Behind college football, college basketball is my greatest love, my favorite sport to watch. As a fan, I've always been intrigued by how quickly players can step in for teams and have an impact; it's rarer to see this in CFB, where guys usually have to grow, mature, and develop for at least a year before contributing for their respective teams. In basketball, this doesn't seem to be the case as much. Every year, there's a laundry list of freshmen talents stepping in to help carry their teams, whether it's Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, or Stephen Curry. This year's no exception. First, however, I'd like to talk about some of the best players in the country regardless of class, as well as which players I'd choose if I were to build a team.
Given that last sentence, I won't necessarily be choosing the best players at each position; I'd also like to factor in things like team chemistry. For example, I don't think that having Stephen Curry, Jodie Meeks, and James Harden on the same team would be good because each player is accustomed to getting a great deal of touches per game. However, pairing one of them with a more passive point guard, such as a Ty Lawson, would be a better fit. Also, let me add this: I'm a fan of a strong inside game. Guys who can rebound and block shots get big ups in my book, and I'm more likely to build around guys like that than, say, a wing player like Curry. It's not that I don't think that he's a good player--in fact, he's probably the best player in the country not named Blake Griffin--it's just a matter of preference. Anyway, let's get to my College Basketball Dream Team, complete with a 7-man bench.
Starters:
PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Jerel McNeal
SF: Jeff Adrien
PF: Blake Griffin
C: Hasheem Thabeet
Bench:
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PG: Nick Calathes
PF: Jarvis Varnado
SG: Stephen Curry
PF: DeJuan Blair
C: Jordan Hill
PF: Greg Monroe
Given that last sentence, I won't necessarily be choosing the best players at each position; I'd also like to factor in things like team chemistry. For example, I don't think that having Stephen Curry, Jodie Meeks, and James Harden on the same team would be good because each player is accustomed to getting a great deal of touches per game. However, pairing one of them with a more passive point guard, such as a Ty Lawson, would be a better fit. Also, let me add this: I'm a fan of a strong inside game. Guys who can rebound and block shots get big ups in my book, and I'm more likely to build around guys like that than, say, a wing player like Curry. It's not that I don't think that he's a good player--in fact, he's probably the best player in the country not named Blake Griffin--it's just a matter of preference. Anyway, let's get to my College Basketball Dream Team, complete with a 7-man bench.
Starters:
PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Jerel McNeal
SF: Jeff Adrien
PF: Blake Griffin
C: Hasheem Thabeet
Bench:
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu
PG: Nick Calathes
PF: Jarvis Varnado
SG: Stephen Curry
PF: DeJuan Blair
C: Jordan Hill
PF: Greg Monroe
The starting lineup is pretty damn good I think. Griffin, Lawson, or McNeal can take over the game, but the important thing is this: none of them has to take over the game. Lawson can score if needed, but only takess 9 shots per game overall. Griffin and McNeal are really the only guys starting who require a lot of touches. Jeff Adrien's an underrated interior defender, he can score from offensive rebounds, and can hit mid-range jumpers as well. Thabeet in the middle is always a plus, his game against DeJuan Blair notwithstanding; he's raw offensively, but is one of the country's biggest game changers on defense. And speaking of Blair, I nearly put him in the starting lineup, but I like Griffin's offensive game more than Blair's, plus Griffin leads the nation in rebounds per game. At the perimeter, Lawson and McNeal are both athletic enough to play good perimeter D, and the latter is big enough to get physical if need be. Plus, both can shoot well from deep, with both guys shooting over 40% from 3 for the year.
The bench players can fill big roles, too; Calathes isn't the athlete that Lawson is, but he's got the size and passing skills to be a great complement at the point; plus, like Lawson, he can take over the game if need be by scoring. He penetrates well, and can also shoot from deep. I think the player that would benefit most from two good point guards is Stephen Curry. Curry's done an admirable job running the point this year, but he shoots much better when he's able to run without the ball and find an open shot for himself. Both Calathes and Lawson could set him up, and Griffin is a tremendous passer from the post. Blair--as I've mentioned before--is a great rebounder, particularly from the offensive end. If either Thabeet or Griffin is out of the game, I'm putting Blair in the middle to grab every ball that comes near him. The same would go for Varnado, who's a Thabeet-lite in that he can rebound and block shots with proficiency. The two wild cards are Al-Farouq Aminu and Greg Monroe; the latter is a matchup nightmare for most power forwards given Monroe's combination of size and versatility; he can pass well, shoot from deep, and can rebound as well. Aminu plays a lot like Varnado--but with a lot more upside given his age. He'd be another big body in the paint, but he can also knock down the occasional jumper as well.
The bench players can fill big roles, too; Calathes isn't the athlete that Lawson is, but he's got the size and passing skills to be a great complement at the point; plus, like Lawson, he can take over the game if need be by scoring. He penetrates well, and can also shoot from deep. I think the player that would benefit most from two good point guards is Stephen Curry. Curry's done an admirable job running the point this year, but he shoots much better when he's able to run without the ball and find an open shot for himself. Both Calathes and Lawson could set him up, and Griffin is a tremendous passer from the post. Blair--as I've mentioned before--is a great rebounder, particularly from the offensive end. If either Thabeet or Griffin is out of the game, I'm putting Blair in the middle to grab every ball that comes near him. The same would go for Varnado, who's a Thabeet-lite in that he can rebound and block shots with proficiency. The two wild cards are Al-Farouq Aminu and Greg Monroe; the latter is a matchup nightmare for most power forwards given Monroe's combination of size and versatility; he can pass well, shoot from deep, and can rebound as well. Aminu plays a lot like Varnado--but with a lot more upside given his age. He'd be another big body in the paint, but he can also knock down the occasional jumper as well.
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