In the honor of the start of the NCAA tourney, we thought we could take a brief look at the All-Time starting five for each of the 68 tourney teams, ranked by their NBA career accomplishments. A few prleims:
-We know it is sort of antithetical to rank by NBA career when college accomplishment can be very different than NBA accomplishment (see, for example, Christian Laettner versus Kyrie Irving at and after Duke).
-In putting together a team, if two players are close, college accomplishments will help break the deadlock, which will give us a small nod to the NCAA.
-The lineups are made under the assumption that the team is playing in the 2018-19 NBA. Therefore, plodding centers may not be quite as necessary and we may assume certain older players could get away with playing center in the modern NBA.
-We’ll have to make good faith estimates when choosing between players who are retired and active players who may or may not end up being great but it’s a bit early to tell.
-Synergy matters. While Bob McAdoo might be a better player than Sam Perkins, Perk probably would fit much better on a team with Michael Jordan and Vince Carter doing the scoring. We’ll try to make the parts fit accordingly.
-We’ll credit transfers to their final college (ie Seth Curry doesn’t count for Liberty but does for Duke, not that they need him).
-There are a few teams that can’t really field teams, so they’ll be short-staffed accordingly.
With those caveats, here we go:
Can’t Field A Team
68. Vermont: Nobody
Northern Kentucky: Nobody
Abilene Christian: Nobody
North Dakota State: Nobody
Farleigh Dickinson: Nobody
Buffalo: Sam Pellom
62. Wofford: Jim Neal
61. Belmont: Ian Clark
60. Liberty: Julius Nwosu, Peter Aluma.
59. Georgia State: R.J. Hunter, Lanard Copeland
58. Prairie View A&M: Zelmo Beaty, Guy Manning
57. North Carolina Central: Sam Jones, Lee Davis
56. Yale: Chris Dudley, Butch Graves, Tony Lavelli
55. Gardner-Webb: John Drew, George Adams, Eddie Lee Wilkins
54. Colgate: Carl Braun, Adonal Foyle, Ernie Vandeweghe, Bob Duffy
Sorta Field A Team
53. Utah State: Hal Hale (PG), Shaler Halimon (SG), Nate Williams (SF), Marv Roberts (PF), Larry Bruce (C)
52. Central Florida: Brandon Goodwin (PG), Jermaine Taylor (SG), Mark Jones (SF) Stephen Graham (SF), Joey Graham (SF)
51. UC-Irvine: Scott Brooks (PG), Ben McDonald (SG), Tom Tolbert (SF), Tod Murphy (PF), Bob Thornton (PF)
50. Ole Miss: Carlos Clark (PG), Elston Turner (SG), Johnny Neumann (SF), Gerald Glass (SF/PF), Justin Reed (F)
49. Virginia Commonwealth: Eric Maynor (PG), Gerald Henderson (SG), Troy Daniels (SG), Treveon Graham (SF), Larry Sanders (PF)
48. Texas Tech: Geoff Huston (PG), Jeff Taylor (SG), Mark Davis (SF), Darvin Ham (PF), Tony Battie (C)
47. Montana: Micheal Ray Richardson (PG), Will Cherry (G), John Stroeder (F), Lee Johnson (F), Larry Krystkowiak (PF)
46. Northeastern: J.J. Barea (PG), Perry Moss (SG), Harry Barnes (SG), Rick Weitzman (SG), Reggie Lewis (SF)
45. Nevada: Ramon Sessions (PG), Luke Babbitt (SG), David Wood (SF), Edgar Jones (PF), JaVale McGee (C)
44. Saint Mary’s: Patty Mills (PG), Frank Kudelka (SG), Matthews Dellavedova (SG), Peter Thibeaux (SF,) Tom Meschery (PF)
43. Iona: Scott Machado (PG), Steve Burtt (SG), Sean Green (SF), Richie Guerin (PF), Jeff Ruland (C)
42. Virginia Tech: Bimbo Coles (PG), Glen Combs (SF), Dell Curry (SF), Allan Bristow (F), Wayne Robinson (F)
41. Old Dominion: Dave Twardzik (PG), Kent Bazemore (SG), Chris Gatling (PF), Kenny Gattison (PF), Mark West (C)
40. Murray State: Isaiah Canaan (PG), Joe Fulks (SG), Stew Johnson (SF), Popeye Jones (PF), Dick Cunningham (C)
39. Saint Louis: Barry Orms (PG), Larry Hughes (SG), Ed Macauley (SF), Anthony Bonner (PF), Bob Ferry (C)
38. Bradley: Al Smith (PG), Hersey Hawkins (SG), Anthony Parker (SG/SF), Chet Walker (F), Steve Kuberski (F/C)
37. Mississippi State: Derrick Zimmerman (PG), Jeff Malone (SG), Rodney Hood (SF), Bailey Howell (PF), Erick Dampier (C)
Solid Crew
