With no NBA early entry, the Final Four might look very different
The last time a senior was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft was in 2000, when Kenyon Martin was taken by the New Jersey Nets out of Cincinnati.
The NBA made some strides with the implementation of the one-and-done rule, forcing high school players to play one year of college basketball before turning professional, but that hasn't stopped the early exodus to the big time.
With Villanova and North Carolina primed for battle in Monday's National Championship game, how would this year's tournament have played out if all players were forced to play four years in college?
Here are seven teams that would present formidable lineups.
| Team | Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center | Bench |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | Tyus Jones | Rodney Hood | Justise Winslow | Jabari Parker | Jahlil Okafor | Brandon Ingram |
| Kentucky | Tyler Ulis | Jamal Murray | Devin Booker | Julius Randle | Karl-Anthony Towns | Nerlens Noel |
| Kansas | Frank Mason III | Ben McLemore | Andrew Wiggins | Perry Ellis | Joel Embiid | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
| UCLA | Zach LaVine | Shabazz Muhammad | Jordan Adams | Kevon Looney | Kyle Anderson | Bryce Alford |
| Syracuse | Tyler Ennis | Malachi Richardson | Michael Gbinije | Jerami Grant | Chris McCullough | Tyler Lydon |
| Michigan | Derrick Walton Jr. | Nik Stauskas | Caris LeVert | Glenn Robinson III | Mitch McGary | Zak Irvin |
| Arizona | Allonzo Trier | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Aaron Gordon | Stanley Johnson | Ryan Anderson | Grant Jerrett |
Not surprisingly Kentucky and Duke stand out from the pack with some star NBA players.
The offensive potential for the Blue Devils' starting five of Tyus Jones, Rodney Hood, Justise Winslow, Jabari Parker, and Jahlil Okafor is mouth-watering. Add the bench punch of potential No. 1 overall pick Brandon Ingram, and prolific scorer Grayson Allen, and Mike Krzyzewski's crew would be unstoppable.
Kentucky's backcourt of Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray was the best in the country this year, and adding the shooting of Devin Booker with the post presence of Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns is downright terrifying.
Watching Kansas run out in transition would be a ridiculously-entertaining experience, led by high-flyers Ben McLemore and Andrew Wiggins. A healthy Joel Embiid dominated the college game, and would only be better with this supporting cast.
An interesting UCLA lineup with Kyle Anderson at the five might struggle on defense, but the backcourt of Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad is virtually unguardable.
Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone presents a tough defensive matchup for any Syracuse opponent, but when you add the ability of Tyler Ennis to the toughness of the rest of the starting five, that's a nightmare for the feint of heart.
Two surprisingly strong teams are Arizona and Michigan, featuring stars like dunk maestro Aaron Gordon, and the hot shooting of Nik Stauskas. Both of those teams could make a deep tournament run in any year.
Have your say, with the squads laid out, which team would make a deep tournament run and cut down the nets as the NCAA champion.