NEW ORLEANS — With a standout season for the Green Wave this past year, Melvin Frazier decided in May that he would forego his senior season and enter the NBA Draft.
“I wanted to finish my semester up at school first,” Frazier said. “Getting that out of the way first and then once that was over, I sat down with my family and we just came to the decision to just put both feet in and just take the shot, because this shot doesn’t come too many times.”
Tulane has never had a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. With Melvin Frazier rated as high as a mid-20s prospect in some projections, this could be the year that changes.
“It would just be big,” said the American Athletic Conference’s Most Improved Player. “That’s something that’d be in history — something that nobody can take back or take away. That would be good for me, good for Tulane, so I’m all for it.”
Frazier turned heads at the NBA Combine, not only with his play, but also with his long wing span and standing reach, ranking second among the guards.
“It’s just good because it means I can guard the one through the three,” Frazier said. “My length bothers a lot of people so it changes a lot of shots, passing lanes, stuff like that.”
Those measurables have helped the Higgins alum be a stand-out collegiate defender, leading the American Athletic Conference in steals the past two seasons. Frazier also led Tulane in field goal percentage and scoring this past season, and was second in rebounds.
That combination and the ability to be effective on both ends of the court make him an appealing 2-way player at the next level. That 3 and D prototype is something NBA teams have a high interest in.
“Defense is my No. 1 priority,” Frazier said. “I know that I can impact any NBA team from the jump with just my defense alone. That’s something I take pride in and something I like to do.”
From here, it’s more workouts, a Pro Day, and gearing-up for draft night on June 21st.