College underclassmen make right move to NBA

While the NBA was celebrating Boston's championship earlier this week, the college game was in mourning.

Forty student-athletes -- 14 freshmen, 10 sophomores and 16 juniors -- gave up their college eligibility early and made entering the NBA draft official last Tuesday afternoon.

And while making the jump early is nothing new, it's frustrating nonetheless.

Even if you watch college basketball in November, it's likely you'll still be putting faces with names come March.

But, as difficult as it is for fans, and especially coaches, it's hard to argue that underclassmen aren't making the right move.

Out of the 32 early entries in 2007, 27 were drafted. Impressive considering the number of graduated seniors and international players added to the pool.

The money isn't bad either. Find a way into the lottery and you're guaranteed to be rich for life. Make it among the first 30 picks and you're going to be a millionaire. All of last year's second-round picks pulled in $427,000, although there's no guarantee of keeping your job the next season.

I guess this is why we applauded the champion Florida Gator sophomores in 2006 for returning and winning another title in 2007. Of course, their "Big 4" left early with three going in the lottery and one in the next round.

This year, many of the decisions are logical. Memphis' Derrick Rose and Kansas State's Michael Beasley -- the consensus first two selections -- were NBA ready before they ever enrolled in school but had to go for a year because of NBA commissioner David Stern's absurd age-limit rule.

Trading in biology books for suitcases is the right thing for these guys.

The rest of the highly touted 2007-08 freshmen class isn't in bad shape, either. According to ESPN's Chad Forde and his mock draft, 10 of the 14 early-entry freshmen will go in the first round with seven making up the 14-team lottery on June 26.

The sophomores and juniors should also do well. Forde has only three seniors in the entire first round.

Three national-champion Kansas Jayhawks took the Gators' cue. Juniors Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and sophomore Darrell Arthur have little to prove after leading Kansas past Memphis in the title game in April.

For most of the rest of the early entries, making an immediate impact isn't really the reason for going pro. If they're told at draft camps and individual workouts they'll be drafted in a certain range, they're glad to take the money and sit bench for a while.

So, who benefited most from the early-entry list? Is it the No.1 Bulls, No. 2 Heat or future millionaires?

Actually, it's North Carolina. Tar Heels coach Roy Williams saw three players -- underclassmen Ty Lawson, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington -- pull out of pro status. Teamed with the nation's best player in Tyler Hansbrough, who decided early to return for his senior season, the Heels will have the best chance to cut down the nets in March.

(Brad Senkiw writes for the Anderson Independent-Mail in Anderson, S.C.)