This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Logan • Twelve months from now, Utah State's Jalen Moore will be nervously awaiting the 2017 NBA draft.
He will be comfortable with the process, however, thanks to a new NCAA rule, which Moore believes has helped prepare him for his attempted leap from college to professional basketball.
This year — for the first time — the NCAA allowed underclassmen like Moore to make themselves eligible for the draft, attend the NBA Combine and participate in private workouts for interested teams.
Underclassmen invited to the NBA Combine were also allowed to work out 12 hours per week with their college coaches at the school's facility to get themselves ready.
In addition, the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the draft was moved back a month. Players had until May 25 — 10 days after the Combine — to withdraw and return to school. As long as they had not hired an agent, their college eligibility remained intact.
The bottom line?
Players such as Moore had more time and greater opportunity to make an informed decision about their basketball future. Meanwhile, NBA teams got a close look at players who might interest them in the future.
Win, win.
"The new rule definitely worked for me," Moore said. "I got to go play and work out for NBA teams and get a feel for what they do, drill-wise. And I got to play against good competition. … Getting to know people and getting feedback from everybody is a very important part of the process."
Referring to Utah State's membership Mountain West Conference, Moore said, "We play in a good league, but it's good to play against guys from bigger conferences, too. It's cool to play against some of the guys you see on TV and compare yourself to them."
During his tour, Moore went head-to-head against players such as Kentucky's Marcus Lee, Purdue's Vincent Edwards, Texas A&M's Jalen Jones and Northern Iowa's Wes Washburn.
"There were a lot of cool things about it," Moore said. "The practice facilities were all nice. We were treated very well and they taught us very well. They made sure everything was explained thoroughly so we understood what we were doing. They coached us well."
Moore worked out for three teams — Utah, Minnesota and Memphis. Boston, Brooklyn, Houston, Chicago and San Antonio also showed interest in him, according to Utah State coach Tim Duryea, but a tight schedule and a minor back injury prevented Moore from working out for those teams.
"It helps getting my name out there, having people recognize me and knowing that I played with confidence," Moore said. "… I'm just trying to prove that I can play on the next level. The best thing now is I can come home and work on what they gave me as feedback."
In general, Utah Jazz vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin likes the new NCAA rule, although he is not allowed to talk about specific individuals who withdrew from the draft.
"It works out well for players because they get an idea of what the NBA thinks about them and what they have to work on," Perrin said.
The other side of the equation, however, involves the logistics involved in scheduling players like Moore for workouts. Agents do not participate in the process, so college coaches are usually thrust into that role.
As Perrin points out, "Sometimes it's hard to get [coaches] to call you back this time of year. It can take a lot of time. … But this is an experiment and there are always going to be some kinks the first year. Hopefully, next year, the process will be a little better."
Duryea believes the process was "a great experience for Jalen. … The [new] rules help a player look at their situation realistically."
Moore, of course, is a 6-foot-9 forward from North Logan. He has led the Aggies in scoring and rebounding for two straight years. He averaged 15.2 points and six rebounds last season, when he was named to the All-Mountain West third team.
"Jalen has so many positive things going for him — his ability, size for his position and a lot of intangibles," Duryea said. "He has a feel for the game and he's an intelligent guy. You can tell scouts about those things over the phone but, when they see it for themselves, it becomes a very positive thing.
"It gives them a chance to put a player on their radar. It gives them a chance to see him play his natural position. It also gives Jalen a road map of where he has to improve. And it helps us, too. We can help him advance in those areas" throughout the coming season.
In all, 127 underclassmen declared for the draft, which will be held June 23. Fifty-seven withdrew, including Moore and other Mountain West players such as New Mexico's Elijah Brown, San Diego State's Malik Pope and Nevada's Cameron Oliver.
Twitter: @sluhm —
Getting a taste
• Jalen Moore, a 6-foot-9 forward from North Logan, is returning for his senior year.
• A new NCAA rule allowed Moore to work out for NBA teams prior to the draft and retain his eligibility.
• Moore said the new rule "definitely worked for me." He visited Utah, Minnesota and Memphis.