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Draft Updates: Milton, McCoy, Roach, Ball, More

March 27th, 2018 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

SMU guard Shake Milton has decided to test the 2018 NBA draft waters, a source tells Patrick Engel of Pony Stampede. A junior, Milton would have the opportunity to return to school for his senior year if he enters the draft without hiring an agent.

Milton, who is currently ranked 34th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, is coming off a strong season at SMU, averaging 18.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG with a shooting line of .449/.434/.847. In Givony’s most recent mock draft, he has Milton coming off the board at No. 36 to the Mavericks.

Here are more of the latest draft updates from around the basketball world:

UNLV center Brandon McCoy, who averaged 16.9 PPG and 10.3 RPG as a freshman and ranks 58th on ESPN’s big board, announced he’ll forgo his remaining years of NCAA eligibility to enter the draft, according to the school. “This is probably one of the toughest decisions I have ever made,” McCoy said in a statement. “I will always be a Rebel, but when weighing all the factors, with the support of my family I have decided it is in my best interest to forgo my collegiate eligibility and pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA.”
The 65th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s top 100, Texas junior guard Kerwin Roach II will test the draft waters without hiring an agent, the school announced in a press release. “We want to see where I may stand in this year’s draft, but we’re also keeping all options open,” Roach said. “We want to get the most accurate feedback directly from the NBA, so we can make the best decision for my future.”
Marshall junior guard Jon Elmore and Eastern Michigan junior forward Elijah Minnie are each expected to declare for the 2018 draft without hiring an agent, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN (Twitter links).
Washington State’s basketball program announced on Monday that junior forward Robert Franks is declaring for the NBA draft without hiring an agent. An earlier report from Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports suggested that Franks would hire an agent rather than simply testing the waters, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Lonzo Ball‘s younger brother LiAngelo Ball has declared for the 2018 NBA draft after spending the last few months playing for Lithuanian team Vytautas Prienu, agent Harrison Gaines tells Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The former UCLA swingman isn’t expected to be drafted.

Draft Notes: Elmore, Mock Drafts, Swanigan, Diallo

May 17th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Marshall point guard Jon Elmore has decided to withdraw his name from the 2017 draft pool and return to school for one more year, he tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s probably a smart decision for Elmore, who had initially declared for the draft after his junior year — despite coming off an impressive season in which he averaged 20.0 PPG and 6.0 APG, Elmore isn’t viewed as a top prospect by draft experts.

Let’s round up a few more draft-related notes and updates…

In Chad Ford’s new mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider-only link), the first five picks off the board are Markelle Fultz (Celtics), Lonzo Ball (Lakers), Malik Monk (Sixers), Josh Jackson (Suns), and De’Aaron Fox (Kings).
Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress.com also takes a look at the ramifications of Tuesday’s lottery results and makes his predictions for the first 10 picks. Kamalsky’s forecast differs a little from Ford’s, with Monk falling to the Magic at No. 6, while the Sixers take Jackson and the Suns select Jayson Tatum.
It’s a busy week for Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan, who will be working out for the Sixers and Spurs in addition to his previously-reported meetings with Indiana, Brooklyn, and Orlando (Twitter links via Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com). Swanigan has one more week before he has to make a decision on whether to remain in the draft, so he’s getting as much feedback as possible while he can.
Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo worked out for the Bulls and Bucks already this week in advance of his Thursday workout with the Nets, as Adam Zagoria details. Meanwhile, Mark Strotman of CSNChicago.com wonders if Diallo, who could still return to Kentucky, might be the splash the Bulls are seeking.
Like Swanigan and Diallo, UNC’s Tony Bradley continues to test the draft waters and has a full workout schedule before next Wednesday’s decision deadline. Per Jeff Goodman, Bradley will work out for the Lakers (Friday), Spurs (Sunday), Bucks (Tuesday), and Thunder (Wednesday) within the next week, after auditioning for New York today.

Draft Notes: Carroll, D. Fox, J. Bell, Elmore

March 27th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma State guard Jeffrey Carroll has decided to test the waters for the 2017 draft, tweets Dylan Buckingham of KFOR. Carroll enjoyed a breakout junior season, comfortably establishing new career bests in PPG (17.5), RPG (6.6), and FG% (.537), among other categories. However, he isn’t considered a top prospect for 2017 by DraftExpress. Since Carroll won’t hire an agent, he’ll have the opportunity to withdraw his name from the draft pool before May’s deadline and return to Oklahoma State for his senior year.

Here are a few more draft-related updates worth passing along:

Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox and Oregon forward Jordan Bell top David Aldridge’s list of 10 prospects who have boosted their NBA stock in this year’s NCAA tournament. Aldridge’s full list is available in his latest Morning Tip column at NBA.com.
In an Insider article for ESPN.com, draft guru Chad Ford also examines how the tournament’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games affected prospects’ stocks. That list overlaps several times with Aldridge’s, though Ford also provides a list of players whose stocks have slipped a little as of late.
Marshall junior guard Jon Elmore is expected to test the draft waters without hiring an agent, reports ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (via Twitter). Elmore averaged 20.0 PPG and 6.0 APG for Marshall this season.
Panathinaikos guard Michalis Lountzis has decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Lountzis, who is just 18 years old, ranks 19th among international prospects born in 1998, according to DraftExpress.
Antelope Valley Community College center Antone Warren has signed with an agent and will enter the 2017 draft, according to Brendan Walker of JucoRecruiting.com. Warren is one of the top-ranked junior college players of this year’s class, as Walker details.