For an organization that is supposed to look out for the best interest of student athletes, the NCAA really comes off as a money-grubbing pawn of school presidents and coaches, student-athletes be damned.
Right now, there are a number of college basketball players testing the NBA waters — they declare for the NBA draft but do not sign with an agent, work out for some teams and get honest feedback from clubs on where they would go in the draft. Then they make an informed choice about whether to return to college or jump into the NBA.
The NCAA wants to do away with that, according to Andy Katz at ESPN.
While guys are making announcements now, you cannot officially enter the draft and meet with teams until the last week of April. Under the current system, players have until May 8 to let their colleges know their plans. It used to be June, but you know how those poor, stressed college coaches needed more time to get their rosters together for the next winter.
So now players have two weeks between when they can start to talk to teams and when they have to make a final decision. This year NBA teams are working together on one massive workout (in New Jersey) so they can see all the prospects in one place and talk to them, to speed the process along.
What the NCAA is apparently going to approve calls for players to make their decision on the draft and inform schools by the start of the Spring signing period, this year April 10. So before they can declare for the draft and talk to teams. Basically, you have to say you want to be employed in the NBA without talking to anyone from the NBA under the new plan.
Players get terrible advice from guys trying to be agents, from friends and family, from all corners. Guys who will fall undrafted are told they are lottery picks. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not, good players get people trying to latch on to them with bad intentions (many of those players do not have the support system to know the good from the bad). Some kids who should have stayed in college, who would have stayed in, are going to come out then be shocked by reality. It’s best to let these guys test the NBA waters, hear directly from teams and paid scouts where they stand, where they’d be drafted, what they need to work on. Then they can make an informed decision.
We’re not talking about the Kryie Irvings and Derrick Williams lottery guys. We’re talking late first rounders, second rounders, guys who will go undrafted who need the honest feedback.
But it’s not about them. It’s about the coaches and school presidents looking to pressure kids into staying longer. It’s about the NCAA looking out for its interest, not what is best for the students. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.