Marquette's Olivier-Maxence Prosper has impressive showing at NBA combine in Chicago

CHICAGO – Olivier-Maxence Prosper drew a lot of attention at the NBA combine on Wednesday at Wintrust Arena.

Before his prescribed media obligations, the Marquette forward did a live television interview after scoring 21 points and pulling down seven rebounds in a five-on-five scrimmage. Prosper, a Montreal native, also filmed a quick video – partly in Spanish – for young players in a Jr. NBA program in Latin America.

But, most important for him, the eyeballs of decision-makers for every NBA team got a closer look at his blend of athleticism and skill.

Prosper measured just shy of 6 feet 7 inches with a 7-1 wingspan, but his athleticism testing really opened some eyes with a 35-inch standing vertical and 40.5-inch maximum vertical that measured among the top five of those who tested at the combine.

Prosper has popped up as a second-round pick on most mock drafts, but he has earned a lot of positive buzz this week. He still wants to think through his final decision of either staying in the draft or returning to MU. To keep his NCAA eligibility, Prosper has to withdraw from the draft by May 31.

"After this combine, I'm going to see the feedback I get," Prosper said. "And then after that, I'm going to talk with my people and then probably make a decision after that.

"I'm just trying to embrace this. Be where my feet are right now and take this all in. And then we'll see after that."

Prosper's dunk in scrimmage was a highlight

Prosper showed off his skills in the first quarter with the highlight of the scrimmage.

Connecticut's Andre Jackson knocked away the ball, and Prosper led a fast break. After giving up the ball, he got it back and threw down a two-handed dunk between Penn State's Seth Lundy and Clemson's P.J. Hall.

"I envisioned myself coming in here and playing with great energy," Prosper said. "Going and making hustle plays.

"Really impact the game multiple ways. Rebounding the ball. Sprinting the floor. Playing defense. And I knew if I did those things, I was going to find myself some buckets. Some dunks. Some cuts. Some offensive rebounds. Then once I am in that flow, I can catch-and-shoot threes and make plays.

"I just came in that I was going to work the hardest on the floor today. And that's how I was able to get the game that I got today."

Prosper knocked down a catch-and-shoot three-pointer, but finished 1 for 5 on shots from beyond the NBA arc. He attacked the basket, drawing a couple of fouls on Gonzaga's Drew Timme, and was 10 for 12 on free throws.

"I've worked a lot on my shot over the past three years of college," Prosper said. "I kept improving my shot and that's something I'm still working on. Maybe today wasn't my best shooting day, but it's all good because I've been working on my shot each and every day. I'm very confident in my shooting."

NBA teams highly value wing players who can guard different positions. Prosper displayed that by guarding Arkansas' Jordan Walsh and Kansas' Kevin McCullar – both like-sized athletic players – but also holding up when he switched onto Connecticut's behemoth Adama Sanogo.

"That's what I do, I lock up people," Prosper said. "And I feel like I did that today."

One of Prosper's teammates was Milwaukee native Reece Beekman, who went to high school in Louisiana after his mom got a job there but he still played AAU with local team Phenom University.

"He's a good player," Beekman said. "He told me he played at Marquette so I put the Milwaukee ties together. He had a great game today. He really showed out. He's going to be good."

Prosper has gone from Montreal to Mexico to Clemson to Marquette

Prosper has dreamed of reaching the NBA since he grew up in a hoops-obsessed family in Montreal. He's chased that dream from a prep school in Illinois to the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico.

He played sparingly as a freshman at Clemson, and Prosper got a subtle reminder of how far he's come when he checked into Wednesday's scrimmage and was guarded by Hall, a former teammate with the Tigers.

"Full-circle moment," Prosper said. "When you put in that work and you just keep believing. No matter where you start ... it's how you finish, really."

Prosper's game really took off after transferring to play for head coach Shaka Smart at MU.

"At Marquette, we really played with the switch everything (on defense)," Prosper said. "We played four out on offense and, really, Shaka dealt with us to not be one-dimensional players.

"To be players who did multiple things. Drive, shoot rebound, push the ball. At Marquette, we played a really fast system. Up and down. Trying to press, get steals. So I had a chance to work on my ball-handling because I get a rebound and we're pushing it. Being able to shoot as a perimeter player because that's the way the offense works. It prepared me tremendously for this moment right now to be here."

Smart was at the combine on Monday and will be back Thursday to watch Prosper.

"He was just talking to me, telling me how proud he is of me," Prosper said. "And telling me to keep going after this.

"Keep working hard. Keep bringing energy each and every day. Show your personality. Show who you are on the floor. Keep doing that."

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette's Olivier-Maxence Prosper scores 21 in NBA combine scrimmage