36. Seton Hall: Bob Davies (PG), Bobby Wanzer (G), Adrian Griffin (SF), Mark Bryant (PF), Walter Dukes (C)
35. Baylor: David Wesley (PG), Vinnie Johnson (SG), Terry Teagle (SF), Brian Skinner (PF), Ekpe Udoh (C)
34. Iowa State: Jamaal Tinsley (PG), Monte Morris (SG), Jeff Hornacek (G/F), Zaid Abdul-Aziz (PF), Kelvin Cato (C)
33. Gonzaga: John Stockton (PG), Dan Dickau (SG), Domanatas Sabonis (PF1), Kelly Olynyk (PF2), Ronny Turiaf (C)
32. New Mexico State: Steve Colter (PG), Randy Brown (SG), John Williamson (SF), Pascal Siakam (F), Sam Lacey (C)
31. Iowa: B.J. Armstrong (PG), Fred Brown (SG), John Johnson (SF), Connie Hawkins (PF), Kevin Kunnert (C)
30. Wisconsin: Devin Harris (PG), Michael Finley (SG), Wes Matthews Sr. (SF), Frank Kaminsky (PF), Jon Leuer (C)
29. Purdue: Herm Gilliam (PG), Terry Dischinger (SG), Glenn Robinson (SF), Brad Miller (PF), Joe Barry Carroll (C)
28. Temple: Guy Rodgers (PG), Aaron McKie (SG), Eddie Jones (SF), Tim Perry (SF/PF), Duane Causwell (C)
27. Oregon: Terrell Brandon (PG), Luke Ridnour (SG), Steve Jones (G/F), Greg Ballard (F), Blair Rasmussen (C)
26. Kansas State: Mike Evans (PG), Rolando Blackman (SG), Mitch Richmond (SF), Michael Beasley (PF), Bob Boozer (F)
25. Tennessee: CJ Watson (PG), Allan Houston (SG), Dale Ellis (SF), Bernard King (F), Tom Boerwinkle (C)
24. St. John’s: Mark Jackson (PG), Chris Mullin (SG), Ron Artest (SF), Billy Paultz (PF), Leroy Ellis (C)
23. Virginia: Malcolm Brogdon (PG), Bryant Stith (SG), Joe Harris (SF), Olden Polynice (PF), Ralph Sampson (C)
22. Washington: Isaiah Thomas (PG), Brandon Roy (SG), Terrence Ross (SF), Detlef Schrempf (PF), James Edwards (C)
21. Minnesota: Archie Clark (PG), Ray Williams (SG), Lou Hudson (SF), Kevin McHale (PF), Mychal Thompson (C)
20. Louisville: Butch Beard (PG), Donovan Mitchell (SG), Darrell Griffith (SF), Rodney McCray (PF), Wes Unseld (C)
19. Florida State: Charlie Ward (PG), Sam Cassell (SG), Bob Sura (SF), George McCloud (F), Dave Cowens (C)
18. Maryland: Steve Francis (PG), Gene Shue (SG), Walt Williams (SF), Buck Williams (PF), Joe Smith (F/C)
17. Villanova: Kyle Lowry (PG), Kerry Kittles (SG), Paul Arizin (SF), Jim Washington (F), Ed Pinckney (F/C)
16. Syracuse: Sherman Douglas (PG), Dave Bing (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Derrick Coleman (PF), Rony Seikaly (C)
15. Ohio State: Mike Conley (PG), Michael Redd (SG), John Havlicek (SF), Jerry Lucas (PF), Herb Williams (C)
14. Oklahoma: Mookie Blaylock (PG), Buddy Hield (SG), Harvey Grant (SF), Blake Griffin (PF), Alvan Adams (C)
13. Florida: Jason Williams (PG), Bradley Beal (SG), Mike Miller (SF), Al Horford (PF), Joakim Noah (C)
12. Arizona State: Bryon Scott (SG), James Harden (SG), Fat Lever (SF), Ike Austin (PF), Alton Lister (C)
11. Auburn: Eddie Johnson (PG), Chris Morris (SG), Chuck Person (SF), Charles Barkley (PF), Matt Geiger (C)
Nearly All All-Stars
10. Cincinnati: Nick Van Exel (PG), Oscar Robertson (SG), Jack Twyman (SF), Kenyon Martin (PF), Connie Dierking (C)
9. Michigan: Rickey Green (PG), Jamal Crawford (SG), Glen Rice (SF), Chris Webber (PF), Roy Tarpley (C)
8. Marquette: Doc Rivers (PG), Dwyane Wade (SG), Jimmy Butler (SF), Maurice Lucas (PF), Jim Chones (C)
7. Michigan State: Magic Johnson (PG), Steve Smith (SG), Jason Richardson (SF), Zach Randolph (PF), Kevin Willis (C)
6. Kentucky: John Wall (PG), Derek Anderson (SG), Jamal Mashburn (SF), Anthony Davis (PF), Karl-Anthony Towns (C)
5. Duke: Kyrie Irving (PG), JJ Redick (SG), Grant Hill (SF), Elton Brand (PF), Christian Laettner (C)
4. Houston: Damon Jones (PG), Otis Birdsong (SG), Clyde Drexler (SF), Elvin Hayes (PF), Hakeem Olajuwon (C)
3. Kansas: Jo Jo White (PG), Paul Pierce (SG), Danny Manning (SF), Joel Embiid (PF/C), Wilt Chamberlain (C)
2. LSU: Pete Maravich (PG), Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (SG), Ben Simmons (SF), Bob Pettit (PF), Shaquille O’Neal (C)
- North Carolina: Walter Davis (PG, sort of), Michael Jordan (SG), Vince Carter (SF), Rasheed Wallace (PF), Sam Perkins (C)