Best Starting Five Ever? Houston With Akeem and Clyde

in my mind for pure quality and probably unbeatable in later years the number one team of all time might just be the James Worthy Sam Perkins,Michael Jordan Carolina team........ Black and Dougherty were really fabulous role players that made that team great!!!!

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The best starting 5 ever was Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony, Anderson Hunt and George Ackles from the UNLV team that won the National title back in "91" and were undefeated in "92" going into the Final Four matchup against Duke. They lost by 2 points in that matchup when Anderson Hunt missed a 3 pointer that would have given the Rebels a win by 1 at the buzzer.

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Not to dampen things too much, but if this is the greatest starting five ever, how did they lose five games this year?

This is a tremendous accomplishment for these guys and they deserve it. but "ever" is a big word. Enjoy today for what it is.

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I guess everybody forgets about that North Carolina team with Sam Perkins, James Worthy, and some kid named Jordan

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Mr. Smith, you and Elliott Kalb picked the right team, but the wrong year (1966-67) for UCLA, when Lew Alcindor and Lucius Allen were sophomores. The greatest team ever was UCLA 1968-69, when those two were seniors and had been joined by sophomores Sidney Wicks (6'9") and Curtis Rowe (6'6") at forwards. That team could have steamrolled every other team ever assembled, especially if the NCAA had not outlawed the dunk just when Alcindor enrolled at UCLA (that was no coincidence). After Lew and Lucius graduated, Wicks and Rowe led UCLA to two more consecutive titles, outrunning and defeating the Jacksonville squad that started three 7-footers on the front line, led by 7'4" Artis Gilmore (Wicks blocked at least two of his shots in the title game). Alcindor, Allen, Wicks, and Rowe went on to successful careers in the NBA, especially long for Abdul-Jabbar/Alcindor and Wicks. Gilmore had a long ABA/NBA career, too.

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Olajuwon was not a starter for Houston.

I think what Florida accomplished as a team is great, but they would never be able to compete with any of the past repeat champions or great lineups like UNLV

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All I have to say about Florida's losses this year are as follows: They lost to Kansas and Florida State with the starting five with flu-like symptoms and Corey Brewer had Mono. The other three losses... After we allready won the SEC in-season championship. Key thing here, they still won 2 in a row like all the greats!!

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I would take sny of the UCLA teams from that seven straight run, especially with Alcindor, Allen, Wicks, and Rowe! With one other name to ensure the victory, John Wooden! That UCLA team would probably be too much for most of today's NBA teams! I have no doubt that Billy, Bobby, Dean, and the rest would have all have sat spellbound, just watching as that team romped over everyone!

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Let me amend my comment by saying that Olajuwon didn't start as a freshman.

As for Chris' comment, it was a great accomplishment, I don't think any one doubts that, but college basketball as a whole is not as a good as it was 15-30 years ago. Theres no comparison between the players on Florida and the other greats mentioned.

Maybe the guys in Florida come out and have better NBA careers than most predict now and we'll look back on this team and reevaluate them. Until then, the accomplished a feat I didn't think would happen in this era of sports and becomes less likey each year.

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Jeff,
I dont know if you have watched a replay of those old games. They look like they are run in slow motion. The defenses were much less dynamic. The one thing they did have going for them is that the players usually stayed for 4 yrs. Recruiting, these days, is leaps and bounds beyond what it was back then. First of all, there were only about 10, at best, teams with the quality athletes that teams like uf, osu, ucla and many others had this year. Second, the gators have that thing that gives those old teams an advantage...teamwork and discipline. If you have the same five starters two yrs in a row, that is probably more than most of those teams could have flaunted. They are as gelled as any team ever. They weren't the most talented, recruited or attractive, but they are as good a team as has played college basketball.

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The UCLA team with Alcindor previously mentioned was the greatest of all time. But the 1960-62 Ohio State Buckeyes with John Havlicek, Larry Siegried and Jerry Lucas were up there. They went to three straight national championship games although they lost to Oscar Robertson and Cincinnati the last two years.

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Florida has nobody who could've guarded Alcindor. And all those Wooden UCLA teams played up-tempo, fastbreak basketball which would've worn the Gators down. I list those Ohio State teams as tied for second with Houston Phi Slamma Jamma. Havlicek and Siegfried had great careers with the champion Celtics after they left Ohio State and of course Jerry Lucas was on the champion New York Knicks after he was a Buckeye.

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Thisteam is definitly top 5 but greatest of all time. The Duke teamsof the early 90's that went to 4 straight final 4's, the Kentucky teams of the mid 90's that wentto 3 straight final 4's and how about the Michigan St. teams of the late early 2000's that went to 3 straight. Fla. deserves the props but greatest of all time can be debated. If those guys came back and won another one then I think you would have an open and shut case.

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Kent Benson, Bobby Wilkerson, Steve Green,Scott May and John Lazkowski IU's undefeated season

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First of all....if you watched the game, UF had a difficult time guarding Oden, but honestly Oden is much more difficult to guard than Alcindor, although he had a greater variety of shots. I say this because the gators have played guys comparable to Alcindor, but they dont make like Oden. Secondly, the Gators dont get worn down...they are a running team and they are the ones who wear down other teams. If you actually watched a couple games you would see that. From 13min-8min in the second half the gators didnt even set their offence up. They realized they had to slow down once they were up 14 and they needed to run the clock.

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One thing about those past teams, they also played a different level of competion!! Any way you look at it, the 06 and, 07 Florida team is the best team today!! With their shooting percentage, fast tempo and, smoothering defense there weren't any teams out there any better or, as good!! And I live in Texas but, was born in Florida!!

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# 13 is blending years. It was Green, Wilkerson, Buckner, Benson and May in the 74-75 season. Laz was off the bench. In 76 championship year, it was Abernathy, Wilkerson, Buckner, Banson and May. Again Laz off the bench. with another heavy dose of Jim Crews. Most regard the 74-75 team as the better one, but may sat out the tournament with a broken hand from the late season Purdue game. IU lost to UK in overtime at Dayton in the regional finals. They were u8nbeaten to that point, and played without the two time player of the year, still losing in OT to a good and big Kentucky team in a game that was raked for it's officiating. The 74-75 team would have won as well.

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