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NCAA’s Draft Withdrawal Deadline For Early Entrants Has Passed

June 1st, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

Now that we’ve flipped the calendar from May to June, the deadline for early entrants to withdraw their names from the 2023 NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility has passed. Prospects had until 11:59 pm Eastern time on May 31 to make their decisions and meet the NCAA’s deadline.

The NBA’s own draft withdrawal deadline isn’t until June 12, but college players typically make their decisions in advance of the NCAA’s deadline so that they’re able to return to school.

[RELATED: 2023 NBA Draft Dates, Deadlines To Watch]

We passed along many last-minute draft decisions on Wednesday, but a few slipped through the cracks or weren’t reported until this morning. Most notably, Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh, a projected first-round pick, opted to keep his name in the draft as expected, per Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch.

Washington State’s Justin Powell, TCU’s Damion Baugh, and Demetrius Mims of Gannon University will also remain in the 2023 draft, according to reports from Jonathan Givony of ESPN, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, and Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (all Twitter links).

Here are some of the players who decided to opt out of the draft:

Our early entrant tracker has been updated to reflect the latest reports and announcements. However, we’re still awaiting clarity on a number of players, and it’s worth stressing that our list is very unofficial.

The NBA won’t issue a full, final list of early entrants in the 2023 draft until after the June 12 withdrawal deadline. But last year the league provided an update following the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline, so we could get a similar announcement on Thursday or Friday.

By our count, at least 100 of the 242 players who initially declared for the draft as early entrants have pulled out.

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Draft Notes: Tshiebwe, Kings, Powell, Domask, Kaluma

May 10th, 2023 at 11:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Wednesday featuring six prospects, including Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, a league source tells James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter link). The other five players aren’t yet known.

Tshiebwe was named AP Player of the Year in 2021/22 for the Wildcats and followed that up with a spot on the All-America Second Team in ’22/23 after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.0 block in 32 games (33.6 minutes). He is expected to attend the draft combine next week.

Sacramento controls the 24th, 38th (or 37th, if Washington picks ahead of Indiana in the lottery) and 54th picks in the 2023 NBA draft. Tshiebwe is currently ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s big board as he tests the draft waters while maintaining his final year of college eligibility.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

  • Junior guard Justin Powell, who has played for three college teams – most recently Washington State this past season – has worked out for the Warriors, Celtics, Jazz and Mavericks, reports Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (via Twitter). Powell has converted an impressive 41.9% of his three-point looks during his college career. Like Tshiebwe, he’s testing the draft waters.
  • Forward Marcus Domask has withdrawn from the draft, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). After a standout four-year career at Southern Illinois, Domask will be transferring to Illinois for his fifth and final season, per Rothstein.
  • Creighton sophomore Arthur Kaluma, another combine invitee, is focused on staying in the draft, but he plans to transfer if he returns to college for his junior year, a source tells John Fanta of Fox Sports (Twitter links). Kaluma confirmed the news. “I am thankful for the chance to participate in the draft process and showcase my skills in front of various NBA teams,” Kaluma said, per Fanta. “After taking part in the NBA Combine and my agency’s Pro Day, I will discuss the feedback I’ve received with my family and advisors. Ultimately, I will decide whether to remain in the Draft or return to college based on what’s best for my career long-term. I want to express my gratitude to Coach McDermott and the entire Creighton community for two amazing years in Omaha.” The forward is currently No. 90 on ESPN’s board.
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Draft Notes: Hawkins, Shead, Lawrence, Sharavjamts, Powell, Mitchell

March 28th, 2023 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Illinois power forward Coleman Hawkins will enter the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today.

Hawkins is currently the No. 49 prospect on ESPN’s big board, so he’s a good candidate to be drafted if he doesn’t return to school. However, he’s undecided about going pro, telling Rothstein that he likes the idea of contending for an NCAA championship.

“I want to be on a roster that has a chance to do something big — win a national title,” Hawkins said. “I hope if I do come back that we will have a more veteran team and a chance of being a really great team.”

Hawkins became a full-time starter in his junior season, averaging 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 32.5 minutes per contest (33 games).

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Houston guard Jamal Shead will test the NBA draft waters, he tells Jon Chepkevich of Rookie Scale (Twitter link). Shead averaged 10.5 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 3.0 RPG in 37 games (32.6 MPG) as the Cougars’ starting point guard in his junior year. His shooting percentages (.415 FG%, .310 3PT%) weren’t strong, but they did represent an improvement on his numbers as a sophomore. He was also the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Year, as Chepkevich notes.
  • Vanderbilt junior guard Tyrin Lawrence announced (via Twitter) that he’ll enter the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Lawrence was Vanderbilt’s second-leading scorer in 2022/23, averaging 13.1 PPG on .502/.360/.743 shooting.
  • Freshman forward Mike Sharavjamts won’t return to Dayton, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Sharavjamts could change schools via the NCAA’s transfer portal, but for now he’s focusing on professional opportunities and has signed with NCAA-certified agent Scott Nichols, according to Givony.
  • Givony also reports (via Twitter) that Washington State junior guard Justin Powell will enter the draft while maintaining his NCAA eligibility. Powell has already played for three college programs, having been with Auburn as a freshman and Tennessee as a sophomore. He knocked down an impressive 42.6% of his three-pointers in 2022/23.
  • Kansas City senior guard Rayquawndis Mitchell will test the draft waters, he announced on Twitter. Mitchell made the All-Summit team this spring by averaging 17.3 PPG in 32 games (35.5 MPG), though he shot just 34.5% from the floor.
  • In the introduction of his latest mock draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic writes that NBA teams are “all over the map” on many of the players in this year’s class, making the draft difficult to forecast, especially beyond the top 11 or so players. NBA teams are eager to see many top NCAA prospects in workouts and interviews to better assess them, Vecenie adds.
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