Arizona Basketball: NCAA Commission on College Basketball misses the mark
By Mark Barrera
No. 2 What about those who go undrafted? College basketball committee offers their take.
The college basketball committee has also recommended allowing those who go undrafted the option to return to school.
"“The Commission recommends that high school and college players who declare for the draft and are not drafted remain eligible for college basketball unless and until they sign a professional contract. Specifically, players who are not drafted should be permitted to change their minds and attend college or return to college, provided they remain academically and otherwise eligible. The Commission also recommends imposing two additional conditions on this retention of eligibility: The player must return to the same school, and the player must request an evaluation from the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee before entering the draft.”"
This is another no-brainer and is long overdue. The current rule allows players to enter their name into the draft, participate in combines, and return to school by a specific deadline, provided they do not hire an agent.
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This year there are 181 college athletes who entered their name into the draft as early entrants. With only 60 draft spots available, and limited spots in on G-League rosters, that leaves 67 percent of early entrants without an option domestically.
This is only looking at those who leave early. When you factor in seniors and International players entering the draft, the percent of early entrants to go undrafted only increases.
Last year alone 10 International players and 11 Seniors were drafted. Twenty-one of sixty draft spots taken away from early entrants. If those same numbers stayed true for the 2018 NBA Draft, 79 percent of early entrants would go undrafted.
Playing internationally used to be frowned upon, but over the years the option has become more and more popular. Former Arizona guards Mark Lyons and Kyle Fogg have seen tremendous success by playing overseas.
The option is there for those who go undrafted, but almost all of them would rather go to the NBA. Those players will sacrifice very good money to try and make a G-League roster. Had the option been given to return to school, a lot those players who end up undrafted would likely return to better their craft for the NBA, giving a boost to college basketball.