As Told by A.S.

Author: Andrew Schlegel

The NBA Draft has always been a menace to NCAA basketball. Fans and commentators alike have thought that the competition of college basketball is destroyed when the premiere players leave school early to play professionally.

Before the most recent NBA draft, many of the top college programs were losing, not only their best players to the Draft, but also their top recruits who were deciding to skip college altogether.

To prevent players from going straight to the NBA, the league instituted a rule stating players must be 19 and at least one year removed from high school in order to enter the Draft. This has drastically improved the competition in college basketball.

The most noticeable case is the Ohio State Buckeyes who recruited Greg Oden, who, before the Draft rule, was expected to be the number one pick, but was forced to play one year in college.

Now Ohio State is ranked number one in the country for the first time since 1962, when they were on a run of three straight Final Fours. And the team leader and premiere big man in college basketball is the first-year, seven-footer Oden. He is also the team leader in points, rebounds and blocks per game, despite the fact that he has had to play most of the season shooting free throws with his left hand.

It is not only the first-years, who were prohibited from entering the NBA draft, that have made the level of play in college basketball better, but also the older players who decided not to enter the draft.

The major players that come to mind are Arron Afflalo of the number two-ranked UCLA Bruins and Joakim Noah of the number four-ranked Florida Gators. Both decided to pass on the draft and stay with their teams in order to lead them to stellar seasons.

So far, Afflalo has led the Bruins to their first undefeated home season in 32 years. He also helped the Bruins clinch at least a share of the Pac-10 title for the second consecutive year.

As for Noah, he has led the Gators to a regular season Southeastern Conference championship, as well as a possible number-one seed come NCAA tournament time.

Diehard fans, commentators and even leisurely spectators have enjoyed watching a more competitive level of play that is likely a result of players playing an extra year of college ball.

But the question on many people's tongues is, "Will players like Oden, Afflalo and Noah go into the NBA Draft after this season?" If they want, they are still eligible to return to their schools.

The only ones who know the answer to this question are the players themselves. And though it would be nice to see them stay another year, it is not likely because they have already shown they are ready for the next level.