Smokin'

UConn brought the pain to the Evil Empire tonight. You gotta hate Duke - but not really, not too much. Just a little hate. Medium hate. Hate Lite.

But what I want to know is, when will college basketball start keeping the stars. Sure UConn is good, but imagine UConn with Caron Butler, 'Cuse with 'Melo, or even Mississippi State with Jonathan Bender and Travis Outlaw, both drafted out of high school.

Keep watch on the Clarett trial that's coming up. A ruling in his favor will open the floodgates for college football stars or even high school. Guys like Chris Leak will leave out of high school instead of heading to college where their stock might drop... or worse, they'll get injured. It's nice to say these guys are better off if they go to college, but it's tough to tell anyone that when there's millions at stake. YOU turn down a chance for you and your family to be set for life.

At any rate, despite the doubts, Clarett will get into the NFL next season. He'll go mid first round and he'll be a star. The only thing to stop sending college stars to the NFL and keep high school kids from breaking promises is the cash. Don't even kid yourself. We're capitalists here - well tell ourselves that money isn't everything, but the money isn't where the mouth is. Talk is cheap and when it comes down to it, money matters most.

Clarett will get his millions. So will Mike Williams. In the NBA the scouts, the coaches, and the execs are too afraid to blow a chance on Garnett, Bryant, McGrady, etc. In the NFL, it will be the same story.