Report: Emmanuel Malou to Remain in NBA Draft

According to ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla, Iowa State post recruit Emmanuel Malou will remain in the NBA Draft. This solidifies the rumors that have circulated in the past week or two of Malou not making it to Ames.

6-9 Aussie & Iowa State recruit, Emmanuel Malou, will remain in NBA Draft according to agent, @dmoldovan88. Athletic & raw. 2nd Rd interest.

— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) May 11, 2016

Australia's Emmanuel Malou has significant interest from numerous NBA teams, per a source. 6'9 wing with prototypical NBA SF skillset

— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) May 11, 2016

This is a big loss for the Cyclone basketball program, as the 6-foot-9 Malou was projected to come in and be a heavy contributor down low for a team that lost both Georges Niang and Jameel McKay to graduation. Possessing a combination of athleticism and skill, Malou was likely to crack the starting rotation for ISU in the fall.

Make no mistake, this one hurts a bit, but the recent addition of Merrill Holden as a graduate transfer helps lessen the blow. Now that Malou is gone, Holden and fellow graduate transfer Darrell Bowie will likely contend for the starting center position on this year's team.

Iowa State now has one open scholarship to fill for the upcoming season. Don't be surprised to see Steve Prohm start to target some transfers who'll become eligible in 2017-18. With six seniors slated to graduate, Prohm would be wise to try to balance out the classes a bit going forward.