On April 15, an undisclosed UCLA alumni decided to auction off one of the coolest and therefore most expensive pieces of memorabilia in Bruins history. The object at hand is th eclassic powder-blue UCLA center circle from the original Pauley Pavilion floor, the nexus of the John Wooden era.

It's as iconic as college hoops collector's items come, and that's why, according to SCP Auctions, the bidding for the center circle had already reached $94,948 by Tuesday afternoon.

The signatures of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Wooden himself certainly aren't hurting the value.

Arizona forward Derrick Williams played the final two months of his sophomore season with a broken right pinky finger.
Williams said that the injury nearly ended his season.

“If I cracked it a half inch lower, I would have had to have surgery,” he said. “If I had to sit out, I would sit out, but I wasn’t going to sit out if there was no reason. I just wanted to continue to play with my teammates for as long as I could.”

His willingness to play hurt — and his effectiveness while doing so — should be another positive in the eyes of NBA scouts.

Derrick Williams said he received word from within the NBA that he would be at least a top five pick, a key reason why he chose to leave.

"If I drop out of top five... I don’t think that’s going to happen and I don’t think anybody else thinks that’s going to happen," Williams said.

Williams said the reaction he's received since making his decision a week ago has been "relaxed," since many fans realize that being a top five pick makes it a risk to come back to school.

"I think they understand," he said. "If you’re a real basketball fan -- you actually know the game of basketball, which a lot of UA fans know -- then you know the situation I’m in right now," Williams said. "If you have a chance to make money and do something that you love ... and hopefully one day I won’t have to work, this is my job. So I think they all understand."

Klay Thompson announced Monday that he will enter the NBA draft.

Thompson won't hire an agent and could pull out of the draft before May 8.

In a story on ESPN.com, Mychal Thompson, Klay's father, said it is an "exploratory move."

"He wants to get a couple of workouts to see where he fits," said Mychal Thompson, a Lakers radio color commentator and talk show host for 710 ESPN in Los Angeles. "All the scouts love him. They love his complete game. I'm getting very favorable feedback."

Derrick Williams will finish out his classes this spring - instead of taking off in midsemester like some NBA draft prospects do - and he will keep working out with the Wildcats for at least the near future.

"We couldn't be prouder of him," UA assistant coach James Whitford said, "with what he's done here, the way he handled the situation, and the fact that he's still going to school now and he intends to complete his degree.

"He's in there working out with the guys because he's worried about getting better and being ready when the time is right. In college basketball, you don't oftentimes come around a player like him and a person like him. He's a great reflection of the people who have raised him."

Washington State junior forward DeAngelo Casto has decided to forgo his senior season and will declare for the NBA draft.
He told the Spokesman-Review he left WSU in order to support his young son.

"There are a lot of reasons, but mainly for paper value," Casto said. "My kid, my son, I want to support him. I have to be able to support him, take care of him, provide for him.

"It didn't look like I would be able to maintain financially if I stayed."

Casto isn't projected as a NBA draft prospect and is expected to pursue a professional playing career overseas.

"We appreciate everything DeAngelo has given to the Washington State men's basketball program," WSU coach Ken Bone said in a statement released by the school. "His effort on the court was always outstanding and it led to a very good season where he earned All-Pac-10 honors. Now that he's moving on to pursue a professional career in basketball, we wish him nothing but the best."

A study by Rivals.com revealed that the Big 12 has lost the most underclassmen to the NBA draft.

From 2006-10, the Big 12 lost 28 underclassmen to the draft, followed by the Pac-10 (24 early entries), the Big East (24), the SEC (22), the ACC (21), Conference USA (15) and the Big Ten (9).

Kentucky, Memphis and USC have had the most early entries with seven each.

Texas tops the Big 12 with 6 early entries.

Former NBA player Mychal Thompson said his son Klay, a high scoring guard at Washington State, will likely enter the draft.

“That’s the way he’s leaning,” Mychal said Wednesday. “He’s probably going to put his name in and use my contacts and my inside information that I have to make up his mind by May 8th.

 “Yeah, that’s the route we’re taking,” said Mychal, a former No. 1 draft pick, long-time NBA player and current Los Angeles Lakers radio color commentator, the team he finished his career with. “Because I have the advantage most parents don’t have, I’m in the league and I can find out firsthand what the scouts and GMs think of him.

“It’s like insider trading. I guess that’s legal in this business.”

Derrick Williams is heading to the NBA after his sophomore season.

"After careful consideration and with the support of my family and Coach Miller, I have decided to declare for the 2011 NBA Draft," said Williams. "I have enjoyed my two years at Arizona both on and off the court. I want to thank my teammates, who are like brothers to me, my coaches and all Wildcat Fans for making my experience an unforgettable one."

In two seasons at Arizona, Williams averaged 17.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game in 69 career appearances (68 starts). He connected on 58.6 percent of his field goal attempts (388-of-662) in that span, a figure that ranks fourth on the UA career field goal percentage list.

The 6-foot-8 forward has been projected as a top-3 pick.

Malcolm Lee will hire an agent and enter the draft, forfeiting the remainder of his NCAA eligibility.

"My dream has always been to play in the NBA," Lee said in a statement, "and I think that this is the best time for me to try and make that a reality."

UCLA coach Ben Howland did not conceal his disappointment in Lee's decision not to heed his advice.

"Obviously, it's what's best for UCLA basketball," Howland said of Lee returning for his senior season. "But honestly in my heart, with all the factors, I thought that was also in his best interest."

Lee was second on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game and finished fourth in rebounding at 3.1 rpg.

He has been projected as a second-round pick.