Best team from a pool of any UConn, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, or Duke teams from the past 15 yrs. | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Best team from a pool of any UConn, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, or Duke teams from the past 15 yrs.

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superjohn said:
How is what fair to say? Anthony Davis is better than Carmelo, Durant is also better than Carmelo. The only player in the NBA I would take over Anthony Davis is Lebron and even that is close.
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melo, love, and durant had better seasons. the thing is this isnt about the nba, this is about the best team. and if you put his team against any of those listed his might beat kansas '08.
 
UConnSwag11 said:
better than melo? Durant? Love? you think that team was better than those listed below his?
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I think that Kentucky team deserves to be on the list, not sure in what place. Yes, I think Davis is the best college player.
 
superjohn said:
How is what fair to say? Anthony Davis is better than Carmelo, Durant is also better than Carmelo. The only player in the NBA I would take over Anthony Davis is Lebron and even that is close.
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We're talking about the players as they were in college. Carmelo carried a team on his own to an NCAA title.

Obviously Davis and many others are better than Carmelo right now, in the NBA.
 
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Durant scored a lot more his 1 year in college but it's no contest defensively, Davis was probably the best I've ever seen defensively. He also was pretty damn good offensively, think he shot something like 70% from the field. The Kentucky team had more talent than Texas so it's not really fair to compare the team results but Davis and his team pretty much steamrolled everyone on their way to winning the tournament and Durant's team lost 2nd round. They were both the best players in college for their 1 year, I just give the nod to Davis. It sucks for Durant after playing second fiddle to Lebron for years in the NBA, I think he's going to have to do the same now with Davis.
 
Agree with the Anthony Davis love. Davis shot 65% on his 2's in college, swept the post-season individual awards (Naismith, Wooden, etc., including defensive player of the year and tourny MOP). His team won the title. He went #1 in the draft. He led the country in offensive rating AND defensive rating while averaging a double double. His blocks per game was essentially the same as Emeka's best, and his block % was better. One of 9 players in the last 17 years to post a single season college win share above 10 (6/8 others have made the NBA All Star team, other 2 are Shane Battier and Michael Beasley).

Take another look at his supporting cast that year. MKG is a bust, Teague and DLamb are out of the NBA already. Jones is a journeyman.

Durant had DJ Augustin (better pro than any of the Kentucky guys), and Dexter Pittman and Damion James both have had extended cups of coffee in the NBA (more than Lamb and Teague, really.) Their supporting casts aren't that different, and again, Durant's team lost in the 2nd round and Davis' team rolled to the title. (Yes, his coach was Rick Barnes, but are we will to give Calipari the inverse Barnes credit?)
 
superjohn said:
How is what fair to say? Anthony Davis is better than Carmelo, Durant is also better than Carmelo. The only player in the NBA I would take over Anthony Davis is Lebron and even that is close.
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If we are talking strictly college Kevin Durant was a better college basketball player than davis was. Who knows who the best player has been in the last 20 years it isnt davis though.
 
Durant was incredible but Michael Beasley had better numbers. 26 and 12 on 53% shooting for Beasley. Gracious.
 
2012 Kentucky? Wow. Way too high. Nice team but that was a weak year for college hoops. 2004 and 2009 unc team were much better.

1997 Kansas was a great team but the fact that they did not make the elite eight let alone final four should knock them the hell of that list. I remember an undermanned uconn team who was young and no where near developed gave them a run for their money at xl center
 
auror said:
Agree with the Anthony Davis love. Davis shot 65% on his 2's in college, swept the post-season individual awards (Naismith, Wooden, etc., including defensive player of the year and tourny MOP). His team won the title. He went #1 in the draft. He led the country in offensive rating AND defensive rating while averaging a double double. His blocks per game was essentially the same as Emeka's best, and his block % was better. One of 9 players in the last 17 years to post a single season college win share above 10 (6/8 others have made the NBA All Star team, other 2 are Shane Battier and Michael Beasley).

Take another look at his supporting cast that year. MKG is a bust, Teague and DLamb are out of the NBA already. Jones is a journeyman.

Durant had DJ Augustin (better pro than any of the Kentucky guys), and Dexter Pittman and Damion James both have had extended cups of coffee in the NBA (more than Lamb and Teague, really.) Their supporting casts aren't that different, and again, Durant's team lost in the 2nd round and Davis' team rolled to the title. (Yes, his coach was Rick Barnes, but are we will to give Calipari the inverse Barnes credit?)
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Hold up.

