NCAA revises deadline to withdraw from NBA draft

The NCAA deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft and still maintain eligibility, which was originally set for June 3, has been revised.

On Thursday, the NCAA announced the deadline to withdraw will be August 3 or 10 days after the NBA draft combine, whichever comes first.

Given that the NBA draft lottery is set for August 25, it is unlikely that a combine will be held before that date, which makes August 3 the likely deadline to withdraw.

“This provides the utmost flexibility to student-athletes testing the waters to make the most informed decision about their future during this uncertain time,” NCAA Senior Vice President for Basketball Dan Gavitt said in a release. “And by deciding before classes start for the fall semester, it also encourages student-athletes who choose to return to school to be fully engaged in their academic pursuits and the tremendous experience and opportunity to play college basketball.”

Indiana’s roster will not be affected by the deadline as the Hoosiers do not have any underclassmen who have declared for the draft.

Justin Smith, who left the Hoosiers last month as a graduate transfer, did put his name on the NBA draft’s early entrant list and will have to withdraw to join another college program next season.

Several Big Ten schools will have important decisions coming in the next two months.

Among the notable Big Ten underclassmen who still have decisions to make: Michigan’s Isaiah Livers and Nojel Eastern, Minnesota’s Marcus Carr, Michigan State’s Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry, Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and Iowa’s Luka Garza.

The tentative date for the 2020 NBA draft is October 15.

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