It’s not a secret that the Duke Blue Devils and Kentucky Wildcats are two of the most hated – and respected – programs in NCAA basketball. Playing for them gives the players a huge platform to become professionals.
Year after year, we see multiple players from both schools declaring for the NBA Draft and entering the league, with some of them even becoming All-Stars and, eventually, NBA Champions.
But who would have the better team if you put together players from those schools on the same roster? Who would win in a title-clinching game? We’ll break it down in the following paragraphs.
Duke Blue Devils: Starting Lineup
PG – Kyrie Irving
SG – RJ Barrett
SF -Jayson Tatum
PF – Brandon Ingram
C – Zion Williamson
Bench: JJ Redick, Seth Curry, Gary Trent Jr, Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr
Kentucky Wildcats: Starting Lineup
PG – De’Aaron Fox
SG – Jamal Murray
SF -Devin Booker
PF – Anthony Davis
C – Karl-Anthony Towns
Bench: John Wall, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyler Herro, Julius Randle, Bam Adebayo
Game Analysis
At first glance, it’s pretty obvious that Duke have quite the versatile team with five guys that could actually put the ball on the floor and even pull up from all-three levels, even if Zion isn’t exactly a solid three-point shooter.
Those lobs from Kyrie to Zion, and that one-two game between Tatum and Ingram could be a nightmare for opposing teams, and Barrett would have plenty of space to drive with those shooters around him.
They also feature three lights-out sharpshooters on the bench with Redick, Curry, and Trent Jr; but their backup big men have been underwhelming throughout their brief careers in the Association.
The Kentucky Wildcats, on the other hand, have a virtually perfect team. They have no flaws with three ball-handlers and playmakers in Booker, Fox, and Murray; and all five players can shoot, post up, drive, put the ball on the floor, etcetera.
Moreover, their bench could be a starting five any day of the week, as they feature three All-Stars in Wall, Randle, and Adebayo. To make it even more impressive, we had to leave out players like Rajon Rondo or DeMarcus Cousins.
The Wildcats also have an edge when it comes to getting stops. They have two top-notch rim protectors and both Murray and Fox are great backcourt stoppers as well. So, in our hypothetical game, the Wildcats would win 125-115.
