Greatest College Basketball Team Ever?

[ZoomSlowik]

Well, the balloting is done. The Final Four was 96 Kentucky versus 82 UNC and 76 Indiana versus 69 UCLA. The Heels beat Indiana in the final. Personally, I think that's a load of crap. The 82 Heels weren't THAT good. Their stars were all pretty young, and I think the fans were a little swayed by the fact that Michael was on the team, even though he wasn't quite his old self back then.

[whitesoxfan101]

I would pick 1996 Kentucky. They kicked ass during a time where college basketball was REALLY good, they had over a half dozen NBA players, only lost 2 games all year playing in a tough SEC, played in integrated times and times where it wasn't just UCLA's NBA team beating inferior competition.....they are my pick.

[Rowand44]

and I think the fans were a little swayed by the fact that Michael was on the team

There you go, that's it basically.

[Palehosefan]

Well, the balloting is done. The Final Four was 96 Kentucky versus 82 UNC and 76 Indiana versus 69 UCLA. The Heels beat Indiana in the final. Personally, I think that's a load of crap. The 82 Heels weren't THAT good. Their stars were all pretty young, and I think the fans were a little swayed by the fact that Michael was on the team, even though he wasn't quite his old self back then.

 

The team had 3 NBA players that scored over 18,000 points in their career, combined with a distributing PG in Black and a perfect role player in Doherty. There wasn't much of a bench, but back in those days there really didn't need to be, especially with the 4 corners being run. UNC only scored 67 ppg, but their defense only allowed 55 ppg. They had a dominant SG defender in Jordan, a good defender at SF in Worthy, and a dominant post defender in Sam Perkins.

[whitesoxfan101]

The team had 3 NBA players that scored over 18,000 points in their career, combined with a distributing PG in Black and a perfect role player in Doherty. There wasn't much of a bench, but back in those days there really didn't need to be, especially with the 4 corners being run. UNC only scored 67 ppg, but their defense only allowed 55 ppg. They had a dominant SG defender in Jordan, a good defender at SF in Worthy, and a dominant post defender in Sam Perkins.

 

Put them against 1996 Kentucky without the four corners/no shot clock/no 3 point line nonsense and they would be in a whole mess of trouble.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Well, the balloting is done. The Final Four was 96 Kentucky versus 82 UNC and 76 Indiana versus 69 UCLA. The Heels beat Indiana in the final. Personally, I think that's a load of crap. The 82 Heels weren't THAT good. Their stars were all pretty young, and I think the fans were a little swayed by the fact that Michael was on the team, even though he wasn't quite his old self back then.

 

I'm as big a Jordan fan as there is, but damn. He wasn't even the second best player on that particular team. No way that UNC is better than that '96 Kentucky team.

[Palehosefan]

Put them against 1996 Kentucky without the four corners/no shot clock/no 3 point line nonsense and they would be in a whole mess of trouble.

 

Don't forget that UNC didn't use their bench because they didn't need to. They had talented guys like Jimmy Braddock, and Buzz Peterson, as well as 7'1 Warren Martin for stretches.

 

PG. Jimmy Black vs. Tony Delk(even, Delk better scorer, Black def/distributor)

SG. MJ vs. Derek Anderson(MJ big)

SF. Matt Doherty vs. Ron Mercer(even)

PF. Worthy vs. Walker(Worthy)

C. Perkins vs. McCarty(Perkins)

 

Wayne Turner vs. Jimmy Braddock(Shephard slightly, due to p/t)

Jeff Shephard vs. Buzz Peterson(same as above)

Nazr Mohammed vs. Warren Martin(same reason, Nazr slightly)

 

Tough to say. It's not hard to imagine MJ, Worthy, Perkins, and Doherty running the floor with Black leading the way doing very well in an uptempo style. That plus the height UNC could throw out there if need be, 8 guys 6'8 or over, leads me to believe it would have been a great game.

