By Noah Lourie (@noah_lourie)

For many crazed and casual sports fans, March Madness is the most compelling sporting event of the year: watching lots of great games, chasing that elusive, yet seemingly attainable perfect bracket, and rooting for Cinderella teams despite them busting our well-thought-out brackets. There are only so many ways to fill out a bracket; you can go with the picking-the-best-logo or the classic only-pick-the-highest-seed bracket. I started thinking about other ways to create a bracket, and I came up with this: what if every team had their five all-time best players, in their NBA primes, competing in the greatest basketball tournament of all time? Here’s what would happen.

Listed below are the rosters for all 32 teams who made it to the second round of the tournament. Keep in mind that every roster is constructed of past or present NBA players who went to the schools represented in this year’s NCAA tournament. This has nothing to do with the current college teams, and players on the active rosters won’t be included on the teams. Sorry Trae Young, Oklahoma could have really used you.

The bracket with the final results is at the bottom of the article.

Round of 32

I’m not going to go into detail for the round of 64 games. The majority of the matchups feature a team with less than five NBA players, and just about every game would end in a total blowout. However, the round of 32 has a bit more excitement with a few big matchups.

Arizona vs Kentucky

This is one of the absolute best matchups in the tournament, and it only took one round to get here. The guard matchup features some absolutely electrifying guards. Bibby and Wall are excellent passers, and Arenas and Booker are two of smoothest scorers ever. The big discrepancy in this matchup really comes at the forward/center positions. Arizona doesn’t have a true center, and Kentucky has three guys that can all play center or PF at a hall of fame level. Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins are big mismatches for anyone that matches up against them, and Dan Issel can also handle anyone on this team. It’ll certainly be a high scoring game but in the end, Kentucky is just too talented for Arizona.

WINNER: KENTUCKY

Michigan vs Houston

Chris Webber and Jamal Crawford lead a high scoring, fast-paced Michigan offense that would be very tough to beat. Unfortunately for them, they run into an absolute juggernaut in Houston. Hakeem Olajuwon, arguably the best center ever, is the star of this powerful lineup that gets it done on both ends of the floor. Elvin Hayes is another great player on both ends, and Clyde Drexler is almost a guarantee for 20+ points every game. Michigan puts up a good fight, but Houston gets the win.

WINNER: HOUSTON

Round of 32 matchups

Winners in bold

UVA vs Kansas State Tennessee vs Miami Cincinnati vs Texas

Xavier vs Florida State Gonzaga vs OSU Michigan vs Houston

UNC vs Providence Villanova vs Alabama West Virginia vs Marshall

Texas Tech vs UCLA Purdue vs Arkansas Kansas vs NC State

Auburn vs Clemson Michigan State vs Syracuse Duke vs Oklahoma

Arizona vs Kentucky Michigan vs Houston

Sweet 16

UNC vs Houston

Looking at the field of true contenders, Houston definitely has the toughest road to the final four; They face a really good Michigan team in the round of 32, then an even better North Carolina team in the sweet 16. This time around, however, the Cougars won’t come out on top. Michael Jordan is playing point guard for this UNC team, and that’s basically all you need to know. Not to mention his backcourt partners are Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, with hall of famers Bob Mcadoo and Billy Cunningham as the big men. This game is all about the Tar Heels.

WINNER: UNC

Duke vs Michigan State

Kyrie Irving vs Magic Johnson. The best ball handler of all time vs the best point guard of all time. This is one of the premier matchups in the tournament between two individual players. Unfortunately for Magic, Kyrie is surrounded by far more talent. Carlos Boozer is a bruising, hardworking power forward that is also capable of scoring 20 points per game, and Elton Brand is much of the same. Grant Hill and Jeff Mullins provide excellent play at the wings on offense and defense. Overall, this Duke team is too talented from top to bottom to lose to Magic Johnson and Michigan State.

WINNER: DUKE

Sweet Sixteen Matchups

Winners in bold

Kentucky vs Kansas State Tennessee vs Texas Ohio State vs Florida State

North Carolina vs Houston West Virginia vs Alabama UCLA vs Arkansas

Kansas vs Auburn Duke vs Michigan State

Elite 8

Kentucky vs Texas

Once again Kentucky finds themselves in a matchup that’s must-see TV. Kevin Durant leads a Texas side that is one of the most complete in the field. Myles Turner is a young center who has shown great talent at both ends of the floor, LaMarcus Aldridge is a smart center with an unstoppable turnaround jumper, Avery Bradley is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and Kevin Durant may be the most lethal scorer in NBA history. With this Kentucky team, we could be watching five hall of famers. Dan Issel, considered by many to be the greatest Kentucky product ever, is the only one already there. John Wall, one of the fastest players in the league, is one of the few elite players to average at least 20 points and 10 assists in a season. Anthony Davis is a lock for the hall of fame, having already accomplished so much as a player at just 25 years old. Demarcus Cousins is as good of a scorer at the center position as we’ve seen. He can shoot and he’s a beast in the paint. Finally, Devin Booker is just 21 years and already plays like a star. He’s averaging well over 20 ppg, he once scored 70 points in a game, and he now holds the record for most points in a round in the 3-pt contest. Texas has its pride, but at the end of the day, Kentucky gets the win.

WINNER: KENTUCKY

North Carolina vs Ohio State

John Havlicek and Mike Conley lead a smart, efficient, scrappy Ohio State team. Their unselfish basketball got them past tough Gonzaga and Florida State teams. Enter a UNC juggernaut with four hall of famers led by none other than Michael Jordan. Ohio State would have to play the best game of their careers, and then some, to beat UNC. North Carolina wins a close one and represents the West region in the Final Four.

