Money is something that attracts talented athletes to the National Basketball Association every year. Players that by some means aren’t prepared physically or mentally leave behind their programs for the next level. The term “one and done” has become as common as the term “veteran”. Some teams are simply filters to the NBA, as they  only showcase players’ talents before sending them off to a league higher. College basketball is already enjoyable for fans to watch, but imagine if every player stayed for all four years. Here is a look at what some of the best programs and local universities would look like.

Michigan State:

Projected Starters: Tum Tum Nairn, Eron Harris, Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, Deyonta Davis

Bench Players: Cassius Winston, Josh Langford, Matt McQuaid, Gavin Schilling

Michigan:

Projected Starters: Derrick Walton Jr, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Zak Irvin, DJ Wilson, Moritz Wagner

Bench Players: Duncan Robinson, Mark Donnal, Xavier Simpson, Ibi Watson

Ohio State:

Projected Starters: D’Angelo Russell, Jae’Sean Tate, JaQuan Lyle, Kam Williams, Trevor Thompson

Bench Players: Keita Bates-Diop, C.J. Jackson, Micah Potter

Duke:

Projected Starters: Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, Jabari Parker, Brandon Ingram, Jahlil Okafor

Bench Players: Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, Jayson Tatum

Kentucky:

Projected Starters: Tyler Ulis, James Young, Devin Booker, Julius Randle, Karl-Anthony Towns

Bench Players: Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Trey Lyles, Jamal Murray, Malik Monk, Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox, Skal Labissiere

Kansas:

Projected Starters: Wayne Selden Jr, Kelly Oubre Jr, Andrew Wiggins, Cliff Alexander, Joel Embiid

Bench Players: Frank Mason lll, Josh Jackson, Devonte Graham, Carlton Bragg Jr, Landen Lucas

North Carolina:

Projected Starters: Joel Berry ll, Theo Pinson, Justin Jackson, Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks

Bench Players: Seventh Woods, Tony Bradley, Nate Britt

Arizona:

Projected Starters: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Allonzo Trier, Stanley Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Lauri Markkanen

Bench Players: Rawle Alkins, Kobi Simmons, Kadeem Allen

Indiana:

Projected Starters: James Blackmon Jr, Troy Williams, OG Anunoby, Noah Vonleh, Thomas Bryant

Bench Players: Robert Johnson, Juwan Morgan, Zach McRoberts, Devonte Green

Out of these 8 teams, my final four would include Duke, Arizona, Kansas, and Kentucky. Kentucky would be the 1 seed, Duke the 2 seed, Kansas the 3 seed, and Arizona the 4 seed. Indiana is a very close 5 seed with a lineup that could hang with any of those 4 teams. Here are my score predictions if these teams were to face off in a four-team tournament.

#1 Kentucky vs #4 Arizona

Score prediction- Kentucky 93, Arizona 77

Individual stat predictions:

Kentucky

Tyler Ulis – 8 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals

James Young – 12 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Devin booker – 16 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds

Julius Randle – 11 points, 3 assists, 13 rebounds, 1 steal

Karl-Anthony Towns – 21 points, 2 assists, 17 rebounds

Andrew Harrison – 6 points, 1 assists, 2 rebounds

Aaron Harrison – 2 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Trey Lyles – 5 points, 7 rebounds

Jamal Murray – 8 points, 1 assist

Malik Monk – 3 points

Isaiah Briscoe – 1 point, 2 steals

D’Aaron Fox – 3 assists, 1 steal

Skal Labissiere – 1 assist, 4 rebounds

Arizona

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – 13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Allonzo Trier – 9 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds

Stanley Johnson – 17 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal

Aaron Gordon – 16 points, 2 assists, 11 rebounds

Lauri Markkanen – 6 points, 10 rebounds

Rawle Alkins – 7 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Kobi Simmons – 6 points, 1 rebound

Kadeem Allen – 4 points, 2 assists

Game Summary: Arizona is not a bad matchup for the loaded Kentucky team. That Arizona starting 5 has length and is very good defensively. Arizona would have a tough time scoring with the presence of Karl Anthony-Towns and Julius Randle in the paint. Stanley Johnson would have himself a day because of the athleticism and strength that he has over Booker. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would use his defensive prowess and size for a guard to fill the stat sheet. Lauri Markkanen would be shut down by the bigs of Kentucky and would be a non-factor. Arizona would be out rebounded by 9 rebounds. Aaron Gordon would be able to get some stuff done around the rim but would have to rely on his jump shot too often due to the fact that he’d be undersized in this matchup. Arizona would have trouble stopping the speed that Kentucky plays with, and Kentucky would be able to get out and run on them. Also, Arizona is possibly the team with the least depth out of these 8 and Kentucky has the most depth. Kentucky’s bench would outscore Arizona’s 25-17. With a team this star studded, Calipari would probably use the platoon system like he has done before. The fresh legs off the bench for Kentucky would wear down the starters for Arizona, and they would kill the Wildcats in bench points. Karl Anthony-Towns would be an animal and would dominate Markkanen down low and on the perimeter. Ulis wouldn’t need to score, but he would rack up the assists with all the weapons he has around him. Booker would get his open looks in transition, but he would also have a tough time getting by Stanley Johnson. Kentucky has so many threats that Stanley wouldn’t always be on Booker, therefore Booker would get his shots. Julius Randle would out muscle Gordon and get a double-double for himself. With an athlete like Gordon on him, he wouldn’t be as effective scoring the ball as usual. Julius likes to bring it outside some too, but there is no forward that would be able to guard the perimeter better than Aaron Gordon. James Young would do what he does best and have no trouble doing it. He is a flat out scorer that would have more than 12 points if they didn’t have so many guys to spread it around to. The Harrison twins would be sparks off the bench and would dominate Arizona’s guards that come off the bench. Out of Kentucky’s bench players, Jamal Murray would be the most consistent scorer. There would be multiple Aaron Harrison to Murray connections. Overall, Kentucky has too many weapons and is too deep for the Wildcats of Arizona.