[Rowand44]

Don't forget that UNC didn't use their bench because they didn't need to. They had talented guys like Jimmy Braddock, and Buzz Peterson, as well as 7'1 Warren Martin for stretches.

 

PG. Jimmy Black vs. Tony Delk(even, Delk better scorer, Black def/distributor)

SG. MJ vs. Derek Anderson(MJ big)

SF. Matt Doherty vs. Ron Mercer(even)

PF. Worthy vs. Walker(Worthy)

C.  Perkins vs. McCarty(Perkins)

 

Wayne Turner vs. Jimmy Braddock(Shephard slightly, due to p/t)

Jeff Shephard vs. Buzz Peterson(same as above)

Nazr Mohammed vs. Warren Martin(same reason, Nazr slightly)

 

Tough to say. It's not hard to imagine MJ, Worthy, Perkins, and Doherty running the floor with Black leading the way doing very well in an uptempo style. That plus the height UNC could throw out there if need be, 8 guys 6'8 or over, leads me to believe it would have been a great game.

I think it's pretty obvious that UK would kick ass, it doesn't matter that I never saw that UNC team play, it's obvious because I said so.

[Palehosefan]

FINE.

[Rowand44]

Yay, I win.

[whitesoxfan101]

Yeah I obviously didn't see 1982 UNC either. But that Kentucky team was so good and deep and experienced and could play any style.....I can't see anybody beating them in a big time game. In terms of future NBA studs, UNC wins of course....but I take 1996 Kentucky over 1982 UNC strictly in terms of those individual teams. They are both top 5 teams of all time though in all likelihood.

[ZoomSlowik]

The team had 3 NBA players that scored over 18,000 points in their career, combined with a distributing PG in Black and a perfect role player in Doherty. There wasn't much of a bench, but back in those days there really didn't need to be, especially with the 4 corners being run. UNC only scored 67 ppg, but their defense only allowed 55 ppg. They had a dominant SG defender in Jordan, a good defender at SF in Worthy, and a dominant post defender in Sam Perkins.

 

They obviously had some talent, but as I said, their key players were really young at the time, and as you said they barely had a bench. If you look at what their players eventually did, then yeah, their roster is pretty impressive. But I don't think Michael as a freshmen, Perkins as a soph and Worthy as a soph or junior (can't remember which) trumps teams like Houston with Elvin Hayes as a senior, Phi-Slamma-Jamma, or Georgetown with Ewing as a junior. They were good, but I don't think they were even in the top 5 (maybe even top 10) for best college team ever. Honestly, I thought the 83 and 84 teams were better. I think they were kind of like UNLV in the early 90's: their best team didn't win it all. The competition was pretty stiff in 83 and 84 though.

Edited March 30, 2006 by ZoomSlowik

[Palehosefan]

I definitely think the 83-84 squad with this lineup was better...

 

PG. Kenny Smith

SG. MJ

SF. Matt Doherty

PF. Sam Perkins

C. Brad Daugherty

 

With Buzz Peterson, Joe Wolf, Dave Popson, Steve Hale on the bench.

 

Along with alot of upperclass leadership, UNC had 7 guys on the squad that played in the NBA, or in Steve Hale's case, turned down a NBA contract for medical school. That to me was the best team in history, things just didn't go their way.

[Rex Hudler]

Anybody know of a good site where you can get schedules/results from different teams throughout the years?

 

This is one time where google isn't helping me very well.

[Middle Buffalo]

Anybody know of a good site where you can get schedules/results from different teams throughout the years? 

 

This is one time where google isn't helping me very well.

If you go to the individual team sites, they should have a section that lists results for teams throughout the years. I just looked up the 1985 St. John's team a couple of days ago. They were one of my all-time favorites. Mark Jackson, Bill Wennington, Walter Berry and Chris Mullin. They lost to Georgetown in the Final Four, and then G'town went on to get upset by Villanova.