The last few weeks have been especially unreal for Virginia fans, what with that Final Four run and that national championship and everything. But the last few days have brought something different, as four players from this year's title-winning squad have publicly announced their intentions to declare for the NBA Draft.

It's understandable that some might be confused since "hiring an agent" accounts for the three words fans were hoping not to read in these sorts of announcements in years past. But the NCAA and NBA have changed their rules and beginning with this draft class, there's essentially no downside to players testing the waters and getting feedback.

While not everyone is unaware of the conditions as they exist today, it seems like many remain unsure. As such, it's best for everyone to understand what the rules are (and aren't) ahead of what may be—spoiler alert—a long road ahead.

Let's start here: As most (hopefully?) know by now, players can sign with an agent and still return to school under the new rules. The devil is in the details. If a player signs an agent from the NBPA's approved list and that agent only does what is allowed (paying for meals and travel for players and their families) then that player can return to school if they decide to pull their name by the deadline. In the case of UVa's De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome, their agents are likely paying for things beyond just the expenses associated with going through the process. For example, if an agent pays a player for an advance or sets up a nutritionist or personal trainer to work with said player, that player's eligibility is forfeited. Because the rules now allow for players to work with an agent, it would make almost no real sense for one to not submit their name for evaluation by the NBA's Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC) and work through the process. So, to put a cap on this: "Declaring" for the draft is not the same thing as it was last year, let alone historically. And in UVa's situation, it's especially murky because Hunter and Jerome won't return while Kyle Guy and Mamadi Diakite could.

Not to imply that losing Hunter or Jerome isn't substantial but there's a very real if not likely scenario where the 2019-2020 roster is different but not dramatically. It's very possible if not more than likely that both Guy and Diakite, armed with plenty of information from talent evaluators and a more concrete understanding of how the process works, decide to return to Charlottesville for their final season. As of now, with Hunter and Jerome off of UVa's ledger, the Cavaliers have a roster that projects to include:

Senior Braxton Key (G/F)

Redshirt junior Jay Huff (F/C)

Junior Marco Anthony (G)

Redshirt sophomore Frankie Badocchi (F)

Sophomore Kihei Clark (G)

Sophomore Kody Stattmann (G)

Redshirt freshman Francisco Caffaro (C)

Freshman Casey Morsell (G)

Freshman Kadin Shedrick (F)

Freshman Justin McKoy (G/F)

With those 10 on the roster and should UVa have Guy and Diakite back for their senior and redshirt senior years respectively, that would leave one spot left for next season.

So, yes, things will certainly be different without Hunter and Jerome but not "whatever is happening with Virginia Tech" level different. Tony Bennett and his staff would need to do some things differently but they'd still have some key pieces to lean on as well as some new ones to fit in. Of course, should Guy and/or Diakite remain in the draft the calculus changes, especially since UVa would need someone to play a much larger number of minutes at guard. Guy is the most important piece because of that concern and should he stay in the draft, there will be some decisions that will have to be made quickly by the coaching staff.

The deadline for players to remove their names from the NBA Draft in order to secure their NCAA eligibility is May 29, so there could be several weeks where we don't hear anything. And UVa fans won't be the only ones waiting to hear: More than 75 players have announced thus far.

Again, though, the devil is in the details: The NBA Draft Combine is May 14-19 and if a player doesn't receive an invite to that, it usually underscores what sort of interest they'll have on draft night in June. As such, there's a very good chance the waiting game, while long, won't have to go all the way to the 29th of next month.

Timing is of the essence. While UVa taking a commitment from McKoy gives the Hoos a nice three-man class in 2019, it doesn't really address the one potential need at guard. Neither does the rumored potential of adding the Hauser brothers following their departure from Marquette. As of now, UVa doesn't have the space for them both. But it's going to take time for not only NBA decisions to solidify but also for roster slots to do the same. If anyone listed above decides to put their names in the transfer portal, the Cavaliers will have a lot more flexibility but even more unanswered questions.

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