Owing to the circumstances surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has forced the postponement of sporting leagues and events around the world, the NCAA, college basketball’s governing association, has announced the indefinite postponement of its deadline for men’s basketball players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and retain their collegiate eligibility.
Senior vice president of the NCAA Dan Gavitt said, “This modification is being made with the health and well-being of our student-athletes in mind, along with their ability to make the most informed decisions during this uncertain time, and is based on the recent announcement by the NBA to postpone the 2020 NBA Draft Combine.”
The original June 3rd date, which is after the annual combine which gives players more information about when in the draft they will be taken and/or if they will selected at all.
This date is designed to give players who had previously declared themselves selectable in the annual June draft the option to return to school if their professional prospects are unfavorable.
It remains to be seen if the 2020 Draft, scheduled for June 25th, will be able to held on the planned date or if it will be postponed. The NCAA is likely to wait for more NBA announcements before naming a date for players to retain their eligibility.
