The NCAA's leadership will consider an ACC proposal to give basketball underclassmen about 10 days after the end of the season to decide if they want to be a part of the NBA draft.

Current rules give players until the middle of June to withdraw from the draft.

The ACC's proposal would force players to make a final decision on their draft plans by the middle of April, when the spring signing period starts.

The NCAA board of directors this week cleared the way for the issue to be considered in the 2008-09 legislative process. The proposal would not affect the 2009 draft.

“I will tell you there are varying views on this, whether that's an appropriate time period or whether there should be a time period at all,” said NCAA vice president David Berst. “But we thought it was important to begin the discussions now, so that we could have it in place for the 2010 draft if that's what we do.”

Football underclassmen have 72 hours to withdraw from the draft. The current basketball rules leave coaches uncertain about their rosters for months as underclassmen work out for NBA teams and attend pre- draft camps.

In a statement, Commissioner John Swofford said: “We are pleased that the NCAA board of directors has agreed to approve the sponsorship of our recommended NCAA legislation relating to the early entry draft process. Knowing the board felt this concept was important enough for the membership to discuss during the current legislative cycle is key.”

This year, North Carolina coach Roy Williams waited as three underclassmen — Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson — explored their draft possibilities for two months. Coaches and ACC administrators are concerned about the impact of missed class time over that extended period and would like decisions made by the beginning of the signing period so coaches can sign players to replace underclassmen who leave early.

In 2008, the date to withdraw from the draft was June 16, 10 weeks after the season was completed.

“That's two months where coaches who are trying to plan their roster have no idea who's coming back and who's not,” ACC associate commissioner for basketball operations Karl Hicks said Sunday.