Jayhawks' starting five leads the pack
Dec. 18, 1995Recently, Wake Forest coach Dave Odom told me that Massachusetts had the best starting five in the nation. Of course, he said that just prior to facing the Minutemen.
John Calipari's team does have an outstanding starting lineup, but I would not rank them as the best in the nation. That honor would go to Kansas. That's a great lineup Roy Williams puts out on the floor at the start of the game.
They have size, a great backcourt and tremendous balance from both the outside and the inside. I love the composition and the chemistry of that unit. When you start breaking down the five, begin with the All-America Jacque Vaughn; he's a legitimate point guard who makes great decisions and understands the role of being a leader. His backcourt mate, Jerod Haase, gives great defensive tenacity as well as scoring; he can hit the open jumper. Haase is one of the most intense competitors you'd ever want to meet.
Inside, there's Raef LaFrentz, who is one of the most improved big men in the nation. He knows his role, how to score from the low box, how to be active on the boards. LaFrentz can also run the court well for a guy his size, and also possesses a excellent touch as a shooter. Scot Pollard is very effective; he moves well without the ball and can also run the court well. Pollard can block shots on the defensive end, though he does pick up some cheap fouls and gets himself into trouble in that area.
Finally, there's the diaper dandy, Paul Pierce from out of California. He's getting better and better and certainly living up to all of the accolades he received when he came out of high school. He's a sensational small forward who can score. Pierce is really starting to blossom and he showed his potential against Indiana recently.
Then you talk about another starting five which impresses me: the one in Tucson. Arizona has a solid composition in its lineup. Reggie Geary is one of the great unsung heroes in college basketball; he knows what leadership is, knows how to make decisions and also guards people. I love the fact that Miles Simon can put points on the board and shoots outside. Michael Dickerson has superb ability to score as well.
Inside, the Wildcats have the two big men who complement each other -- Ben Davis and Joseph Blair. Both are tenacious on the boards and play tough defense. Lute Olson has done a nice job with this cohesive unit -- just ask Georgetown, Michigan and Arkansas, among others.
When I look at Massachusetts, the starting five is outstanding, one of the blue chip groups in the nation. I just think they miss another big kid up front, starting two smaller forwards in Donta Bright and Dana Dingle. That may come into play later in the season if they meet a bigger lineup. Marcus Camby gives the Minutemen a big player who is multi-dimensional, blocking shots, rebounding and scoring.
Calipari is getting a lot of mileage out of his backcourt. Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso are logging a lot of minutes but fatigue hasn't been a factor. In fact, they seem to like playing almost the entire contest.
I'd say those are the top three starting fives in the nation right now. I think Kentucky is very deep as a team but doesn't have what you'd call a solid starting five.
Eventually, when they get their rhythm, I believe UCLA can move up on the list of premier starting fives. Jelani McCoy is one of the instant impact diaper dandies around. Charles O'Bannon and J.R. Henderson give Jim Harrick a nice frontcourt while the guard tandem of Cameron Dollar (when healthy) and Toby Bailey can be outstanding. The Bruins are going through growing pains, learning how to play without the experienced players like Ed O'Bannon, Tyus Edney and George Zidek. They will learn how to win together.
