Junior forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper drives to the basket in Marquette’s win over Xavier Feb. 15 at Fiserv Forum. (Marquette Wire Stock Photo)

Marquette men’s basketball’s starting five could look different next season.

Junior forward Oliver-Maxence Prosper announced Wednesday afternoon that he will be entering his name into the NBA Draft on Instagram.

Though he did not mention it in his post, the Marquette Wire was able to confirm through a team spokesperson that Prosper will be maintaining his college eligibility.

Here is what you need to know:

• The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season.
• On defense Prosper totaled 33 steals, which ranked fifth on the team.
• Prosper is projected to go No. 49 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in Sam Vecenie’s latest NBA Mock Draft on The Athletic. 

 

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A post shared by Olivier-Maxence Prosper (@olmaxpros8)

The Montreal, Quebec native was a defensive stalwart this season for the Golden Eagles and an X factor during the team’s Big East Tournament title run.

Prosper held UConn’s Jordan Hawkins, a potential NBA Draft lottery pick, and Xavier’s Colby Jones to a combined 12 points on 5-for-22 shooting (22.7%), 1-for-11 from three-point range (9.1%) and three turnovers in the Big East semifinals and title game respectively.

“First, I’d like to thank God for everything he’s giving me in my life and for always being by my side. It’s a blessing to be able to wake up every day and do what I love. Thank you to my family for always supporting me and being there for me as I strive for my goals,” Prosper said in his post.

“I’d like to thank my teammates for accepting me for who I am and always having my back. You are all my brothers for life. Thank you to my coaches for always pushing me to become a better version of myself and challenging me in ways that helped me grow every single day. Thank you for believing in me and who I could become. Thank you to the MUBB support staff for making sure I always had everything I needed to be at my best. Thank you Marquette Nation for being the best fans in the country and always making me feel at home.”

With Prosper potentially gone, it can open two scholarship spots on next year’s roster for the Golden Eagles.

This article was written by John Leuzzi. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JohnLeuzziMU.