There have been historic changes made to the NCAA rule book overnight, triggered by the FBI probe into college basketball last year. A commission, fronted by Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State) has forced the organisation to amend the following;
- College players that receive invites to the NBA combine but go undrafted will be eligible to return to their former school.
- “Elite” college prospects, and high school players, will be entitled to an NCAA-certified agent.
- A comprehensive accountability overhaul and increased sanctions.
The rule changes have received mixed reviews and their implementation appears to be coming in a roll out phase. The changes will impact a number of Australian college athletes and potentially the National Basketball League.
The first key change will expand the draft pool and entice players to leave school early in some scenarios. As for others, it is a safety net to return. This rule would have entitled Australian Deng Adel to return to Louisville for his senior season after going undrafted this year. Instead, Adel declared for the draft and hired an agent, therefor becoming ineligible as per original rulings.
The second change involves an assessment by USA basketball each year as to whether a player is classified as “elite”. Note that although the assessment is by USA basketball, the player does not need to be American.
This would even allow high schoolers, like the Australian Josh Green to hire an agent even before his last high school season. However, this rule is subject to the NBA changing its age limit and thus allowing high schoolers to enter the NBA draft.
The third key change will require contractual compliance by school presidents, chancellors and athletics staff for any future investigations by the NCAA. Additionally, presidents and chancellors are to be personally accountable for athletic departments to abide by the rules.
The changes, while culminating for some months come directly after Sydney Kings signed NBA draft prospect Brian Bowen under the “Next Stars” Program. In a way it counters the NBL’s idea of targeting “one-and-dones”, which saw Terrance Ferguson play for Adelaide in 2016-17 also. The NCAA is looking to act in the best interests of the players while making efforts to retain some talent on its courts.
The NBL must monitor the rollout of these changes and any more reforms in the future. As for now, the NBL can only showcase how this can be a league to develop and logically be a stepping stone to the NBA outside the college scene.