NBA Draft: Underclassmen are returning to college in record numbers

Video Player CoverEleven days after squandering a late nine-point lead in an agonizing Elite Eight loss to Florida, Texas Tech received a much-needed morale boost.

JT Toppin, a second-team All-American and the reigning Big 12 player of the year, announced earlier this month that he intends to return to the Red Raiders for his junior season.

Projected as a potential second-round pick by NBA scouts and draft analysts, Toppin is exactly the sort of prospect who might have turned pro in the pre-NIL era but now can benefit financially from remaining in college. The 6-foot-9 forward is expected to make about $4 million in NIL earnings at Texas Tech next season, according to CBSSports.com’s Matt…