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The NBA All-Star Game is always entertaining as the best basketball players in the world come together to play in a high-flying event. Team Lebron was able to get the victory over Team Giannis, but what if the NCAA had an All-Star Game of its own. Imagine Zion Williamson catching an alley-oop from Ja Morant or Chris Clemons and Markus Howard battling it out as the best player in the nation under six feet.
Here is hypothetical roster of the NCAA college basketball roster if it had an East-West All-Star Game.
East Starters
Chris Clemons, G Campbell
Ja Morant, G Murray State
RJ Barrett, F Duke
Zion Williamson, F Duke
Grant Williams, F Tennessee
This group of five would be entertaining to watch as all five players are capable of scoring over 30 points on any given night. Clemons is the nation’s leading scorer at 29.8 points per game and has scored over 3,000 points in his storied collegiate career. The 5’9″ guard shoots 11 three-pointers per game, making him a perfect candidate for the All-Star Game.
His backcourt running mate, Ja Morant, is a potential top-three pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He is a walking highlight film with his array of flashy passes and monstrous dunks. Morant is college basketball’s version of Russell Westbrook, meaning excluding him from the starting lineup would be an absolute crime.
The frontcourt trio of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Grant Williams are the three of the best forwards in the nation. Barrett and Williamson are terrific freshmen capable of scoring the ball from anywhere, while Williams is the engine for one of the nation’s top teams in Tennessee. Duke’s dynamic duo have the athleticism to compete in an All-Star Game with Williams helping Morant lob alley-oops to Williamson and Barrett.
West Starters
Markus Howard, G Marquette
Jarrett Culver, G Texas Tech
Jordan Caroline, F Nevada
Mike Daum, F South Dakota State
Ethan Happ, F Wisconsin
While the West squad might not have as much scoring firepower as the East, do not sleep on Howard. The Marquette guard has scored at least 30 points eight times this season and is shooting 43.8 percent from behind the arc. A battle between Howard and Clemons pulling up from over 30 feet is exciting to watch and is a matchup of the nation’s top scorers.
Daum is an elite scorer as well. The South Dakota State forward is 57 points away from 3,000 and is one of the best forwards in the nation. Daum is not the most athletic player on the list, but he is a great shooter and will torch the nets for the West team.
Happ is not an elite athlete either, but is one of the most versatile players in the nation. He is in the top in the Big Ten in points, rebounds and assists. Happ’s ability to pass the ball is perfect for the West squad as he can distribute the ball to Daum and Howard on the perimeter.
Culver is a playmaking guard, who has the slashing ability to keep crowds entertained during an All-Star Game. Caroline has been a rock for Nevada this season with his all-around play. His ability to finish at the rim fits perfectly with Culver and Happ passing him the ball.
East Reserves
Carsen Edwards, G Purdue
Cassius Winston, G Michigan State
Tremont Waters, G LSU
De’Andre Hunter, G/F Virginia
Admiral Schofield, G/F Tennessee
PJ Washington, F Kentucky
Jordan Nwora, F Louisville
The reserves are full of elite scorers, high flying athletes and three-point shooters. Edwards and Winston are two of the nation’s best point guards, capable of scoring over 25 points game on any given night. The former is a marksman from deep, while the latter is a great distributor. The Big Ten duo is not as good as the small school starters, but they give the bench a scoring pop.
Waters is one of the most underrated guards in the country this season as he is third in the nation in steals. The LSU sophomore has great handles and is lightning quick, making him perfect for the All-Star Game setting. Nwora might be an odd selection, but he is the nation’s most improved player and deserves a spot on this list.
The Louisville sophomore is a great three-point shooter who will stretch the defense for the East team. Schofield and Hunter are both combo players as they are athletes capable of pulling off high flying dunks, but can also shoot the ball from behind the arc. Washington is a terrific athlete on the interior who will take advantage of lob passes thrown by Morant, Winston and Waters.
West Reserves
Corey Davis Jr., G Houston
Marial Shayok, G Iowa State
Matisse Thybulle, G Washington
Dedric Lawson, F Kansas
Rui Hachimura, F Gonzaga
Caleb Martin, F Nevada
Brandon Clarke, F Gonzaga
The West reserves might not have the name recognition like the East, but they can all play. Davis Jr. is spearheading Houston’s 25-1 record this season. He is a capable point guard who will throw plenty of alley-oops to Clarke and Martin off the bench. Shayok is an elite marksman from deep and will knock down plenty of three-pointers for the West.
The Canadian is also a capable ball handler, so he could bring the ball up for them. Lawson from Kansas is another guy capable of bringing the ball up the court for the West team. He does everything for Kansas and his all-around game will be huge for the West. Hachimura is an elite athlete who has a solid mid-range game.
The Gonzaga forward might not have the three-point shot to fully succeed in an All-Star Game, but Hachimura is capable of catching lobs from Shayok and Davis Jr. Thybulle is a name not many fans have heard of, but he might be the best defender in the country. The Washington guard leads the nation in steals at 3.4 per game and is second in the Pac-12 in blocks at 2.1 per game. The 6’5″ senior is a great athlete who will catch plenty of lobs for the West team.
The hypothetical East-West All-Star Game would provide plenty of entertainment for fans, but unfortunately for them they can only dream of this happening.
