We decided to have some fun with this year's Sweet 16. We ranked the all-time starting five for every team that is still alive in the NCAA tournament.
The list is based on collegiate production. The goal was to create a lineup with both guards and big men. We could not pull that off with every school. Bill and Abdul-Jabbar have to be on the same team at UCLA.
There are a lot of players who could have cracked these lists. Things get more difficult when you limit yourself to five players.
We were still trying.
Here is our list of the all-time starting fives, and the coaches to lead them, for this season's Sweet 16 teams, and where we believe they should be ranked.
Good luck guarding Abdul-Jabbar.
G Gail Goodrich was an All-America first team member and won national titles at UCLA.
Reggie Miller was an All-Pac-12 first team member from 1986-87.
F Marques Johnson won the first Wooden Award in 1977 and was on the AP All-America first team in 1977.
Pick the winner of the games in the NCAA tournament from the Sweet 16 to the championship. The tournament challenge had a second chance.
The AP All-America first team three years in a row, and the AP player of the year in 1967, were all led by C Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
The AP All-America three years in a row at UCLA and the national titles in 1972 and 1973.
John Wooden has 10 national championships and an NCAA record.
Jordan and Co. are not losing to many teams.
The Wooden Award was won by Phil Ford, who averaged 18.6 PPG and 6.1 APG in four years at North Carolina.
The hit game winner in the 1982 national title game is Michael Jordan.
The 1982 NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player was a member of the national title team.
Jerry Stackhouse was on the All-America first team in 1995 and was a member of the Final Four team.
James Worthy was an All-America second team member.
F Tyler Hansbrough won the Wooden Award and was an All-America first team in 2008 and 2009; he averaged 20.2 points and 8.6 points in four years at North Carolina.
Dean Smith won two national titles.
It doesn't seem fair that they have a bunch of All-Americans.
The AP All-America second team averaged 9.6 points per game, 6.4 assists per game, and 38% from beyond thearc in four years at Kansas.
F Paul Pierce was an All-America first team member in 1998 and was the Big 12 tournament's Most Valuable Player in 1997 and 1998.
The All-America first team in 2003 and Big 12 Player of the Year in 2012 was led by F Nick Collison.
Danny Manning won the Wooden Award in 1988 and was on the team that won the national championship.
AP All-America first team, Most Outstanding Player, and a member of the national title game team, was C Wilt Chamberlain.
Phog Allen is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Multiple players on the list actually played together.
The Wooden Award was won by Jay Williams, who was on the AP All-America first team and averaged 19.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 39% from beyond the 3-point line.
Grant Hill was a key player on national title teams in 1991, 1992 and 1994, and was the player of the year in 1994.
The Most Outstanding Player in the 2001 NCAA tournament was F Shane Battier.
F Christian Laettner won the Wooden Award in 1992 and was a member of the Duke team that won two national titles.
The Wooden Award winner was F Zion Williamson, who averaged 22.6 points per game, 9.2 points per game, 2.1 points per game, and 1.7 points per game.
The coach is Mike Krzyzewski, who has five national championships.
Imagine if both of them were in the same court.
The Southwest Conference player of the year in 1977 was Otis Birdsong, who was on the AP All-America second team.
GaryPhillips was a member of the team that reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1961.
The Southwest Conference Player of the Year in 1983, Drexler was an AP All-America second team member.
Elvin was an All-America first team member in 1967, and led the team to the Final Four in 1968.
The 1983 NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player, Hakeem Olajuwon, was on the AP All-America first team.
Guy Lewis was the coach of the 1984 national title games.
Russell is on a squad with two members of the Fab Five.
The Wooden Award was won by Burke, who led Michigan to the national title game.
The key member of the team that reached the national title game in 1992 and 1993 is an AP All-America second team member.
F Glen Rice was an All-America second team in 1989 and was part of the Michigan team that won the national title.
The AP All-America first team was led by F Cazzie Russell, who averaged 27.1PPG and 8.5RPG in three seasons at Michigan.
The AP All-America first team was led by Chris Webber, who averaged 17.4 points per game, 10.0 points per game, and 2.5 points per game in two seasons at the University of Michigan.
Steve Fisher was the interim coach in 1989 and recruited the Fab Five.
The strong all-time lineup is anchored by the twoElliotts.
The AP All-America first team in 1998 was led by G Mike Bibby, who averaged 17.2 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 39% from 3 in 1997-98.
In 1994 he was an All-America first team member and the 1995 Pac-12 player of the year.
F SeanElliott won the Wooden Award (1989), AP-All America first team (1989), and led the team to the 1988 Final Four.
The AP All-America second team and the Pac-12 Player of the Year were both named to the All-America second team by the AP.
F Bob Elliott's 23.3 points per game in 1974-75 is fifth all-time in school history.
The 1997 national championship was won by the coach.
Any team in the country would have had a problem with that pair.
The Wooden Award winner was the team that won the national championship and averaged 18.9 points per game.
