Current NBA draft rules are obviously not working.

SOMEONE FINALLY DID IT, something most of us wouldn't even consider for something as trivial as basketball. But a San Diego prepster is dropping out of high school to go overseas to play professional basketball.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 prospect who had committed to the University of Louisville, made the shocking announcement in late April.

He is expected to return to the United States in two years, where he is projected by some to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

But at what cost? It's one thing for Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett to go straight from high school to the NBA, but what kind of message does this send to not finish high school and turn pro.

How many will start thinking along these lines?

The current policy implemented by the NBA--not drafting athletes until one year after their graduating class has finished high school--is not working.

Tyler is using a loophole to go overseas make some money and wait the required two years, for his last high school season and the one year he would have played in college.

In the weeks leading up to the Old School AAU Southern Regional Showcase in Conway last month, longtime Arkansas Wings coach Ron Crawford sat down with ArkansasSports360.com for a discussion on all things basketball, and the conversation turned to what some of the European countries do as far as grooming athletes for the next level. Crawford was by no means endorsing leaving high school early (this was before Tyler's decision), but he mentioned that these countries do have programs where the elite athletes, whether they play basketball or soccer, enter specialized academies with an intense training schedule.

This is going on in America to some degree, such as at the IMG facility at Bradenton, Fla., for tennis and golf wunderkinds.

As for the major sports such as basketball, while it may be tough for the American public to swallow--some people see sports as a passion while others see it as a nuisance to the education process--these types of academies might work as long as the goal is an education along with the skills training.

But, to place blame on the prep

basketball star from California who sees more money in front of him than most of us will make in an entire lifetime would not be fair.

Maybe elite academies would not be such a bad idea for those top-flight high schoolers. Perhaps four regional academies (starting at the age of 16 and for each age group up to 18) could be created, where potential NBA stars can hone their skills on the court but importantly get the proper guidance. The NCAA or a not-for-profit entity could funnel the money to these academies so the athletes are not led astray and are prepared properly for life inside and outside basketball.

This would be the perfect place for a former college coach--say, former Razorback coach Nolan Richardson--to use his vast experience. These athletes could still retain their college eligibility but would not receive bad advice from "hangers on." These athletes would not only receive a basketball education, but one in the classroom as well.

Then if the options are there--either the NBA or college--these athletes would be prepared and society would not have to worry about the ramifications of decisions such as the one made by Tyler and his family.

We're not far from a U.S. basketball academy setting anyway, based on the recent Sports Illustrated story on Findley Prep in Las Vegas, in which the 12 team members of high school age play basketball and live in a rent-free $500,000 home while attending school--not at "Findley Prep," which doesn't really exist, but at Henderson (Nev.) International School. The organizers assured SI that the players are being educated, plus they have duties to maintain their basketball home away from home. The players come from all over the country to live in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, they play a cross-country schedule. This year it culminated in a nationally televised game with Oak Hill (Va.) Academy on ESPN, in which Findley Prep won a national tournament championship.

While we may lose out on the privilege of watching one of the stars of tomorrow tear it up on the local courts, the money is not going anywhere. The temptation to seek it at all costs, regardless of the sacrifices made to one's education, will make the decision seem simple to those who have the talent to do so.