Thoughts from Rivals National Basketball Analyst Corey Evans:
"The uncertainty of the fall college football season has forced some that may have more certain futures in the sport to opt out instead of risking their draft stock or health. Could this trend be a sign of things to come with college basketball?
The simple answer is that we don't know. We don't even know what the college basketball season will look like. We do know that the Pac-12 will not play games until Jan. 1 at the earliest, and it would be a surprise if they were the only power conference to delay the start of their season.
Compared to college football, where only third-year players can enter the draft, practically anyone outside of enrolling freshmen can enter the NBA Draft. The NBA extended the window for early entrants to Aug. 17 and, knowing that the 2020-21 season may be cut in half, it has given players an opportunity to make a more educated decision for their future.
That Aug. 17 deadline didn't didn’t mean much for freshmen entering the sport like Ziaire Williams, Josh Christopher, and Evan Mobley, three five-stars that are expected to play in the Pac-12 this season. They are all practically guaranteed to be first-round selections in the 2021 NBA Draft. If there is no season until Jan. 1 or later, would they wait things out and hope that they do not struggle out of the gates? There will be no non-conference portion of the season to shake off the rust and to acclimate to the college game.
Would it be prudent for those elite players to opt out before beginning their college career? Does the G League route become more enticing? Is it a comparable decision that Surratt just made with just training for next year’s draft? These are the conversations taking place for a select few right now, but that number will only multiply if more conferences follow the Pac-12's lead."
"The uncertainty of the fall college football season has forced some that may have more certain futures in the sport to opt out instead of risking their draft stock or health. Could this trend be a sign of things to come with college basketball?
The simple answer is that we don't know. We don't even know what the college basketball season will look like. We do know that the Pac-12 will not play games until Jan. 1 at the earliest, and it would be a surprise if they were the only power conference to delay the start of their season.
Compared to college football, where only third-year players can enter the draft, practically anyone outside of enrolling freshmen can enter the NBA Draft. The NBA extended the window for early entrants to Aug. 17 and, knowing that the 2020-21 season may be cut in half, it has given players an opportunity to make a more educated decision for their future.
That Aug. 17 deadline didn't didn’t mean much for freshmen entering the sport like Ziaire Williams, Josh Christopher, and Evan Mobley, three five-stars that are expected to play in the Pac-12 this season. They are all practically guaranteed to be first-round selections in the 2021 NBA Draft. If there is no season until Jan. 1 or later, would they wait things out and hope that they do not struggle out of the gates? There will be no non-conference portion of the season to shake off the rust and to acclimate to the college game.
Would it be prudent for those elite players to opt out before beginning their college career? Does the G League route become more enticing? Is it a comparable decision that Surratt just made with just training for next year’s draft? These are the conversations taking place for a select few right now, but that number will only multiply if more conferences follow the Pac-12's lead."
