Jared Cunningham (Getty Images)If Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham hears his name called Thursday night, it will end the longest NBA draft drought in the nation among power-conference teams.

The Beavers haven't had a player selected in either round of the draft since Chicago took slashing guard Corey Benjamin with the 28th pick in the 1998 draft.

Oregon State is hardly alone, however, in its futility producing pros. Here's a look at the six major-conference programs who have gone at least a decade without having a player taken in the NBA draft.

1. Oregon State (14 years)
• Last player drafted: Corey Benjamin, 28th pick, 1998
• Who can end the drought? It would be a surprise if Cunningham isn't the one to end this drought Thursday night. The 6-foot-4 guard struggles with his jump shot and is still a work in progress as a playmaker, but he's an elite athlete who gets to the rim off the dribble and can finish in transition. That ought to be enough for a team to take a flier on him by the early second round.

T2. Northwestern (13 years)
• Last player drafted: Evan Eschmeyer, 34th pick, 1999
• Who can end the drought? John Shurna has as good a chance as any Wildcat since Eschmeyer to get drafted Thursday night, but the sharp-shooting forward is considered a second-round long shot at this point. The question for Shurna will be whether his elite outside shooting outweighs questions about his lack of athleticism or inability to take the ball to the rim.

Jared Sullinger (Getty Images)

Skim through enough NBA draft coverage on Jared Sullinger these days and it's easy to forget the Ohio State big man was once considered a surefire top-five pick.

Sullinger has plummeted into the late teens and early 20s in most mock drafts, a stunning drop caused by concerns about his lack of athleticism, suspect conditioning and ailing back. He was not even among the 14 prospects who received an invitation to attend the draft at the Prudential Center in Newark.

[Marc J. Spears: Weber State's Damian Lillard will make name for himself]

There's no question selecting Sullinger in the top 10 would be a risk because of the red flags about his health; however, passing him up in the middle of the first round might be an even bigger mistake. For all the talk about the concerns regarding Sullinger, it seems teams are forgetting the 6-foot-9 forward's many positive qualities.

He averaged 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season and shot over 50 percent in both his collegiate seasons. He boasts the most polished back-to-the-basket moves in college basketball last season. And by all accounts, he's a cerebral player, a deft passer and an excellent teammate.

Is that combination enough to draft Sullinger ahead of Anthony Davis or Thomas Robinson? Certainly not. But does it make him worthy of consideration alongside any other big man in the draft? To me it should, because none of the other big men come without considerable red flags themselves.

Andre Drummond may have NBA size and athleticism, but he also has zero low-post skills and questionable work habits. John Henson will be a terrific weakside shot blocker in the NBA, but does he do enough well offensively to make up for the fact that he'll be pushed around on the low block? And while Meyers Leonard's physical tools make him a rare and intriguing prospect, the 7-footer also was nowhere near the consistent interior scorer or rebounder Sullinger was in college.

[Related: Rockets get 18th pick with trade of Chase Budinger to T-wolves]

There's a history of NBA general managers talking themselves out of players deemed injury risks only to regret it afterward.

Michigan State and UConn will play on an air base in Germany Nov. 9 (Getty Images)

When Connecticut backed out of an agreement to open its season on the deck of an aircraft carrier a few weeks ago, the Huskies apparently had another headline-generating concept in mind instead.

UConn and Michigan State announced Tuesday they plan to meet in their season opener at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Nov. 9 pending formal approval from the Department of Defense. The game will be played in front of about 2,500 to 3,000 enlisted men and women at the base and a national television audience on ESPN.

"Being a part in the first college basketball game to be played on a military base overseas is truly an honor," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said in a statement.

"Playing in the Carrier Classic on the USS Carl Vinson last season provided memories that will last a lifetime, as the historic event was so much more than just a basketball game. The opportunity to honor the great men and women of the US Armed Forces was a humbling experience, as we felt that we got so much more in return than we gave. To now have the opportunity to take our game overseas to the servicemen and women serving to protect us is an awesome experience."

The matchup between UConn and Michigan State in Germany will be part of what ought to be a very pro-military day to kick off the college basketball season. That same day will also feature three games on naval ships: Marquette-Ohio State in Charleston, S.C., Florida-Georgetown in Jacksonville and Syracuse-San Diego State in San Diego.

The one drawback to the Nov. 9 game in Germany for Michigan State is the Spartans will play Kansas in Atlanta on Nov. 13. That's a lot of travel and a lot of potential jet lag for the team, but Izzo says he's not concerned. After all, the Spartans played North Carolina and Duke on opposite coasts less than 48 hours apart last year, lost both games and still rebounded to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

UNLV coach Dave Rice has landed three big-time transfers and a top 10 recruiting class (AP)

It's no accident every story written about first-year UNLV coach Dave Rice last season celebrated the Rebels' long-overdue return to the blistering pace that was once a trademark of the program's glory days.

Rice carefully crafted that message, highlighting UNLV's freewheeling style and rich tradition as much as possible because he believed that was his best recruiting sales pitch.

He vowed to put the "Runnin'" back in Rebels during his introductory press conference. He spearheaded a clever marketing campaign that fit the new rapid-fire style. And he proved the "Let's Run" billboards, print ads and TV spots were more than a mere hollow slogan by giving his players the freedom to push the ball and to shoot early in the shot clock every chance they had.

"Winning will always be the most important thing on the court, but in our first year I really thought if winning was 1A, then style of play was 1B," Rice said. "I thought it was important for us to brand our program, to talk about being the Runnin' Rebels again and to back it up."

Even though the prospects Rice pursued this year weren't even born until well after UNLV's most recent Final Four appearance in 1991, the idea of restoring the program's former style and swagger still resonated with recruits. UNLV signed a consensus top 10 recruiting class this year and landed a trio of big-time transfers, raising hopes that the Rebels can be a major presence in college basketball again as soon as next season.

