Iowa State will have Georges Niang for his senior season, but the next Texas coach must make do without Myles Turner.
Those were the noteworthy personnel moves in the Big 12 during the past 36 hours, and both were sensible.
Niang, the multi-skilled All-Big 12 forward, scored 15.3 points per game, third in the conference, and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged 3.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds, serving as the centerpiece for a Cyclones team that went 25-9 and won the Big 12 tournament.
However, at 6-foot-8 and lacking athleticism, his prospects of making an NBA roster seem less certain than becoming a standout in a foreign league. For now he’s beloved in Ames and building the legacy of a tremendous college player, one whose legacy shouldn’t end at the hands of a 14-3 upset loss to UAB in the NCAA tournament.
“I was weighing (entering the draft), but I want to be loyal to the program and didn’t want to go out this way,” Niang told ESPN. “I didn’t want to leave my mark like that.
“I think we have a really good core coming back.”
Next year’s Cyclones—with six regulars returning and two transfers joining the rotation—should challenge the never-ending string of Kansas conference titles.
Texas has a stockpile of returnees also, though the program will be awash in change after the firing of coach Rick Barnes and the departure of Turner, who wore a one-and-done tag all season. The 6-11 forward started only seven games but posted 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and a league-high 2.6 blocks.
With deep shooting touch and a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Myles projects to become the Longhorns’ fifth lottery pick since 2004 … and the only one never to leave without winning an NCAA tournament game.
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Kansas freshman Kelly Oubre is entering the draft as well, according to a report from the Kansas City Star.
The 6-7 small forward—an early-season bit player after arriving as a top-10 recruit—earned more minutes by the start of league play and finished the year averaging 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds. Oubre is a projected first-round pick also, though a standout sophomore season might have boosted him to the top of the 2016 draft.