Since the Virginia men’s basketball team won the National Championship earlier this month, four of its underclass starters from the NCAA Tournament declared for the NBA Draft. De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy decided to enter the draft process with no intent to return. Guy joined that list Monday.
That means UVA fans now have turned their focus to the fourth member of the quartet, Mamadi Diakite.
The redshirt junior is on schedule to graduate next month and he elevated his game to its highest level yet during the title run. He averaged 10.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocked shots over the six games to win the title. That improved on what were already career-high averages for the season of 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds. His 63 blocked shots were the best season of his career and a single-season record in the Tony Bennett era (only two players in school history had more in a single season – Ralph Sampson four times and Kris Hunter in 1998-99).
While the NCAA relaxed its rules for early entrants to include the ability to return to school if a player goes undrafted, the National Basketball Players Association and the collective bargaining agreement with the NBA have their own rules in place that would prohibit that currently. One rule states an early entry player must withdraw 10 days before the NBA Draft (Article X, section 8c) in order to remain eligible for the next draft. The professional organizations would also need to make undrafted players that didn’t withdraw ineligible for the NBA until the end of the next college season.
With that in mind, Diakite’s decision will need to be made by May 29 at 11:59 ET, which is the NCAA’s draft withdrawal deadline in order to remain eligible. Other important dates for early entrants include April 26-May 3 (NBA Draft Combine and G League Elite Camp invitations sent to invitees), May 12-14 (G League Elite Camp), and May 14-19 (NBA Draft Combine). The NBA Draft is set for June 20 in New York.
In the meantime, the Cavalier coaches must now decide what to do to fill in the roster. There are three scholarships open for 2019-2010 with Hunter, Jerome, Guy, and transfer Marco Anthony leaving the program (and that would become four if Diakite does not return). Kihei Clark is the only returning point guard on the roster, while players for the other wing perimeter spots include Braxton Key, Kody Stattman, Casey Morsell, and Justin McKoy. The latter two are true freshmen.
A full look at the scholarship picture is below. Stay tuned for more analysis on the situation from Sabre recruiting analyst Chris Horne.
Article indicates he is a redshirt junior on track to graduate this May. Doesn’t that effectively mean the “early entrant” rules don’t apply to him? Can’t he just wait to see if and where he is drafted, gauge what he is offered, then opt whether or not to sign with a NBA team or return to college for a final year?. Not being an “early entrant” he could still enter the draft or sign as a free agent next year.
I don’t think so. I think early entry is in regard to college eligibility.