Three Mizzou basketball players opt to test NBA Draft waters but retain eligibility
Three Mizzou basketball players are making themselves eligible for the NBA Draft, though they will retain eligibility for a potential return to the Tigers next season.
MU guard Xavier Pinson and forwards Jeremiah Tilmon and Mitchell Smith will submit their names for the 2020 draft process. By doing so, they’ll have a chance to earn feedback and grades from NBA scouts. They also have a chance to be invited to the 2020 NBA Combine.
The NCAA deadline for withdrawing names from the NBA Draft is June 3.
“I’m very supportive of all three of them going through this to receive key information from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee and greatly benefit from the process,” Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said in a news release. “I know they each have goals to pursue professional basketball at the highest levels and this is a significant step in that journey. We’ll help them in any way we can.”
The trio’s timeline is murky because the current NBA season is suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 NBA Draft is set for June 25 in Brooklyn, but there’s a chance key dates will be rescheduled as the league moves forward with its regular season.
Tilmon planned to go through the same process last year but because of a mixup with his application was unable to do so. The 6-foot-10 forward played in 17 games last season, slowed by a stress fracture in his foot that forced him to miss early portions of the SEC schedule. Tilmon averaged 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Pinson is an intriguing draft prospect because of his speed and the fact that he enjoyed a breakout second half of the season. The guard averaged 18.9 points in the final nine games of the year, leading the Tigers as their starting point guard. But listed at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, he’ll likely need to add weight before making the leap to the pros.
Smith had the best year of his career, with averages of 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. His game translates well to the pro level as a 6-foot-10 stretch forward. He shot just 29.4% from three-point range, however.