June 27
Everybody knows my love for the game of basketball and my love for the kids playing it. It just blows my mind when I think about some of the things that happened on NBA draft night. Too many underclassmen and high school seniors are led to believe they have a chance at the big bucks, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow -- that guaranteed contract for being a first-round selection. My friends, only 28 players were picked in round one on Wednesday night. For all the others, there is no guarantee.

	"I Should Have Listened to Good Advice Because I Didn't Get Drafted" Team
	Adam Harrington -- Auburn Smush Parker -- Fordham George Williams -- Houston DeAngelo Collins -- High School (Inglewood, Calif.) Lenny Cooke -- High School (Northern Valley Regional, Old Tappan, N.J.)

Think about these five players who were left out of the draft entirely: Adam Harrington of Auburn, Smush Parker of Fordham, George Williams of Houston, DeAngelo Collins of Inglewood (Calif.) High School and Lenny Cooke of Northern Valley Regional High School (Old Tappan, N.J.). These five comprise my "I Should Have Listened to Good Advice Because I Didn't Get Drafted" Team.

I can't believe that Harrington, Parker and Williams gave up a chance to continue playing Division I basketball next season just to throw their names wildly into the draft. Meanwhile, high school stars like Collins and Cooke gave up their college eligibility; they entered the draft instead of working hard to take care of their academic responsibilities and upgrade their test scores so they could play collegiately.

Most of them were led to believe they would go somewhere in the first round. At various times in the past year, they saw their names mentioned in mock drafts all across the country -- with scouts and experts as well as friends and representatives putting delusions of grandeur in their heads. They thought they would at least get picked in the second round. Sorry, not meant to be.

What in the world were they thinking? What on earth is going on? Why are these kids listening to people who care only about themselves and just want to cash in if these kids make it? These prospects chased the elusive dream of playing with the big guys, but now they'll be basketball vagabonds, nomads bouncing around from league to league and city to city, hoping and praying for a shot at wearing an NBA uniform.

Instead of taking care of today's business, they have to worry about a future with difficult pressures. When will kids like this listen to those who have nothing to gain? For instance, what do I have to gain from Lenny Cooke's decision? All I would gain is the good feeling of seeing a kid make the right decision. When you see these young guys play, you know they're not as good as they think they are. But their posse certainly tells them they're better than they are.

Do you remember the names Sir Valiant Brown, Greedy Daniels, Zach Marbury, D.A. Layne and Maurice Evans? Probably not. They comprised my 2001 "I Should Have Listened to Good Advice Because I Didn't Get Drafted" Team. Only Evans was fortunate enough to make it to the NBA as a free agent. This year's five likewise will be forgotten quickly. You won't hear about these guys, but you will hear about Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Drew Gooden at the top of the draft (these underclassmen consulted wise counselors and made smart decisions to leave early).

In the wake of the NBA draft, it seems that chaos reigns in the world of basketball. And it pains me deeply.