IN 2007, THIS year's top NBA draft choice, Blake Griffin, closed out his high school career by playing in the Oklahoma Coaches Association's All-State Games.

Last year, the state's top two all-time leading boys basketball scorers, Rotnei Clarke and Keiton Page, also were All-State participants before launching major college careers.

In recent years, however, many of the state's marquee players have not played in the All-State Games.

"We haven't been affected in basketball as much as the other sports," OCA executive director Milt Bassett said. "It's disappointing we have to get so many replacements, but that's the nature of the game these days. Division I schools are not too interested in letting their kids play."

Major college football signees are hard to find at the All-State Games.

Some All-State football selections such as Dewar's Ronnell Lewis (Oklahoma) and Lincoln Christian's Cody Wilson (Tulsa) withdrew in the spring due to enrolling early at their universities.

Among other major college football signees who have withdrawn are Tulsa World state player of the year Michael Doctor of Booker T. Washington, Broken Arrow's Alvin Bailey, East Central's David Gordon, Norman North's Beau Blankenship, Jenks' Tramaine Thompson, Oklahoma City Heritage Hall's Turner Peterson, Oklahoma City McGuinness' Gabe Ikard, Enid's Trent Dupy, Midwest City's Kevin Gaddis and Lawton MacArthur's Julian Jones. Union's Howard Scarborough, Owasso's Blain Gerhart and Woodland's J.T. Bartlett also withdrew.

The list would have been longer but some of the state's top football schools, in order to ensure that they will have two representatives playing as All-Staters, don't nominate standouts who are headed to major colleges if they have other qualified candidates.

"TU has stayed good letting their kids play," Bassett said. "(Texas coach) Mack Brown lets his all-state kids play in Texas. If Mack Brown can do it there, there's no reason why OU and OSU can't do it here, too.

"But the kids who are here want to be here and they enjoy it. We've had less problems and hassle in the dorms the past few years."

The start of All-State week has usually brought on a scramble to find player replacements, but there was only one roster change that had to be made on Sunday, as Weatherford's Clay Vaughn was added to the West's golf roster, replacing Edmond North's Chandler Rush.

"We've tried to be more proactive instead of reactive this year," OCA assistant All-State Games official Scott Moore said on Sunday. "If a player hasn't filled out his paperwork, we've tried to call before this week and find out why. Sometimes, they've just forgotten because they were so excited about being selected. We'll keep our fingers crossed that we won't have to make any changes when the football players report (Monday)."

Boys basketball hasn't been immune to withdrawals. A few of the notable withdrawals are Putnam City's Xavier Henry, Bishop Kelley's Matt Reynolds, Red Oak's Lane Adams and Lawton's Will Reinke.

In baseball, Owasso's Austin Kirk had to withdraw last week after signing with the Chicago Cubs. Kirk was replaced by Owasso teammate Brandon Bargas, an OU signee who had a 1.30 ERA for the 6A state champion Rams this year.

Hall of Fame inducts 10: Former Union head football coach Bill Blankenship was among 10 inducted into the OCA Hall of Fame on Sunday night at the Marriott Southern Hills. Blankenship led Union to 6A state football titles in 2002, ' 04 and ' 05. Other inductees were Dan Crookham, who was Edison's athletic director when he died in 2006; Cashion's Phil Elerick; Rattan's Leo Smallwood; Shattuck's Jarel Hansen; Talihina's Chris Gillespie; Lone Grove's Edward "Buck" Chatham; Langley's Jack Gilbreath; Byng's Alan Simpson and Vian's Charles St. John.