It’s the final day of May, which means NBA prospects have mere hours remaining to make a decision about whether to stay in the Draft or return for an additional year of college basketball.
The NCAA has established a withdrawal deadline of 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 1 for players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain their eligibility. As of Tuesday afternoon, Michigan forwards Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate have fewer than 36 hours left to decide.
Both Houstan and Diabate were invited to the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May, but only the latter attended. Diabate, unsurprisingly, tested very well at the Combine and has conducted multiple additional workouts with teams — including one as recently as Monday. Houstan declined his Combine invite and worked out in Las Vegas.
Let’s look at the impact if Diabate were to stay in the 2022 NBA Draft or return to school:
Stay in Draft:
Diabate tallied 13 double-digit scoring games and led Michigan in offensive rebounds as a true freshman. Then he impressed at the NBA Combine in measurements and drills, testing as arguably the most athletic center at the event. His shuttle run (first among centers), three-quarter-court sprint (second), standing vert (second), max vert (first) and lane agility (first) were all elite among prospects at his position. Diabate’s frame and body composition are also excellent. Those physical abilities and attributes are clearly enough to intrigue NBA teams; Diabate wouldn’t have been invited to the NBA Combine and to workouts with the Pacers and Hawks otherwise. As Diabate himself acknowledged, his athleticism corresponds to potential — he has the ability to improve in the low post, with his shooting and as a switchable defender. That ceiling, while still theoretical, could be enough to warrant a selection in the NBA Draft. If Diabate does stay in the Draft, Michigan would have a scholarship available for 2022-23.
Come back to Michigan:
Diabate was inconsistent during his time at Michigan. He still needs to work on his post moves, and he made just three 3-point field goals across 795 minutes played as a freshman. The latter is a weakness that likely needs to be addressed for success in today’s NBA. At the NBA Combine, Diabate was solid but not exceptional during two scrimmages. He scored 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting and added 15 rebounds with seven assists, but he also had six turnovers. Diabate is still trying to prove his value to NBA teams, as Monday’s workout with the Hawks shows, but most post-Combine mock drafts believe that Diabate will go undrafted. A second year at Michigan would allow Diabate to take the next step as a post player — under the direct coaching of Juwan Howard — and showcase his improvements as an outside shooter. Barring an injury, Diabate will continue to have elite measurables, meaning his Draft stock would rise significantly in a year if he can translate his potential into consistent playmaking.
What he has said:
“(I’m looking for) a situation where I feel like I’ll be able to rise and get better,” Diabate told reporters in his Combine press conference. “I don’t want to just go in there and just end up staying in the league for three years and just get out. I’m trying to get something where the structure is going to be solid and it’s going to help me grow as a man and as a basketball player.”