Although Syracuse's season isn't over yet, NBA scouts are already looking at the top Orange players ready to make the leap to the big leagues. Freshman point guard Tyler Ennis [11] is among those players, and NBA draft experts predict he could fall anywhere from an early to late lottery pick.
That is, if he declares for the draft at all.
Alex Kennedy, of Basketball Insiders, spoke to "a number of scouts" who believe Ennis is "strongly considering" returning to play for the Orange for at least another season.
Surprisingly, a number of scouts are saying that Tyler Ennis is strongly considering a return to Syracuse for his sophomore year.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 27, 2014 [12]
In SU's 28 games this season, Ennis elevated himself from just a freshman point guard to one of the top freshman in the nation. He averages 12 points-per-game, 5.6 assists-per-game, 1.2 steals-per-game and only turns the ball over 1.6 times-per-game. In the final five minutes of games, Ennis has shown maturity beyond his years, especially after a game-winning buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat [13] Pittsburgh on February 12. Up until that time, his statistics in the final five minutes were electric:
How clutch is Tyler Ennis? Take a look at this: pic.twitter.com/kIr9pe6ixw [14]
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 13, 2014 [15]
If Ennis does choose to stay, he will follow in the path of Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart, who last year opted not to declare for the draft after a similarily-stellar freshman campaign for the Cowboys.
Syracuse continues its roadtrip this weekend, heading to Virginia to play the Cavaliers.
