Marquette Basketball: Olivier-Maxence Prosper declares for the NBA Draft

Marquette Basketball forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has declared for the NBA Draft.

John Leuzzi of the Marquette Wire confirmed with the school that O-Max will maintain his college eligibility throughout the draft process. Prosper still has two years of college eligibility remaining.

He is currently the 65th-best prospect, according to ESPN.com. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recent mock draft has Prosper going to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round with the 49th pick.

O-Max averaged 12.5 points per game last season. He shot 51.2% from the field, 33.9% from three-point range, and pulled down 4.7 rebounds per game during his junior season. He also posted a 117.6 offensive rating, a 104.8 defensive rating, and 57.6 eFG%.

Three-and-D will be his calling card in the NBA.

At 6’8″ along with an over seven-foot wingspan, Prosper has the skills to be a good NBA defender. His size and athleticism will allow him to guard two through four spots on the court.

The league is demanding more players to be able to knock down threes and defend. O-Max fits that bill. He is a glue-guy player too.

In a year where the Marquette Golden Eagles won the Big East regular season and conference tournament title, a lot of his teammates felt they would not have won those titles without Prosper’s contributions.

Tyler Kolek won Big East Player of the Year, David Joplin took home Big East Sixth Man of the Year, and Kam Jones and Oso Ighodaro were named All-Big East. Prosper did not get any postseason recognition. His teammates felt it was O-Max doing all the little things necessary to win a conference title that contributed to Marquette’s successful season.

He may not end up as a star in the NBA, but he has the potential to be a solid NBA rotational player for many years. He is a jack-of-all-trades player with his ability to shoot, get to the rim, and defend. He does, however, have to improve his ball handling and staying on his feet when he attacks the rim.

Maintaining his college eligibility is also a smart decision. By declaring for the draft, he can get feedback from NBA teams on where he needs to improve. If he can impress a team to get a draft pick guarantee, then he can live out his dream.

If he finds out he may not get drafted or be a very late second-round pick designated to start in the G-League, he has the flexibility to return to Marquette. He can improve his game during his senior season and put his name back in the 2024 draft. Plus, he can still make money through his name, image, and likeness (NIL) if he returns to the Marquette Golden Eagles.

He must decide to return to Marquette or stay in the draft by June 12th.