NBA calendar change could be bad news for Olivier Sarr’s chances of playing for Kentucky
A reworking of the NBA’s pre-draft calendar might lead to a snag in Kentucky’s ability to get star transfer Olivier Sarr eligible for next season.
According to a memo obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday, early-entry candidates for this year’s NBA Draft will now have a second window to enter their names for consideration. That means players who declined to enter their names in the NBA Draft earlier this year will now have until Aug. 17 to do so, a development that could disrupt UK’s argument for Sarr to be granted a transfer waiver by the NCAA.
Originally, the early-entry deadline had been April 26. Sarr — a 7-footer who starred for Wake Forest this past season — said he had considered putting his name in the draft but chose not to after being convinced by then-Wake head coach Danny Manning to stay in school for his senior year and spend one more season developing under him. Wake Forest unexpectedly fired Manning on April 25 — the day before the early entry deadline — and Sarr claims he did not have enough time to make an informed decision on his basketball future.
He announced his transfer to Kentucky two weeks later, and — if approved for a transfer waiver — would be the Wildcats’ starting center for the 2020-21 season, likely turning UK into one of the favorites for the 2021 national championship.
Since the NCAA has not historically approved transfer waivers solely for coaching changes — and Sarr, a native of France, will not be moving closer to his family with his transfer — UK’s case for immediate eligibility was thought to hinge on the unique circumstances surrounding Manning’s firing. An extended window for entry into the NBA Draft would seemingly torpedo that argument, since Sarr is now free to enter his name into the draft. (He was not projected as a pick in this year’s draft even before he decided to stay in school).
Kentucky has already submitted its transfer waiver request to the NCAA, and an initial decision on Sarr’s case is expected soon. There is still a chance that the NCAA could grant Sarr’s request despite the development of a second window for early-entry draft candidates. There has been speculation that the NCAA will be more lenient with waiver requests due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, though there have not yet been any waiver approvals that buck NCAA precedent.
Two high-profile transfers — Johnny Juzang and DJ Carton — have both received immediate eligibility in recent weeks, though both players were moving closer to their families, which is expected to be a circumstance that gets automatic approval this offseason.
Even if Sarr is turned down on UK’s initial request for immediate eligibility, there is an appeals process in place that would grant him and the program another avenue to get the transfer waiver approved.
The NCAA has set its own withdrawal deadline for Aug. 3, so Sarr would have to make a final decision by that date. He has said that if he doesn’t get immediate eligibility to play for Kentucky in the 2020-21 season, he will explore other professional options rather than sit out a year at UK.
Sarr averaged 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game for the Demon Deacons last season, emerging as one of the best big men in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was ranked as the nation’s No. 1 transfer this offseason.
If Sarr doesn’t play for UK next season, there would likely be a major hole in the Wildcats’ frontcourt. Freshman power forwards Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware would be the only two true post players on the roster, and there are few realistic options for late additions if UK finds itself in need of another player before the start of the season.
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 1:31 PM.
