DavidBenAkiva
12-13-2012, 11:29 AM
These week+ long breaks are killing me. I was thinking about how good certain teams would be if underclassmen would stay in school all four years. This is a fantasy and I am past being upset about the one-and-done rule. Still, it's kind of fun to think about how good certain teams would be were all their top players still in school.
It seems fairly obvious Kentucky would be the top team and odds-on favorite to repeat as national champs this year. Heck, they might even be looking for a third championship in a row! Here's how I see this year's top 10 teams with current and fantasy players:
1. Kentucky (not including Enas Kanter)
Starters: John Wall, Sr. PG, Brandon Knight, Jr. G, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, So. SF, Anthony Davis, So. PF/C, Demarcus Cousins, Sr. C
Key Reserves: Eric Bledsoe, Sr. PG, Marquis Teague, So. PG, Terrance Jones, Jr. PF, Kyle Wiltjer, So. F, Daniel Orton, Sr. C, Nerlens Noel, Fr. C, Willie Causey-Stein, Fr. C
3. North Carolina
Starters: Kendall Marshall, Jr. PG, Dexter Strickland, Sr. SG, Harrison Barnes, Jr. SF, James Michael McAdoo, So. PF, John Henson, Sr. PF
Key Reserves: Marcus Paige, Fr. PG, Leslie McDonald, Jr. G, P.J. Hairston, Jr. G, Reggie Bullock, Jr. G/F, J.P. Tokoto, Fr. SF, Brice Johnson, Fr. PF, Joel James, Fr. C
3. Kansas
Starters: Elijah Johnson, Sr. G, Josh Selby, Jr. G, Xavier Henry, Sr. G/F, Thomas Robinson, Sr. PF, Jeff Withey, Sr. C
Key Reserves: Travis Releford, Sr. G, Ben McLemore, Fr. G, Perry Ellis, Fr. F,, Kevin Young, Sr. F
4. Duke
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Jr. PG, Seth Curry, Sr. G, Austin Rivers, So. G, Ryan Kelly, Sr. F, Mason Plumlee, Sr. F/C
Key Reserves: Quinn Cook, So. PG, Tyler Thornton, Jr. G, Rasheed Sulaimon, Fr. G, Alex Murphy, Fr. F, Amile Jefferson, Fr. F, Josh Hairston, Jr. F, Marshall Plumlee, Fr. C
5. Baylor
Starters: Pierre Jackson, Sr. G, Brady Heslip, Jr. G, Quincy Miller, So. SF, Perry Jones III, Jr. PF, Isiah Austin, Fr. Sr.
Key Reserves: L.J. Rose, Fr. PG, A.J. Walton, Sr. G, Deuce Bello, So. G, Rico Gathers, Fr. F, Cory Jefferson, Sr. F
6. Florida
Starters: Kenny Boynton, Sr. G, Mike Rosario, Sr. G, Bradley Beal, So. G, Erik Murphy, Sr. F, Patric Young, Jr. C
Key Reserves: Scottie Wilbekin, Jr. G, Casey Prather, Jr. G/F, Will Yeguete, Jr. F,
7. Syracuse (not including Fab Melo)
Starters: Brandon Triche, Sr. PG, Dion Waiters, Junior G., C.J. Fair, Jr. F, Rakeem Christmas, So. F, DaJuan Coleman, Fr. F/C
Key Reserves: Michael Carter-Williams, So. G, James Southerland, Sr. F
8. Indiana
Starters: Yogi Ferrell, Fr. PG, Jordan Hulls, Sr. G, Victor Oladipo, Jr. G, Christian Watford, Sr. F, Cody Zeller, So. F/C
Key Reserves: Maurice Creek, Jr. G, Will Sheehey, Jr. F, Hanner Mosquera-Perea, Fr. F, Peter Jurkin, Fr. C
9. Texas
Starters: Myck Kabongo, So. G, Cory Joseph, Jr. G, Avery Bradley, Sr. G, Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson, Jr. PF
Key Reserves: Sheldon McClellan, So. G, Julien Lewis, So. G, Cameron Ridely, Fr. C
10. Ohio State
Starters: Aaron Craft, Jr. PG, Lenzelle Smith, Jr., Jr. G, DeShaun Thomas, Jr. F, Jared Sullinger, Jr. F, Amir Williams, So. F/C
Key Reserves: Shannon Scott, So. G, LaQuinton Ross, So. F, Evan Ravenel, Sr. F
To me, it was surprising how much talent left Texas - both Baylor and Texas. I don't know if any of those guys will end up being starters on NBA rosters, but they all had the chance to be outstanding college players. Who knows if these lineups would even fit together? Connecticut would be pretty good, perhaps, with Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond. Keeping all that talent happy at these schools would be quite the challenge. What does everyone else think?
