HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Jon Elmore led Conference USA in points and assists this past season and now the former George Washington High School star is going to test the NBA waters.
“I am declaring for the NBA draft,” Elmore said. “I will not be hiring an agent, but I want to test the waters and see where I rank among the nation’s best. If it does not work, then I will be back at Marshall next season.”
The decision is not uncommon for college players who want to gauge where they might be selected in the NBA Draft. It also gives Elmore the chance to go through the professional evaluation process.
“This is really a win-win for us,” head coach Dan D’Antoni said. “If he’s good enough he will get a contract and join the league. It shows that we can really develop NBA-level talent here in the one and a half years Jon has been with the team. This will give him a chance to see if he can get to the next level as a junior. If he doesn’t like where he is projected, he can come back to Marshall next season and play for us. There is no losing in this situation.”
Elmore has until May 24 to make his decision official between Marshall and the NBA, so long as he doesn’t hire an agent.
Elmore’s 691 points this year is sixth in Marshall history for a single season. He also became the third player in Herd history to reach 200 assists in a single season.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 22.