Kerry Kittles was an AP All-America first team in 1996, an AP All-America second team in 1995 and the 1995 Big East player of the year.
F Paul Arizin averaged 25.3 points per game in 1949-50.
Howard Porter was an All-America third team member in 1969 and 1971 and led the team to the 1971 national title game.
The 1985 Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tournament was Ed Pinckney.
The coach is Jay Wright, who won two national championships in the last two years.
This team has a lot of scorers with Robinson, Mount and Edwards.
Carsen was an AP All-America second team member in the NCAA tournament and led the team to the Elite Eight.
G Rick Mount was an All-America first team member in 1969 and 1970, and led the team to the national title game.
One of the most talented players in school history is projected to be a top-five draft pick in 2022.
The Wooden Award was won by Glenn Robinson, who was an All-America first team member at Purdue.
The AP All-America first team in 1980 was led by C Joe Barry Carroll, who averaged 17.7 PPG, 9.3RPG and 2.8 BPG in four seasons at Purdue.
Gene Keady was the Big Ten coach of the year seven times.
This crew would be a tough opponent.
The Southwest Conference player of the year in 1979 and the All-America first team in 1979 are Sidney Moncrief.
The Southwest Conference player of the year in 1991 was G Todd Day.
The SEC freshman of the year in 2000 was F Joe Johnson.
The 1995 SEC player of the year at Arkansas, Corliss Williamson, was an AP All-America second team member and led the team to the 1994 national title.
In three years at Arkansas, C Joe Kleine averaged 18.1PPG and 8.3RPG.
The 1994 national title team was coached by Nolan Richardson.
Few teams have a pair of guards who could have competed in any era.
The AP All-America second team was led by Suggs.
The West Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1984 was G John Stockton.
G Dan Dickau was an All-America first team member in 2002 and averaged 20.1 points per game.
The AP All-America first team of 2006 was led by F Adam Morrison.
Drew Timme is a key player on the national runner-up team and is an All-America second team member.
Mark Few has two national title game appearances.
They would have been unstoppable.
The AP All-America first team was led by G Ernie DiGregorio, who averaged 20.5 points per game, 7.7 APG, and 81% from the free throw line.
Jimmy Walker was an All-America first team member in 1967, and averaged 25.2 points per game in three years at Providence.
The AP All-America second team member averaged 16.4 points per game, 5.3 points per game, and 6.2 points per game in three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
F Ryan Gomes was an All-America first team member and an all-Big East first team member at Providence.
F Marvin Barnes was an All-America first team member in 1974 and led the team to the Final Four.
Dave Gavitt was the coach of the Final Four team in 1973.
They would create a challenge for any opposing team.
The star on the team that reached the Elite Eight in 2000 and the Big 12 player of the year in 2001 was G Jamaal Tinsley.
G Jeff Grayer was an All-America second team in 1988 and was on the Sweet Sixteen team in 1986.
In four years at Iowa State, Fred Hoiberg averaged 15.8 PPG, 5.9RPG and 1.6 SPG, with a 40% clip from 3.
Niang was an All-America second team in 2016 and an all-Big 12 first team in 2015.
F Marcus Fizer was an All-America first team member, Big 12 player of the year, and the Big 12 tournament's most valuable player.
The team coached by Larry Eustachy made it to the Elite Eight.
The goal of this team is to get the ball to Barry.
G/F Rick Barry was an All-America first team member in 1965, leading the nation with 37.4 PPG.
Jack McClinton was an All-ACC first team member in 2008 and 2009, and averaged 17.9 points per game in three years at Miami.
F James Jones was an all-Big East third team in 2002.
F Tim James was an All-America third team in 1999 and the Big East player of the year in 1999.
Averaged 14.2 PPG, 9.3RPG, 2.3 BPG was achieved by C Tito Horford.
The AP coach of the year was Jim Larra.
He is one of the youngest players on the list.
G Keenan Evans was an All-America third team member and an all-Big 12 first team member.
The AP All-America second team member averaged 18.6 points and 6.0 points in four years at Texas Tech.
The AP All-America second team member averaged 18.5 points per game, 6.4 points per game and 3.7 points per game.
In 1995-96, Darvin averaged 9.1PPG and 5.7RPG for the team.
Tony Battie was an All-Big 12 first team member in 1997.
Chris Beard led the program to its only Final Four appearance.
Not the strongest group, but Holloway has done more with less.
Keydren Clark was the 2006 MAAC player of the year.
In two seasons at Saint Peter's, G Harry Laurie averaged 16 points and 8.1 points per game.
In two seasons at Saint Peter's, F Elnardo Webster averaged 24.5 PPG and 14.1RPG.
F Rich Rinaldi averaged 21.2 PPG in three seasons for Saint Peter's.
For the first time in program history, the team reached the Sweet 16 and shot 50% from 2 in league play.
The team is in the Sweet 16 for the first time this year.
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