The world is run by rules.

It is against the rules to not make a complete stop at a stop sign much like it is against the rules to consume alcohol under the age of 21.

The world of sports is also governed by rules.

In football it is against the rules to jump across the line of scrimmage before the quarterback snaps the ball, or tape the defensive signals of the team on the other sideline.

It is also against the rules for a Major League Baseball player to bet on Major League Baseball.

The NBA has a rule stating that for a player to enter the NBA draft, they must be 19 years old and one year removed from high school graduation.

Players like Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and many others have been basically renting out their college experience for one year before cashing it in for the riches and lifestyle of the pros.

This is a rule that was never designed to help the game of college basketball.

It was created because so many athletes out of high school were declaring for the NBA Draft when they were not even close to being ready.

Teams were constantly having to devote time and money to players who were not mature physically or mentally for life in the NBA.

However, by creating this rule, the NBA has used college basketball as nothing more than a glorified minor league, with the exception being that athletes are required to attend class.

The games are now more about the individual than the team as a whole.

Gone are the days of fans gathering around the water cooler asking, "How did Texas play last night?"

Those conversations are now replaced by comments like, "If Michael Beasley averages eighteen points, and ten rebounds a game he will be a lottery pick."

We have now placed individual results ahead of the general concept of a team.

College basketball used to be a team game, the 1991-1992 Duke Blue Devils were a team, as were the Joakim Noah led Florida Gators who won back-to-back national titles in this one-and-done era.

These teams had a core group of unselfish players who wanted to win and were not worried about declaring for the NBA Draft until the national championship was won.

The current system of the NCAA "minor leagues" has also damaged the NBA by fostering fan apathy.

It is hard to buy the jersey of a player who you don't know or have never seen play. Playing one year in college helps, but it's still not like it used to be.

One of the great aspects of college basketball is being able to follow a player and watch him develop from year to year.

You watch them so much that by the time they are seniors you feel like they are a part of your family, and when senior night comes you are crying along with them as they hold their framed jersey high into the air.

This is the reason why a player like Chris Lofton is so revered in Knoxville, and J.J. Redick became a household name among both Duke and non-Duke fans alike.

Under this current rule we will never get to fully know the Michael Beasley's and OJ Mayo's of the world, which is a shame.

If the NBA really cared about the game of college basketball, it would require players to complete two seasons of college ball and pass a minimum of 60 hours in the classroom.

This would allow players two years to mature and hone their skills as well as putting players in a better position to earn a degree, which after all is why one goes to college.

Before you say that the latter half of this is not possible, consider the fact that a majority of players are on campus during the summer months going through offseason conditioning programs and play in summer basketball leagues -- where no defense is being played I might add.

Almost all of these players are taking classes over the summer too, so thats a big help towards getting 60 hours. 

College basketball stands at a crossroads.

With more and more players entering the NBA draft after just one year, it is time to save college basketball before it becomes as irrelevant as college baseball.