TRUE OR FALSE: If a player is drafted and subsequently cut, they still maintain NCAA eligibility.

A player who has been drafted by an NBA team and subsequently cut does not maintain NCAA eligibility. Once a player hires an agent or signs a professional contract, they typically forfeit their NCAA eligibility. The process of being drafted itself indicates that they have engaged with a professional team, and by entering the draft, they have taken steps that may ultimately lead to their exclusion from NCAA competition.

In certain circumstances, if a player were to declare for the NBA draft but did not hire an agent and returned to college before a specific deadline, they could retain their NCAA eligibility. However, being drafted implies the player has sought to enter the professional realm, which is considered a step away from amateur status.

Thus, the statement is false as the act of being drafted, even if followed by being cut from the team, generally removes the player from NCAA eligibility due to the engagement with professional basketball operations.