NCAA pushes back NBA Draft entry deadline
The big news out of the college basketball world yesterday was that the NCAA passed a new rule to move back the early entry date for college basketball players.
DI Council pushes back date by which men's basketball players must remove name from NBA draft to 10 days after conclusion of draft combine.
— NCAA (@NCAA) January 13, 2016
Before the rule change, players had only a few days after the national championship game to decide if they wanted to enter their name in the NBA Draft. This new rule will give players almost two months to decide.
Another interesting bit of information that the council decided on is players will be allowed to enter their name multiple times and still be eligible to play college basketball.
Students can also enter NBA draft multiple times without jeopardizing eligibility & participate in combine & 1 tryout per NBA team per year.
— NCAA (@NCAA) January 13, 2016
Players are allowed to attend the NBA Draft Combine and one additional workout with an NBA team. The goal of the rule change is for athletes to have a more informed opinion of their draft stock before making a final decision of whether or not they really want to enter their name into the NBA Draft. If a player is allowed to put themselves in environments directly associated with NBA teams, the hope is that they will end up getting the necessary feedback.
The NBA only invites a certain number of players to their combine every year. Simply receiving or not receiving an invite can also give some players on the fringes of being drafted a better sense of whether or not entering the NBA Draft is a smart idea.
“Should they receive an invite, they will have an opportunity to compete against draft-potential competition and receive feedback on their performances,” says Cody McDavis in the NCAA’s press release. “They have an opportunity to make an educated decision that is best for them and their family.”
Players will have more informed decisions and have more time to decide, rather than making short-sighted choices soon after emotional ends to their season. The NBA will also have more open communication with the athletes instead of having to provide information through agents or college coaches, who have the potential to provide false information through their own motives.
Overall, this is a great change for both NCAA athletes and the NBA.