#2 Duke vs #3 Kansas

Score Prediction- Duke 79, Kansas 75

Individual stat predictions:

Duke

Tyus Jones – 10 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Justise Winslow – 13 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds

Jabari Parker – 16 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds

Brandon Ingram – 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Jahlil Okafor – 15 points, 13 rebounds

Grayson Allen – 7 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds

Luke Kennard –  3 points, 1 rebound

Amile Jefferson – 4 points, 3 rebounds

Matt Jones – 2 points, 1 assist

Jayson Tatum – 1 assist, 2 rebounds

Kansas

Wayne Selden Jr. – 8 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Kelly Oubre Jr. – 9 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds

Andrew Wiggins – 17 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds

Cliff Alexander – 12 points, 12 rebounds

Joel Embiid – 13 points, 1 assist, 11 rebounds

Frank Mason III – 5 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Josh Jackson – 5 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds

Devonte Graham – 4 points, 3 assists, 1 steal

Carlton Bragg Jr – 2 points, 5 rebounds

Landen Lucas – 2 rebounds

Game Summary-This would be an extremely good matchup. Both teams share a good mix of guards and bigs. I think Duke would squeak out a win but not without a fight from the Jayhawks. Duke has a complete team full of NBA players. Jahlil would be able to have a big day because of the threats around him that attract attention from defenders. Embiid is a shot blocker, but would have trouble with the post moves due to the size of Jahlil. Tyus Jones is a big-play type of guy that is known for being clutch. He’s the type of point guard that every coach wants down the stretch. Wayne Selden would be able to limit his scoring, as he has both size and athleticism on Jones. Tyus would spread it around to scorers like Winslow, Parker, and Ingram, racking up multiple assists. Justise Winslow would be able to get to the rim on Oubre Jr. for 13 points. Oubre Jr. on the other hand would knock down a few outside shots, but he wouldn’t be much of a factor. At the forward, Brandon Ingram would knock down a few threes by bringing Cliff Alexander out on the perimeter. Alexander would dominate inside on Ingram though, causing a matchup problem for the Blue Devils. The matchup of the day would come from the teams’ wings. Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins would handle the scoring load for their respective teams. Each of them would cancel each other out and the game would be decided by other guys. Some other guys that would make a difference include Duke’s Grayson Allen and Kansas’s Frank Mason III. Both of which would provide a spark off the bench for their team. Each team is deep, and the bench play is what would decide the game. It would come down to guys like Luke Kennard and Amile Jefferson for Duke, and guys like Josh Jackson and Devonte Graham for Kansas. Overall, Duke’s experience and coaching would give them a slight advantage.

Championship – #1 Kentucky vs #2 Duke

Score prediction- Kentucky 83, Duke 74

Individual stat predictions:

Kentucky

Tyler Ulis – 7 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

James Young – 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Devin Booker – 12 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds

Julius Randle – 9 points, 10 rebounds

Karl Anthony-Towns – 14 points, 3 assists, 13 rebounds

Andrew Harrison – 2 points, 1 rebound

Aaron Harrison – 4 points, 3 assists, 1 steals

Trey Lyles – 7 points, 6 rebounds

Jamal Murray – 5points

Malik Monk – 7 points, 1 rebound

Isaiah Briscoe – 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

D’Aaron Fox – 2 points, 2 assists, 1 steal

Duke

Tyus Jones – 13 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

Justise Winslow – 11 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

Jabari Parker – 14 points, 2 assists, 7 rebounds

Brandon Ingram – 8 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds

Jahlil Okafor – 12 points, 12 rebounds

Grayson Allen – 5 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Luke Kennard – 1 point, 1 assist, 2 rebounds

Amile Jefferson – 4 points, 3 rebounds

Matt Jones – 6 points, 1 assist

Jayson Tatum – 2 assists, 1 rebound

Game Summary- Kentucky and Duke are two programs that are used to being in championship games. Each of them send off stud prospects to the NBA every year and then they reload. If these two teams were to face off, it would be a battle until the last 5 or 6 minutes. Kentucky would pull away at the end with a couple of big plays, but the game would be hard fought. The big man matchup of Jahlil Okafor and Karl Anthony-Towns would be remarkable, but the game would come down to guard play. Kentucky’s James Young and Devin Booker would catch fire and simply outshoot Winslow and Parker. Tyus Jones would outplay Ulis and would keep the Blue Devils in it. Julius Randle would body up Ingram, and the Wildcats would control the glass. While Duke is deep, Kentucky is even deeper. The Wildcats would look for big contributions from their bench, and Trey Lyles would answer the call.

Malik Monk would also provide key minutes off the bench and would match Grayson Allen’s effectiveness in the game. Kentucky’s speed would give the Blue Devil’s some issues, but Tyus Jones would settle them down. Devin Booker and James Young would be a dominant scoring duo for Kentucky, one that would prove to be too much for Duke. Overall, this Kentucky team is too deep for any team in the country. If these guys would’ve stayed all four years, Kentucky would be your 2016-17 national champions.