Is there a sock in the house? If so, please stuff it in the mouth of the next Division I hoops coach who whines about the number of underclassmen and high school seniors who ditch college for the NBA draft. Better yet, put him in a small room with Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin.

Martin doesn't know the exact count, but he figures he's lost nearly 150 players to pro baseball during his 22 years in Tallahassee. You know how many Mike Krzyzewski has lost to the NBA in 21 seasons at Duke? Three. Martin lost that many guys last year alone. Lute Olson in his 18 years at Arizona? Five. Martin would wear the latest J.Lo collection in the dugout if someone guaranteed him those kinds of numbers.

Instead, he has to sweat out the annual June draft, then hold his breath as teams start throwing bonus money as if it were confetti. (In baseball, underclassmen don't have to declare for the draft. Everyone is eligible after high school and again after their junior year of college.) About 11 years ago Martin thought he might get lucky with some lug from St. Paul, Minn. The kid signed a football scholarship with FSU and said he'd play baseball ... if the Toronto Blue Jays didn't come through with some serious signing jack.

"Three days I walked by his table," says Martin. "On the fourth day he was gone. If we could have gotten him through the weekend for the start of school, we would have had him."

The player was Chris Weinke, who signed and played minor league ball with the Blue Jays, then six years later returned to FSU -- ineligible for baseball, but with plenty of time to win a Heisman Trophy. "I've never been able to keep a freebie," Martin says.

D-I hoop teams get 13 scholarships for five starting positions. Martin gets 11.7 for 10 starters (remember, DH in college). D-I hoop coaches need a hug when 40 or more players declare early (it's 40 and counting this year). Martin and his colleagues would pierce a nipple if only 40 ballplayers bolted. D-I hoop fans need a brown paper bag and hyperventilation lessons every time a kid leaves early. Martin yawns.

"You're going to lose when you're dealing with professional money," he says. "Don't get your hopes up. You're going to get beat."

Martin has two high school stars ready to come to Tallahassee. Problem is, the draft is next month and that will be that. "We're going to lose them," he says.

The same probably goes for FSU football signee Joe Mauer, who just happens to come from the same high school as Weinke and could go No. 1 in the June draft.

Bob Knight shooed away three players from Texas Tech and then petitioned the NCAA for recruiting relief. Arizona lost four underclassmen to the NBA draft and asked for similar relief. The NCAA told Tech and Arizona to take a very long hike.

With 12 College World Series appearances under his belt, Martin eats these kinds of obstacles for breakfast. Back in the '70s, Major League Baseball teams used to swoop in during December and pick off drafted players. And with only 11.7 precious scholarships, Martin doesn't have a lot of financial wiggle room. When it came time to sign J.D. Drew a few years ago, the best Martin could do was offer book money. Later, he managed to award a 70 percent scholarship to the guy who now has the third-most home runs in the National League this season.

Hoops coaches should spend a season in Martin's cleats. You wouldn't hear a peep from them after that. Martin has to recruit far more players than he actually can sign, just to cover the expected draft picks and attrition. "Try that for action," he says. "You run the risk of losing your reputation. You're saying to yourself, 'What if this guy actually shows up?' And there's only one way out, pardner, and that's saying, 'Sorry, I don't have the money to give you.' Thank God that's never happened."

So here's the lesson to be learned by D-I basketball coaches. The next time you have the urge to complain about the unfairness of it all, remember Martin. Remember, mum's the word.

Gene Wojciechowski is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail Geno at gene.wojciechowski@espnmag.com.