March_NP1 Madness_NN1 gone_VVN wild_RR Hurrah_UH for_IF the_AT city_NN1 of_IO Detroit_NP1 :_: The_AT beleaguered_JJ car_NN1 capital_NN1 gets_VVZ to_TO polish_VVI up_RP its_APPGE chrome_NN1 for_IF a_AT1 national_JJ TV_NN1 audience_NN1 this_DD1 weekend_NNT1 as_CSA it_PPH1 hosts_NN2 college_NN1 basketball_NN1 's_GE Final_NN1 Four_MC and_CC the_AT national_JJ championship_NN1 game_NN1 ._. 
Detroit_NP1 could_VM use_VVI a_AT1 "_" glam-dunk_JJ "_" event_NN1 about_II now_RT ._. 
Ford_NP1 Field_NP1 ,_, at_II 70,000_MC seats_NN2 ,_, should_VM set_VVI an_AT1 attendance_NN1 record_NN1 for_IF the_AT NCAA_NN1 basketball_NN1 tourney_NN1 ._. 
In_II many_DA2 respects_NN2 ,_, big-time_JJ college_NN1 basketball_NN1 is_VBZ experiencing_VVG a_AT1 golden_JJ age_NN1 ._. 
The_AT NCAA_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ runs_VVZ the_AT college_NN1 basketball_NN1 tournament_NN1 ,_, is_VBZ in_II the_AT midst_NN1 of_IO an_AT1 11-year_NNT1 ,_, $6_NNU billion_NNO contract_NN1 with_IW CBS_NP1 to_TO televise_VVI the_AT games_NN2 ._. 
The_AT tournament_NN1 ,_, popularly_RR known_VVN as_II March_NPM1 Madness_NN1 ,_, features_VVZ athletes_NN2 from_II all_RR over_II the_AT world_NN1 who_PNQS come_VV0 to_TO play_VVI American_JJ college_NN1 basketball_NN1 ,_, such_II21 as_II22 University_NN1 of_IO Connecticut_NP1 's_GE 7-foot-3-inch_JJ center_NN1 Hasheem_NN1 Thabeet_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB the_AT excitement_NN1 about_II which_DDQ Final_NN1 Four_MC team_NN1 --_NN1 Connecticut_NP1 ,_, Michigan_NP1 State_NN1 ,_, Villanova_NP1 ,_, or_CC North_ND1 Carolina_NP1 --_NN1 will_VM prevail_VVI belies_VVZ a_AT1 system_NN1 rife_JJ with_IW problems_NN2 and_CC overdue_JJ for_IF reform_NN1 ._. 
The_AT very_RG best_JJT players_NN2 are_VBR using_VVG college_NN1 basketball_NN1 as_II a_AT1 one-year_JJ stopover_NN1 ,_, passing_JJ time_NNT1 until_CS they_PPHS2 become_VV0 19_MC years_NNT2 old_JJ and_CC a_AT1 year_NNT1 out_II21 of_II22 high_JJ school_NN1 in_BCL21 order_BCL22 to_TO be_VBI eligible_JJ for_IF the_AT National_JJ Basketball_NN1 Association_NN1 (_( NBA_NP1 )_) draft_VV0 ._. 
This_DD1 "_" one_PN1 and_CC done_VDN "_" phenomenon_NN1 is_VBZ growing_VVG :_: Last_MD year_NNT1 ,_, 12_MC college_NN1 players_NN2 were_VBDR drafted_VVN by_II the_AT NBA_NN1 after_II one_MC1 year_NNT1 of_IO college_NN1 ._. 
Such_DA athletes_NN2 need_VV0 pay_VV0 just_RR enough_DD attention_NN1 to_II classroom_NN1 work_NN1 in_II their_APPGE first_MD semester_NN1 to_TO ensure_VVI a_AT1 season_NNT1 of_IO eligibility_NN1 ._. 
By_II January_NPM1 ,_, any_DD pretense_NN1 of_IO "_" scholar_NN1 athlete_NN1 "_" can_VM be_VBI dropped_VVN ._. 
Winning_VVG sports_NN2 programs_NN2 bring_VV0 fame_NN1 to_II schools_NN2 and_CC drive_VV0 up_RP admissions_NN2 applications_NN2 from_II high_JJ schoolers_NN2 who_PNQS want_VV0 to_TO go_VVI to_II a_AT1 college_NN1 known_VVN for_IF its_APPGE athletic_JJ teams_NN2 ._. 
