Tulane junior Melvin Frazier is entering the 2018 NBA draft, but won’t hire an agent yet, he announced today (via Twitter). Moving forward in the draft process without an agent will give Frazier the option of withdrawing his name later this spring and returning to Tulane for his senior year.
“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.”
Speaking to Givony, Frazier noted that he’s just one year from getting his college degree and said that “means a lot” to him, which is one reason he’s not ready to fully commit to going pro yet. The 6’6″ swingman would also like to attend the NBA’s scouting combine in Chicago in May if he’s invited. Prospects have until 10 days after the combine to withdraw while maintaining their NCAA eligibility, so attending the combine would give Frazier a good chance to get feedback on his draft value.
In 2017/18, Frazier averaged 15.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.1 SPG in 34.4 MPG for Tulane, with an impressive shooting line of .556/.385/.712. He’s currently the No. 30 prospect on ESPN’s big board, and was projected to be an early second-round pick in Givony’s latest mock draft at ESPN.com.