University of Washington freshmen Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray are declaring for the NBA Draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Both players intend to hire agents, which would eliminate the possibility of them returning to school next season, Goodman adds.
Chriss, 18, is currently ranked as the No. 15 prospect by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and is pegged by Goodman to be a potential first-rounder this year (Twitter link). The power forward appeared in 34 games for the Huskies this season, averaging 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 24.9 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .531/.350/.685. Chriss has excellent athleticism and his potential should entice NBA scouts during the predraft process, but he is still rather raw offensively.
Murray, a combo guard, also appeared in 34 games this season and notched averages of 16.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 33.5 minutes per outing, to accompany a slash line of .416/.288/.663. The 19-year-old is the No. 37 overall prospect, according to Givony, which makes him a projected second-round pick come June. Murray will certainly need to improve upon his shooting numbers if he hopes to stick in the NBA, and he’s almost assuredly going to spend more time in the D-League than the NBA early in his career.