Syracuse G Tyler Ennis leaving for NBA
Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis will leave school for the NBA, according to a report from Jeff Goodman of ESPN. The team has since confirmed the news.
Syracuse has announced that Tyler Ennis will enter the 2014 NBA Draft.
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) March 27, 2014
Ennis saw his draft stock improve a great deal during his freshman season, leading the Orange to a 28-6 record and proving one of the steadiest guards in all of college basketball.
However, a late-season slump and a poor showing as Syracuse was upset by Dayton in the Round of 32 led some to question last weekend whether he would be well-served by another year in school.
In any case, the year-long track record remains impressive - the Canadian averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 assists with just 1.7 turnovers, hitting 35.3 percent of his threes. Because his athleticism could prevent him from getting to the rim at first, he'll really need to develop that outside stroke to be a positive on offense at the next level.
ESPN currently sees Ennis as a top-10 pick, ranking him ninth among all prospects, while Draft Express is slightly less enthusiastic, penciling him in at 14th overall.
His coach at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim - who is a bit delusional when it comes to the realities of the NBA draft - thinks Ennis needs another year of seasoning. Because it serves Boeheim to have Ennis back, obviously.
Boeheim on Tyler Ennis' pro prospects: "I think he needs to get stronger, he needs to shoot the ball better, a year would really help him"
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) March 27, 2014