College underclassmen will now have the opportunity to return to school even after declaring for the NBA draft, if a new proposal sponsored Wednesday by the NCAA men's basketball oversight committee is adopted by the membership in January.
The decision by the committee Wednesday in Indianapolis could be a watershed moment for college underclassmen and their coaches if players opt to return to school. Committee chair Dan Guerrero, who is also the UCLA athletic director, told ESPN that if the proposal is implemented it would be in place for the 2016 draft.
Under the proposal, which was a coordinated effort by the NCAA, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the NBA, underclassmen would be allowed to attend the Chicago pre-draft combine in May, get evaluated by team personnel and given a true reading on their draft status. The players would then be able to decide if they wanted to stay in the draft or return to school. They couldn't sign with an agent, though.
