Maybe They Should Stay in School

Monday night in Indianapolis, Michigan State senior guard Mateen Cleaves put together one of the gutsiest performances in the history of NCAA basketball. The image of Cleaves limping around the court with his index finger raised should leave a lasting impression on the record-low number of people who watched this year's championship game.

Yes, that's right-senior guard Mateen Cleaves. Although they are becoming rarer every year, seniors are still playing big-time college basketball.

The reasons for early entry to the NBA Draft are understandable. For the talented players, the additional year in college is one fewer year where they'll get to earn 10 million dollars down the road. If their current salary prospects are high, they don't want to risk an injury or an off-year in their next college season that will ruin their market value.

Many of them come from difficult neighborhoods, and they feel the necessity to provide immediate economic relief to their families. And for some, the urge to build up that long-dreamed-about fleet of luxury cars as soon as possible is just too strong to resist.

But Cleaves' performance should make those athletes think twice about coming out early for the NBA.

Michigan State's championship proves that in today's game of college basketball, any big-time team that can keep a core of talented veterans is bound to be a national contender. So an early entrance to the NBA early could easily cost a player a year in the Final Four.

Now compare that to what awaits those lottery picks in their first year of the NBA. It must be a bittersweet feeling to earn a multi-million dollar contract while realizing that you must spend the next three years of your life playing for the Golden State Warriors or the LA Clippers.

What would you rather do? Win a national championship and frolic around like Cleaves did last night, or crumble away in obscurity in front of a crowd of people so jaded that they actually pay to watch a team that loses 80 percent of its games?

And as far as money goes, don't forget that endorsement offers these days are just as valuable as actual basketball contracts. Cleaves has undoubtedly set himself for life with his performance Monday night. A clutch national championship effort is certainly a more marketable feat than anything ever accomplished at a Clippers game.

Former Michigan star Chris Webber's mental breakdown in the 1993 championship game sharply contrasts with Cleaves' performance under fire.

Take a close look at the five freshman starters of that Michigan team. Their appearance in the title game that year convinced Wolverine fans that they'd be seeing two or three more national titles.

Michigan didn't win a single national title in the 90's. Chris Webber cost the Wolverines the 1993 title game by calling a timeout he didn't have, and then he jumped ship to the NBA in only his sophomore year. Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard left the next year, and Michigan's days as a title contender were numbered.

What's happened to these three players? Rose has had moderate success with the Indiana Pacers. Webber has finally emerged as an All-Star with Golden State, yet he still has more marijuana-related arrests than championships of any kind.

As for Juwan Howard, he earned a $15 million contract with the Washington Wizards a few years ago. Since then he has been booed every night by the fans, who know that he isn't worth his salary. Howard's absurd contract has prevented Washington from trading him and building up any other talent.

The basketball gods have looked kindly upon players that have stayed for four years. A fated bounce of the lottery balls gave him Tim Duncan a spot with the San Antonio Spurs, and a national championship in 1999, in lieu of a cursed existence with the Clippers or the Boston Celtics.

Howard and Webber, however, have no chance of winning a NBA championship anytime soon. Webber's Sacramento team will be a good warm-up for the Lakers, Jazz, or Trailblazers in the first round.

Howard's days with Washington will continue to be painful. There was an article in Sports Illustrated this month talking about how he doesn't really mind the nasty fans in Washington.

Webber and Howard could have had won titles together during their junior and senior years of college. Now they probably will never get the chance to discover what it feels like to win a championship in front of the eyes of the nation.

I don't think any rational person would choose Howard's life over Cleaves' right now.

Did you see the size of Cleaves' grin last night? Will Howard or Webber ever have the occasion to smile like that?