Dink Pate's college experiment is over before it started. The guard withdrew from Providence on Friday and is returning to the NBA G League, with coach Bryan Hodgson confirming the decision to Kevin McNamara of KevinMcSports.com.

Pate committed to the Providence Friars in April. The NCAA was still reviewing whether three seasons of professional basketball cost him his college eligibility, and with no timeline for a ruling, Pate risked missing both a college season and a G League season.

No NCAA Ruling, So Pate Picked the Sure Thing

There was no denial. Hodgson cited the uncertainty of the NCAA review, per WJAR, and Pate chose to move before deadlines for pro rosters passed.

The clock was real. The New York Knicks signed Pate to an Exhibit 10 contract on Saturday and waived him, Hoops Rumors reported. Exhibit 10 deals could only be signed through October 19, and this one makes Pate eligible for a bonus of up to $91,000 on top of his G League salary if he joins the Knicks' affiliate.

Dink Pate's G League Path: Ignite, Mexico City, Westchester

Pate skipped college in 2023 to join the now-defunct G League Ignite, then played for the Mexico City Capitanes. He went undrafted in 2025 and broke out with the Westchester Knicks last season, averaging 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists over 36 regular-season games, according to Bleacher Report. He also turned down two-way and 10-day NBA offers to protect his college option.

His case joins a growing list of pros trying to come back to college, and of eligibility questions the NCAA is deciding one at a time. Providence now opens Hodgson's first season without him.