That_DD1 builds_VVZ pressure_NN1 for_IF successful_JJ teams_NN2 ._. 
With_IW money_NN1 to_II athletes_NN2 confined_VVN to_II scholarships_NN2 ,_, coaches_NN2 have_VH0 reaped_VVN the_AT financial_JJ bonanza_NN1 ._. 
Connecticut_NP1 basketball_NN1 coach_NN1 Jim_NP1 Calhoun_NP1 recently_RR mocked_VVN and_CC berated_VVN a_AT1 freelance_NN1 reporter_NN1 at_II a_AT1 news_NN1 conference_NN1 for_IF asking_VVG if_CS Calhoun_NP1 could_VM justify_VVI his_APPGE $1.6_NNU million_NNO annual_JJ salary_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ makes_VVZ him_PPHO1 that_DD1 state_NN1 's_GE highest-paid_JJT public_JJ employee_NN1 ,_, during_II a_AT1 recession_NN1 ._. 
The_AT coach_NN1 will_VM face_VVI more_DAR questions_NN2 this_DD1 week_NNT1 about_II possible_JJ recruiting_NN1 violations_NN2 ._. 
The_AT idea_NN1 that_CST at_RR21 least_RR22 the_AT athletes_NN2 receive_VV0 a_AT1 college_NN1 education_NN1 in_II exchange_NN1 for_IF athletic_JJ performance_NN1 remains_VVZ a_AT1 shaky_JJ proposition_NN1 ._. 
The_AT 65_MC March_NPM1 Madness_NN1 teams_NN2 have_VH0 an_AT1 average_JJ graduation_NN1 rate_NN1 of_IO only_RR 61_MC percent_NNU ;_; 53_MC percent_NNU for_IF African-Americans_NN2 ._. 
(_( The_AT rates_NN2 do_VD0 n't_XX include_VVI "_" one_PN1 and_CC done_VDN "_" athletes_NN2 who_PNQS went_VVD to_II the_AT pros_NN2 before_II graduation_NN1 ,_, as_CS31 long_CS32 as_CS33 they_PPHS2 left_VVD in_II good_JJ academic_JJ standing_NN1 ._. )_) 
Coach_VV0 Calhoun_NP1 's_GE Connecticut_NP1 team_NN1 had_VHD a_AT1 graduation_NN1 rate_NN1 of_IO 33_MC percent_NNU for_IF the_AT whole_JJ team_NN1 and_CC only_RR 22_MC percent_NNU for_IF its_APPGE African-American_JJ players_NN2 ._. 
The_AT struggle_NN1 to_TO find_VVI remedies_NN2 to_II this_DD1 unhealthy_JJ bonding_NN1 of_IO high-stakes_NN2 televised_JJ sports_NN2 entertainment_NN1 and_CC academia_NN1 has_VHZ been_VBN going_VVG on_RP for_IF years_NNT2 ._. 
A_AT1 comprehensive_JJ solution_NN1 is_VBZ needed_VVN ,_, but_CCB here_RL are_VBR two_MC changes_NN2 to_TO get_VVI things_NN2 rolling_VVG :_: The_AT NBA_NN1 should_VM allow_VVI players_NN2 to_TO be_VBI drafted_VVN at_II age_NN1 18_MC ,_, letting_VVG athletes_NN2 who_PNQS have_VH0 no_AT interest_NN1 in_II a_AT1 college_NN1 education_NN1 pursue_VV0 their_APPGE dream_NN1 to_TO become_VVI pros_NN2 ._. 
And_CC it_PPH1 should_VM require_VVI any_DD player_NN1 who_PNQS does_VDZ enter_VVI a_AT1 college_NN1 program_NN1 to_TO spend_VVI a_AT1 minimum_NN1 of_IO two_MC years_NNT2 in_II college_NN1 before_II being_VBG eligible_JJ to_TO be_VBI drafted_VVN ._. 
That_DD1 at_RR21 least_RR22 would_VM allow_VVI athletes_NN2 to_TO get_VVI some_DD taste_NN1 of_IO higher_JJR education_NN1 before_II heading_VVG to_II the_AT pros_NN2 ._. 
