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Texas Tech basketball: Why Jahmi’us Ramsey should wait to go pro

By Matthew Conner

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - FEBRUARY 01: Jahmi'us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders pass the ball around David McCormack #33 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on February 01, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - FEBRUARY 01: Jahmi'us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders pass the ball around David McCormack #33 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on February 01, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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Guard Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders dunks the ball (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Guard Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders dunks the ball (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

There’s no telling what the sports landscape will be like after the coronavirus pandemic

In any other year, an NBA Draft hopeful who may be riding the fence, like Ramsey likely is, has the opportunity to go through the scouting combine and pre-draft process to receive feedback from NBA teams and executives before deciding whether to remain in the draft or head to back to school.  Andre Emmett did that after his junior season in the summer of 2003 before coming back to Tech while Zhaire Smith did the same and liked what he heard enough to keep his name in the draft.

But this summer, Ramsey may not have that opportunity.  That’s going to make his decision infinitely more difficult to make.

It is being reported that teams are lobbying NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to push the draft back from its currently scheduled June date to August.  That would allow for any playoffs to be completed in the middle of the summer while also giving teams more time to conduct workouts and interviews prior to the draft.

Silver has not made any final decision but regardless of what happens, this conversation further illustrates the uncertainty that rules our world right now and there’s no guarantee the world will be back to normal before August.  As of right now, NBA teams are under strict orders from Silver to refrain from contacting or working out prospects and should that edict remain in place for longer than expected, it could hurt Ramsey’s ability to judge where he stands in the eyes of the league.

All we know for certain is that this summer is going to be absolutely chaotic.   Any evaluation process will be condensed and there will be so much less certainty about what that process will entail as well as questions about such issues as whether the rookie salary scale will be decreased after the financial losses tied to the current league shutdown or whether teams will be back to having a full scouting department to allow them to fully evaluate all prospects.

Meanwhile, the future of college basketball seems a bit more stable.   Though the potential timing of the season and other logistical concerns may have to be ironed out, Ramsey will know without question that he will have a scholarship waiting for him in Lubbock and that certainty would be a legitimate reason for returning for another year.

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