So, while I intended to get to this a while back, I figured I'd better get to it now. And I'll continue the trend of picking the guys that were in college last year, even if they've signed pro contracts and played in the Summer League or whatever it's called.
My coach this time out, is the great(I have to grudgingly admit this as a MU fan. Oh what could have been in 1999...) Bill Self, the head coach of Kansas.
Starters
- PF/C Brice Johnson (North Carolina)
- PF Perry Ellis (Kansas)
- SF/SG Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)
- SG Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia)
- PG Tyler Ulis (Kentucky)
Bench
- C A.J. Hammons (Purdue)
- C Kaleb Tarczewski (Arizona)
- F Georges Niang (Iowa State)
- F Brandon Ingram (Duke)
- SG/SF Wayne Selden (Kansas)
- SG Grayson Allen (Duke)
- PG Frank Mason III (Kansas)
Similar to what he did, by taking his whole KU team for the World University Games in 2015, I think Self takes at least three of his Jayhawks. Even though he likes to play with two point guards on the floor, I think he only chooses two true point guards, due to the amazing Denzel Valentine, as well as Grayson Allen who did a lot of the running the show for Duke in 2015-16.
Overall I think the team is pretty versatile. I probably picked one too many big guys, instead of another guard(Marcus Paige, Kris Dunn, Ron Baker, Fred Van Vleet), but having extra size and height is always a good thing. The forwards are the same way, being leaner and more athletic, which helps match the style du jour of the Golden State Warriors. Again, there were several that probably should be on this team (Nigel Hayes, Alex Poythress come to mind) from that spot. There were just a lot of of talented and upperclass players which made these choices hard.
Now, maybe I'll get to filling in the teams for the World Championships....
