Any college basketball player with even a remote chance of earning an invitation to the NBA pre-draft combine would be a fool to do anything other than precisely what Cheick Diallo did Monday.

Diallo declared for the NBA Draft and did not hire an agent, which means he can withdraw his name at any point through 10 days after the combine (May 11-15) in Chicago ends. Consequently, there is absolutely no risk whatsoever in Diallo declaring. It’s not a gamble in any way. The same goes for Carlton Bragg Jr., Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Wayne Selden Jr. Even Brannen Greene, who might not receive an invitation, would run no risk by declaring for the draft by the April 24 deadline. (By the way, would it be tacky to mention at this point that Kansas could have used a healthy Greene to break that first-half scoring drought that ate 6 minutes, 55 seconds, of clock against Villanova? Irrelevant question, but one worth pondering.)

A pair of talent evaluators told me guards Frank Mason III and Devonté Graham won’t receive invitations and would be setting themselves up for disappointment if they applied, but they would not be risking anything.

There is no limit to the number of years players can attend the camp, if invited.

Consider the benefits to Diallo declaring for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent:

He will find out where the NBA is likely to draft him. If that’s in the first round, that means he will receive two years of guaranteed money, even if he rides the bench or spends much of the time learning how to play basketball in the NBA Developmental League. If they tell him he is more likely to go in the second round, that knowledge also would benefit him, leaving him with a decision as to whether he thinks he could play his way into the first round and the guaranteed money that comes with it by returning to Kansas University for a second season. Players who receive an invitation to the combine are allowed up to 20 hours per week of skill instruction with their coaches from the time they receive their invitations to the time they withdraw from the draft. Those who don’t receive invitations are limited to two hours of individual instruction per week. (This rule was created in hopes of keeping prospects on campus and in class for the rest of the semester). Whether a player turns pro or returns, that individual instruction will benefit him. The information received from the NBA will drown out other voices, such as those of family advisers, flesh brokers and burgeoning entourages enamored of a player’s celebrity. What the players are bound to find out is that what their coaches tell them about their games is a whole lot closer to what the hangers-on tell them. The specific basketball information also will tell them what areas need extra attention during offseason workouts.

Any player who doesn’t receive one of the 60 invitations ought to be smart enough to realize he has no shot of getting drafted in the first round and little chance of second-round status, which does not come with any guaranteed money.

The new rule definitely benefits the student-athlete because it gives him input from the most credible voices in his intended profession, voices with no agenda whatsoever. It makes it more difficult for the prospect to listen to the often-selfish entourage voices. Many still won’t have the courage to say no to voices to whom they feel beholden, but at least the ultimate voices of authority create the possibility of changing minds.

At this point, it seems as if Diallo does not intend to return to Kansas, based on what those in the know whisper, but he would be wise to avoid hiring an agent and head into the combine with an open mind.

The new rule also makes it more difficult for programs that recruit one-and-done talents to piece together rosters because of all the uncertainty and the late date of the combine, but the benefit to the players outweighs the inconvenience to coaches.