NBA Draft: BYU basketball’s Eric Mika commits to Miami Heat for summer league

Eric Mika will play for the Miami Heat to play summer league ball after not being selected in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, according to a report from the Salt Lake Tribune.

The 22-year-old big man declared for the NBA Draft after 2 seasons at BYU. Mika played the 2013-2014 season for BYU before serving a 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy.

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Despite playing very little basketball for two years, Mika made a huge jump for BYU between his freshman and sophomore season. Mika averaged 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in 34 games as a sophomore this season. He also came up with a 29 point, 11 rebound, two block performance to knock off No. 1 Gonzaga. Mika’s performance versus Zach Collins and the rest of the Bulldogs on a national stage put on the radar for many NBA teams.

One of Mika’s best attributes is his motor. Mika is a relentless rebounder on both ends of the floor, and is adept at drawing fouls. He was the #3 player in college basketball this past in fouls drawn per 40 minutes. He shot 76% from the foul line, up from 61% his freshman season. Mika developed his range out to about 18 feet this year, and his free throw percentage suggests that he could be a solid jump shooter at the NBA level. Mika never developed a 3-point shot at BYU, but his progression from his freshman to sophomore seasons suggest that he could develop range to the 3-point line.

Mika’s footwork, defense (particularly in the pick and roll), and ability to put the ball on the floor will need to be improved if he hopes to make and stick on an NBA roster.

Good luck to Eric as he begins his NBA journey.