Katin Reinhardt, a sweet-shooting consensus top 50 guard, was the first marquee recruit to buy into Rice's plan. Coveted Pittsburgh transfer Khem Birch and McDonald's All-American Anthony Bennett followed suit in the coming months. Now the roster is such an embarrassment of riches that Rice has broached the idea of redshirting with recent signee Savon Goodman, a rarity for a top 75 prospect.

Kris Dunn (AP)One of the crown jewels of Providence's decorated 2012 recruiting class may not be healthy enough to play next season.

Kris Dunn, a McDonald's All-American point guard, aggravated an existing shoulder injury while trying out for the U.S. U-18 team in Colorado earlier this month, the Providence Journal reported Monday.

Doctors will evaluate Dunn this week to determine whether surgery is necessary to repair the injury. If so, Dunn could miss up to six months, which would put his 2012-13 season in serious jeopardy.

The absence of Dunn would slow Providence's momentum from a recruiting class coach Ed Cooley hoped would reverse the program's sagging fortunes. There already are concerns at Providence over whether fellow prep-All-American Ricardo Ledo will qualify academically to play next season for the Friars.

With Dunn and Ledo joining a roster that returns double-digit scorers Bryce Cotton and Vincent Council, Providence seemed capable of making a jump in the Big East standings and contending for an NCAA bid as soon as next season. Without one of them, a huge leap becomes less realistic. And without both, a repeat of last year's uninspiring 15-17 season becomes more and more likely.

All Providence can do now is hope Dunn's MRI results offer hope that another treatment besides surgery could be effective. Otherwise the Friars may have to come to terms with the frustrating possibility that their reemergence may take longer than expected.

Jalen Rose (Getty Images)With Hubert Davis trading his seat behind the "College GameDay" desk for one on the North Carolina bench last month, ESPN has an opening to fill on its popular weekly college hoops pregame show.

The network has yet to officially announce its choice, but TheBigLead.com reports that Jalen Rose has emerged as the front runner.

Primarily an NBA analyst for ESPN the past five years, Rose is nonetheless a recognizable face for college basketball viewers. The former Fab Five member helped lead Michigan to back-to-back appearances in the national game in 1992 and 93, accomplishments that no longer are acknowledged by the NCAA as a result of rules violations.

The always opinionated Rose might be more apt to spar with fellow analysts Jay Bilas and Digger Phelps than Davis was, but the question will be whether he's knowledgeable enough about the college game. As Turner Sports' Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith have proven the past two NCAA tournaments, all the charisma in the world doesn't make a show worth watching if its analysts aren't familiar with the players and teams they're talking about.

The other option for ESPN would have been to reward one of its young, up-and-coming college basketball analysts with a more high-profile role.

Doug Gottlieb, who is always knowledgeable, opinionated and well-prepared, would have been an obvious choice. Jay Williams, who has improved considerably during his ESPN tenure, also seemed like a strong candidate. Even someone like Sean Farnham, a lesser-known but sharp, candid analyst, might be worthy of consideration.

Ultimately, however, it appears ESPN will go with Rose. And as he grows more acclimated to the college game again, that may not be a bad choice.

Kim English (Getty Images)

For a guy who played for a program that has never made the Final Four, former Missouri guard Kim English sure has a lot of confidence in his ex-teammates.

English made a bold prediction Thursday after a workout with the Knicks, telling SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria that he expects the Tigers to cut down the nets in Atlanta next April.

"I can say this now that I'm gone, but I expect them to win a national championship without a doubt," English said. "We should've at least went to the Final Four this past year and it definitely left a sour taste in a lot of guys' mouth out there, but they should win a national championship. They're the best team in the nation heading into next season."

It's admirable that English believes in his former teammates, but they'll have to overcome long odds in order to prove him right. Bovada currently lists Missouri's title odds at 50-1, behind such championship long shots as Florida State (25-1), Stanford (30-1) and Georgetown (40-1).

English, Marcus Denmon and Ricardo Ratliffe have graduated from last year's 30-win team that lost to Norfolk State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, but the Tigers do still have plenty of talent.

Returners Phil Pressey and Michael Dixon form a potent one-two punch in the backcourt. Former all-league forward Laurence Bowers returns after missing last season as a result of a torn ACL. And Alex Oriakhi (UConn), Jabari Brown (Oregon) and Keion Bell (Pepperdine) headline a parade of notable transfers ready to make an immediate impact.

Andre Dawkins (US Presswire)What had been expected since April became official Thursday: Duke guard Andre Dawkins will redshirt next season.

Mike Krzyzewski confirmed the decision during his annual summer news conference when asked why he didn't mention Dawkins among the program's rising seniors.

"It's time for him to step away," Krzyzewski told reporters. "It's the right thing. We're doing the right thing."

The statement from Krzyzewski is the most concrete information regarding Dawkins' status since Duke sent out an unusual two-sentence press release in April in response to Internet speculation the sharpshooter had been kicked off the team. The school said Dawkins was part of the program but may redshirt next season, a rarity for a likely starting guard with only one season of eligibility left.

Dawkins' father cleared up that mystery the next day when he told the Raleigh News & Observer that his son has the option to sit out next season to work through lingering grief from the death of his older sister. Lacey Dawkins died at age 21 in a car accident in December 2009 while driving from Columbus, Ohio, to Durham to see Duke play St. John's.

"He's dealt with a lot," Dawkins' father told the News & Observer. "It's been tough. It hasn't been easy at all. With the fast pace of playing high-level basketball, you don't really get the time to deal with things like that.

"Everyone is different and so everyone might handle that situation differently. I appreciate the fact that's an option for him if that's going to be the case. That's been really great."