<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Look at the teams that have won the last few national championships: Connecticut. Syracuse. Maryland. Duke. Michigan State ? and so on. What did these teams have in common? They all had NBA first-rounders in their lineups. And usually not just one. All but Syracuse had at least two first-rounders, though that should change in June when Hakim Warrick joins Carmelo Anthony as first-round picks from the 2003 national-championship team. Why do I bring this up? Because Illinois looks more and more like a team that fits this national-championship profile. Deron Williams will be a first-round pick. That has been obvious all season, but this might come as a surprise to some: James Augustine also looks like a first-rounder, especially of late. I think what has happened is these young men are very intelligent, and they have the ability to talk to different people about what they are experiencing right now. What Augustine has begun to understand is that he and his teammates may not get back here again. They may not be No. 1 in the country next year. They may not get this chance to go to Indianapolis, Chicago and possibly St. Louis. And so it has clicked with him. His confidence is increasing. He is playing his best basketball at the right time, when there?s the most visibility. Augustine hears the rumors about Dee Brown and Williams possibly leaving ? and he could very well find himself in that same situation if he continues to play the way he has been playing. I don?t think Augustine would need to showcase his skills at predraft camps. I don?t know if the Chicago camp or Portsmouth camp would help him. In fact, it might hinder him because the pro scouts already perceive him as a first-round draft pick.</div> Source
