ESPN.com is doing an all time NCAA basketball tournament, using alumni teams that takes into account their pro careers.  UCLA is seeded #1 and North Carolina is seeded #2, both of which make sense.

As impressive as Shaq, Maravich and Pettit are, LSU is not the third best team of all time.  And Kentucky is ranked 11th (!) as Cliff Hagan, Frank Ramsey, Alex Groza, Ralph Beard and Antoine Walker are left off the team!  Minnesota is ranked #26, and in the first round "plays" Maryland, ranked #7.

Look at the respective alumni who had seasons in the NBA in which they averaged double figures, and tell me why Maryland is ranked 20 spots ahead of Minnesota.

MINNESOTA (26)

guards
Archie Clark
Dick Garmaker
Bobby Jackson
Voshon Lenard
Whitey Skoog
Trent Tucker
Ray Williams

forwards
Ron Behagen
Jim Brewer
Willie Burton
Don Carlson
Lou Hudson
Kevin McHale
Mark Olberding
Jim Petersen

centers
Randy Breuer
Kleggie Hermsen
Mychal Thompson

MARYLAND (7)

guards
Brad Davis
Steve Francis
Albert King
John Lucas
Gene Shue
Walt Williams

forwards
Tony Massenburg
Joe Smith
Buck Williams

center
Len Elmore (ABA only)

Yeah, Maryland adds Len Bias (great to die before you can prove less than legendary) but "Scoop" Jackson leaves (among others) Bobby Jackson, Voshon Lenard, Ray Williams and Jim Brewer off the Gopher team in favor of Dave Winfield!  If the pro careers count, then Randy Breuer was better than Terrapin starter Tom McMillen.  If the college careers are what's important, then consensus 1st team All Americans Dick Garmaker (also a 4 time NBA all star in the Bill Russell era) and Jim McIntyre were better than McMillen.

I really hate this kind of shit.

the tournament
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hoops/tournament/index <http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hoops/tournament/index>

Minnesota v Maryland
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hoops/marylandvsminnesota <http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hoops/marylandvsminnesota>

  

 
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