GOOD LUCK TO UCLA PLAYERS - THEY'LL NEED IT.

Byline: Karen Crouse

The NBA's storied past crossed paths with its uncertain future Tuesday. Former Lakers superstar Magic Johnson, toweling off in a corner of Pauley Pavilion after a pick-up game, excused himself from a conversation with UCLA assistant coach Michael Holton so he could address Jerome Moiso.

Moiso, along with Bruins teammate JaRon Rush, made official this week what long has been considered a mere formality: The two 21-year-old sophomores are forgoing their final two years of college to make themselves available for next month's NBA draft.

``Gotta congratulate this guy,'' Johnson said, clasping Moiso's hand in his and flashing his patented high-voltage smile.

Turning his back on the scene, Holton said under his breath, ``I don't know if congratulations are in order.''

We know exactly what Holton was saying, even if Moiso and Rush haven't much of a clue.

The two players would speak earnestly of working really, really hard to prove to their critics that they can be aggressive night in and night out (Moiso) and shoot and dribble with aplomb (Rush).

You know, as if a little sweat is all it takes to succeed in the NBA.

The truth, as they'll surely find out, is professional basketball isn't just an adventure, it's a job. A sometimes thankless, occasionally dehumanizing one at that.

Johnson could be forgiven for glossing over the hardships with a fraternal handshake. He came out after his sophomore year in college, just like Moiso and Rush, and never had much reason to look back. The difference was, Johnson stayed at Michigan State long enough to lead his Spartans to an NCAA championship.

An NCAA ring was within the reach of Moiso, Rush, point guard Earl Watson and Co. Indeed, after advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament this year, they were nicely positioned to grab it next year.

What a story that would have been, a worthy sequel to the feel-good story of this year's senior-led Michigan State squad reaching the summit last month in its third trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Watson and Rush were UCLA's answer to the Spartans' Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson: Childhood friends bonded by their shared history and goals for the future.

Watson admitted he looked at the Spartans and saw a crystal ball. ``That team grew together over the years,'' Watson said Tuesday as he watched Rush and Moiso make their grand exits. ``They took steps each year and built off them.''

Watson's tone was unmistakably wistful. And unambiguously free of acrimony. More than coach Steve Lavin, Watson had every reason to resent the disappearance - poof! just like that - of the two players that figured to be at the receiving end of most of his passes in 2001.

Never mind that the complexion of his whole senior season just changed for the worse. Watson gave Moiso and Rush his blessing. Three years of college have taught Watson that life is what happens while you're busily working on another script.

The NCAA would have you think its student-athletes have lives as pure as their jump shots and handle all their responsibilities as well as they do the basketball. The truth, of course, is murkier.

Rush had reasons to leave school that had nothing to do with Lavin's coaching, all those class requirements or individual greed.

He has a 2-year-old son at home in Missouri to take care of and the room-and-board covered by his scholarship wasn't cutting it.

If you believe, as we do, that one of the purposes of college is to turn imprudent kids into responsible adults, Rush's two years at UCLA served him well. He stayed long enough to figure out the score, on and off the court.

In that respect, Rush proved a quicker study than the NCAA, which, when it isn't busy negotiating billion-dollar basketball television contracts is putting forth the party line that a free education is adequate remuneration for all those student-athletes playing starring roles in its lavish productions.

Rush, who sat out 24 games this year for accepting payments from an AAU coach that amounted to roughly the cost of a year in the UCLA dorms, considers himself proof that there is no such thing as a free education.

``The financial situation the NCAA puts you in creates certain situations (such as his),'' Rush said. ``You have players suffering while the NCAA is making billions.''

Rush left Pauley Pavilion Tuesday with a book bag draped over one shoulder. The backpack, of course, was but a prop; Rush hasn't attended a class in days, since the first week of the current quarter.

We wish Rush and Moiso well but worry about that incomplete they're taking on their college experience. It doesn't seem like a big deal to them now. But it could prove quite a void down the road.