May 29
With the NBA predraft camp coming up in Chicago, it's interesting to see how many underclassmen are involved.

Fifty-five underclassmen with college eligibility declared for the NBA draft. That number will go down; for instance, Ohio University's Brandon Hunter pulled out. Why? A new rule has been adopted, one I consider to be a positive.

I believe this rule will separate the pretenders from those who feel they can really play in the NBA.

The NCAA is enforcing a rule that says if an underclassman plays all three games in Chicago and then decides to return to school, the NCAA will make him sit out his team's first three games of the 2002-03 season. I believe this rule will separate the pretenders from those who feel they can really play in the NBA. Up until now, it was a free walk to a three-game workout with nothing to lose. Players could go to the camp, play against great competition, and there wasn't any penalty. And if you play against great competition, you get better yourself.

Some coaches are screaming about the new rule and the status of their players. I was interested in comments reportedly made by Ball State coach Tim Buckley. He told his star player, Theron Smith, that if he went to the Chicago camp, that was it -- he was gone. Buckley didn't want to risk losing his star player for the first three games of the season. My take on his comments was simple: Either you want to go to the NBA or you don't. If you go, that's your choice. But a college coach needs to know who he'll have to put his team together.

Now we'll find out who really wants to be part of the NBA draft. Those who legitimately want to be in the camp want to be in an NBA uniform next season.

I think this is an excellent rule. It makes players decide what they really want to do.