospects who have plenty at stake in this year’s NCAA tournament.