The All-Time NBA "No-College" Team

March madness is always a splash of numbers, before sneakers ever squeal across the court. Seeds, rankings, streaks, and championships are tossed  in our faces, in hopes of helping us project a champion. In the end, the numbers often go for naught, unless you used the digits to formulate the perfect equation to identify the last man standing, which is still nothing more than a hunch.

Even our technological advances have yet to find that formula, yet each bracketologists feels their numbers lead to a crowned figure and accompanied name.

But March often brings me back to my “what if” theory, as I stare into a basketball generation of “one-and-done” players. What if certain players didn’t opt to pass over college ball for the NBA?

How many additional numbers could have been added to the totals for previous champions, and how many newer champs would have less? There are several players starring in the NBA that would have greatly impacted the results of March. I give you my All-Time NBA “no-college” team.

Point Guard, Tony Parker- National Institute for Sports and Physical Education, Paris, France. Though UCLA and Georgia Tech craved the services of the young Frenchman, Parker turned pro at the age of 17, performing internationally before being drafted in 2001 by the San Antonio Spurs. As an NBA All-Star and NBA Finals MVP, Parker remains one of the league’s most underappreciated players.

Shooting Guard, Kobe Bryant- Lower Merion High School, Pennsylvania. A three-time NBA champion, perennial All-Star, and league MVP,  Bryant quickly rose from High School to enter NBA discussions over the greatest player all time.

Power forward, Kevin Garnett- Farragut Career Academy, Illinois. Garnett was drafted directly out of high school, and in an instant, gave Minnesota a face. He earned his first NBA championship in 2008, to go along with his 12 All-Star appearances and 2004 league MVP award.

Small Forward, LeBron James- St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio. James has five All-Star appearances in just six years in the league. He has more than lived up to  the high school hype, becoming one of the league’s most identifiable players and an NBA pitchman.

It took just four seasons for James to lead his Cavs to the NBA finals, before being ousted by Parker and the San Antonio Spurs. He’s now poised for a second trip, with Cleveland leading the Eastern Conference and selected as a favorite to win it all.

Center, Dwight Howard- Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Georgia. Jumping straight to the professional level, Howard represents one of the league’s most dominant presences in the paint. This slam dunking, shot blocking, rebounding machine is a thre-time All-Star in his first four seasons. His neck dangles Olympic gold, and his fingers, and the Orlando Magic, are in search of a championship ring.

RESERVES

Amar’e Stoudemire- Cypress Creek High School, Florida.
Tracy McGrady- Mt. Zion Christian Academy, North Carolina.
Jermaine O’Neal- Eau Claire High School, South Carolina
Rashard Lewis- Alief Elsik High School, Texas.
Josh Smith- Oak Hill Academy, Georgia.
Moses Malone- Petersburg High School, Virginia

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