NEW YORK -- David Stern would love a system in which Anthony Davis and the rest of Kentucky's freshman stars were required to

try to repeat.

Instead, the NBA commissioner could end up calling Davis' name

in June as the first pick in the draft.

The league wasn't able to change its draft eligibility rules

during collective bargaining last year. The rules require an

American player to be 19 years old and a year out of high school.

"We would love to add a year, but that's not something that the

players' association has been willing to agree to," Stern said

Tuesday.

The union would only agree to form a committee to discuss

changes, and Stern knows the players are unlikely to consent to an

increase without some concession from owners.

"They would probably say, 'What would you give us?' " he said.

Stern spoke at a Sprint store to announce the opening of the

NBA's "Green Week." The wireless company is the presenting

partner of the week, during which time the league tries to generate

awareness and funding to protect the environment. Players will wear

shooting shirts made of 100 percent organic cotton, along with

green headbands and wrist bands during games through April 11.

Stern watched some of Kentucky's 67-59 victory over Kansas in

the NCAA championship game Monday, when the Wildcats' group of

future NBA players raced to an 18-point lead in the first half.

"I think it was over a little early," Stern said.

So will most of the Wildcats' college careers.

Davis, the player of the year and Final Four's most outstanding

player, would likely be the No. 1 pick if he comes out, and fellow

freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be right behind him. Players

must declare this month if they are making themselves eligible for

the draft.

The age limit was instituted in 2005, and Stern has often spoken

since of his desire to increase it. But any realistic hope of

pushing too hard during the lockout was scrapped when the league

focused instead on the financial changes it sought.

If Davis is the top pick, he would be the fifth freshman in six

years to go No. 1, following Greg Oden, Derrick Rose, John Wall and

Kyrie Irving. Stern said the league's draft requirement is often

misreported as forcing players to spend a year in college.

"That's not our rule," he said. "Our rule is that they won't

be eligible for the draft until they're 19. They can play in

Europe, they can play in the D-League, they can go to college. This

is a not a social program, this is a business rule for us. The NFL

has a rule which requires three years of college. So the focus is

often on ours, but it's really not what we require in college. It's

that we say we would like a year to look at them and I think it's

been interesting to see how the players do against first-class

competition in the NCAAs and then teams have the ability to judge

and make judgments, because high-ranking draft picks are very, very

valuable."

The committee is just starting, so far only staff discussions

that haven't yet included players and owners. Stern said he expects

the NCAA to join as well.

For now, he's pleased with the impact the draft rule has had.

"We're very happy to have improved from having our scouts all

over the high school gymnasium," he said. "That was an important

policy part of what we did as well, so we'll see what we can do.

They have some ideas, we have some ideas, I'm sure the NCAA has

some ideas."