What If

 You can't go straight to the NBA Amare, I have the final word. 

Sports Illustrated has been running a yearly tournament which runs along the same time as the NCAA Tournament called 'What If?'  It's a fictional tournament with high school players on the college teams that they probably would have attended and college players still in school and not leaving early.  For instance, one of the better teams, in my opinion, would be North Carolina.  The Tarheels, who had a very solid year, were beaten in the second round this year after having lost their top seven scorer's from a year ago.  Now imagine those freshman for UNC (Tyler Hansbrough, etc) with Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Marvin Williams and Sean May...all of which should have been back in school this year.  George Mason has had a fantastic run, but do you think the Patriots would have beaten that Tarheel team?  Doubtful. 

Imagine this also.  Carmelo Anthony should have been a senior at Syracuse this year with Gerry McNamara.  They won the national title as freshman.  If 'Melo sticks around and has McNamara running the point, how good are the Orange with Demetris Nichols, Eric Devendorf (Mr. Thug himself), etc?  What about Ohio State?  They have had a great year with Terence Dials in the middle and a great core of guards.  Do you realize who would have been playing for this team if he wouldn't have been able to turn pro?  LeBron James.  Not a bad team for the Buckeyes.  Hard to feel sorry for the people in Columbus with the class they have coming in next year.  Get ready for Mr Greg Oden and company. 

It's just mindboggling to think about the NCAA Tournament with these players.  I haven't had a Top Eight list in a while so here's one:  My Top Eight Fantasy College Basketball Teams for 2005-2006:

1.  Memphis -- Okay, Rodney Carney is great.  Darius Washington is a great point guard.  Shawne Williamsis being touted as the next Penny Hardaway.  Two words:  Amare Stoudemire.  Holy nellies.  What about Texas high schooler Kendrick Perkins who went pro instead of putting on a Memphis uniform?  Sean Banks would probably still be in school too.  Unstoppable.

2.  North Carolina -- Mentioned above with May, Felton, McCants, Williams, Hansbrough and the rest of the freshman class they have now.  Add center Dwight Howard and the Atlanta Hawk's (and 2005 dunk contest winner) J.R. Smith to that list.  Why did they let high schoolers ever go pro? 

3.  Syracuse -- Carmelo playing the wing with McNamara at the point and Devendorf at the 2.

4.  Duke -- Redick and Williams are a great 1-2 punch but they obviously needed more inside.  Would Shavlik Randolph and Luol Deng have helped?  It would have put Josh McRoberts on the bench where he belonged as a frosh.  Here's another one...Greg Paulus is a good point guard, but he's not Shaun Livingston, the Peoria, IL young pup who is with the Clippers now.   

5.  Ohio State -- Terence Dials in the middle, J.D. Sullinger raining in the three's with Je'Kel Foster and Jamar Butler.  Now add LeBron James.  Ka-ching.  Columbus is looking forward to a great run with Thad Matta.

6.  UConn -- It's hard to put this team in here.  You can add Charlie Villanueva and high schooler Andrew Bynum, but you can't add passion.  I'm saying this team is # 6 with the passion, without it they aren't in the list. 

7.  Louisville -- Taquan Dean is a wonderful shooting guard.  David Padgett got hurt but is going to be a star in a Cardinal uniform.  Francisco Garcia should have been back and they would have had a point gaurd named Sebastian Telfair.  What could Rick Pitino have done with this lineup?

8.  Wake Forest -- This is another team that didn't seem to have any passion until the ACC Tournament and by then it was too late.  What did big man Eric Williams and shooting guard Justin Gray need this year?  A point.  Gosh...who could we add.  Oh yeah, Rookie of the Year in the NBA this year Chris Paul.

*  Just missing out -- Arizona (the other AI...AndreIguodala), Washington (You think Nate Robinson would rather have been in Seattle this winter rather than playing for the Knicks?  Besides the money, it's not a hard question to answer), Villanova (Foye, Ray, Lowry, but what about a healthy Curtis Sumpter inside?), Illinois (Dee Brown, James Augustine and Deron Williams back throwing in the three's), Texas (Aldridge, Buckman and Tucker in the frontcourt; Paulino, Gibson and high schooler CJ Giles in the backcourt) and Florida (Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Taurean Green and Corey Brewer are solid.  Now add Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson to that group). 

Fun to think about, yet sad in other ways.  At least the high schoolers have to go to college for one year now.  That's a step in the right direction.