5 Great College Basketball Teams That Could've Been
2. 2006-07 Texas Longhorns
In his two full seasons at Texas, D.J. Augustin was an exceptional point guard. With averages of 16.9 points, 1.6 three-pointers and 6.2 assists per game, he tallied a total of 10.7 win shares and .161 per 40 minutes. He made the NCAA tournament on two occasions and, for his efforts, was awarded the Bob Cousy Award in his sophomore year, which turned out to be his final one.
At 21, Augustin entered the draft, getting picked ninth overall by the then-Charlotte Bobcats. With a career nERD of -0.7 to this point, he's been right around an average point guard for his NBA career, but he's been productive. Spread across eight different teams, Augustin has averaged 9.7 points, 1.2 threes and 3.9 assists in 23.9 minutes per game. Those numbers are bench-worthy, but Augustin was so much better in his time with the Longhorns.
Daniel Gibson would've been a junior when Augustin was a freshman in 2006. In the two years prior, Gibson was a big factor on a Texas team that combined for 50 wins and two NCAA tournament appearances. He averaged 13.8 points on 2.6 threes per game as he played his role as the team's high-volume scorer from the outside. His .165 win shares per 40 are quite respectable, all things considered.
After his second season in Austin, Gibson became a second round pick in the NBA draft, landing with the Cavaliers. There, he played seven seasons before calling it quits after the 2012-13 campaign. Gibson didn't play the same role as he did in college, scoring only 7.8 points per game, but he was a good marksmen, hitting 1.5 threes in just 23.5 minutes per game throughout his career. He'd make for a really good shooting backcourt when paired with Augustin.
P.J. Tucker, like the two former Longhorns to come before him, has had a very similar trajectory from college to the pros. Tucker, a 6'5" forward, averaged 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals in his three-year career with the 'Horns. He shot 52.6% from the field and finished off his junior year by winning the Big 12 Player of the Year Award. Tucker also appeared in three straight NCAA tournaments -- all the while tallying .218 win shares per 40 minutes.
While he had quite a sparkling collegiate career, Tucker hasn't had the same success in the NBA. With 7.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 27.9 minutes a game, he's primarily served as a role player. He's guarded multiple positions and has been a defensive leader for the Suns in his five years in Phoenix. A player with Tucker's talents and grind-it-out attitude makes for an excellent teammate to a surrounding cast with skilled offensive players, and this team sure has those.
Exhibit A, Kevin Durant. In 2006-07, Durant was a freshman at Texas, where he averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.9 steals in his single season. He won multiple player of the year awards that year while posting .280 win shares per 40 minutes.
Durant moved on to the NBA the next year, when he was picked by the Seattle Supersonics with the second overall pick. Since then, Durant's won Rookie of the Year, been a seven-time All-Star and was awarded with MVP honors in 2013-14. Across nine-plus seasons, he's averaged 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists along with 38.1% shooting from three-point land. His career nERD of 140.7 tells it all -- that KD is a generational talent who, given more time in college, would've been a part of a historically great squad in Austin.
The player he would've joined is fellow NBA player LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge, who would've been a junior in 2006-07, averaged 15.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 33.7 minutes per game in his sophomore season. He, like Durant, accounted for .280 win shares per 40 minutes before heading to the draft in 2006.
Aldridge was also drafted second overall, which would make two top-two picks for this squad. Aldridge was selected by the Chicago Bulls but was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers on draft night. He spent nine seasons in Portland before leaving for San Antonio. Over his distinguished career thus far, Aldridge has averaged 19.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks with a total nERD of 64 in 10-plus seasons. So, regardless of who started alongside Aldridge and Durant, this team would've been talented enough to win a title. Putting a trio of respectable NBA players with them would've made for a truly dominant team.
