S . ▁player ▁is ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁his ▁college ▁el ig ibility . ▁ ▁Play ers ▁who ▁meet ▁the ▁C BA ▁definition ▁of ▁" intern ational ▁players " ▁are ▁automatically ▁el ig ible ▁if ▁their ▁ 2 2 nd ▁birth day ▁falls ▁during ▁or ▁before ▁the ▁calendar ▁year ▁of ▁the ▁draft ▁( i . e ., ▁born ▁on ▁or ▁before ▁December ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 ). ▁U . S . ▁players ▁who ▁were ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁year ▁removed ▁from ▁their ▁high ▁school ▁gradu ation ▁and ▁have ▁played ▁minor - le ague ▁basketball ▁with ▁a ▁team ▁outside ▁the ▁NBA ▁are ▁also ▁automatically ▁el ig ible . ▁ ▁A ▁player ▁who ▁is ▁not ▁automatically ▁el ig ible ▁must ▁declare ▁his ▁el ig ibility ▁for ▁the ▁draft ▁by ▁not ifying ▁the ▁NBA ▁offices ▁in ▁writing ▁no ▁later ▁than ▁ 6 0 ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁draft . ▁For ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁draft , ▁this ▁date ▁fell ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 4 . ▁Under ▁NCAA ▁rules , ▁players ▁will ▁only ▁have ▁until ▁May ▁ 8 ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁draft ▁and ▁maintain ▁their ▁college ▁el ig ibility . ▁This ▁year , ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 6 9 ▁colleg iate ▁players ▁and ▁ 2 0 ▁international ▁players ▁declared ▁as ▁early ▁entry ▁candidates . ▁At ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁dead line , ▁ 4 1 ▁early ▁entry ▁candidates ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁draft ▁( 2 5 ▁from ▁US ▁colleg es ▁and ▁institutions ), ▁leaving ▁ 4 2 ▁colleg iate ▁players ▁and ▁six