NCAA proposes new NBA draft rule to allow early entrants back in school (ESPN)

[OrangeXtreme]

College underclassmen will now have the opportunity to return to school even after declaring for the NBA draft, if a new proposal sponsored Wednesday by the NCAA men's basketball oversight committee is adopted by the membership in January.

The decision by the committee Wednesday in Indianapolis could be a watershed moment for college underclassmen and its coaches if players opt to return to school. Committee chair Dan Guerrero, who is also the UCLA athletic director, told ESPN that if the proposal is implemented it would be in place for the 2016 draft.

Under the proposal, which was a coordinated effort by the NCAA, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and the NBA, would allow underclassmen to attend the Chicago pre-draft combine in May, get evaluated by team personnel and given a true reading on their draft status. The players would then be able to decide if they wanted to stay in the draft or return to school. They couldn't sign with an agent, though.

The current draft rules don't allow a player to return to college once he officially declares for the NBA draft. The NBA would still have an early-entry deadline of late April and an official withdrawal date of 10 days before the draft, as per the collective bargaining agreement. But the NCAA would then have its own withdrawal date moved up from the week after the Final Four to sometime in mid to late May.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-draft-rule-allow-underclassmen-return-school

 

[Brooky03]

Sweet

 

[texascpa]

Thank you Jay Bilas. He was the most vocal proponent about this. Looks like the NCAA is finally listening to some reason, even on the football side of things, though the year setback on early signing period is a bummer.

 

[bevosu]

It would have been nice if they would've implemented it for this year's draft...maybe we'd get a certain young forward back?

 

[Brooky03]

It would have been nice if they would've implemented it for this year's draft...maybe we'd get a certain young forward back?

I'd like to preface this by saying I'd love to have Chris McCullough back. BUT... leaving the spot open for Lydon and Diagne to possibly get more minutes isn't the worst thing. I think both guys will be strong contributors for at least 3 seasons here, so it's best to get the ball rolling early. Could be a blessing in disguise.

 

[Lawrinson14]

Puts coaches in a tough spot. So if a player declares, then you start recruiting for the open slot, then he comes back...what do you do?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Puts coaches in a tough spot. So if a player declares, then you start recruiting for the open slot, then he comes back...what do you do?

Honor whichever one has a signed agreement.

 

[Brooky03]

Puts coaches in a tough spot. So if a player declares, then you start recruiting for the open slot, then he comes back...what do you do?

Assuming you have a verballed but unsigned player in his spot, you tell him the situation and let him decide to still come or decommit. The coach obviously loses out on some recruiting time that could have been spent on players at other positions, but it's hard to say how significant that loss would be. The alternative is losing the player to the pros; so getting a productive player back probably outweighs the lost recruiting time.

If you're dealing with a situation in which the replacement player has signed, it's tough luck for that kid; he's probably going to have to wait his turn. Or you could be a nice guy and let him out of his commitment (especially if you promised playing time right away).

 

[retro44]

Honor whichever one has a signed agreement.

and burn you bridges? then you must allow that rule for football too.

What happens if the schools are forced to honor the 4 year of education when a player wants and breaks that agreement.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

and burn you bridges? then you must allow that rule for football too.

What happens if the schools are forced to honor the 4 year of education when a player wants and breaks that agreement.

Then they honor that agreement.

This is actually pretty simple.

 

[retro44]

what agreement to who? if a player signs his LOI in April,then what?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

what agreement to who? if a player signs his LOI in April,then what?

Then you honor the signed agreement.

 

[Brooky03]

what agreement to who? if a player signs his LOI in April,then what?

This assumes the returning player would put the team above the scholarship cap. A lot of teams don't carry 13 scholarship players, so I don't think this situation would be a big issue too often. If the team isn't going to go over the scholarship limit, both guys can come. If the new recruit isn't cool with playing behind the returning player, let him out of his commitment and do your best to help him find a good school.

 

[SWC75]

It's about time. Now they need to allow players who have played pro ball and still had eligibility left to return to school to get their degree and play for the school to team to finish their eligibility out and hopefully re-start their pro career. (Donte Greene, Jonny Flynn...Chris McCullough...). But they'd have to come back to the school they left.

 

[tbonezone]

It's about time. Now they need to allow players who have played pro ball and still had eligibility left to return to school to get their degree and play for the school to team to finish their eligibility out and hopefully re-start their pro career. (Donte Greene, Jonny Flynn...Chris McCullough...). But they'd have to come back to the school they left.

no. big no. drop out before the draft i say no harm no foul. drafted low or undrafted let them return to their team but the said player still remains the property of the team who selected him. i see some big time draft day deals. as for going pro to college...i hope you're joking.

