Jan. 2
We've seen lots of players make bad decisions, choosing to leave college basketball early only to sit on the pine night after night in the NBA. Some guys leave school early only to bounce around like rubber balls, from one team to the next, one country to the next ... they become basketball vagabonds.

	Arizona guard Jason Gardner was MVP of the IKON title game.

Let's give a salute to five guys who made brilliant decisions, opting to return to college instead of jumping to the NBA prematurely. This is my All-Albert Einstein team. Had they remained in the draft, they would probably be searching for a job right now, perhaps in the developmental league or in Europe.

These guys were not locks to be NBA first-round draft selections. That meant they wouldn't have received guaranteed contracts.

Let's look at my super five All-Einstein team. Speaking of Einstein, I remember something Lou Holtz once said to me: "Dickie V has a brain like Einstein ... it's been dead since 1955!"

The MVP of my team is Arizona's Jason Gardner. What a start he has enjoyed this season! If he stayed in the draft, he likely would have been searching for a job. Instead, Gardner got to celebrate as MVP of the IKON Coaches vs. Cancer Classic as Arizona upset Maryland and Florida. He will be able to remember that moment for the rest of his life.

Rounding out the All-Einstein team are Cal-Irvine's Jerry Green (who recently scored 27 points at Pauley Pavilion against UCLA), USC's Sam Clancy, Kentucky's Keith Bogans and Temple's Kevin Lyde.

Congratulations, guys -- you made great decisions. Your stock can go up and you can get better and better. You have an opportunity to get physically and emotionally stronger and mentally tougher. And you've put yourself in a better position to move up in value in the eyes of the NBA scouts. This decision also allows you to prepare for later in life by completing your education.