FRIDAY, 5:55pm: Frazier confirmed via his Twitter account that he will indeed enter the NBA draft this year.
THURSDAY, 11:11am: University of Florida junior shooting guard Michael Frazier will enter this year’s NBA draft, reports Forbes contributor and Sports Agent Blog editor Darren Heitner (Twitter link). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress also hears from a source who confirmed the news (Twitter link). Frazier will sign with agents Andy Miller and Matt Ramker of ASM Sports, a source tells Heitner.
It’s somewhat of a surprise to see the 21-year-old set to turn pro so soon, as Givony listed him on his mock draft for 2016 rather than this year. He’s Givony’s 79th-ranked prospect overall and checks in at No. 84 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Frazier’s not unaware of such projections but is ready to work to improve his standing, a source tells Givony, who believes he’ll generate plenty of interest in spite of a down year this season (Twitter links). The 6’4″ Frazier shot 43% from three-point territory for his college career, as Givony notes, and 38% this season. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game for the 2014/15 Gators, who saw their season end with an SEC Tournament loss to Kentucky.
Florida, normally a national power, finished only 16-17 despite the presence of Frazier and fellow pro prospect Chris Walker, whose stock has slipped quite a bit. Frazier’s reputation has remained more or less steady, as he came in at No. 86 on the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school in 2012.