 

[urban96]

It would have been nice if they would've implemented it for this year's draft...maybe we'd get a certain young forward back?

I dont think he would have came back, his plan all along was to be a 1 & done

 

[SWC75]

no. big no. drop out before the draft i say no harm no foul. drafted low or undrafted let them return to their team but the said player still remains the property of the team who selected him. i see some big time draft day deals. as for going pro to college...i hope you're joking.

Absolutely not. People in all businesses go back to college all the time. If their business i basketball they ought to be able to do so as well. And the NCAA's got to do something to reverse the talent drain. It makes more sense than saying kids in college can't leave until a certain age.

Why would you want a player who returns to his college team to still be the property of the team who drafted him? The whole idea is that he might get drafted higher the next year and get a better deal.

 

[retro44]

Then you honor the signed agreement.

A much bigger problem I could see happening is that you might have the number of kids declaring going way,way up knowing and thinking you have a security blanket,but that then could leave a lot of high school kids in limbo after that.How would the camps then handle all the wanna be's /The draft is at the end of June and most athletes arrive early for summer classes to get a head start and get the freshmen orientated. In my opinion this could implode the whole way on how the system works. KY has what about 7 players that could get drafted and what if 3-4 decide to come back then what?

I can see this system being exploited by a lot of players and you are not going to keep agents out of the kids ears.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

A much bigger problem I could see happening is that you might have the number of kids declaring going way,way up knowing and thinking you have a security blanket,but that then could leave a lot of high school kids in limbo after that.How would the camps then handle all the wanna be's /The draft is at the end of June and most athletes arrive early for summer classes to get a head start and get the freshmen orientated. In my opinion this could implode the whole way on how the system works. KY has what about 7 players that could get drafted and what if 3-4 decide to come back then what?

I can this system being exploited by a lot of players and you are not going to keep agents out of the kids ears.

I don't see any of these things as problems.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I have a solution. Expand the draft, open it up to HS students, but let the NBA teams keep their draft rights for 4 years, and set the rule so players can leave school at any time...you know just like the NHL.

 

[Hoo's That]

The big thing a lot of these guys will run afoul of is the hiring of an agent. There may be some heartache cases until they learn not to hire the agent until after the combine. The baseball players who leave the minors and go back to school and play another sport are only allowed to do so because they didn't hire and agent and negotiated their own contracts.

 

[pfister1]

I don't think this goes far enough. Kids should be allowed to stay in the draft, hire an agent and return if they choose not to sign a contract. Provided they don't accept money from their agent.

Why does hiring an agent have to = accepting money from that agent or being a professional?


This is such a small step forward. The NBA hasn't given up anything and neither have colleges. Players are only slightly ahead of where they were a few years ago where you could supposedly get a true evaluation and then return. NBA takes no risk. Colleges might be inconvenienced slightly in that they have a player reverse course a month or two later than his decision to leave..... so what? Don't give out your last scholarship(s) until after the draft. Maybe you even move the signing period to be after the draft.

The NCAA has so much of this in their control, but they are truly unwilling to do what is in the best interests of their student athletes. Its a joke.

 

[Alsacs]

Just follow what the kids do in the MLB draft and hire a "consultant" Scott Boras advises the kids and if they like the offer they sign. Also, the NCAA should loan kids money to be able to fly around and meet with teams. If this billion dollar cartel can't loan a couple of thousand dollars to kids that would be a joke.

Also, Congrats to UVA on winning the CWS and ending the ACC 60 year drought.

 

[SBU72]

It's about time. Now they need to allow players who have played pro ball and still had eligibility left to return to school to get their degree and play for the school to team to finish their eligibility out and hopefully re-start their pro career. (Donte Greene, Jonny Flynn...Chris McCullough...). But they'd have to come back to the school they left.

I have come to the conclusion that the biggest thing the NCAA could do is change or get rid of their outdated views on amateurism. Why does a kid signing with an agent, even if no money exchanges hands, strips him of his amateur status? allowing kids to go to the combine and get a true measure of their worth is a step in the right direction. Can the kid sign with an agent or have to go it alone including paying his own way? Your suggestions takes it even further. Maybe a deal could be made where as a returning "pro" wouldn't get a full scholarship but have to use part of his earnings to pay for school. Are you saying that the 'pros' could only return to the school they left?

As a side note, can you imagine how Calipari would handle this. Not only getting top recruits but some ex-pros too!