Marquette's Olivier-Maxence Prosper is staying in the NBA draft.

The 6-foot-8 Montreal native announced on Friday that he would not be returning to the Golden Eagles after maintaining his eligibility during the pre-draft process. It wasn't much of a surprise given that Prosper has elevated his stock significantly in the past month.

"Thank you Marquette nation, my coaches, my teammates and support staff for embracing me from day one," Prosper said in a statement. "My time at Marquette has been incredible."

Will Olivier-Maxence Prosper be a first-round pick?

When Prosper announced in mid-April that he was entering the NBA draft, he was seen mostly as a second-round pick. NBA scouts liked his 7-foot-1 wingspan and his high motor on defense, but had questions about his shooting and ability to handle the ball.

But Prosper has made a strong impression with workouts and especially at the NBA draft combine last week.

Since declaring for the NBA draft, Prosper has been working out in Los Angeles under the guidance of Life Sports Agency.

"I feel like my shot is looking really, really good," Prosper told the Journal Sentinel. "I feel really comfortable shooting the ball from the NBA three. My handle has felt a lot tighter. I've been working a lot on more individual, one-on-one moves and things that I didn't really get to show much at Marquette because of the way we played in our offense."

He had a handful of workouts for teams before the NBA combine. But he became a hot prospect with his performance in Chicago, showing his athleticism with a 40.5-inch leap during testing and then scoring 21 points during a five-on-five scrimmage with other draft hopefuls. Prosper sat out the second scrimmage at the combine, usually a sign that NBA teams liked what they saw and gave good feedback to him and his agency.

This week, Prosper's agency had a pro day attended by all 30 NBA teams and Prosper impressed with his improved shot and athletic skills.

Prosper played three seasons in college - one at Clemson and two at MU - but he doesn't turn 21 years old until July, so NBA scouts still see plenty of room for improvement. Long, athletic wing players who are versatile defensively and can knock down open shots are very valuable in the NBA and that's why Prosper is starting to get buzz as a first-round pick.

"My game translates really well to the NBA," Prosper told ESPN. "It's a positionless league, and wings like me who can guard multiple positions, run the floor, finish in transition and make catch-and-shoot 3s find ways to make winning plays and impact games. Based on what I've been told, there's no reason I shouldn't be a first-rounder."

The Golden Eagles have not had a player selected in the NBA draft since Henry Ellenson was picked in the first round in 2016.

What does Olivier-Maxence Prosper's loss mean to Marquette?

MU has been predicted to be one of the best teams in the nation next season, popping up in the top five of most top 25 lists done by national writers in April and May.

But the departure of the Golden Eagles' best defender is a significant blow. Though with the rest of the playing rotation returning from a team that won both the Big East regular season and tournament titles, MU will still likely be a preseason top-10 team.

Former Brookfield Central standout David Joplin, who won the Big East sixth man of the year award last season, is the obvious candidate to slide into Prosper's spot in the starting lineup alongside Big East player of the year Tyler Kolek, Oso Ighodaro, Kam Jones and Stevie Mitchell.

Joplin, who shot 67 for 168 on three-pointers last season, adds a different dynamic on offense than the slashing Prosper. Joplin has also greatly improved as a defender over his two seasons at MU, though he doesn't have the quickness of Prosper.

Ben Gold, a 6-11 forward, and 6-4 guard Chase Ross are also in line for bigger roles after flashing their talents off the bench as freshmen. Gold, a New Zealand native, showed flashes of his inside-out game while Ross has elite athleticism and the ability to be a lockdown defender.

MU is also bringing in a strong freshman class with Tre Norman, Zaide Lowery and Al Amadou, who all could push for playing time.

With Prosper gone - and the off-season transfers of Keeyan Itejere and Emarion Ellis - the Golden Eagles have two available scholarships for next season so head coach Shaka Smart has room to add bodies via the transfer portal or from the high school ranks if he wants.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette's Olivier-Maxence Prosper is staying in the NBA draft