Best All-Time Starting Five For Each Final Four Team
The best all-time starting five for each Final Four team is a deep batch. Here's a look at the top players from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Villanova.
The best all-time starting five for each Final Four team is a deep batch. Here’s a look at the top players from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Villanova.
For the sake of this exercise, we’ll employ the modern day NBA All-Star balloting approach: two guards and three frontcourt players. And because every team needs a great sixth man, one of those will also be included. “One and done” players will be considered, but preferential treatment goes to those who played three or more seasons collegiately. While many of these players went on to star in the NBA, emphasis will be placed on their amateur careers. Without further ado, here are the best all-time starting five lineups for each of this year’s Final Four teams.
North Carolina
Guards
Phil Ford, point guard, 6-2, 175 lbs.
Consensus All-American in 1976, 1977 and 1978; member of the ACC 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team honoring the fifty best players in ACC history.
Michael Jordan, shooting guard/small forward, 6-6, 195 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American in 1983 and 1984; as a freshman, drilled the game-winning jumper in the 1982 NCAA championship game; national college player of the year in 1984.
Frontcourt
James Worthy, small forward/power forward, 6-9, 225 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1982.
Billy Cunningham, small forward/power forward, 6-6, 210 lbs.
First-team All-American (USBWA) in 1964; member of the ACC 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team.
Tyler Hansbrough, power forward, 6-9, 250 lbs.
ACC’s all-time leading scorer; consensus first-team All-American in 2007, 2008 and 2009; national college player of the year in 2008.
Sixth man
Antawn Jamison, power forward/small forward, 6-8, 223 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American and national college player of the year in 1998.
Oklahoma
Guards
Mookie Blaylock, point guard, 6-0, 180 lbs.
Helped lead the Sooners to the NCAA championship game in 1988; consensus second-team All-American in 1989.
Buddy Hield, shooting guard, 6-4, 214 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American and Sporting News College Player of the Year in 2016.
Frontcourt
Blake Griffin, power forward, 6-10, 251 lbs.
Tallied 30 double-doubles in 2008–09, one shy of David Robinson’s NCAA record; national college player of the year in 2009.
Wayman Tisdale, power forward, 6-9, 240 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American in 1983, 1984 and 1985; outstanding freshman award in the NCAA now named the Wayman Tisdale Award.
Stacey King, center/power forward, 6-11, 230 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American and Sporting News College Player of the Year in 1989.
Sixth man
Alvan Adams, center/power forward, 6-9, 210 lbs.
One of three players in Sooners history to record 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in a game (Griffin and Tisdale); third-team All-American (NABC) in 1975.
Syracuse
Guards
Pearl Washington, point guard, 6-2, 190 lbs.
Consensus second-team All-American in 1985; second-team All-American (UPI) in 1986.
Dave Bing, point guard/shooting guard, 6-3, 180 lbs.
Led the Orangemen in scoring as a sophomore (22.2), junior (23.2) and senior (28.4); consensus All-American as a senior in 1966.
Frontcourt
Carmelo Anthony, small forward/power forward, 6-8, 240 lbs.
Consensus second-team All-American as a freshman; named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2003 after leading Syracuse to a national championship.
Derrick Coleman, power forward/center, 6-10, 230 lbs.
Second-team All-American (UPI) in 1989; Big East Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American in 1990.
Rony Seikaly, center, 6-11, 230 lbs.
Led Syracuse to 1987 NCAA championship game; consensus second-team All-American in 1988; among school’s all-time leaders in rebounds, points and blocks.
Sixth man
Sherman Douglas, point guard, 6-0, 180 lbs.
Second-team All-American (UPI) in 1988; tied the all-time NCAA record for assists in a game (22); consensus second-team All-American in 1989.
Villanova
Guards
Kyle Lowry, point guard, 6-0, 205 lbs.
Big East All-Rookie Team in 2005; second-team All-Big East in 2006.
Randy Foye, shooting guard, 6-4, 213 lbs.
Consensus first-team All-American and Big East Player of the Year in 2006.
Frontcourt
Paul Arizin, small forward, 6-4, 190 lbs.
NCAA Division I scoring leader, consensus first-team All-American and Sporting News Player of the Year in 1950.
Howard Porter, small forward/power forward, 6-8, 220 lbs.
Third-team All-American (AP, NABC and UPI) in 1969; consensus second-team All-American and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after leading the Wildcats to the championship game in 1971.
Ed Pinckney, power forward/small forward, 6-9, 195 lbs.
First-team All-Big East in 1983 and 1985; NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after leading the Wildcats past Georgetown in the 1985 championship game.
Sixth man
Kerry Kittles, shooting guard, 6-5, 179 lbs.
Consensus second-team All-American and Big East Player of the Year in 1995; consensus first-team All-American in 1996; owns school record for most career points scored (2,243)
