Thread Rating:
03-29-2012, 08:48 PM
It's one of college basketball's great bar debates: Could the best team in the NCAA beat the worst team in the NBA? One title-winning coach says yes.
Former Maryland coach Gary Williams told a D.C. radio station that he believes this year's Kentucky Wildcats could defeat the Washington Wizards if the game was played at Rupp Arena.
"I think one game â Kentucky couldn't play in the NBA or anything like that â but one game at Rupp Arena, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kentucky win one game," Williams told ESPN 980, as transcribed by the DC Sports Bog. "Because you're gonna have five players off that team playing in the NBA, and probably playing significant roles in the NBA. And that's why I say that, for one game."
One of Williams' former players, Laron Profit, told the same station on Tuesday night that he thinks the Wizards would win the game by 30 points.
I posed the question to 10 basketball fans and the answer was a resounding "no." Only two said the Wildcats could win the game. The other eight were vehement in their insistence that the Wizards would prevail. Answers ranged from "no chance" to "the Wiz would roll 'em."
Far be it from me to go against the opinion of one of the finest college coaches of the past 25 years, but I agree with the wisdom of crowds. If the Wizards knew the stakes and were energized for the game, there's no shot the team would lose to Kentucky.
Even a Kentucky team that included would-be juniors like NBA players John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins wouldn't be assured of beating the Wizards (assuming a cloned John Wall could play against himself).
I could see a scenario in which Kentucky could beat Washington, but it wouldn't be in legitimate circumstances. Let's say the Cats were catching them on the third night of a back-to-back-to-back and the Wiz thought it was playing the Raptors in Toronto, but it was actually the Wildcats wearing Raptors jerseys in Rupp -- then, yeah, I can see UK winning that game. NBA lethargy is nothing to take lightly. But not in a no-holds barred battle for basketball bragging rights.
Think of it this way: As good as Anthony Davis is, put him on the seven-win Charlotte Bobcats right now. How much better does that make them?
You know how people always say that winning a close game in the tournament is good for a team? This is a perfect example of why. Kentucky is going to have to listen all week to folks claim they're the greatest college team since Kareem was named Lew Alcindor. I don't care how mentally tough you are (and Kentucky is) or how much your coach tries to tell you it isn't true (and you know John Calipari is doing his damnedest to remind his team they still have 80 minutes to go): At some point, you can't help but buy into the hype.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-...37675.html
Former Maryland coach Gary Williams told a D.C. radio station that he believes this year's Kentucky Wildcats could defeat the Washington Wizards if the game was played at Rupp Arena.
"I think one game â Kentucky couldn't play in the NBA or anything like that â but one game at Rupp Arena, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kentucky win one game," Williams told ESPN 980, as transcribed by the DC Sports Bog. "Because you're gonna have five players off that team playing in the NBA, and probably playing significant roles in the NBA. And that's why I say that, for one game."
One of Williams' former players, Laron Profit, told the same station on Tuesday night that he thinks the Wizards would win the game by 30 points.
I posed the question to 10 basketball fans and the answer was a resounding "no." Only two said the Wildcats could win the game. The other eight were vehement in their insistence that the Wizards would prevail. Answers ranged from "no chance" to "the Wiz would roll 'em."
Far be it from me to go against the opinion of one of the finest college coaches of the past 25 years, but I agree with the wisdom of crowds. If the Wizards knew the stakes and were energized for the game, there's no shot the team would lose to Kentucky.
Even a Kentucky team that included would-be juniors like NBA players John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins wouldn't be assured of beating the Wizards (assuming a cloned John Wall could play against himself).
I could see a scenario in which Kentucky could beat Washington, but it wouldn't be in legitimate circumstances. Let's say the Cats were catching them on the third night of a back-to-back-to-back and the Wiz thought it was playing the Raptors in Toronto, but it was actually the Wildcats wearing Raptors jerseys in Rupp -- then, yeah, I can see UK winning that game. NBA lethargy is nothing to take lightly. But not in a no-holds barred battle for basketball bragging rights.
Think of it this way: As good as Anthony Davis is, put him on the seven-win Charlotte Bobcats right now. How much better does that make them?
You know how people always say that winning a close game in the tournament is good for a team? This is a perfect example of why. Kentucky is going to have to listen all week to folks claim they're the greatest college team since Kareem was named Lew Alcindor. I don't care how mentally tough you are (and Kentucky is) or how much your coach tries to tell you it isn't true (and you know John Calipari is doing his damnedest to remind his team they still have 80 minutes to go): At some point, you can't help but buy into the hype.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-...37675.html
![[-]](https://bluegrassrivals.com/forum/images/lifestyle/collapse.png)
03-29-2012, 08:52 PM
I dont believe its as "absurd" as some are making it out to be like Stan Van Fatty Gundy of the Magic.
