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- You have to respect the explanation NC State guard Terquavion Smith provided after announcing his decision to withdraw from the upcoming NBA Draft
- The move was a fairly surprising one for a sophomore who had a good shot of being selected in the first round
- Read more college basketball news here
The NFL has done a fantastic job marketing its annual scouting combine in a successful effort to position the skills showcase as a can’t-miss event that’s capable of generating plenty of hype during an otherwise sleepy portion of the offseason.
Sure, the combine might not exactly be a juggernaut when it comes to the television ratings, but the league is still able to leverage it to drum up a ton of publicity ahead of the draft. The primary source is the players who are able to boost their stock by posting some jaw-dropping numbers during drills, but we’re also occasionally treated to some intriguing storylines thanks to guys who fail to live up to expectations or find themselves under a hilariously massive microscope because of their tiny hands.
The amount of coverage surrounding the NFL combine is especially impressive when you consider other leagues hold similar events that exist in a vacuum of excitement by comparison. That includes the NBA, which quietly hosted a combine of its own in Chicago in the middle of May (a fact that would likely come as a surprise to many fans who were more preoccupied with the playoffs).
The NBA combine may be a fairly overlooked affair, but it can still have some pretty serious implications for the prospects who attend it (and potentially serve as a reality check for some people who don’t receive the invite).
As is the case with the NFL, players get plenty of chances to boost their stock or simply cement their position on the draft board. However, they also run the risk of doing more harm than good and subsequently finding their name in an article featuring a list of guys experts say should head back to college for at least another year.
According to ESPN, NC State guard Terquavion Smith left Chicago as a beneficiary of this year’s combine. The outlet spoke to a few unnamed NBA executives who were impressed by the sophomore’s performance and said he put himself into a position to get scooped up at some point before the end of the first round of the event (which will kick off at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 23rd).
However, that won’t end up being the case (at least this year). On Tuesday, Smith revealed he’s officially withdrawing his name from consideration for the 2022 NBA Draft and heading back for at least one more campaign as a member of the Wolfpack.
Smith’s decision to return to school might not be as shocking as it may have been prior to the NIL Era, but it doesn’t appear money played a huge role in his decision. After sharing the news, the guard explained his rationale and singled out the refreshingly wholesome factor he says influenced the choice more than any other: his desire to live like a college kid.
Here’s what he had to say:
“I have to be honest and admit money has never been at the center of my thoughts.
My agent explained to me that teams as high as the late teens, through the rest of the first round, all have me ranked as a first-round talent. It’s exciting to hear that. But I told him I have more work to do.
I like school and my college in particular. Remember, my last two years have been so strange, thanks to the pandemic. I just want one more season to get everything right and just be a college student.”
How can you not love that?