ACC Latest to Seek Restrictions on Players Testing NBA Draft

Almost every spring, there are mumblings and grousing by college coaches about the length of time allowed for college players to decide about whether they should enter the NBA Draft or come back to play college basketball for another year. There are rumors of changing the rules to shorten the time for students to reconsider. Most of the times the complaints are off-the-record, because no coach wants to be seen as undermining or not supporting their players considering the NBA Draft.

Coaches hate the rule, though, because it puts them in a difficult spot. They don't know if they will have an open scholarship or need to go after one more recruit. It creates uncertainty for them, their recruiting and plans for the following season.

Well, the ACC has drafted a proposal to make the change.

The ACC plans to propose NCAA legislation that would force men's basketball underclassmen to decide within seven to 10 days after the NCAA title game whether they are leaving for the NBA draft. ...
Under the legislation, "there would be no grace period – either you're in or you're out," said Karl Hicks, the ACC's associate commissioner for basketball operations. "We feel that's what would work best for the student athletes and that's what would work best for the coaches."

So, uh how does it help the student-athletes? No testing the draft process? No tryouts? No grace period to reconsider?

All it does is help the coaches. Specifically, the coaches at major programs -- like the ACC.
The plan would be to force the players to make an irrevocable decision 7 to 10 days after the National Championship game. By a remarkable coincidence, that just happens to time out to when the late signing period begins.

In other words, it is to benefit the coaches who may need to replace a couple players who declare for the draft. They may be a bit behind other schools, but they have time and the certainty of knowing they have an open scholarship to pursue the recruits.

For programs outside of the major conferences, this means an increased competition for the late signees. A late-bloomer, or a talent that didn't show as much between his junior and senior year suddenly becomes worth pursuing by the bigger powers.

The present rules are great for the student-athletes. They can go through camps, practice for NBA teams. Consult with the NBA about their draft status. Get real, feedback and have plenty of information to make a decision. Considering the importance of forgoing the rest of a scholarship and pursuing a professional basketball career at that point, having the time to make the decision for freshmen, sophomores and juniors has led to more that come back for at least one more year. A player like K.C. Rivers at Clemson found out he wasn't nearly as desirable to NBA scouts as he believed and returned for his senior year -- and the being able to graduate.

The justification for changing the rule -- beyond that it makes things easier for the coaches -- is pointing to the fact that in college football, players only have a short period to declare and then only 72 hours to change their mind. Of course, the NFL restricts the quantity by restricting early declarations to juniors and/or players who are three-years removed from high school.

The NBA has only two rounds, is open to all underclassmen and foreign players. It is really difficult to compare the two systems. The main reason, though, is that it is all about the poor coaches and the uncertainty to the programs.


The kids not getting attention get devalued? Isn't that a problem with the coaches then?

If the coaches are so concerned about stability and the poor kids still in the program not getting any attention, then by all means, it is time to focus on those issues. A big rule change that would help stability would be to restrict coaching free agency.

All head coaches that have a job, would only have two weeks after the season ends to consider a new job elsewhere in the NCAA. Remove the uncertainty from the programs, and that would definitely be fairer to the student-athletes. No late job-jumping and recruits wanting out. There would be far more stability and certainty. Of course, that would limit the freedom and chance to make more money for the coaches, so that would be unfair.