MKG is not a bust, he may not be an all-star but he's a pretty good starter on a playoff team. I think those who watch Charlotte would agree he may be their key piece in winning games. He is the glue to their defense. He's also all of 21 years old.

Jones (as far as I am aware) has never been traded and looked pretty solid before his injury this year. He's only 23.

Both have more potential than DJ Augustine who has been traded numerous times over his career and is the definition of a backup/journeyman.

Lamb was a fantastic shooter but was short for an NBA two, he shouldn't be judged by NBA success. Teague was overrated. Darius Miller also got a short cup of coffee.
 
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If it weren't for Emeka's back problems, the 2004 team would get much more credit. We would've beaten Duke going away if he didn't pick up two quick fouls in that game, too.
 
caw said:
Hold up.
MKG is not a bust, he may not be an all-star but he's a pretty good starter on a playoff team. I think those who watch Charlotte would agree he may be their key piece in winning games. He is the glue to their defense. He's also all of 21 years old.
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He was the 2nd pick in the draft. "Playoff team" is loose when they're 12-20. He's been hurt this year and his defense is good, but a wing who is a zero shooter is going to be tough to hang in the NBA. Maybe he develops that shot (since as you mention he is young), but it looks like he's abandoning the 3 instead, and that's not where the league is headed.

caw said:
Jones (as far as I am aware) has never been traded and looked pretty solid before his injury this year. He's only 23. Both have more potential than DJ Augustine who has been traded numerous times over his career and is the definition of a backup/journeyman.
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Journeyman was probably the wrong word choice. Starter on a bad team, rotation guy on a good one is his most likely career arc, which is what Augustin has already done.

caw said:
Lamb was a fantastic shooter but was short for an NBA two, he shouldn't be judged by NBA success. Teague was overrated. Darius Miller also got a short cup of coffee.
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The Texas team had AJ Abrams also who filled many of these same roles and has played professionally, just not in the NBA.

My main point, which you haven't refuted, is that the Kentucky team was not world's better talent-wise than Durant's Texas team. Cumulatively it probably had more talent, but it's closer than some were arguing and certainly not the difference between round of 32 loss by 20 to #5 seed USC and winning a title with no game closer than 8 points. Brow > Durant in college is that difference.
 
Rico444 said:
If it weren't for Emeka's back problems, the 2004 team would get much more credit. We would've beaten Duke going away if he didn't pick up two quick fouls in that game, too.
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Possibly. I think we had the most talent of any team in the country (and probably of all UConn teams), but when all is said and done we were a 2-seed that year with 6 losses, which is hard to get over when you compare against other great teams.
 
auror said:
Possibly. I think we had the most talent of any team in the country (and probably of all UConn teams), but when all is said and done we were a 2-seed that year with 6 losses, which is hard to get over when you compare against other great teams.
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Well that just goes back to my point: If Emeka's back was healthy I don't think we lose more than a handful of games.
 
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Rico444 said:
Well that just goes back to my point: If Emeka's back was healthy I don't think we lose more than a handful of games.
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If Mek has a healthy back,Ben kicks it into 5th gear in jan instead of march and Rashad starts from day one of conference play we probably lose less than 3 games. Once that team got rolling it was one of the best ive ever seen.
 
Anyone else think Uconn 04 absolutely trounces Duke `99? Duke 04 nearly got blown out of the gym if not for two absolute bs foul calls on Mek in the first half and Coach took the foot off the peddle in the second half vs Gtech. I believe the 04 team beats the 99 team and i believe that 99 team beats Duke 99 more than it loses. Im rambling i know.
 
Call me a homer but, I cannot picture the 99 Uconn team losing. The 99 team was as veteran of a team as your ever gonna find at the college level. Rip and Khalid in the clutch, shutdown D from Ricky Moore, a bench consisting of Wane, Saunders, Harrison, Mouring, Rashamel. A team like 2012 Kentucky while being more talented would not beat the veteran 99 team. That team was battle tested, obviously it would be a close game I take JC over Cal anyway in a game of chess. We wouldn't stop Anthony Davis but we would slow him down like we did to Elton Brand in 99, even if Davis got his there is no way their guards would be able to penetrate against ours. Our 99 team to me looked like a bunch of 30 plus old grizzled veterans, no way they are letting those McD 5 star kids beat them no way in hell.

