By George, don't go!

Let me take this opportunity to be greedy and jump the gun. Paul George's sophomore season hasn't yet started, but already there's a ton of talk about the Fresno State wing being an NBA lottery pick, and even as high as No. 6 overall according to this mock draft. Thanks a lot nbadraft.net...

And now, in a Q&A, George says he'd like to "test the waters" after this next season.

Now, granted, a 19- or 20-year old young man can't ignore millions that would be dangled in front of him if he is indeed a lottery pick, but I sure wish Fresno State could get a break. Coach Steve Cleveland finally looks ready to rock with incoming recruits Greg Smith and Steve Schepp joining George and Sylvester Seay (also projected in the draft), who are two of the WAC's best players.

Seay is a senior, and definitely gone after this year. But losing George too, after just two years, would be a huge setback in Fresno State's plan to return to national prominence for the first time since Tark "retired." Fans want it bad. Hopefully, the players want it just as bad.

George thinks the 'Dogs have a shot to win the WAC this year, and so do I -- a real, true last-to-first story could be on the horizon. But they key thing is, with George and Smith as a young nucleus, the Bulldogs would be set up for a two- or three-year run of winning big. And that would set the table to turn the program around and be the start of something really special.

George is talented enough to be the catalyst and leave a long legacy. Either way I wish him the best, but hope he can look back at Fresno State in 10 years and see a program regularly in the Sweet 16, know how huge a part he played in building that, and say, "Hey, I led that program in its transition years, and look at it now."