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It’s not unusual that the team selecting first overall in the NFL draft is hurting for talent. In fact, the rules are designed to almost assure as much. But in the case of the 2009 NFL draft, the No. 1-selecting Detroit Lions, fresh off the league’s only 0-16 season in history, come in as devoid of superstar players as any team in recent memory. Aside from wide out Calvin Johnson, the Detroit roster is almost absent of a household name, still feeling the sting of the Matt Millen years.

Whomever the Lions nab at No. 1 - barring a trade-down scenario that many Lions fans are praying for – it’s a crucial year for not only the franchise, but for the handful of players who are considered top draft pick material. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, linebacker Aaron Curry and offensive tackle Jason Smith appear to be the candidates most likely heading to Motown. No matter who gets the nod, he’s likely to become an instant celebrity in Detroit. Stafford, in particular, will no doubt immediately rank second on the team in jersey sales behind only Chad Johnson. And any early signs that Stafford was, in fact, the right pick would propel his popularity even higher.

Already, LeBron James has accomplished what few NBA players ever do. His basketball jersey has been proudly displayed among all time NBA stars like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. He leapt from high school directly to the professional ranks with remarkable ease. He helped revive a Cleveland franchise that had previously been an after-thought on the NBA landscape. And all the while, his on-court skills earned him comments like, “He’s the next Michael,” comparisons that have since, in many minds, grown to, “He’s better than Michael ever was!”

Not bad for a guy who’s only 24, just about the age at which he’d be expected to finally blossom in the NBA had he gone the standard route and played in college and enjoyed a couple of seasons to mature in the NBA. But as with all NBA superstars – even Jordan – the standard that matters most when measuring a career is the number of rings on a player’s fingers, and as the playoffs get underway, James looks like an early favorite to take that next step.

From there, James could step into NBA history again by becoming the highest-paid free agent in league history. His contract with Cleveland expires after the 2010 season, and many suspect a bigger market awaits the reigning king of basketball. Already, replicas of his Cavalier jersey are among the highest selling nationwide. Imagine the sales figures if his next uniform reads, “Lakers” or “Knicks” across the chest.

All along Woodward Avenue, throughout the bars and restaurants of Greektown and on down to the Riverfront, sports jerseys of all colors lit up the streets of Detroit over the weekend for college basketball’s ultimate party. Fans from the Connecticut, Michigan State, Villanova and eventual-champ North Carolina lined the neighborhoods wearing sports gear backing their school of choice.

In the end it was the Tar Heel blue that stood tallest, overcoming the tens of thousands of hometown Spartan fans who turned out in their green and white. North Carolina won its fifth national championship in dominant fashion, drubbing Villanova in Saturday’s semifinal before hammering MSU in the final 89-72.

Until that point, it was the Spartans - on the 30th anniversary of MSU alum Earvin Johnson’s magical run to the title over Larry Bird – who received the bulk of the media attention, particularly after Saturday’s upset win over top-seeded Louisville. But Spartan coach Tom Izzo had no answer for a North Carolina team that featured the speed of point guard Ty Lawson and strength of center Tyler Hansbrough.

Even in the shadows of that loss, though, Detroit did itself proud, showing as it did three years earlier when SuperBowl fans poured into town, that it knows how to throw a sports party.

Playing in front of some 50,000 Spartan fans, and with the streets of Detroit hosting a sea of green-clad faithful all weekend, the North Carolina Tar Heels left little doubt which team was No. 1 in college basketball this season with a convincing 89-72 win at Ford Field Monday night.

The Spartans, hoping to complete a dream tournament run by winning the championship in their own backyard, were outmatched from the opening tip. The Tar Heels, keying on a number of unforced Spartan turnovers, jumped to a 22-7 lead early on, led by a tournament final-record 21 points at halftime, and never looked back. In fact, Roy Williams’ team was so dominant in the first half, its 55-point total in the first half is a new tournament final record as well.

Where Spartan point guard Kalin Lucas was fast, his Tar Heel counterpart Ty Lawson was faster. Where MSU center Goran Suton (who didn’t play when North Carolina destroyed MSU back in December in this same venue) was strong, NC’s Tyler Hansbrough was stronger. And where the Spartan bench was deep, the Tar Heels were deeper. Lawson led all scorers with 21 points, Wayne Ellington followed with 19, and Hansbrough finished with 18. The championship was the fifth all-time for the Tar Heels, moving the school into a third-place tie with Indiana for the most titles in history. Only UCLA and Kentucky have more.