Georgetown announced on March 31, 2015, that D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera had decided to forego his senior year of college and enter the 2015 National Basketball Association draft, a sudden move that surprised observers, who had not ranked him highly as a National Basketball Association prospect. His decision to depart left the Hoyas facing a rebuilding year the following season. He did not hire an agent and, with his final year of college eligibility therefore intact, he decided a week later to withdraw his name from the draft pool and return to Georgetown for his senior year, causing expectations for the following year's team to soar. Speaking publicly about his decision for the first time on April 30, 2015, Smith-Rivera explained that he initially had decided to enter the NBA draft out of an abundance of confidence in himself and comfort with his abilities as a player, but that his parents had convinced him that returning to Georgetown and completing his education was a wiser choice for the following season.