Projecting the UNC vs. Kentucky Alumni Basketball Festivities

Whoever is behind the Kentucky and North Carolina alumni game is a genius. It's like a match made in Reddit.

The first installment in what should become an annual matchup of one school's all-star alumni against another's is set for Sept. 13 at Rupp Arena, and it features two of the three winningest programs of all time.

Since rosters have not yet been released, I took the liberty of building the wish-list lineups and adding a few extra festivities to the weekend. Each team got 12 players who are all current pros, although there's a chance you could see some overseas pros or retirees filling out the rosters.

NBA front offices and agents could ruin the fun by preventing the stars from playing, but let's pretend this is an ideal world controlled by the basketball gods. (Give us Anthony Davis and Harrison Barnes, please.)

Here's a look at the theoretical rosters, coaching staffs and betting line, plus way too much thought on the potential matchups in this all-star game.

Kentucky's Starters

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PG John Wall: This was an easy choice. Wall ranked second in the NBA in assists last season and is one of the top point guards in the league.

SG Eric Bledsoe: Bledsoe came off the bench when he played with Wall at Kentucky, but he's just too good now to keep out of any starting lineup. Have fun handling the penetration of these two jets, Heels.

SF Brandon Knight: John Calipari has done a better job of churning out point guards than any other position, and it's justifiable to put all three of these guards on the floor together. With Wall and Bledsoe in the backcourt, the Kentucky alumni need a shooter. Jodie Meeks is the best shooter out of UK in the league, but Knight is a better all-around player and a solid option as the designated bomber in this lineup.

PF Anthony Davis: Davis is one of the five best players on the planet, and he would offer necessary rim protection in this smaller lineup. 

C DeMarcus Cousins: Cousins is one of the best low-post scorers in basketball, and he'd be a mismatch against the UNC alums. You could argue that there are better fits for this quick lineup, but he deserves to start.

North Carolina's Starters

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PG Ty Lawson: Lawson had to be longing for his Carolina days over the last few years in Denver. He's at his best in a fast-paced game surrounded by shooters and should be comfortable in an all-star setting. 

SG Danny Green: Green came off the bench at North Carolina, but he's improved more in the NBA than any other Heel. He's the best shooter on either roster, and his perimeter defense will be key against the Kentucky speedsters. 

SF Harrison Barnes: Barnes is the most talented Heel alumnus in the league today. If he were on a less-stacked team than Golden State, he would likely be a go-to scorer. He'll be the go-to guy on this all-star team, and judging by his tweet about the game, he's planning on playing. 

PF Tyler Hansbrough: Hansbrough had arguably the greatest college career of any player in this game. He can't match UK's bigs talent-wise, but he could thrive in this setting by simply outworking everyone else, much like he did in college.

C John Henson: Henson is the best candidate among the former Heels to match up with Anthony Davis, but he hasn't had much luck against Davis in the three years the two have been in the league. Davis has averaged 26.4 points per game in five career games against Henson's Milwaukee Bucks.

Kentucky's Bench

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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: On this all-star team, MKG makes sense as the sixth man. He can come off the bench for one of the guards to give UK a more traditional lineup. He'd be key in this game as the best matchup against North Carolina's Harrison Barnes.

Karl-Anthony Towns: No other school could produce an all-star team that would have Towns coming off the bench. Towns is the third No. 1 pick Kentucky has had in the Calipari era and has the potential to become one of the best two-way big men in the league. Combining him and Anthony Davis would create a no-fly zone in the paint.

Jodie Meeks: Meeks was always a candidate to catch fire at Kentucky, and he could end up lighting it up alongside UK's former stars in this all-star game, which will demand a lot of defensive attention.

Devin Booker: Calipari hasn't sent a lot of shooters to the league, and Booker would add some much-needed three-point shooting depth.

Julius Randle: Randle hasn't had a chance to show what he can do in the league yet, but he was one of the toughest matchups Kentucky ever put on the floor in the Calipari era.

Terrence Jones: Jones will be able to back up his college teammate Davis and play the 3 in a big lineup. 

Patrick Patterson: Patterson's ability to knock down shots as a stretch 4 earns him the final spot on this roster ahead of Nerlens Noel, Tayshaun Prince, Willie Cauley-Stein and Rajon Rondo. It speaks to the ridiculous recruiting run that Calipari has been on that those guys could be left out.

