Just when Drew Gooden thought he was finished with final exams, NBA teams came calling with a new batch of tests.

“Psychological testing, weight testing, body-fat testing, cholesterol (testing), everything,” said former Kansas University power forward Gooden, who has been poked, prodded and quizzed by representatives of the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies  the teams with the top four picks in next Wednesday’s NBA draft.

Gooden, of Richmond, Calif., also was on hand for measuring, weighing and more testing at a pre-draft camp for all NBA teams earlier this month in Chicago.

Admittedly, the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Gooden sometimes feels like a piece of meat.

“Every player is an investment,” Gooden said. “When you get drafted by an NBA team, you are a property. It is a business.”

He’s kept his sense of humor  and even exhibited his bubbly personality to NBA executives  the past several weeks while touring those four NBA cities.

“If you found $50 on the ground, would you a) pick it up and put it in your pocket, or b) go to the police station and drop it off?” Gooden said was the wackiest question he’s fielded from NBA personnel.

“I’d pick it up,” Gooden said, laughing.

The first-team All-American is going to have all the money he’ll ever need next week when he’s drafted and locked into a three-year guaranteed contract.

Expected to be a top five pick, Gooden, who will attend the draft proceedings at New York’s Madison Square Garden, stands to make $8.3 million over three years if he’s tapped No. 3, $7.5 million over three years if he’s picked No. 4 and $6.8 million if selected No. 5.

“Last year I always thought, ‘I want the money. I want the money,'” said Gooden, a guest speaker Tuesday at KU coach Roy Williams’ basketball camp. “Now that it’s closer, it’s, ‘Oh well, I know it’s going to come.’

“I’m more excited just to get drafted, go up there, shake (NBA commissioner) Mr. (David) Stern’s hand, put my hat on and go from there. The money is gonna come. It’s what I worked for.”

Yes the money will come. Gooden said he “has narrowed it down to three teams (where he’ll be picked) Â Golden State, Memphis or Denver. Those are the three places I might be living. If I had a choice I’d probably like to stay at home (in Golden State). But you don’t have a choice in this situation.”

Any of those places would provide big bucks  dollars friends will want Gooden to spread around.

“He is going to find out he has cousins he doesn’t know anything about,” 14-year NBA veteran and KU All-American Danny Manning said. “It’s a hard situation to go into. All the new money is there. You will take care of family members you want to take care of.

“You also have to learn to say no because anybody in any type of professional sports  just because you sign one professional contract, it’s no guarantee that six more contracts will come. You have to prepare yourself like, ‘This is the only contract I’m going to get. If I happen to get another one, OK my financial plans might change a bit,'” Manning added.

Williams  he says “unless people are not telling me the truth, I think Drew is a top-four pick at worst”  has conversed with Gooden about money management.

“We’ve had conversations (that) all his friends may not be the same ol’ guys,” Williams said. “There will be people coming out of the woodwork, people who were your friends at one time all of a sudden fell by the wayside and now they are showing back up again.

“I don’t worry about Drew in any way, shape or form with the NBA whether in terms of lifestyle, being successful, whether he can handle the money, zero worries. The young man has such a good head on his shoulders and knows what is going on.”

Gooden, who grew up poor, thinks he will be able to handle the wealth.

“People are starting to come out of the woodwork,” Gooden said, echoing his coach’s comments. “But it’s not that much a worry now. You just have to realize this is a a whole ‘nother world. It’s a business. You’ve got to make the right decisions and I will do that.”