May 1

	Ford

Texas point guard T.J. Ford has changed his mind and decided to enter the NBA draft.

What happened to the comments and his talk after the season? Ford said he was coming back to Austin -- he claimed he was going nowhere. I had Texas ranked in my preseason top five for next season with Ford leading the way.

But now, all of a sudden, it's an about-face.

Am I shocked that Ford is going to the NBA? Absolutely not, especially after the kind of season he had in 2002-03 as the national player of the year. His stock is as high as can be, and the NBA draft is all about marketability and positioning yourself.

When there is chatter during the season about players leaving, it all comes down to making a decision before the deadline (underclassmen can declare until May 12). Players who don't sign with an agent also have the flexibility to change their mind and pull out of the draft and return to school.

There goes my first team All-Rolls Royce point guard, off to the NBA! Oh well ... Ford has a bright future and is a super young man.