Duke University vs. The World

[slightly biased bias fan]

The current group of NBA players drafted from Duke University might be the strongest from a college program in league history. I know UCLA & UNC both had hall-of-fame groups, but in terms of quality in depth, this Duke crop has them beat.

Duke University

Team A

Kyrie Irving
Kon Knueppel
Jayson Tatum
Cooper Flagg
Paolo Banchero

Team B

Jared McCain
Brandon Ingram
Jalen Johnson
Zion Williamson
Wendell Carter Jr

Team C

Grayson Allen
Luke Kennard
RJ Barrett
Marvin Bagley III
Dereck Lively Jr

Team D

Tre Jones
Sion James
Gary Trent Jr
Kyle Filipowski
Mark Williams

Team E

Tyus Jones
Tyrese Proctor
Wendell Moore
Khaman Maluach
Mason Plumlee

[boscel33]

Duke is strong for sure but have a gander at some of the UK players currently playing, not even counting past players, I think it would be a heck of a match up.

Randle
KAT
Booker
Murray
Fox
Monk
Bam
SAG
PJ Washington
Herro
Keldon Johnson
Maxey
Quickley
Isaiah Jackson
Sharpe
Sheppard

[Moranis]

Kentucky is better at the top. Don't think it is particularly close.

Guards - Fox, Maxey, Murray, Herro, Wallace, Quickley, Sheppard
Wings - SGA, Booker, Monk, K Johnson, Washington
Bigs - Bam, Towns, Randle, AD, Vanderbilt, Richards, I Jackson

No other school is beating Maxey, Booker, SGA, Bam, and Towns.

Even the Fox, Murray, Monk, Randle, AD 2nd team would be tough (you know in the 3 games AD would be healthy)

[Redz]

That?s crazy. Those two lists comprise about 10% of the league?s regular rosters. 

[slamtheking]

That?s crazy. Those two lists comprise about 10% of the league?s regular rosters.

what's crazy is having schools that loaded with NBA caliber talent not winning more NCAA titles.

[Moranis]

That?s crazy. Those two lists comprise about 10% of the league?s regular rosters.

what's crazy is having schools that loaded with NBA caliber talent not winning more NCAA titles.

the best college teams tend to have upperclassmen.  Most of those guys were 1 and done.  It can be done that way but is much more difficult

[Celtics4ever]

UCLA could beat Duke with their all time team easily.

C  Kareem( Lew Alcindor), Don MacLean, and Bill Walton
PF  Sidney Wicks, Ed O'Bannon, and Kevin Love
SF  Marques Johnson, Jamaal (Keith) Wilkes, and Tracy Murray
SG  Reggie Miller, and Kiki Vandeweghe
PG Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard

Honorable mention Willie Nauls, Curtis Rowe, Henry Bibby and Lucius Allen

I would imagine they could be UK too, Kareem and Walton are two of the greatest college big men ever.

Now a lot of these guys were before Duke became Duke.

[Moranis]

All time teams would be interesting as you'd get some non-regular or modern powers.  Think a team like the University of Cincinnati, which has had some good teams, but not great teams since the 60's.  I mean the only active Bearcat is Tari Eason, but all time, they'd be a really hard out because they are led by the greatest college guard ever in the Big O along with HOF Twyman, #1 pick Martin, and a bunch of other long career players like Nick Van Exel, Lance Stephenson, and Connie Dierking.  Obviously not on the level of UNC, Duke, UCLA, or UK, but would at least give them a game and would be very hard for anyone else to beat.

Starters - Oscar, Twyman, Stephenson, Martin, Dierking
Bench - Van Exel, Satterfield, Wingfield, Demarr Johnson, Fortson, Blount, Eason, Ard, Roberson

Not super deep, but that starting 5 with Van Exel is tough. 

[boscel33]

UCLA could beat Duke with their all time team easily.

C  Kareem( Lew Alcindor), Don MacLean, and Bill Walton
PF  Sidney Wicks, Ed O'Bannon, and Kevin Love
SF  Marques Johnson, Jamaal (Keith) Wilkes, and Tracy Murray
SG  Reggie Miller, and Kiki Vandeweghe
PG Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard

Honorable mention Willie Nauls, Curtis Rowe, Henry Bibby and Lucius Allen

I would imagine they could be UK too, Kareem and Walton are two of the greatest college big men ever.

Now a lot of these guys were before Duke became Duke.

I thought about UCLA, but went to UK because they're still a pipeline and with today's NBA and the 3 pointers, I think UK or Duke destroys UCLA.

[Donoghus]

Was thinking about that other blueblood in Kansas last night and what they could trot out.

C:  Wilt Chamberlain, Clyde Lovellette, Joel Embiid
F:  Danny Manning, Paul Pierce,  Nick Collison, Raef LaFrentz, Drew Gooden
G: JoJo White, Kirk Hinrich, Mario Chalmers. Jacque Vaughn

[slightly biased bias fan]

If you were looking for the best college starting five in the NBA at one time, (in my opinion) it would have to be the University of North Carolina in 1990 or UCLA in 1975.

UNC Tar Heels

Kenny Smith
Michael Jordan
James Worthy
Sam Perkins
Brad Daugherty


UCLA Bruins

Gail Goodrich
Jamaal Abdul-Lateef
Sidney Wicks
Bill Walton
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar