The leading scorer in college basketball is entering the 2017 NBA Draft. According to Larry Lage of the Associated Press, Marcus Keene of Central Michigan is expected to put his name into the draft, hoping to be picked by an NBA team in June.
Keene averaged 30 points per game at Central Michigan this season, the highest mark in Division I in the last 20 years. However, it did not lead to much team success as the Chippewas finished the year with a 14-16 record.
Keene’s scoring is intriguing but he does not seem like a great NBA prospect. Besides the lack of team success in a lower-tier conference, Keene is a 5’9″ guard. Even as Isaiah Thomas finds success in the NBA this season, it’s difficult to envision players that small having much of a role in the league.
DraftExpress currently does not have Keene as a draft pick in its mock draft or as one of its top 100 prospects. His lack of size and the level of competition he dominated against added to his age (nearly 22 years old) makes it difficult for Keene to be considered among the elite prospects.
Fortunately for Keene, he still has college eligibility. New NBA rules make it possible for him to gauge the interest in his services before deciding whether he would like to remain in the draft or to go back to college. As it stands now, it may be wiser for Keene to stay one more year.
