Best college NBA team: Kentucky

John Calipari said last month that his former Kentucky players would beat the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

He’s right. Probably. Maybe.

“It would have to be hypothetical, because they’d all have to be, what, eight or nine of them, max players, and you can’t pay them that,” said Calipari, the master of recruiting one-and-done players. “Let’s say this: If they were all max players and they were all making their money, oh, you could win a title. There’d be nothing except, ‘Let me fit into this.’ But you couldn’t do it. You could have maybe two or three max players and the rest would have to take less.”

Kentucky is the only college team that could field an All-Star lineup of active NBA players.

“Anthony Davis. John Wall. Karl Towns. I’d probably play DeMarcus Cousins and let Anthony be a 3. And what would the last position be? Shooting guard? I’d probably say Devin Booker.”

That’s four All-Stars and Booker, who is averaging 20.9 points for the Phoenix Suns.

It might be difficult to play centers Davis, Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns at the same time, but the New Orleans Pelicans are starting Davis and Cousins together.

The Wildcats bench would be among the league’s best: Eric Bledsoe (21.1 points, 6.3 assists), Julius Randle (13.0 points, 8.7 rebounds), Terrence Jones (11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (7.3 rebounds), Rajon Rondo (6.4 assists) and Nerlens Noel (5.5 rebounds).

Kentucky doesn’t just have the best alumni in the NBA. They have the most, leading all schools with 24 active players.

Duke is second with 21 players, including Kyrie Irving, followed by Kansas (15), North Carolina (14) and UCLA (14, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love). Then it’s Arizona (12), Syracuse (11, Carmelo Anthony) and Florida (10, Bradley Beal and Al Horford).

That’s eight teams — enough for one conference playoffs in the NBA or an old-fashioned conference tournament in college.

1. KENTUCKY | 24 players

Starters
Anthony Davis, Pelicans
DeMarcus Cousins, Kings-Pelicans
John Wall, Wizards
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves
Devin Booker, Suns

Bench
Eric Bledsoe, Suns
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Hornets
Julius Randle, Lakers
Terrence Jones, Pelicans
Nerlens Noel, 76ers-Mavericks
Rajon Rondo, Bulls
Patrick Patterson, Raptors

Others
Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings
Brandon Knight, Suns
Jamal Murray, Nuggets
Andrew Harrison, Grizzlies
Trey Lyles, Jazz
Jodie Meeks, Magic
DeAndre Liggins, Cavaliers
James Young, Celtics
Tyler Ulis, Suns
Skal Labissiere, Kings
Aaron Harrison, Hornets
Archie Goodwin, Pelicans

Scouting report | The cradle of centers: Davis, Cousins, Towns.

2. DUKE | 21 players

Starters
Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
Jabari Parker, Bucks
Mason Plumlee, Trail Blazers-Nuggets
Seth Curry, Mavericks
J.J. Redick, Clippers

Bench
Austin Rivers, Clippers
Rodney Hood, Jazz
Gerald Henderson, 76ers
Jahlil Okafor, 76ers
Luol Deng, Lakers
Brandon Ingram, Lakers
Tyus Jones, Timberwolves

Others
Mike Dunleavy, Cavaliers-Hawks
Lance Thomas, Knicks
Miles Plumlee, Bucks-Hornets
Kyle Singler, Thunder
Justise Winslow, Heat
Josh McRoberts, Heat
Ryan Kelly, Hawks
Marshall Plumlee, Knicks
Quinn Cook, Mavericks

Coach
Quin Snyder, Jazz

Scouting report | Three Plumlees. One of them good.

3. KANSAS | 15 players

Starters
Andrew Wiggins, Timberwolves
Markieff Morris, Wizards
Marcus Morris, Pistons
Joel Embiid, 76ers
Tarik Black, Lakers

Bench
Kelly Oubre, Wizards
Darrell Arthur, Nuggets
Thomas Robinson, Lakers
Ben McLemore, Kings
Cole Aldrich, Timberwolves
Jeff Withey, Jazz
Brandon Rush, Timberwolves

Others
Nick Collison, Thunder
Paul Pierce, Clippers
Cheick Diallo, Pelicans

Scouting report | Team Morris (or the Pierce-Collison Farewell Tour)

4. UCLA | 14 players

Starters
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Kevin Love, Cavaliers
Jrue Holiday, Pelicans
Zach LaVine, Timberwolves
Trevor Ariza, Rockets

Bench
Darren Collison, Kings
Shabazz Muhammad, Timberwolves
Matt Barnes, Kings-Warriors
Luc Mbah a Moute, Clippers
Norman Powell, Raptors
Arron Afflalo, Kings
Kyle Anderson, Spurs

Others
Kevon Looney, Warriors
Jordan Farmar, Kings

Scouting report | A well-constructed team. Better than the Thunder.

5. NORTH CAROLINA | 14 players

Starters
Harrison Barnes, Mavericks
Ty Lawson, Kings
Marvin Williams, Hornets
Danny Green, Spurs
John Henson, Bucks

Bench
Vince Carter, Grizzlies
Wayne Ellington, Heat
Raymond Felton, Clippers
Ed Davis, Trail Blazers
Tyler Zeller, Celtics
Reggie Bullock, Pistons
James Michael McAdoo, Warriors

Others
Brandan Wright, Grizzlies
Brice Johnson, Clippers

Scouting report | 80s dream team: Jordan, Worthy, Perkins, Daugherty, Kenny Smith.

6. ARIZONA | 12 players

Starters
Andre Iguodala, Warriors
T.J. McConnell, 76ers
Aaron Gordon, Magic
Channing Frye, Cavaliers
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Nets

Bench
Solomon Hill, Pelicans
Richard Jefferson, Cavaliers
Jason Terry, Bucks
Derrick Williams, Heat-Cavaliers
Stanley Johnson, Pistons
Jordan Hill, Timberwolves
Jerryd Bayless, 76ers

Coaches
Steve Kerr, Warriors
Luke Walton, Lakers

Scouting report | Great coaching, bad team. Half of the Cavaliers bench.

7. SYRACUSE | 11 players

Starters
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
Dion Waiters, Heat
Jerami Grant, 76ers-Thunder
Wesley Johnson, Clippers
Michael Carter-Williams, Bulls

Bench
Malachi Richardson, Kings
Tyler Ennis, Rockets-Lakers
Chris McCullough, Nets-Wizards
Rakeem Christmas, Pacers
Michael Gbinije, Pistons
Arinze Onuaku, Magic

Scouting report | Rebuilding season. Two rookies and two second-year players.

8. FLORIDA | 10 players