Amazing teams if players stayed 4 years...

[Deleted member 3149]

Next year we'd have:

1. Shabazz Napier
2. Ryan Boatright
3. Jeremy Lamb
4. DeAndre Daniels
5. Andre Drummond

Bench:
Omar Calhoun
Kentan Facey
Phil Nolan
*Roscoe Smith (assuming no transfer)
Amida Brimah
Terrence Samuel
Niels Giffey


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But if you think that's good, UK would have...

1. Brandon Knight
2. Doron Lamb
3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
4. Nerlens Noel
5. Anthony Davis

Bench: (yes I had to cut players)
Terrence Jones
Marquis Teague
Archie Goodwin
Alex Poythress
Willie Cauley-Stein
Julius Randle
Andrew Harrison
AAron Harrison


Can you guys come up with other ones? ??

 

[MattMang23]

You'd have to remove Roscoe Smith from our list. It's not like he isn't playing four years in college, he transferred.

 

[CTBasketball]

2004-2005:

PG: Marcus Williams - So.
SG: Ben Gordon - Sr.
SF: Rudy Gay - Fr.
PF: Charlie Villanueva - So.
C: Emeka Okafor - Sr.

Bench:
AJ Price
Josh Boone
Rashad Anderson
Denham Brown
Hilton Armstrong
Ed Nelson
Antonio Kellogg


That team would have had an NBA starting 5, and a total of 8 players logging NBA minutes. And one outstanding rap artist.

 

[Deleted member 3149]

2011-2012

1. Kemba Walker
2. Shabazz Napier
3. Jeremy Lamb
4. Alex Oriakhi
5. Andre Drummond

Good Bench Players:
Ryan Boatright
DeAndre Daniels

 

[Deepster]

Slightly off topic here, I watched the Valvano/NC State "30 for 30" last week and that tourney had Jordan, Perkins and Brad Daugherty on UNC, Virginia had 3 time Player of the Year Ralph Sampson and Houston had Phi Slama Jama. Insane amount of talent in the college game compared to now. No wonder Wichita State or Butler can compete in the Tourney these days.

 

[tzznandrew]

Slightly off topic here, I watched the Valvano/NC State "30 for 30" last week and that tourney had Jordan, Perkins and Brad Daugherty on UNC, Virginia had 3 time Player of the Year Ralph Sampson and Houston had Phi Slama Jama. Insane amount of talent in the college game compared to now. No wonder Wichita State or Butler can compete in the Tourney these days.

If players stayed four years, it would help all of the major programs, and talent would be interestingly spread out. Anthony Davis would be a UK sophomore--if he went there, given they'd have had a Junior Demarcus Counsins his first year.

Where would Brandon Knight gone if he had to sit behind John Wall for three years?

That's what these things miss. Butler and Wichita State would fall behind. Top schools would be deeper, for sure. But all the best players couldn't just go to UK and UNC, since there wouldn't be roster spots.

 

[tzznandrew]

But if you think that's good, UK would have...

1. Brandon Knight
2. Doron Lamb
3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
4. Nerlens Noel
5. Anthony Davis

Bench: (yes I had to cut players)
Terrence Jones
Marquis Teague
Archie Goodwin
Alex Poythress
Willie Cauley-Stein
Julius Randle
Andrew Harrison
AAron Harrison

Can you guys come up with other ones? ??

Nope. No way. They wouldn't get those kids because you are forgetting:

John Wall would be a senior.
DeMarcus Cousins would be a senior
Eric Bledsoe would be a senior
Daniel Orton would be a senior

That first year, let's say, they would have had:

1. Wall, FR
2. Meeks SR
3. Cousins FR
4. Orton FR
5. Bledsoe FR
6. Patterson JR
7. Miller SO
8. Liggins SO
9. Harrelson JR

If players are staying four years, and we assume they aren't chasing people off, you're left with:

1. Wall, SO
2. Cousins SO
3. Orton SO
4. Bledsoe SO
5. Patterson SR
6. Miller JR
7. Liggins JR
8. Harrelson SR

Is Terrence Jones recommitting from UW to play behind Orton/Cousins/Patterson?
Is Brandon Knight coming to play behind Wall and Bledsoe?
But, let's just say they do, with Vargas. That gets us to 12 with

1. FR Jones
2. FR Knight
3. FR Lamb
4. FR Vargas

But then do they get last year's monster class as well?

1. Wall JR
2. Cousins JR
3. Orton JR
4. Blesoe JR
5. Knight SO
6. Miller SR
7. Liggins SR
8. Jones SO
9. Lamb SO
10. Vargas SO

Why would Marcus Kidd-Gilchrist go there? Why would Anthony Davis? Teague? Where would there be space the next year for Noel? For Poythress? For Goodwin? This Kentucky team would be absurdly good, but some of these other kids would be dispersed elsewhere.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Any of our teams from 2003-2007 would have been stupid-good.

2003: Sweet 16 team + Caron
2004: National championship team + Caron
2005: Solid #2 seed + Emeka and Ben
2006: Top 5 team + CV
2007: Talented freshmen playing behind CV, Rudy, Boone, MW

The bigger what-if during that period was AJ. Early entries aside, if he's healthy/not an idiot in 2005/2006, there's a reasonable chance you're talking about a dynasty with 3 straight Final Fours and at least 2 championships between 2004-2006, rivaling Kentucky 1996-1998 or Duke 1990-1992.

