As they are announced, a running list of players from The American who have submitted their names to the NBA Draft.
Jacob Evans III, G/F, Cincinnati*
Jarrey Foster, G/F, SMU*
Melvin Frazier, G/F, Tulane*
Shake Milton, G, SMU*
Landry Shamet, G, Wichita State
* has not hired an agent
Jacob Evans III, G/F, Cincinnati
Cincinnati's Jacob Evans III will declare for the 2018 NBA draft.
"I decided to enter the NBA draft after weighing my options with my family and coaches," Evans told ESPN. "I feel it's the best move for me. An opportunity like this doesn't come around for many people, and I believe in my abilities and support team to go chase this dream of mine."
Evans will not hire an agent at this time, preserving the option to return to school for his senior year, pending the feedback he receives from NBA teams.
He is currently projected 24th in the ESPN Top 100.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard averaged 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 31 minutes per game. He hit 38 percent of his career 3-pointers at the college level. Evans' productivity and versatility played a huge role in Cincinnati having one of the best seasons in the program's history, going 31-5 and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Evans is considered a first-round-caliber prospect because of his strong combination of size, perimeter shooting, defensive versatility and passing ability. He saw some minutes operating at point guard at times this season at Cincinnati and should be able to play multiple positions at the NBA level as well, sliding between the guard and wing positions in different lineup configurations.
Jarrey Foster, SMU
Despite an injury in January, SMU forward Jarrey Foster tweeted on Monday that he is submitting his name to the NBA Draft. Foster said he will not hire an agent, preserving the option to return to school for his senior year pending the feedback he receives from NBA teams. He plans to attend the NBA scouting combine for interviews and a medical examination if invited.
The 6-foot-6 small forward averaged 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 32 minutes per game for SMU. He was in the midst of a breakout season when he suffered a partially torn ACL 19 games into the season in January, the second time in his career he tore a ligament in his left knee.
"This has been my dream ever since I started playing basketball," Foster told ESPN. "I felt like I was having a great year when I got hurt. I was going to declare no matter what. I've been thinking since then about whether I should or shouldn't enter the draft, and I came to the conclusion that it doesn't hurt to test the waters."
ESPN's 2018 mock draft projected Foster as a late-first-round pick before his injury.
"To stay in the draft, I would have to be confident that I will be drafted in a spot that I am in a good situation," Foster said. "If I can get into the second round, that would be ideal. I'm looking for a team that can work with me with what I'm going through, providing me with a protocol to help me out and get as strong as possible. I'm looking for the right situation, a team that will take care of me, put their time into me."
Melvin Frazier, Tulane
Following a breakout junior season for the Tulane men’s basketball team, Melvin Frazier Jr., has declared for the 2018 NBA Draft but is following NCAA guidelines to retain his collegiate eligibility.
“I’ve made a lot of progress between my freshman and junior years, and now I want to use this opportunity to see where it takes me,” Frazier said. “I have a chance to do something big and feel like I’m ready, so I’m going to test out this process and give it my best shot.”
Frazier is ranked as the No. 31 overall prospect eligible for the draft according to ESPN.com and has been slotted as a first-round selection in several editions of the site’s mock draft.
“Melvin has garnered a lot of serious interest from numerous NBA teams based on his wide range of talents,” head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., said. “Foremost, his potential to be a defensive stopper at multiple positions along with the rapid development of his offensive skills make him a valuable two-way player. He has a great work ethic and aptitude for learning. I think this is the right move at the right time to explore his opportunities at the next level. I’m going to help him each step of the way to achieve his dream of playing in the NBA.”
An Avondale, Louisiana native, Frazier garnered a handful of honors following a breakout 2017-18 campaign, as he was voted American Athletic Conference Most Improved Player of the Year, an NABC all-district second team and all-conference second team choice.
“I wasn’t very good as a freshman and it was a learning experience,” Frazier said. “After Coach Dunleavy took over before my sophomore year, I bought into his program and he taught me a lot. As a junior, I felt like I put it all together.”
Among his noteworthy performances in 2017-18, Frazier scored 27 points with five assists at No. 13 North Carolina and poured in a season-high 28 points with five steals at Memphis. He tallied 27 points and made six 3-pointers with seven assists at SMU and registered his fifth double-double of the year with 22 points and 11 rebounds at No. 13 Wichita State.
Frazier was named The American Player of the Week once and received Jamaica Classic MVP honors after posting consecutive double-doubles comprising at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in each of Tulane’s wins over Colorado State and Fordham.
The 6-foot-6 guard led the conference in steals (65), ranked second in field goal percentage (.556), fourth in scoring (15.9), fifth in minutes per game (34.4) and 12th in rebounding (5.6). His 65 steals were the fifth most in a single season in program history and the most by a Tulane player in 21 years.
Shake Milton, SMU
Milton, the preseason American Conference player of the year, led SMU in scoring and assists this past season. He missed the final 11 games of the season with a broken bone in his right hand. Milton averaged 18 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists for the Mustangs.
Milton was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 25 Second Team on Tuesday. He was also named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Associations All-District VII Team and selected All-American Athletic Conference Second Team by the league's coaches.
Milton, who was on the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Lute Olson and Bob Cousy watch lists, has missed the past nine games with a broken right hand. Before the injury, he was among The American leaders in scoring (18.0, 3rd AAC), assists (4.4, 3rd), steals (1.4, 10th), 3-point percentage (.434, 5th), 3-pointers made (2.5, 2nd), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9, 8th), free-throw percentage (.847, 2nd) and minutes (36.4, 2nd). He is one of just 13 players nationally averaging at least 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds (4.7) and 4.0 assists.
Landry Shamet, Wichita State
Shamet, a 6-foot-4 guard from Kansas City, averaged 14.9 points and 5.2 assists on his way to honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press. He made 44.2 percent of his three-point shots, 48.9 percent overall. While he dreamed of the NBA as a youngster, the reality of that goal started hit him after the 2016-17 season. A 20-point performance against Kentucky – and NBA Draft lottery guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk - in the NCAA Tournament made it real.
"I'm a firm believer that when an opportunity presents itself and your intuition tells you to go pursue to go make it happen, you should fully grasp onto that and go make it happen," Shamet said. "I feel good about it. I feel confident in myself. I feel confident as my abilities as a basketball player and a man to be successful. (Wichita State's) prepared me very thoroughly. I have a ton of tools in my pocket, not only on the basketball court, but for life ahead."
Shamet, 21, said leaned on family, friends and coaches to make the decision. The information he and others gathered from sources in an around the NBA give him a good indication he will be picked in the first round, a spot that carries a guaranteed contract.
2018 NBA Draft Timeline
April 22: Declaration Deadline (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time)
May 15: Draft Lottery
May 16-20: NBA Combine (Chicago)
June 11: Withdrawal Deadline
June 21: NBA Draft