North Carolina's Bench

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Tyler Zeller: A valid argument could be made for Zeller starting over Tyler Hansbrough, and if this were an actual NBA team, he would start. He was more productive across the board last season in the NBA than Hansbrough—he had 6.5 win shares compared to just 3.4 for Hansbrough—but with this being an alumni game, Hansbrough gets the start for what he did at UNC.

Marvin Williams: Williams hasn't lived up to initial expectations—he went No. 2 in 2005, ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul—but he's a solid pro who can play both the 3 and 4. His versatility will come in handy against UK's roster.

Kendall Marshall: With Raymond Felton a shell of his former self, Marshall is the best option for the Heels alumni at backup point guard.

Vince Carter: The 38-year-old Carter can still play and is a productive wing off the bench in Memphis. He'll have to use his old-man strength in this game.

Wayne Ellington: Ellington is coming off the best year of his career, which was partially the result of opportunity on a crummy Lakers squad. The best moments of his career were in Carolina blue, playing alongside Ty Lawson.

Ed Davis/Brandan Wright: The Heels have no shortage of NBA bigs for their bench. Davis and Wright beat out Brendan Haywood, Felton and P.J. Hairston for the final spots. Hairston makes sense as a shooter off the bench, but his sloppy ending at UNC could deter the organizers from sending an invite.

Coaches

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UNC Alumni Head Coach: Larry Brown

The Tar Heel grad is one of the greatest basketball minds ever. Since UNC is a big underdog in this matchup, why not bring in the guy who orchestrated one of the greatest miracle runs of all time in the 1988 NCAA tournament.

Assistants: Roy Williams, George Karl, Rasheed Wallace

Williams and Karl are obvious choices on Brown's bench, and either would be a justifiable pick as the head coach. Wallace makes the cut just because this game will be more fun if they figure out a way to incorporate him.

Kentucky Alumni Head Coach: Pat Riley

It's too bad Riley never roamed a college sideline. He would have been a welcome addition to the college game, especially had he coached his alma mater. If this theoretical coaching matchup took place, it would be cool to see Riley and Brown go at it again. They had a nice rivalry in the early 1990s, when Riley was coaching the Knicks and Brown was with Indiana. 

Assistants: John Calipari, Frank Vogel, Rex Chapman 

You can't leave Calipari out of this game. The man is responsible for almost the entire all-star squad for UK. Chapman is one of UK's most charismatic supporters and is a good bet to say something crazy before the game to stir the pot.

It might surprise you to see Vogel here, but we need someone from the Rick Pitino days in Lexington, and it's unlikely Kentucky will welcome back Pitino. Vogel was a student manager under Pitino and is now one of the most respected coaches in the NBA with the Pacers.

Pregame Festivities

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Since there's still time to iron out the details for this game, here are some suggestions for a few pregame festivities.

Dunk Contest

Kentucky could stack the field with any combination of young athletes, but Vince Carter would have to be involved, and I wouldn't bet against him. When given a clear lane to the basket and a running start, Carter can still rise up and deliver some Vinsanity.

Three-Point Contest

This would be a chance to run out some of the old-timers like Michael Jordan, Kenny Smith and Sam Perkins for UNC, and Rex Chapman, Antoine Walker and Tony Delk for the Wildcats. The old guys would probably have a better shot at knocking off Danny Green than any of the current pros.

Trash-Talking Contest

Rasheed Wallace just edges out M.J. to represent the Heels, while Walker would step up for UK. Let's take this one step further and mic them up for a one-on-one game. My money's on 'Sheed. Ball don't lie!

Setting the Line

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Line: UK (-15)

North Carolina can put together one of the best alumni rosters of any college, and if you're putting together an all-time team, UNC might win that war. But when it comes to current NBA players, Kentucky is stacked, and no alumni base really compares. In fact, the Kentucky alumni would probably contend for an NBA title.

The Heels have a slight advantage at small forward with Harrison Barnes, and you could even give Danny Green the edge over Eric Bledsoe. But everywhere else, it's all Kentucky. The Wildcats have a huge advantage inside, and their bench is way more talented.

If Kentucky can convince its best pros to show up, the best option for UNC might just be to play zone and pack the paint. That's not exactly the Carolina way.

In a high-paced game, the 'Cats just have too many athletes. The Brow, if he plays, will be a heavy favorite to win MVP. UNC's best shot is tracking down Doc and the DeLorean to get M.J., James Worthy, Vince Carter, Bob McAdoo and Rasheed Wallace in their heyday.

In any other era, UNC would have a shot. Just not in Cal's world. 

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.