Larry Brown: Emmanuel Mudiay going pro a 'bad decision'
SMU coach Larry Brown said top high school prospect Emmanuel Mudiay signing a pro contract to play in China was a "bad decision" in an interview with CBS Sports Thursday. Mudiay originally committed to play at SMU next season.
The Mustangs were projected to be in the top 25 in preseason polls with the addition of Mudiay, a 6-foot-4 guard and Rivals.com's No. 2 high school prospect. SMU went 27-10 last year and beat national champion UConn twice, but missed the NCAA Tournament.
More: Mudiay exit leaves SMU wondering what could have been
In the interview, Brown said that although he disagreed Mudiay, he still supports the 18-year-old:
"I'm still close with the kid and the family. I thought it was a bad decision but I'm going to support him because he decided to come with us because he trusted us and thought we could help him. I was aware of some of the obstacles he faced but you can't tell somebody that has nothing and is struggling for everything to pass up a chance like that. My theory is Emmanuel is going to make it. He's that good and he's a great kid. But it's not going to be good for everybody."
Mudiay signed a $1.2 million deal with Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association. Mudiay is projected to be the No. 3 pick in the DraftExpress 2015 mock draft.
More: Barnes has Texas in Top 10 again
- Alex Hampl
