Welcome to the worst time of year, college basketball fans.
Your team’s season has just ended in pain. It’s an especially bitter pill to swallow after the exuberance of March. A month ago you had the conference tournaments on all the time. Then for an entire month you had the madness of March to distract you from pretty much everything else in the world. Florida ended it all with predictable domination in Atlanta.
Now what?
Well, there’s no solace in the hopeful line “Wait ’til next year,” at least for right now. That’s because no one has a clue about next year. Every prominent program has to deal with the exodus of their best young players. There are no certainties; not a single fan can find confidence until after the NBA Draft has passed. It’s like a horrific hangover after the best party of the year.
UCLA epitomizes the instability. Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison could be first-round picks in June, and NBA rookies next season. That would leave UCLA without its backcourt, its top scorer and assist man. Or they could stay and make the team a national title favorite. Needless to say there’s a lot at stake for Bruin faithful.
But it certainly doesn’t end with UCLA. North Carolina, Georgetown, Ohio State, Kansas, all the top teams are in a similar predicament. Florida is losing its top four juniors to the draft.
Here’s a general time line of how this excruciating waiting game will unfold:
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft is April 29. Doing so allows them to attend pre-draft camps, gauge their draft stock, and still have the option to change their mind and return to school. The catch is that players can only do this once; since Afflalo declared and then returned he will have to make his final decision by April 29. In a month Bruin fans will learn if the team’s leader and top scorer will stick around.
Collison, however, can take his sweet time. After the initial deadline, the real action won’t start until the end of May, when the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Orlando begins. This camp will be attended by most of the top prospects, where they will play in front of scouts from every NBA franchise. It will be very significant for Collison, and all of the other underclassmen still considering a return to school.
After the Orlando camp, which ends on June 1, NBA teams will have the opportunity to work out players individually. Collison will have a shot at impressing individual NBA teams, who could potentially promise to select him, and make the draft irresistible.
The second deadline comes a week before the draft, on June 21, when Collison and his fellow underclassmen will have to finally decide between college and pro.
For now UCLA fans are lucky to know they will have a competitive team next year no matter what happens. Whether the team will be contending for a Pac-10 crown or national championship hangs in the balance. It’s a pretty weak condolence after such an infuriating defeat in the Final Four.
And after a winter quarter of basketball glory, UCLA students might not learn the fate of the beloved basketball team until after spring quarter finals have concluded.
For now it’s wait ’til the summer, and then wait ’til next year.
E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu if you’re planning on hibernating until the NBA Draft.