Monday, September 1, 2014

A 2014 USA Basketball World Championship Team Made Up of College Players

With the World Basketball Championship, okay the World Cup of Basketball, going on, it got me to thinking again of what a team made up of college players would look like. NBCSports, College Basketball Talk did a similar feature and brought up the point of not even using up drafted players from this recent draft. I'd never really thought of that angle, in that the recently drafted would be considered pros even if they haven't played a single minute of professional ball. That would have effected the rosters I've made up when I did the Olympic Basketball teams being made up of college players.
But I'll stick with recently drafted still being eligible as "amateurs." I think the coach for this team would be John Beilein, the head coach of the University of Michigan, based on his recent successes and his ability at coaching through many different levels of college ball.


Starters
  • PF Julius Randle (Kentucky)
  • F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
  • SF Jabari Parker (Duke)
  • G Russ Smith (Louisville)
  • PG Shabazz Napier (UConn)


 Bench
  • C Frank Kaminksy (Wisconsin)
  • PF/C Adreian Payne (Michigan State)
  • F Cleanthony Early (Wichita St.)
  • SF Glenn Robinson III (Michigan)
  • SF/SG Rodney Hood (Duke)
  • G Xavier Thames (San Diego St.) 
  • PG Marcus Paige (North Carolina)

Most of my roster is indeed playing in the NBA this year. And it seems like an odd mixture, of lacking a true swingman and maybe needing another guy with height. I would have Mitch McGary, but I believe he was injured at the time. I think the strength of this team would be the depth at forward, to make up for its smaller guards. With Parker and McDermott, along with Hood, Robinson and Early, there is strong combination of scoring, versatility and athleticism to make up deficiencies. 

And like before, given the the time I'll go back starting with 1994 and playing around with what other World Championship teams would look like through the years.