Chris Clemons dribbles past Dennis Smith Jr. on December 6th, 2014 in the Millbrook Showcase. Both players have declared for the 2017 NBA Draft (photo via Nick Stevens // HighSchoolOT.com)
The NBA has released it’s early entry list for the 2017 NBA Draft. Amongst the record 182 players to declare are the likes of Dennis Smith Jr., Jayson Tatum, Justin Jackson, and 2015 Millbrook graduate Chris Clemons.
Clemons becomes only the second alum in the history of Millbrook’s Men’s Basketball Program to declare for the NBA Draft, the first since Jonathan Moore entered out of North Carolina Central in 2004. Clemons will test his fate without representation, allowing him to withdraw his name from the draft, and return to Campbell University for his junior season.
Chris was a three year letterwinner for the Wildcats from 2012-2015. He was a two-time Cap-8 Conference Player of the Year, he helped guide Millbrook to back-to-back NCHSAA Final Four appearances, and he still holds the school records for points in a game, points in a season, and made three-point baskets in a season.
Clemons’ 1,230 career points are the second most of any player in program history, 699 of the points came during his senior season.
Since enrolling at Campbell on a basketball scholarship, Chris has established himself as one the school’s top athletes. The Big South Conference’s Freshman of the Year showed no signs of a sophomore slump in 2016-17 as he helped lead the Camels to a cinderella postseason run, coming a win short of the NCAA Tournament, but settling for an Elite Eight appearance in the CIT.
Standing at only 5-foot-9, Clemons was the nation’s second leading scorer this past season, averaging 25.1 points per game, hitting 118 three-point baskets, and grabbing the second most rebounds on the team. In the Big South Conference Tournament, Chris became the first Division-I player since Jimmer Fredette to post 50+ points in a conference tournament game, when his 51 propelled Campbell past UNC Asheville in upset fashion.
The 2017 NBA Draft will be held on June 22nd, 2017 at a location to be determined by the association. The draft lottery will take place on May 16th. Both events will be nationally televised by ESPN.