Whoever put this list together looked at purely NBA talent and not the intangibles, you gotta look at the coaching, how would a 2012 UK team respond in a close game, they sure as heck are not gonna be blowing out a 99 Uconn, or 2004 Uconn, and you know how good both those teams were in close games. Gotta look at depth as well. You gotta be on some real good drugs to put 08 Kansas in the top 10.
 
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auror said:
He was the 2nd pick in the draft. "Playoff team" is loose when they're 12-20. He's been hurt this year and his defense is good, but a wing who is a zero shooter is going to be tough to hang in the NBA. Maybe he develops that shot (since as you mention he is young), but it looks like he's abandoning the 3 instead, and that's not where the league is headed.


Journeyman was probably the wrong word choice. Starter on a bad team, rotation guy on a good one is his most likely career arc, which is what Augustin has already done.


The Texas team had AJ Abrams also who filled many of these same roles and has played professionally, just not in the NBA.

My main point, which you haven't refuted, is that the Kentucky team was not world's better talent-wise than Durant's Texas team. Cumulatively it probably had more talent, but it's closer than some were arguing and certainly not the difference between round of 32 loss by 20 to #5 seed USC and winning a title with no game closer than 8 points. Brow > Durant in college is that difference.
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I'm going to assume your finger was off with the Hornets record. They were in the playoffs last year and on pace to be this year (probably would be if not for MKGs injury).

Dexter Pittman was a freshman who averaged about 3 and 2 that year, even after that he has only played about 50 total games in the NBA.
DJ Augustine was very good at UT and was drafted the next year. He was not good enough to be drafted after his freshman year. He has played about 450 games but only started about 150.
Damion James has played about 40 NBA games in his career.
AJ Abrams never played a game in the NBA.

In total that's about 550 games and 150 starts since 2007.

Not a single player from UT was drafted with Durant.

Davis was drafted with Teague, Lamb, Miller, Jones and MKG.

Teague has played in 88 NBA games.
Lamb has played in 100 NBA games.
Miller played in 100 NBA games.

All played in more NBA games than James, Abrams and Pittman combined.

Jones has played in about 100 games and started nearly 80 of them in 3 seasons. Nearly half of what Augustin has in 8 NBA years, and as mentioned he was starting this year before he was injured on a very good Houston team.

MKG has played about 180 games and started in nearly every one.

That's nearly 550 games and over 250 starts since 2012. Heck Wiltjer is still in college (he came into UK as a freshman with Davis), if he makes the NBA he counts also.

There is no argument that the UK players haven't had better NBA careers. If that's how you are defending talent on UK versus Texas, it's just not a good argument.

Three NBA starters on UK versus one on Texas. One journeyman on Texas versus zero (so far) on UK. Three cups of coffee for UK (so far) versus 2 for Texas). That's a big difference in talent. Not to mention my previous point that no one on UT was NBA ready the year Durant played while UK had 6 guys drafted including Davis.

If you were to draft (based on those two squads after each season) you wouldn't go:

MKG
Jones
Augustin
Lamb
Teague
Abrams
Miller
James
Pittman
 
would love to see any team in the past 20 years attempt to take down Cardiac Kemba in the months of March/April.
 
Anyone who thinks that the Kentucky '12 team would beat UConn '04 clearly didn't watch the last championship game. Good veterans will beat great freshmen roughly 9 times out of 10.
 
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huskyniner said:
Anyone who thinks that the Kentucky '12 team would beat UConn '04 clearly didn't watch the last championship game. Good veterans will beat great freshmen roughly 9 times out of 10.
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And we would still have the same coaching mismatch.
 
caw said:
There is no argument that the UK players haven't had better NBA careers. If that's how you are defending talent on UK versus Texas, it's just not a good argument.
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Reposting what I said.

auror said:
...the Kentucky team was not world's better talent-wise than Durant's Texas team. Cumulatively it probably had more talent, but it's closer than some were arguing and certainly not the difference between round of 32 loss by 20 to #5 seed USC and winning a title with no game closer than 8 points. Brow > Durant in college is that difference.
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Stars we were debating aside and using your analysis it is 2 rotation guys for Kentucky, 3 cups of coffee vs. 1 rotation guy for Texas, 2 cups of coffee + Abrams. And none of the above guys for either team are lighting the league on fire.

I stand by the "Cumulatively [Kentucky] probably had more talent, but it's closer than some were arguing and certainly not the difference between round of 32 loss by 20 to #5 seed USC and winning a title with no game closer than 8 points."

Davis in college over Durant.
 
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