This week in the Respect the Hustle Podcast, hosted by William Whelan, the talk intensifies surrounding the 2016 NBA Draft and those who have made their intentions known of entering, one way or another. However, thanks to the new rules related to players’ college eligibility, there’s a new and heated discussion regarding those testing the NBA Draft waters with the option of returning to school.
Yes, the NCAA has finally wisened up and allowed its players to get real feedback from NBA scouts and GMs regarding their Draft potential, providing the opportunity for players to return to their college programs if they don’t get favorable reviews from NBA personnel. The list of prospects using this new rule to their advantage is lengthy, but perhaps no names are more important than the likes of Melo Trimble, Isaiah Whitehead, Benjamin Bentil, and Nigel Hayes.
All four significantly change their respective college team’s fortunes for the 2016-2017 season, while also being borderline first-round projections according to multiple sources. While Whelan usually is adamant about players leaving school for a first-round projection, when guys are on the fringe like these four, one poor workout could ruin the whole thing. Sure, second-round picks can still get guaranteed contracts, but making it to the second contract of one’s career suddenly becomes much harder.
After discussing those who have yet to make up their mind, Whelan also looks at some of the top names that have chosen to return to college basketball, including California’s Ivan Rabb, whose decision was announced on Sunday night by the school.
