Matt Haarms Enters NBA Draft

Yes, he left Purdue a year early and was supposed to be in his final year of eligibility, but COVID has done weird things. Matt Haarms, Purdue’s former center, could have returned next season due to the free year of eligibility, but he has elected to give the NBA a shot:

Unlike other certain recent departures, Haarms leaving West Lafayette never felt contentious from a fan’s perspective. He gave us three good years and will always be remembered as part of a Big Ten championship team that came within a second of a Final Four (and maybe gets there if he is able to jump a split second earlier on that shot). The emergence of Trevion Williams made him decide to transfer since Tre couldn’t get out of Haarms’ way for a starting spot.

This past season for BYU he averaged a career best 11.3 points and 5 rebounds. He was part of a BYU team that made the NCAA Tournament and gave Gonzaga a game in the WCC Tournament.

As far as the pros, he is an interesting prospect. He has good size and can play at the top in a pick and roll situation. He can (somewhat) shoot the three and is a decent defender at more than 2 blocks per game in his career. I don’t think he will get drafted, but he can receive a training camp invite and have a decent career in Europe.

Good luck, Matt. Thanks for three great years.