Marquette star staying in NBA Draft

Coming off a season that featured the Big East regular-season and tournament titles and a No. 2 seed in March Madness, Marquette boasts one of the best outlooks in the country heading into 2023-24. 

However, Olivier-Maxence Prosper will not be a part of it. The junior forward told ESPN Friday that he will stay in the NBA Draft. 

Prosper made a significant leap in his second season with the Golden Eagles – he spent his freshman season with Clemson, then transferred to Marquette ahead of the 2021-22 slate. 

As a sophomore, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds and shot 46.1% from the floor and 31.7% from beyond the arc. As a junior, though, he averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds and boosted his shooting numbers to 51.2% from the floor and 33.9% from three. 

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has Prosper at No. 25 on his draft board, and for good reason. Not only has the 6-foot-8 Canadian expanded his offensive game during his time with Marquette, but his defensive chops make him a two-way stalwart. 

Earlier this week, Vecenie mentioned Prosper as a prospect who helped his case significantly at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. With a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a seemingly evolving offensive arsenal, Prosper is a name to watch come the draft on June 22. 

“It’s harder than people think to find guys with legitimate size, length and athleticism on the wing like this, especially when they have upside to shoot it,” noted Vecenie. 

He mentioned that one area scouts are looking at for improvement from Prosper is his outside shooting.

“Teams say they are really intrigued by me and value my skill set and ability to impact the game on both ends. I’m ready to make that jump and go after this,” Prosper told ESPN. 

As for Marquette and head coach Shaka Smart, replacing Prosper will be a stout, but doable, task. David Joplin, the reigning Big East Sixth Man of the Year, could well slide into the starting lineup in Prosper’s place. 

Plus, with Kam Jones (15.1 points per game), Tyler Kolek (12.9 points per game) and Oso Ighodaro (11.4 points per game) also returning to the program, the Golden Eagles still pose top-end offensive talent. 

However, it is on the defensive end where Prosper’s absence will likely be felt the most. Smart, heading into his third year with Marquette, is a terrific defensive coach, but figuring how to account for the departure of such an outstanding defender won't be easy.