Texas Freshman Myles Turner Declares For NBA Draft

Myles Turner
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That was fast.

The Final Four is upon us and the playoffs loom, which can only mean one thing for the thousands of us obsessed with the “next big things” in basketball – draft declarations. Texas freshman Myles Turner is the first marquee prospect to state his intentions, publicly announcing today that he has decided to enter June’s NBA draft.

Already brand conscious, the 19 year-old released the following video on Monday morning.

Turner, a lithe 6’11 240-pounder, averaged 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in just 22.2 minutes per game for the Longhorns. He was named Big XII Freshman of the Year for his efforts, living up to the hype that accompanied his ballyhooed college recruitment despite shooting a substandard 45.5 percent from the field.

A consensus lottery prospect, Turner was usurped in the draft pecking order this season by fellow freshman bigs Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns. But he remains an extremely intriguing player nonetheless due to his natural ability as a shooter and shot-blocker – a rare commodity in today’s NBA.

Questions surrounding Turner mostly come down to defense and physicality. Is he a center or power forward? The Trinity, TX native would prove especially valuable in the former scenario. There’s legitimate concern over Turner’s gait and foot-speed, too, and expectations that he’ll develop into a low post scoring beast are long gone.

The draft is is June 25. Regardless of his deficiencies, don’t be surprised if Turner moves up the rankings during the evaluation process between now and then. He’s a wholly unique prospect, and the kind with whom teams easily become enamored.

[Video via Team Turner]

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