It seems fairly obvious Kentucky would be the top team and odds-on favorite to repeat as national champs this year. Heck, they might even be looking for a third championship in a row! Here's how I see this year's top 10 teams with current and fantasy players:
1. Kentucky (not including Enas Kanter)
Starters: John Wall, Sr. PG, Brandon Knight, Jr. G, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, So. SF, Anthony Davis, So. PF/C, Demarcus Cousins, Sr. C
Key Reserves: Eric Bledsoe, Sr. PG, Marquis Teague, So. PG, Terrance Jones, Jr. PF, Kyle Wiltjer, So. F, Daniel Orton, Sr. C, Nerlens Noel, Fr. C, Willie Causey-Stein, Fr. C
3. North Carolina
Starters: Kendall Marshall, Jr. PG, Dexter Strickland, Sr. SG, Harrison Barnes, Jr. SF, James Michael McAdoo, So. PF, John Henson, Sr. PF
Key Reserves: Marcus Paige, Fr. PG, Leslie McDonald, Jr. G, P.J. Hairston, Jr. G, Reggie Bullock, Jr. G/F, J.P. Tokoto, Fr. SF, Brice Johnson, Fr. PF, Joel James, Fr. C
3. Kansas
Starters: Elijah Johnson, Sr. G, Josh Selby, Jr. G, Xavier Henry, Sr. G/F, Thomas Robinson, Sr. PF, Jeff Withey, Sr. C
Key Reserves: Travis Releford, Sr. G, Ben McLemore, Fr. G, Perry Ellis, Fr. F,, Kevin Young, Sr. F
4. Duke
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Jr. PG, Seth Curry, Sr. G, Austin Rivers, So. G, Ryan Kelly, Sr. F, Mason Plumlee, Sr. F/C
Key Reserves: Quinn Cook, So. PG, Tyler Thornton, Jr. G, Rasheed Sulaimon, Fr. G, Alex Murphy, Fr. F, Amile Jefferson, Fr. F, Josh Hairston, Jr. F, Marshall Plumlee, Fr. C
5. Baylor
Starters: Pierre Jackson, Sr. G, Brady Heslip, Jr. G, Quincy Miller, So. SF, Perry Jones III, Jr. PF, Isiah Austin, Fr. Sr.
Key Reserves: L.J. Rose, Fr. PG, A.J. Walton, Sr. G, Deuce Bello, So. G, Rico Gathers, Fr. F, Cory Jefferson, Sr. F
6. Florida
Starters: Kenny Boynton, Sr. G, Mike Rosario, Sr. G, Bradley Beal, So. G, Erik Murphy, Sr. F, Patric Young, Jr. C
Key Reserves: Scottie Wilbekin, Jr. G, Casey Prather, Jr. G/F, Will Yeguete, Jr. F,
7. Syracuse (not including Fab Melo)
Starters: Brandon Triche, Sr. PG, Dion Waiters, Junior G., C.J. Fair, Jr. F, Rakeem Christmas, So. F, DaJuan Coleman, Fr. F/C
Key Reserves: Michael Carter-Williams, So. G, James Southerland, Sr. F
8. Indiana
Starters: Yogi Ferrell, Fr. PG, Jordan Hulls, Sr. G, Victor Oladipo, Jr. G, Christian Watford, Sr. F, Cody Zeller, So. F/C
Key Reserves: Maurice Creek, Jr. G, Will Sheehey, Jr. F, Hanner Mosquera-Perea, Fr. F, Peter Jurkin, Fr. C
9. Texas
Starters: Myck Kabongo, So. G, Cory Joseph, Jr. G, Avery Bradley, Sr. G, Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson, Jr. PF
Key Reserves: Sheldon McClellan, So. G, Julien Lewis, So. G, Cameron Ridely, Fr. C
10. Ohio State
Starters: Aaron Craft, Jr. PG, Lenzelle Smith, Jr., Jr. G, DeShaun Thomas, Jr. F, Jared Sullinger, Jr. F, Amir Williams, So. F/C
Key Reserves: Shannon Scott, So. G, LaQuinton Ross, So. F, Evan Ravenel, Sr. F
To me, it was surprising how much talent left Texas - both Baylor and Texas. I don't know if any of those guys will end up being starters on NBA rosters, but they all had the chance to be outstanding college players. Who knows if these lineups would even fit together? Connecticut would be pretty good, perhaps, with Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond. Keeping all that talent happy at these schools would be quite the challenge. What does everyone else think?