 

[BearJWS]

Nope. No way. They wouldn't get those kids because you are forgetting:

John Wall would be a senior.
DeMarcus Cousins would be a senior
Eric Bledsoe would be a senior
Daniel Orton would be a senior

That first year, let's say, they would have had:

1. Wall, FR
2. Meeks SR
3. Cousins FR
4. Orton FR
5. Bledsoe FR
6. Patterson JR
7. Miller SO
8. Liggins SO
9. Harrelson JR

If players are staying four years, and we assume they aren't chasing people off, you're left with:

1. Wall, SO
2. Cousins SO
3. Orton SO
4. Bledsoe SO
5. Patterson SR
6. Miller JR
7. Liggins JR
8. Harrelson SR

Is Terrence Jones recommitting from UW to play behind Orton/Cousins/Patterson?

Is Brandon Knight coming to play behind Wall and Bledsoe?
But, let's just say they do, with Vargas. That gets us to 12 with

1. FR Jones
2. FR Knight
3. FR Lamb
4. FR Vargas

But then do they get last year's monster class as well?

1. Wall JR
2. Cousins JR
3. Orton JR
4. Blesoe JR
5. Knight SO
6. Miller SR
7. Liggins SR
8. Jones SO
9. Lamb SO
10. Vargas SO

Why would Marcus Kidd-Gilchrist go there? Why would Anthony Davis? Teague? Where would there be space the next year for Noel? For Poythress? For Goodwin? This Kentucky team would be absurdly good, but some of these other kids would be dispersed elsewhere.

I'm sure UK would find a way for 40 scholarship players if they could!

 

[Deleted member 3149]

Nope. No way. They wouldn't get those kids because you are forgetting:

John Wall would be a senior.
DeMarcus Cousins would be a senior
Eric Bledsoe would be a senior
Daniel Orton would be a senior

That first year, let's say, they would have had:

1. Wall, FR
2. Meeks SR
3. Cousins FR
4. Orton FR
5. Bledsoe FR
6. Patterson JR
7. Miller SO
8. Liggins SO
9. Harrelson JR

If players are staying four years, and we assume they aren't chasing people off, you're left with:

1. Wall, SO
2. Cousins SO
3. Orton SO
4. Bledsoe SO
5. Patterson SR
6. Miller JR
7. Liggins JR
8. Harrelson SR

Is Terrence Jones recommitting from UW to play behind Orton/Cousins/Patterson?

Is Brandon Knight coming to play behind Wall and Bledsoe?
But, let's just say they do, with Vargas. That gets us to 12 with

1. FR Jones
2. FR Knight
3. FR Lamb
4. FR Vargas

But then do they get last year's monster class as well?

1. Wall JR
2. Cousins JR
3. Orton JR
4. Blesoe JR
5. Knight SO
6. Miller SR
7. Liggins SR
8. Jones SO
9. Lamb SO
10. Vargas SO

Why would Marcus Kidd-Gilchrist go there? Why would Anthony Davis? Teague? Where would there be space the next year for Noel? For Poythress? For Goodwin? This Kentucky team would be absurdly good, but some of these other kids would be dispersed elsewhere.

good point. Yea, i didn't really think of it that way, though that would definitely go into consideration.

 

[upstater]

Slightly off topic here, I watched the Valvano/NC State "30 for 30" last week and that tourney had Jordan, Perkins and Brad Daugherty on UNC, Virginia had 3 time Player of the Year Ralph Sampson and Houston had Phi Slama Jama. Insane amount of talent in the college game compared to now. No wonder Wichita State or Butler can compete in the Tourney these days.

But, we're forgetting, if players stay, then others have to go elsewhere because of scholarship restrictions. Villanova had no business winning in 85, there was limited talent on that team. Great college talent, but other than Pinckney who was never really a star in the NBA, that team had no solid pros. and remember, before Wichita St., the last team from that conference to make the F4 was Indiana State in 1979. I agree in general though that it's easier these days for a mid-major to make it, but I don't think it's a question of talent. It's a question of seniors playing sophs and frosh. That's why they're winning more. The talent distribution should basically be the same.

 

[Horatio]

The bigger what-if during that period was AJ. Early entries aside, if he's healthy/not an idiot in 2005/2006, there's a reasonable chance you're talking about a dynasty with 3 straight Final Fours and at least 2 championships between 2004-2006, rivaling Kentucky 1996-1998 or Duke 1990-1992.

Good points. This is why AJ Price is the biggest "what if" in Uconn history. And to add to what you said , I don't think Florida wins back to back championships if AJ is playing in 2006 because we had the bigs to handle and shut Noah up.

 

[tzznandrew]

But, we're forgetting, if players stay, then others have to go elsewhere because of scholarship restrictions. Villanova had no business winning in 85, there was limited talent on that team. Great college talent, but other than Pinckney who was never really a star in the NBA, that team had no solid pros. and remember, before Wichita St., the last team from that conference to make the F4 was Indiana State in 1979. I agree in general though that it's easier these days for a mid-major to make it, but I don't think it's a question of talent. It's a question of seniors playing sophs and frosh. That's why they're winning more. The talent distribution should basically be the same.

I think the talent just concentrates in the power conferences, like it did largely in the 80s and 90s (before it became epidemic). You got schools some schools outside the power conferences succeeding, but talent just tended to concentrate. If you went to school and had to play 4 yours, players aren't necessarily going to be as skittish about playing behind another great player. I don't think you get Brandon Knight going to back-up Wall for 3 years, but you might get Teague backing him up for 2.

 

[msgordon]

2007-08 texas

lamarcus aldridge SR
damion james/dexter pittman SO
kevin durant SO
daniel gibson SR
dj augustin SO

08 texas was a 2 seed that tied for the big 12 champ and lost to stacked memphis in the regional final. now youre adding aldridge, durant and gibson who were all starting in the NBA(Lma and KD getting 18-20 a night). rick barnes couldnt stop that team from winning every game by 30