Well, the two remaining spots on Dream Team III have been filled. Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings and “Sir” Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns have rounded out the roster, pretty much solidifying the team that will bring home the gold.

Or keep it at home, I guess.

But come on! People were actually devoting time and thought debating who should fill the eleventh and twelfth spots on this team! Calek and I could have filled those spots and the U.S. would still cruise to the gold!

While people debate which professional player should be on the team, I sit back and think about the way it used to be “back in the day” (1988).

Back when the U.S. sent over the best amateur athletes because it could do so and stay competitive. It wasn’t a guaranteed gold medal for the States, but this way the men’s basketball competition wasn’t such a yawn.

Why not send over the athletes who could use the experience? It would give them a taste of playing under the spotlight that would be a constant in the NBA. They would appreciate it a bit more since they haven’t experienced the fruits of success similar to those that the pros have had.

Plus, the games might be a little bit closer.

We could seriously send a team over from collegiate teams from a single conference in the NCAA. I think we could find enough people from the Big East to play, or at least a formidable starting five.

Imagine this starting lineup and the havoc it could wreak against the other nations of the world:

At point guard, we could use Georgetown’s Allen Iverson. The sophomore has grown immensely since his initial season, showing that he can keep himself under control while finding the open man.

And the boy can score, a somewhat rare quality in a point guard.

At shooting guard, Felipe Lopez from St. John’s could fill those shoes. Although he had a rather erratic year shooting last season, he has the potential to light up the scoreboard each and every night.

Playing for St. John’s last year might have forced some of the best shooters in the game to lose focus.

Kerry Kittles, the star player from Villanova, could fill the small forward role despite shooting guard being his natural position. At 6-6, he has the height, not to mention the all-around game that Kittles has displayed throughout his stellar career, to play the position.

Ray Allen could also play forward. My vote for player of the year, Allen led the UConn Huskies to a number one seed in the tournament, bringing a solid game in the paint that is paired with an outside shooting touch of a high degree of accuracy.

And John Wallace could round out the starters. The senior Orangeman from Syracuse opted to return to school and did nothing less than lead his team to the Final Four. His inside game is an attribute that will make Wallace a sure lottery pick in the draft.

That sounds just as “dreamy” as any group of pros.

Are we that afraid of the other countries that we have to send the pros? The college players have shown more maturity lately, anyway.