What are you "what-if" teams?

[johhnywave]

I'll try and stimulate this section a little... What are you "what if" teams? What if being, If a certain recruit who went straight to the pros had gone to the school they were going to commit to or if an underclassmen who left early to the NBA had stayed one more season. Of course things like scholarships play a role and some of them actually work out. However, if they don't in your case, who cares. This is all hypothetical anyway.

The first one that comes to mind is if Sheed and Stack stayed one more season to join VC and Twan. Would have had Touche running the point, Stack, Carter, Jamison, and then Wallace at center. McInnis had a solid journeyman career while the other four have made multiple NBA all-star games. Of course you have Coach Smith coaching so chemistry would obviously not have been and issue since you are forced to play the Carolina Way. Actually, going one year further (Stack and Sheed then being seniors), you replace Touche with Cota. Cota to Wallace

Another one is after the Heels won their championship in '82. If Worthy stayed for his senior season, you would bring back the player of the year to go along with year older, Jordan and Perkins. Then a freshman, Daugherty comes in, Doh, Martin, and Buzz all there. That team is begging for a repeat. Daugherty and Sam would be, actually they are, one of the most feared low post duos ever.

Two years later, Jet was maliciously, and blatantly, taken down in a game against LSU because Carolina was beating the crap out of them. I think that team won their first 18 games by like a 20 point margin. Kenny Smith came back 8 games later and was never the same. IMO, he was never really the same for his entire career, including the NBA. They had the potential to go undefeated with Smith, Jordan, Doh, Daugherty, Perkins.

My last one is if the 2004 class came in it's entirety. The class would have been, JR Smith, Marvin Williams, QQQQQ, JamesOn Curry, and Dwight Howard. This is one scenario where I'm certain scholarships wouldn't work out. Couple of the players were recruited because of guys dropping out. Anyway, JR Smith was an average McDonalds All-American game from joining, JamesOn Curry was an arrest away from joining, and Dwight Howard was a not being a man-child away from joining.

BTW, if you are wondering about if Dwight really would have went to UNC.
http://www.chicagodefender.com/artic...gic-hopes.html

"The NBA now requires players to be one-year removed from high school before entering the league, making Howard the last high school player to be drafted with the first pick.

Howard says he would've picked North Carolina had he gone to college."

ctrl+f "North Carolina" or scroll down and read.

Those guys joining Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Jackie Manuel, Reyshawn Terry, Jawad Williams, David Noel. What a godly team. Off the top of my head, 8 of those guys are, or is on/off, with an NBA team, another is already coaching (and moving up fast!), another is rapping with the big players in that business, and another was drafted in this past NFL draft. 3rd round, to the Pats, I think. Felton, McCants, Pope, May, and Howard starting. Marvin, JR, JamesOn, Jawad, Noel, and Scott coming off the bench... Filthy. The original team won a National Championship by themselves to begin with.

A really quick one since the last one reminded me of something. If Marvin had stayed one more season, don't think they would have repeated, but Bobby/Rey/Noel/Marvin/Tyler is not bad at all. That team over-achieved and we saw how far George Mason went in the tournament (would have been the same match-ups for UNC, GM beat UNC...). Who knows... Although I guess because Marvin didn't comeback, we have the ultimate Cinderella team and UNC fans got to enjoy Noel who is just an amazing human being. Also this Marvin what if isn't as random as it seems. When the players were deciding their future, Marvin went in to Roy's office in tears because he felt awful that he had to go to the NBA because of a recent family problem. He clearly wanted to comeback for his sophomore season and probably would have benefited greatly if he did. What have probably been the center of the offense and one of the leaders of a young team.

Actually have an article bookmarked from the '06 season:

http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m...031906aab.html

That article shows the appreciation most Carolina feel for David Noel since most don't understand. It was written after the George Mason loss. If you want to read it, read the whole thing. It's short and well written.

So what are yours? I know Kansas, dook, and UCLA have some really good ones.

[arlubas]

There are some pretty obvious picks. One being the Florida team that won two titles with everyone back and Nick Calathes and Marreese Speights joining the fun. Then you have the Kansas team who went all the way to the final game with Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Had everyone stayed you would have Collison, Simien and Gooden in the low post the next season. That line up sounds scary for the collegiate level. There are more but I have to go so I'll add more when I return.

[Potpono]

I got one for me, -Arizona Wildcat fan

-If Brandon Jennings didn't decommit out of Arizona at the last minute he would run the 2 and Nic Wise could run the point and have Chase Budinger at the 3 and Jordan hill at the 4/5 he could play both. If you think about that lineup that is dangerous considering we made the sweet 16 without it...

[HaRdKoRexRoCkEr]

if jordan farmar and arron afflalo stayed 2 more seasons to play with kevin love, russell westbrook, darren collison, luc richard mbah a moute, lorenzo mata, alfred aboya, and josh shipp

[Sasha The Machine]

Some Ed Cota love, man, appreciate it.

[BoogieFan]

Originally Posted by arlubas

There are some pretty obvious picks. One being the Florida team that won two titles with everyone back and Nick Calathes and Marreese Speights joining the fun. Then you have the Kansas team who went all the way to the final game with Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Had everyone stayed you would have Collison, Simien and Gooden in the low post the next season. That line up sounds scary for the collegiate level. There are more but I have to go so I'll add more when I return.

Don't forget Roberson and Walsh leaving Florida early, had they stayed the PG and SG position that was Florida's weakest links with Humphrey and Green would have been better, but then again the chemistry might have been different.

Had Aldridge stayed, a Durant-Aldridge combo would have been absolutely insane. Oden and Koufos would have been pretty tight too. Ah there are too much really.