Another high school stud opts for overseas over college

Emmanuel Mudiay, the highly-ranked Dallas point guard some have pegged as the potential No. 1 pick in next year’s NBA Draft, will bypass college for a year rather than attend SMU, Scout.com reported Monday afternoon.
The multi-talented꧂ 6-foot-5 point guꦕard committed to Larry Brown and SMU in August and signed a National Letter of Intent in November. But on Monday, Mudiay, his family and his high school coach – Ray Forsette of Prime Prep in Dallas – met with Brown and his staff to inform them of the news.

Yahoo Sports reported , while ESPN reported it was “amateurism” issues, not academic problems causing the hangup. In a statement , Mudiay said his decision had nothing to do with an NCAA investigation into his eligibility.
“This has nothing to do with my eligibility in any way,” Mudiay said in a statement. “We decided that the best way for me to provide for my mom was to forgo college and pursue professional basketball opportunities.”
Yahoo reported the Chinese Basketball Association has been discussed as a potential landing spot for Mudiay, a native of the Congo. Reps of Mudiay have reached out to prospective agents and shoe companies about possible partnerships with the prospect if he goes pro. Mudiay was born in what was then called Zaire and the escaped war-torn country before settling in the United States with his family.
Mudiay averaged 16 points, six rebounds and four assists a game while lead𓂃ing Prime Prep to a 30-6 record, according to Scout. He was a key to SMU’s projection as a possible top-10 team.

“Emmanuel has decided to pursue professional basketball opportunities,” Brown said in a statement. “This is not an academic issue, since he has been admitted to SMU, but rather a hardship issue. After talking to Emmanuel, I know he really wants to alleviate some of the challenges his family faces and recognizes that he has an opportunity to help them now.
“While I believe that college is the best way to prepare for life and the NBA, Emmanuel’s situation is unique. We were excited about having him at SMU, but we understand this decision and wish him the best.”
Mudiay is the third high profile high school prospect to 🌳take this unconventional route, joining Pistons point guard Brandon 🐬Jennings, who was the top-ranked player in the 2008 class, and forward Jeremy Tyler, now of the Knicks.