"We already know who can play and who can't," a scout hired by an Eastern Conference franchise said. "Or at least we think we know. Just look at any draft and you'll see glaring mistakes. But we've been watching most of these guys forever it seems. The tournament may raise an interesting issue or two about a player, but March Madness and the Final Four have little impact on how the draft is going to go."

So, while we prepare to watch North Carolina, Villanova, Connecticut and Michigan State take big swings at a national championship, don't expect the tournament's Most Outstanding Player (MOP) to make much of a climb up the pre-draft ladder.

"Well, if (UConn's 7-foot-3 Hasheem) Thabeet comes out and shows better footwork and touch around the hoop, he might rise a bit," the scout said. "But a lot of people already have him top four, top three ... a big couple of games won't lift him above (Oklahoma strongman) Blake Griffin."

OK, scouts often sound crabby and this year's anticipated draft crop may inspire even less optimism than we've noticed in a while. But the notion of a Final Four MOP not translating to NBA glory is far from rare.

According to my unofficial research, half of the last 20 MOPs can be considered NBA washouts. It should be noted the list includes Duke point guard Bobby Hurley, who — after directing the Blue Devils to the crown in 1992 — sustained a career-ending injury in a traffic accident as a Sacramento Kings rookie.

"People should understand that the NBA game and the college game almost seem like different sports at times," said the scout, who has coached at both levels. "This year's North Carolina team is a great example. A lot of people refer to them as this tremendously talented team, but — unless (point guard Ty) Lawson really wows 'em and knocks down shots like crazy in workouts, Carolina may not have a lottery pick on the team. We'll have to see how the freshmen develop, but Lawson, for example, is an absolute jet who has improved a bit as a shooter, but has been really bad at defending the ball."

How about 2008 College Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough?