Was last year’s draft an aberration or a sign of the future?

The first player chosen was a high-school senior, Kwame Brown. So was the second player, Tyson Chandler, and also the fourth, Eddy Curry.

This year a high-school junior, Ohio’s LeBron James, considered applying for the draft. He would have been a first-round pick.

“I just know as a [former] scout, you have to get after it earlier than ever,” said Knicks assistant GM Jeff Nix. “No matter how much you may not like going to a high-school game, you have to go to a high-school game.”

This year they’re probably will be just one prep player taken in the first round, Florida high-school center Amare Stoudemire. But college underclassmen will dominate the first round.

“Last year’s draft was not a particularly strong draft and a lot of high schoolers moved up,” said Bucks GM Ernie Grunfeld. “And those high-school kids were big. I’m in favor of the college experience, but if kids think they have an opportunity, they’re going to take it.”