WINNER: UNC

West Virginia vs UCLA

Jerry West has carried this team of average to below average role players all the way to the elite 8 through what was by far the easiest path for any team. Their first real test comes against this ridiculously talented UCLA squad. Led by triple-double machine Russell Westbrook and the NBA’s all time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Bruins will continue cruising through the East, beating the Mountaineers on their way to the Final Four.

WINNER: UCLA

Kansas vs Duke

What an intriguing matchup between two of the most storied programs in NCAA history. In this game, Kansas has an undeniable advantage in the frontcourt. Joel Embiid is a freakishly athletic 7-footer with a great shot and very advanced post moves. Duke’s Carlos Boozer is as tough a player as you’ll find, but he’s a head shorter than Embiid and no match for the Cameroonian star. The same can be said for Elton Brand matching up against Kansas’s Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain is 7’1”, meaning he towers over everyone else in this game. The backcourts are pretty evenly matched, but size difference down low makes all the difference for Kansas.

WINNER: KANSAS

Elite 8 results

Winner in bold

Kentucky vs Texas North Carolina vs Ohio State West Virginia vs UCLA

Kansas vs Duke

Final Four

UNC vs Kentucky

No game in the tournament has as many present and future hall of famers as this one. There are four currently inducted and we could see as many as nine when it’s all said and done. the best player on the court in Michael Jordan, but from top to bottom, Kentucky is more talented. The biggest problem for Kentucky is that most of their players haven’t hit their prime yet. Anthony Davis and Devin Booker are both putting up ridiculous numbers, but they’re still years away from their best basketball and John Wall and Demarcus Cousins are just getting to their best years. We have yet to see what this group can really do. On the other hand, UNC is comprised of four retirees and one Vince Carter, a guy who’s still throwing down highlight reel dunks at the age of 41. Michael Jordan’s squad of hall of famers in their prime is just too good for this young Kentucky team to overcome. If this bracket were to be recreated in a decade, the results might be different, but for now, North Carolina gets the win.

WINNER: UNC

Kansas vs UCLA

Wilt Chamberlain, the sole member of the 100-point-game club, versus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the only player ever with over 38,000 career points. Two of the most recognizable names in sports history face off in this classic battle of old legends and new stars. This UCLA team is, in one word, electrifying. At guard, the nuclear athleticism of Russell Westbrook is paired up with the trash talking, clutch shot making, Spike Lee silencing, Reggie Miller. at small forward, Marques Johnson averaged 20 points per game in his career. Then in the frontcourt are Kevin Love and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Love is a double-double machine, once having averaged 15 rebounds per game, an impressive feat for a 6-10 power forward. He is also a deadly shooter and can get red hot at any time. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the highest scorer in NBA history; his patented skyhook is an unstoppable force in the post. Kansas’s guard duo of Jo-Jo White and Andrew Wiggins is their great weakness in this matchup. Joel Embiid, Wilt Chamberlain, and Paul Pierce are all capable of matching up against the UCLA big men. However, Russell Westbrook and Reggie Miller will be able to dictate the action in the backcourt. It’ll be a great game, but UCLA are moving on to face UNC in the championship.

WINNER: UCLA

Final Four results

Kansas vs UCLA UNC vs Kentucky

Championship Game

UNC vs UCLA

We finally made it. UCLA, the school with the most championships of all time (11), and North Carolina with the 3rd most (6), battle in what will go down as the greatest game in basketball history. Here are the lineups for one last examination.

UNC:

G: Michael Jordan

G/F: Vince Carter

F: Antawn Jamison

F: Billy Cunningham

C: Bob Mcadoo

UCLA:

PG: Russell Westbrook

SG: Reggie Miller

F: Marques Johnson

PF: Kevin Love

C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

There are a few guys on these rosters that could be different. For UNC, Antawn Jamison just beat out James Worthy, a player who won a lot more accolades in his career than Jamison. However, Jamison scored more points per game, grabbed more rebounds, had a higher player efficiency rating and recorded more win shares over his career. On UCLA, Marques Johnson and Kevin Love are both guys that just made it into this tournament. Johnson is probably the least notable player in this matchup, but the numbers don’t lie. In a career cut short by injury, Johnson averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, and almost 4 assists per game. He was an efficient scorer and an all-around great player. The other point of contention on this team is Kevin Love. He gets a lot of criticism in Cleveland for a number of reasons, but let’s not forget what a dominant force he was earlier in his career for the Timberwolves. He was a double-double machine, putting up video game numbers in the rebounding and scoring columns on a nightly basis. Since getting to Cleveland, he has really shined as a knockdown 3-point shooter. He once scored 34 points in a quarter, the second most anyone has ever scored in a single quarter. On this team, his role would be more of a paint presence like in years past, but if he’s feeling it, the 3-pointer becomes automatic for Love.

All that aside, there is still a clear winner here. UNC has a combined 9 championships, 7 MVP’s, and 34 all-star appearances. This team exudes greatness. Abdul-Jabbar is the best center in the game, but Bob Mcadoo and Billy Cunningham have plenty of talent to compete with him. No one can match up against Jordan when he’s on offense, and defensively he’ll get steal after steal against turnover-prone Russell Westbrook. It was a game for the ages, but in the end, it’s Michael Jordan and the Tar Heels cutting down the nets.

CHAMPION: NORTH CAROLINA