Sports Illustrated's All Decade Team

Starting Five

G Jason Williams - Duke
G J.J. Redick - Duke
F Shane Battier - Duke
F Tyler Hansbrough - North Carolina
C Emeka Okafor - Connecticut

Reserves

Jaun Dixon - Maryland
Jameer Nelson - Saint Joseph's
Adam Morrison - Gonzaga
Carmelo Anthony - Syracuse
Sean May - North Carolina
Kevin Durant - Texas
Joakim Noah - Florida

Coach: Roy Williams - North Carolina

Selections were made by SI Senior Writer Grant Wahl

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/2000s/12/15/cbb.all.decade.team/index.html?eref=sihp

Pretty good list, really.

Although, I might replace Jameer Nelson with Seth Curry.

Yeah I can't really argue with it. The 3 Dookies definitely "deserve" it as does Pyscho T.

I think the list is fine, but open for discussion.There have been many very good players in the past decade.

Just off of the top of my head, I think Deron Williams deserves to be part of this team.He did lead the Illini to the Final Fourand tournament success should count for something.

Prescott wrote: I think the list is fine, but open for discussion.There have been many very good players in the past decade.

Just off of the top of my head, I think Deron Williams deserves to be part of this team.He did lead the Illini to the Final Fourand tournament success should count for something.

Then you would have to include Dee Brown, who led the Illini with D Will.

Then you would have to include Dee Brown, who led the Illini with D Will.

Most of the players on the list played with other good players. Why single out Deron Williams?

Another guy's opinion.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/The-10-best-NCAA-basketball-players-of-the-decad?urn=ncaab,205313

Melo>Battier EASY

Hb31187 wrote: Melo>Battier EASY

Agreed. Just imagine if you put the guys like Lebron, Melo and others that went straight to the pros against the players on that list.........MASSACRE.

loved battier as a player. very smart. did more with less talent than most players on that list. players who only played one year shouldnt even be considered and im a huge durant fan. while durant and anthony were out of this world you never know what would have happened if they would have stayed 2 or 3 years in college.

IF you played 1 year and you were THAT good that you went top 5 in the NBA draft,why shouldnt you be one of the best players of the decade?

Its not "Best careers of the decade" Its the Best starting 5

Why shouldnt Melo and Durant be ahead of Battier? Both averaged more points and rebounds as freshman then he did as a senior. Melo had more assists and Durant had more blocks. Only thing stat that Battier has over both of them is Steals lol. Battier was a good player....but these players as its been proven in the NBA are on a different level then Battier and have been for a while

To show you how much college basketball has changed, despite have three players on this list Duke won only one title.

The jump has made college basketball a weak product, and the tournament bends to the will of Carmelo Anthony's, John Wall's, Kevin Durant's, and other one and one players who now only play college ball as an after thought.

Also, who would have guessed that only Battier would be the consistent NBA player on that list (Okafor just can't stay healthy and too early for Psycho T).

Yeah the only 2 changes I would make would be to put Melo on the top 5 replacing Battier and to add Michael Beasley to the list (if they're gonna have Kevin Durant on there)

reclegend22 wrote: Pretty good list, really.

Although, I might replace Jameer Nelson with Seth Curry.

Man. I don't know if Seth has proven himself to be better than his brother, Stephen, yet.


Pretty good list overall. Many people will have differing opinions, which makes this type of thing extremely hard to do, but I think this guy's opinion is pretty good.

ironman02 wrote:Man. I don't know if Seth has proven himself to be better than his brother, Stephen, yet.

Yeah, well, I've heard some real good open gym stuff. So I thought he was a deserving choice

Yes, Stephen Curry for Jameer Nelson.

As for Battier, it is apparent from Wahl's list that he was choosing the starters based on college careers as a whole. So, in this instance, it pays to have played a longer career and done more on the college level in terms of career accomplishments, numbers and team success.

And no one on this list had a more decorated career than Shane Battier. No one. He's the NCAAs all-time winningest player with 131 career victories (a mark he shares only with Kentucky's Wayne Turner), won a national player of the year award, three national defensive player of the year awards and the 2001 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award as he led Duke to its third national championship in school history. There's a reason Mike Krzyzewski calls Shane the most complete college basketball player he's ever seen.

Shane Battier's career achievements earn him an automatic spot on this list.

reclegend22 wrote:

ironman02 wrote:Man. I don't know if Seth has proven himself to be better than his brother, Stephen, yet.

Yeah, well, I've heard some real good open gym stuff. So I thought he was a deserving choice

Yes, Stephen Curry for Jameer Nelson.

As for Battier, it is apparent from Wahl's list that he was choosing the starters based on college careers as a whole. So, in this instance, it pays to have played a longer career and done more on the college level in terms of career accomplishments, numbers and team success.

And no one on this list had a more decorated career than Shane Battier. No one. He's the NCAAs all-time winningest player with 131 career victories (a mark he shares only with Kentucky's Wayne Turner), won a national player of the year award, three national defensive player of the year awards and the 2001 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award as he led Duke to its third national championship in school history. There's a reason Mike Krzyzewski calls Shane the most complete college basketball player he's ever seen.

Shane Battier's career achievements earn him an automatic spot on this list.

I HATE, HATE, HATE Battier, but the dude was one hell of a college basketball player. I can't argue with one single thing you said Rec. Dear Lord what is this world coming to?!?!?!? :s

wildcats20 wrote:I HATE, HATE, HATE Battier, but the dude was one hell of a college basketball player. I can't argue with one single thing you said Rec. Dear Lord what is this world coming to?!?!?!?

You devil you. You've been secretly whispering We Are Duke at night for years now, haven't you? Come on, just take a couple more steps over here. We've been waiting for you.

In all seriousness, I only wish others could be as knowledgeable as you. Some of these guys must not have even seen Battier play. My God. For him not to be on this decade's all-time starting five team for college basketball would be for that list to have no credibility at all.

Don't get me wrong, Carmelo was a beast leading his team to a title as a freshman. But Battier had the better college career, and that's what this is about in the end. The greatest college players of the decade.

It's best players of the decade right? Not the best college careers of the decade.

Melo over Battier EASILY. How the hell is Melo on the list and NOT over Battier--that's bullshit.

Can't really argue with the rest of the starting 5 except Redick. He should definitely be on the list, but again, we're talking the best players. Give me D-Wade in a heartbeat. He should AT LEAST be on the list.

And there is no way you could replace Nelson with Curry--you could make a decent case for putting Nelson ahead of Jay Williams, but I'd have Williams as my #1 PG too.

I have a problem with Joakim Noah on the list. I would have rather had a Blake Griffin, Michael Beasley, Greg Oden, or Al Horford . . . but this may be due to the fact that I hate that dude. I know he played at the college level much longer than some of those guys, but I was never that impressed.

^I agree with that too--a lot better candidates than Noah. He got it because they won two titles, that's the only reason.

I'd put Melo over Battier at the starting 5, but would definitely keep Battier on the team..

Also kind of upset that Raymond Felton was left off...

IN COLLEGE Battier was better than most of the players you guys are naming I feel. Emeka should be dropped before Shane. Battier won the most games ever or close to it in college history. Dominated with an all around game.

In college the players we mentioned put up better numbers then Battier. He might of won the most games...but this is a decade starting 5, not a career award. I highly doubt if I gave you all players of the 2000's youd select Shane Battier to start for your team

If Battier played the following seasons:
1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2001

How can he be considered for the team in this decade.He only played ONE year exclusively in this decade.

Not one KU player even as a reserve. They have had a ton of good players just not any thought of as being good enough I guess.

No Kenyon Martin?