Late last month, Portland Trailblazers forward Zach Randolph was caught drinking. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but Randolph, who jumped to the NBA after only one year at Michigan State, doesn’t turn 21 until July 16, 2002.

He was arrested along with his 19-year-old passenger. A trial date is set for August. He could face a 180-day jail term if he’s convicted of underage drinking.

This is just plain crazy.

If this guy can’t handle his drinking, how does he handle his million-dollar plus salary?

After this news sunk in with me, I got to thinking. What would the Blazers have done if they won the NBA Championship (just dream with me for a moment) or some other important game? Would Randolph be banned from the locker room and all the post-game champagne splashing?

Randolph, just like a slew of other underclassmen, left college at a ripe young age. His coach, Tom Izzo, told him to stay in school. His high school coach told him to stay in Spartan-land, too. His mother told him to stay in school.

You should always listen to your mother, ESPECIALLY if you’re planning to leave school for the NBA.

But he didn’t, and neither did former Hawkeye Rob Griffin.

Remember him?

Neither do I.

Here’s an answer for Sports Jeopardy: This former college standout couldn’t cut it with the Kansas City Knights of the American Basketball Association or Roanoke Dazzle of the NBA’s Developmental League after declaring for and being passed over in the NBA draft after his sophomore year. And he’s gone through rehabilitation for alcohol abuse.

Question: Who is JaRon Rush?

That’s not a resume-builder.

In fact, of the 58 underclassmen who declared themselves for the NBA draft in 2001, I can tell you without doubt where exactly seven of them are right now in the NBA.

One of the candidates for the draft has the first name “Greedy.” Coincidence?

He didn’t make it either. From what I could tell through research on the Internet, he might be playing in France right now. One thing’s for sure, he’s not in the NBA.

It isn’t always sour grapes for those who leave school early for the pros. Marcus Fizer took off after his junior year at Iowa State and he’s doing fairly well for his talent. It was hard to see him go when he left, but this guy was a man among boys in the Big 12. He didn’t really have much else to prove here.

Mike Miller, a former star for the Florida Gators, took the leap off the high board by entering the draft in 2000. He, like Fizer, landed safely, and is one of the Orlando Magic’s top reserves.

But for every underclassman that becomes successful in the NBA, there’s five to 10 who don’t even make the team.

Sure, some of them might be overseas, or in another professional league somewhere, but they didn’t achieve their dream. But that is what’s great about the NBA, you can get a second chance. Players can develop themselves in other leagues and then test the NBA waters. Hopefully, this works out for former ISU stars Martin Rancik, Paul Shirley and Kantrail Horton.

But if it doesn’t work out for any of the underclassmen, I won’t be sorry for them one bit.

Underclassmen eligible for the 2002 draft: take note. Randolph’s arrest helps support the theory that whether these players have the skills or not, the maturity level is often not quite there.

Stay in school, ride CyRide (or your local bus), call your mom, and learn a little bit more – not just about history or sociology, but about life. The percentages are in your favor.

Jeff Raasch is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Odebolt. He is sports editor of the Daily.