by Jeff Goodman

Updated: July 10, 2008, 12:52 PM EST 38 comments

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Olson said point guard Brandon Jennings, the consensus top-ranked player in the country, tried to reach him yesterday prior to word leaking out that Jennings would opt to spend next season playing overseas.

Olson, who was in Philadelphia at an AAU event, said he was unable to connect with Jennings — but left him a voice message.

"I just wished him the best of luck," Olson said. "That we'll be watching him wherever he winds up and that we wish he would have played at Arizona."

Olson also wishes that the one-and-done rule that the NBA implemented in 2006 wasn't around. The coach said the rule, which prevents players from jumping directly from high school to the NBA, needs to be re-tooled.

"Kids should be able to come out of high school," Olson said. "They need to institute something like what baseball has. Once someone enters school, they have to stay a minimum of either two of three years."

"We as coaches warned the NCAA about this when it was first put in place," he added. "It's going to turn into a bigger mess."

The coaches' concern notwithstanding, it's unlikely the rule will be changed anytime soon since the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement expires in June of 2011 and the owners have the option to extend it through 2012.

Olson said he won't be surprised at all if Jennings' decision sparks more interest from other players in the future. Jennings is the first high-profile high school player to go the overseas route instead of playing college basketball.

Jennings could have company soon if USC signee Demar DeRozan, regarded as the player in the incoming freshman class with the most NBA potential, doesn't qualify academically. However, DeRozan told FOXSports.com that he hasn't given the option of playing overseas much thought because of his strong desire to play college basketball.

"Something needs to be done because it's going to open up the possibility of more kids going to Europe," Olson said. "I know the NBA wants it changed because it's hurting their game, also. They have too many inexperienced players."

Olson also said his outlook with regards to recruiting some of the elite players will change in the wake of the Jennings situation.

"We're going to change our position and if we think someone we're recruiting has that kind of thought about going to Europe, we're going to stop trying to recruit those type of guys."