Texas Freshman Myles Turner to Enter NBA Draft

With turmoil swirling around the Texas Longhorns basketball program, star freshman Myles Turner announced via Youtube that he will enter the 2015 NBA Draft.  Texas recently fired long-time coach Rick Barnes and Turner, who is projected as a lottery pick, decided it was in his own best interest to pursue his professional career immediately.

“I’ve decided to forgo my education and enter the 2015 NBA Draft,” Turner said. “I love the University and the atmosphere here, great education, great people, great basketball facilities. It’s given me everything I need to succeed.”

“It’s really hard to say goodbye, but this is a decision I had to make.”

Turner averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game during his rookie year, but will be drafted based on his long-term potential more so than his immediate impact.  The 6-foot-11 forward struggled developing during his only college season even coming off of the bench during the Longhorns opening round lose to the Butler Bulldogs.  Still, he has the skill set that all NBA teams love and there should be plenty of suitors hoping to snag Turner in the opening round.

Turner, however, needs to show NBA scouts during his June workouts that what they saw during his freshman year isn’t everything he has to offer professional franchises.  In the meantime, many scouts have compared Turner to another former Texas star LeMarcus Aldridge, a lottery pick in his own right. Both players stand at 6-foot-11 and have no fear pulling the trigger from behind the arc drawing the apt comparison. What bodes well for Turner is how Aldridge has had a very successful NBA career, but was much more fine tuned as he entered the professional ranks.  Nonetheless, Turner will be a hot commodity for NBA teams and shouldn’t be on the board long before a team gobbles him up.

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*Section Photo credit to Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Eric Gay, Associated Press

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