Frank Martin explains why he encourages his players to test NBA Draft waters
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft has passed, and South Carolina had 1 player put his name in the draft pool.
That would be star guard AJ Lawson, who just finished his sophomore season with the Gamecocks.
So, what does coach Frank Martin think of that decision? Martin said he sees no downside to declaring while retaining college eligibility (via The State):
“I encourage all our guys,” Martin said. “If that’s an avenue they want to pursue, it’s available to them. Heck, if they offer for me to make myself available, I’d make myself available. But I don’t think there’s any place for a 280-pound old coach with bad knees.”
Martin is absolutely right — as long as players hire NCAA-approved agents, they can still withdraw their names and return to school. That makes it a very low-risk proposition.
Will Lawson stay in the draft class or come back to the Gamecocks for his junior year? That remains to be seen at this point.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
