The NCAA News - News and Features

April 7, 1997

NBA panel to provide draft advice

Better information now available for prospects

BY STEPHEN R. HAGWELL
Staff Writer

"What are my chances of playing professional basketball?"

"Will I be selected if I enter the professional draft?"

"Am I physically and emotionally ready to play at the next level?"

Men's collegiate basketball players have at some time during their playing careers sought answers to these questions.

The problem for many is that the only way to obtain answers has been to enter the National Basketball Association draft.

That no longer is the case -- at least for undergraduates contemplating leaving school early to enter the NBA draft.

In March, the NBA announced the formation of an undergraduate advisory committee that will provide on request predraft evaluations to undergraduates who are contemplating declaring themselves eligible for the draft.

Comes at good time

Created by the NBA in consultation with the NCAA Professional Sports Liaison Committee, the committee consists of five NBA personnel experts, including Rod Thorn, NBA senior vice-president of basketball operations. The advisory committee will issue objective and nonbinding evaluations regarding a student-athlete's draft prospects.

"We think it's important, and I know the NCAA thinks it's important, that there is some kind of mechanism in place where players can get an honest evaluation of where people really think their prospects lie," said Chris Brienza, NBA director of media relations. "(The committee) gives players who are contemplating leaving school early to enter the draft a way to get an educated opinion of what lies ahead for them."

Based on the recent surge in the numbers of undergraduates declaring themselves eligible for the NBA draft, the formation of the committee comes at an opportune time.

Since 1993, 80 undergraduates from NCAA member institutions have declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft, including 29 in 1996. Eight players declared themselves eligible and later withdrew from the process.

Of the 72 players who have gone through the draft process, only 45 were selected by NBA teams. Of the 29 who declared themselves eligible in 1996, only 15 were selected.

As of April 1, six undergraduates from NCAA member institutions have applied for the 1997 NBA draft, which will be June 25. The deadline for declaring is May 11.

"The NBA's decision to form an undergraduate advisory committee is something that we're very pleased with because our objective is, first and foremost, that student-athletes are given the kinds of information that will allow them to make a reasonable and intelligent choice about their future," said Larry R. Gerlach, professor of history and faculty athletics representative at the University of Utah and a member of the Professional Sports Liaison Committee. "That just wasn't the case with the NBA draft prior to the formation of this committee.

"One of problems we as a committee have had with the NBA draft is that it was the only mechanism whereby an undergraduate could get a realistic sense of his draft position and market value."

Proposal No. 81

Implementation of the NBA committee comes less than three months after the NCAA membership adopted legislation (Proposal No. 81) at the 1997 NCAA Convention that amended Bylaw 12.2.4.2.1. The legislation now states that a student-athlete in the sport of basketball may enter a professional league's draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in the sport, provided the student-athlete is not drafted by any team in that league and the student-athlete declares his or her intention to resume intercollegiate participation within 30 days after the draft.

Student-athletes with eligibility remaining who enter the professional draft and are selected forfeit their eligibility.

During a March 19 telephone conference, the NCAA Administrative Committee used its authority per Constitution 5.3.1.1.1 (noncontroversial legislation) to change the effective date from August 1 to April 16, 1997. The change was requested by the Professional Sports Liaison Committee.

"This creates a better situation," said Gene Keady, men's basketball coach at Purdue University and a member of the Professional Sports Liaison Committee. "The original idea behind the rule was great, but some wrinkles were added that destroyed it.

"Now, kids have a way to be better educated. They can get the views of some very knowledgeable people of what their draft prospects are."

Application procedure

Student-athletes interested in obtaining a predraft evaluation for 1997 must submit a written evaluation application to the advisory committee. The application must be submitted after the conclusion of an athlete's collegiate season -- including postseason tournament games -- but before April 10.

Upon receipt of the application, the advisory committee will determine before April 30 whether the player is likely to be selected in the upcoming NBA draft and, if so, in what position: a lottery pick (one of the first 13 selections), first round (one of the first 29 picks) or second round (Nos. 30 through 58). The evaluation is only the opinion of the committee and does not guarantee that a player will or will not be drafted.

"We hope that players who are considering leaving school early make use of the resource before making that decision," Brienza said. "We know that this isn't going to stop every player from entering the draft, but we hope that at the very least it gives players a voice, a very educated voice, to listen to."

Creation of the undergraduate advisory committee is not without precedent. The National Football League has offered a similar resource since 1994 to collegiate undergraduate football players.

Consisting of eight individuals, the NFL committee provides evaluation applicants its non-binding assessment on whether they are likely to be drafted in Rounds 1 and 2, 3 through 7, or not drafted.

According to Greg Aiello, NFL director of communications, the advisory committee has received between 40 and 45 evaluation applications annually since its inception.

"(The committee) has been very well received," Aiello said. "It provides useful information to undergraduates that I think in some cases has been instrumental in some underclassmen staying in school. That's positive, because the preference of our league is for underclassmen to stay in school. In some cases, they were being lured out, and the concern was that they were doing so without good information."

Football impacts basketball

Gerlach states that the success of the NFL undergraduate advisory committee had a significant impact on the basketball process.

"The committee was impressed, very impressed, by the fact that the football coaches are very happy with the NFL advisory committee even though we lose underclassman to the draft every year," Gerlach said. "They feel that youngsters who opt to go pro and work with the committee did in fact have a good sense of their draftability and where they might go. We were trying essentially to get for basketball players the same mechanism that exists for football players."

The creation of the NBA committee accomplishes that objective. The primary question now is: Will players take advantage of the resource?

"You certainly can't make people use it," Brienza said. "All you can do is make the resources available and let people know they're there to be used."

Gerlach says the success of the advisory committee depends upon the NCAA membership.

"What the Association has to do is make sure youngsters know about the committee and that they understand the process and procedures for getting in touch with it," Gerlach said. "If we get the information out, I think they will use it."