Most collegians will face a long wait on draft night.(NBA Draft Spotlight)

Chris Duhon is relaxed. Why shouldn't he be? He is in the midst of the first off-night he has had in weeks--since the end of his illustrious Duke career, which included one national championship, three ACC titles and two Final Fours. He is in Chicago to work out at Hoops the Gym with Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's trainer. But, for a change, Duhon does not have to report to the gym until 10 a.m. the next morning, a welcome reprieve from Grover's demanding schedule. So he sits back at a local Mexican restaurant and sips a margarita, joking and scanning the room for, er, potential amigas. For a few hours, he gets to be a normal 21-year-old.

Let's see ... 21 years old? That would put many players in their third NBA season. Duhon is a rarity--he's a college player entering this year's draft. More startling: He's a four-year college player.

"It seems like it counts as a negative against me," Duhon says. "Everyone wants the big, big thing, some unknown player who is going to turn out to be Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady. They don't want players they know too much about."

It's early May, which means there once again is a high level of hand-wringing and hair-tugging because incoming players are getting younger. This year's edition should be the youngest draft class ever. But this has been a trend for years--perhaps we should just get used to it.

Two-thirds of the draft's first-round picks probably will be high school stars and young, unknown international players. One general manager estimates that 22 of the 29 first-rounders will be 20 years old or younger, bumping accomplished players such as Duhon down.

But there is talent available from the collegiate ranks, and we've discussed the top players at each position with scouts and general managers. If the past few years are any lesson, ...