By JASON GAEDE

He's 6-foot-10 and possesses the rare ability to score from anywhere on the floor at any time. Averaging a double-double at 19.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, he was selected as a first team All-American. Now, he has a big decision to make.

Kansas fans can only hope junior forward Drew Gooden will make the right choice, from their perspective at least.

The Big 12's leading scorer and the nation's third-leading rebounder has the uncanny ability to move and handle the ball like a guard, and scouts believe he could very well be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. If he was selected as a top-five pick, he would make at least $2 million in his first season.

How could we expect the nation's top power forward to stay another year? One thing we have on our side is Gooden's love for college basketball. This guy is booming with emotion every time he steps on the floor. He's a team player and he loves his coach.

Extremely vital keys to this puzzle areNick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. The three juniors are all close friends, and they have stuck together, through good and bad times, in their three years at KU.

If the dynamic tandom comes back at full strength next season, KU could be unbeatable. As Duke swept the college basketball awards this year, the three Jayhawks could all be first-teamers. They may even bring home some National Championship hardware.

This troubling issue brings back bad memories for KU fans. We remember this same situation from 1998 with Paul Pierce and his decision to leave. Gooden's situation, however, is much different.

First and foremost, we did not love Paul Pierce, and he did not love the game. Pierce was a good college player but was never allowed to be great. He rarely displayed emotion- certainly never as Gooden did this past year. Pierce never truly committed himself to his teammates and the game itself as Gooden has.

Now look where he is - third in the NBA in scoring.

In Gooden's case, unlike Pierce's, Kansas's No. 0 is far from an NBA lock. With his height, Gooden needs to play the four position, but at only 230 pounds, one question must be asked. How can he possibly match up with guys like Elton Brand and Ben Wallace?

The truth is, he can't. Gooden would be much more suitable at the three-spot in the NBA. He can handle the rock well and should easily dominate other small forwards in the post.

However, Gooden would be playing out of position, which may give him defensive problems. Smaller, quicker players may find it simple to drive past the Kansas phenom, just watch for those long arms and great shot-blocking ability.

While Drew can shoot from all over, he is not yet comfortable shooting from behind the arc (he hit only 8 of 29 this year, and that's from college range). His range needs to be extended, or else his quick first step and ability to drive would not be as effective because opposing defenders would play off of him outside.

However, picturing Gooden as a small forward reminds me of Lamar Odom, who at the identical 6-foot-10 frame as Gooden, handles himself well. He of course, can drain the trey.

Despite the position questions, Gooden will be a great asset to any NBA franchise. A big man with tremendous low post moves and great shooting touch, he should have a successful career, wherever he plays. He is an outstanding college player with great potential, but the should-have-been 2001-02 player of the year will be 2002-03 player of the year if he returns. He could definitely use another year to work on his outside shot. For a kid with so much skill and desire, whatever decision he makes is the right one.

We'll see very soon.