I'm sitting here, looking at the sports transactions in the newspaper, and it makes me wonder.

Last year at the NBA draft, there was plenty of talk about Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry. They all came out early and got megabucks plus the opportunity as high first-round picks to earn playing time. While some may wonder why these kids go pro and give up a chance at the college experience, piles and piles of cash can change an individual's mind.

One can understand giving up some of the best years of your life in that situation. The promise of being a lottery selection can do that. The problem is when a player makes a bad decision by coming out early and getting burned. Some youngsters don't want to listen to the right people; instead they get their heads filled up with visions of grandeur and feel they are better than they really are.

	We don't read too much about people like Omar Cook, who gave up his eligibility after just one year, only to have to fight and claw for a career now. You hear plenty about the Kwame Browns of the world.

When so-called friends and agents can steer players in a direction that does not benefit them, it is sad.

I remember sitting courtside at Villanova with Brent Musberger and St. John's coach Mike Jarvis, talking to then-freshman guard Omar Cook. There were rumors that Cook was thinking about leaving after one season for the NBA.

Talking strictly basketball and not trying to be critical, I told him there were many parts of his game he needed to work on, like the ability to make the perimeter jump shot and becoming more consistent. I felt that he needed St. John's even more than the school needed him. He thanked me, but when it was all said and done, it was obvious that my thoughts weren't as meaningful as those from people who said he could be a dominant player.

Playing on the playgrounds and becoming a legend is one thing; playing in a structured five-on-five situation is another thing. Yes, I am a little biased because of my love of college basketball. I love what college can do for so many kids, helping develop them as people. It can help them mature, manage time, make good decisions, and learn to select the right people to associate with.

Picking up the paper and seeing Cook was cut by the Denver Nuggets was sad. It was also disappointing to read that JaRon Rush was let go as well.

Rush's brother, Kareem, is an All-American at Missouri this season. JaRon left UCLA to enter the 2000 draft, and he didn't make an NBA roster, bouncing around in developmental situations like the ABA. Now he is a basketball vagabond instead of taking advantage of the opportunity provided when he was with the Bruins under Steve Lavin.

Another one added to the list was former Arizona Wildcats forward Michael Wright. He was a great kid from Chicago, a rebounder extraordinaire on the collegiate level who lacked the big-time size to play power forward on a regular basis in the pros. He came out early and ended up being let go by the Knicks.

Many of these kids believe they are better than they are, hearing positive things from people who want to get a piece of them.

I think about Cook, Rush, Wright, SirValiant Brown, Zach Marbury, Maurice Evans -- all came out early. They all could have been in college, improving their stock and getting better and better. Evans has a shot to make it as a free agent with the Minnesota Timberwolves, so things may work out for him.

They could have worked toward a college degree, which could open doors later in life.

I hope some young kids can learn from these mistakes. We don't read too much about people like Cook, who gave up his eligibility after just one year, only to have to fight and claw for a career now. You hear plenty about the Kwame Browns of the world.

I hope that a player like Cook can get a break in the future. It is obvious that his decision to leave for the pros was not a good one.