We probably should have started this at the beginning of the season but we didn’t so there’s no use in dwelling on it.

Kind of like there’s no sense in dwelling on KU’s loss to Tennessee last Sunday. It’s over, gone, a thing of the past. So let’s take a look at the future.

No, not Wednesday’s game at Nebraska. Poor Doc Sadler, right? During his first three seasons in Lincoln, Sadler’s Huskers have lost to Kansas seven straight times by an average of 23 points per game. And now KU’s angry again.

And, by future, I’m not talking about the Jayhawks’ return to the Fieldhouse this Saturday for a showdown with Texas Tech either.

I’m talking way down the road, after March Madness, after April’s title game after some lucky team hangs another banner for the 2009-10 season. I’m talking about June’s NBA Draft.

With so many Jayhawks on the radar screen of so many NBA scouts, there’s no time like the present to start the ‘Hawks in the NBA’s “Stock Watch,” a monthly blog that tracks the standing and situations surrounding the current roster’s NBA future.

This will be a quick-hitter type of blog, that focuses on the movement — up or down — of a each player’s NBA Draft stock. Once June arrives, we’ll heat this thing up to once a week and the whole experiment will culminate with a live blog on Draft Night, June 24.

All right. There’s the intro. Let’s get to it.

COLE ALDRICH: JR., CENTER, 6-11, 245 POUNDS
Stock Assessment: After a stellar sophomore season at Kansas, Aldrich surprised some by returning to school for the 2009-10 season. The Bloomington, Minn., almost certainly would have been a lottery pick in last year’s draft and he entered his junior season as a sure-fire lottery pick and a preseason All-American.

Average Mock Draft Position: 7th

Current High: 4th (HoopsHype.com)

Current Low: 12th (NBADraft.net)

Overall Movement: — Down — Aldrich’s name has started to slide down some of the Mock Draft boards out there because of his struggles on the offensive end. He’s still a beast on the boards (11 a game) and continues to be one of the nation’s best shot blockers (4 per game) but he’s labored a lot on offense so far this season and in addition he hasn’t bee nearly as aggressive as many would like him to be, including KU coach Bill Self.

XAVIER HENRY: FR., GUARD/FORWARD, 6-6, 220 POUNDS
Stock Assessment: Xavier came to Kansas as the school’s first legitimate threat to be a one-and-done player. He arrived on campus with an NBA-ready body and had a deadly shooting touch and natural knack for scoring to go with it. As with any player, it’s likely that another year or even two in college would help polish his all-around game, but there’s no doubt that NBA scouts are drooling over his potential already.

Average Mock Draft Position: 11th

Current High: 4th (DraftSite.com)

Current Low: 24th (HoopsHype.com)

Overall Movement: • Holding Steady • Xavier leads the Jayhawks in scoring (15.7 ppg), is shooting 46 percent from three-point range and leads the team in steals with 26. Although many KU fans — and probably his coaches — would love to see him become more aggressive in driving the ball to the basket, the freshman phenom has done nothing to hurt his stock with the pro scouts.

SHERRON COLLINS: SR., POINT GUARD, 5-11, 205 POUNDS
Stock Assessment: For all the talk of Collins leaving Kansas early last season, saying goodbye really would not have made much sense. Last year’s draft was ultra-deep for point guards and Collins, primarily because of his lack of size, had not wowed the NBA enough to guarantee himself a first-round selection. With that in mind, and with visions of a second national championship in his head, Collins returned to school for his senior season, where he entered the year as a fringe first-rounder.

Average Mock Draft Position: 32nd

Current High: 27th (DraftSite.com)

Current Low: 40th (NBADraft.net)

Overall Movement: + On The Rise + Collins still doesn’t have the NBA size the pro scouts would like to see, but he’s got three things they love and two of them you can’t teach — quickness, heart and a bulldog mentality. Collins will never be an NBA star but he continues to prove that he’s a playmaker who can find a way to score. His improved ability to involve his teammates in the offense — and showcase it from time to time — has moved him into the late first round on most boards. For Collins, though, it’s going to be a lot easier to move down the boards than it will be to move up. Still, after gritty performances against Cornell and Tennessee, Collins’ stock has seen a slight increase of late.

TYSHAWN TAYLOR: SOPH., GUARD, 6-3, 180 POUNDS
Stock Assessment: Of the Jayhawks with the NBA on their radar, Taylor entered the season as the long shot of the bunch. There’s no doubt that someday Taylor will probably don an NBA uniform. But unless he were to turn in a monster sophomore season, it probably would not be in 2010.

Average Mock Draft Position: Incomplete (only listed on 3 of 5 boards)

Current High: 19th (HoopsHype.com)

Current Low: Not Listed (NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com)

Overall Movement: • Holding Steady • Taylor continues to be a much more likely draft prospect for the 2011 draft. Although he has the raw tools to compete in the NBA he’s still been far too inconsistent so far this season and still lacks a reliable outside jump shot. His athleticism and defensive prowess (when he wants to display it) make him a likely pro someday, just not someday soon.

Draft sites used for the player positioning portion of this blog include: NBADraft.net, DraftExpress.com, HoopsHype.com, DraftSite.com and MyNBADraft.com.