I think we all know that the NBA and NCAA are two totally different styles of basketball, but i honestly believe if this UK team played in the nba for a regular season, they would come away with a few wins.
One things for certain, we would definitely beat the bobcats on a few occasions.
It's always been a great debate, just like in football.
I know the UK haters will say there is no way any college team ever could period, and i know die hard UK fans on here will claim UK could beat them easily, but looking at it from a realist standpoint, no i dont think we could, however, thats not to say we never could. One game in one day wouldnt show anything, or prove anything.
If you want to set us up for a whole summer of playing exhibition games with a variety of different nba teams, then id say we could hold our own a few times....
I think we all know that the NBA and NCAA are two totally different styles of basketball, but i honestly believe if this UK team played in the nba for a regular season, they would come away with a few wins.
One things for certain, we would definitely beat the bobcats on a few occasions.
It's always been a great debate, just like in football.
I know the UK haters will say there is no way any college team ever could period, and i know die hard UK fans on here will claim UK could beat them easily, but looking at it from a realist standpoint, no i dont think we could, however, thats not to say we never could. One game in one day wouldnt show anything, or prove anything.
If you want to set us up for a whole summer of playing exhibition games with a variety of different nba teams, then id say we could hold our own a few times....
03-29-2012, 09:24 PM
I think they could take the bobcats on any court.
03-29-2012, 09:54 PM
IMO any NBA team would have the offensive advantage, and UK would be better than any NBA team defensively.....except in the month of June, which must be the only month the NBA Players Assoc allows defense to be played.
Seriously though, the cats could hold their own, and I don't think any other college team could.
Seriously though, the cats could hold their own, and I don't think any other college team could.
03-30-2012, 12:19 AM
not worried about the wizards, just about the cards, and if we win sat the one they play mon night...
03-30-2012, 01:56 AM
laker20 Wrote:IMO any NBA team would have the offensive advantage, and UK would be better than any NBA team defensively.....except in the month of June, which must be the only month the NBA Players Assoc allows defense to be played.
Seriously though, the cats could hold their own, and I don't think any other college team could.
ah boys...
Anthony Davis is good at blocking shots in college...
but let's see how many he blocks when Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum are posting him up.
03-30-2012, 02:09 AM
I'm just going on logic here...
but if my logic is correct then D-League teams would beat Kentucky on a regular basis.
Yeah the Bobcats suck...
but Kemba Walker plays for them - standout NCAA player last year.
Corey Maggette - Dukie that was a great NCAA player
DJ Augustine - Stud that went to UT
Then you have players like Diop that went to Oak Hill and then to play pro-ball overseas before coming to the NBA.
These guys play better competition in practice that UK will play in the Final Four on Saturday.
Surely if they played enough games they would win a few. Sometimes shots don't fall, players get in foul trouble, someone gets in the zone and drops 30 out of nowhere - there are things you can't account for that work in your favor sometimes.
Here are a couple of questions for you.
1.) Out of all of Calipari's amazing recruiting classes: how many of his players had immediate and legitimate success in the NBA?
2.) Imagine taking an entire group of college students similar to the ones that Cal has sent to the NBA that did/didn't have immediate success in the NBA and put them all on the same team. How would they fare?
Again - this is all based on my logic.
We will probably never know the answer to this one.
but if my logic is correct then D-League teams would beat Kentucky on a regular basis.
Yeah the Bobcats suck...
but Kemba Walker plays for them - standout NCAA player last year.
Corey Maggette - Dukie that was a great NCAA player
DJ Augustine - Stud that went to UT
Then you have players like Diop that went to Oak Hill and then to play pro-ball overseas before coming to the NBA.
These guys play better competition in practice that UK will play in the Final Four on Saturday.
Surely if they played enough games they would win a few. Sometimes shots don't fall, players get in foul trouble, someone gets in the zone and drops 30 out of nowhere - there are things you can't account for that work in your favor sometimes.
Here are a couple of questions for you.
1.) Out of all of Calipari's amazing recruiting classes: how many of his players had immediate and legitimate success in the NBA?
2.) Imagine taking an entire group of college students similar to the ones that Cal has sent to the NBA that did/didn't have immediate success in the NBA and put them all on the same team. How would they fare?
Again - this is all based on my logic.
We will probably never know the answer to this one.
03-30-2012, 05:13 PM
zaga_fan Wrote:I'm just going on logic here...
but if my logic is correct then D-League teams would beat Kentucky on a regular basis.
Yeah the Bobcats suck...
but Kemba Walker plays for them - standout NCAA player last year.
Corey Maggette - Dukie that was a great NCAA player
DJ Augustine - Stud that went to UT
Then you have players like Diop that went to Oak Hill and then to play pro-ball overseas before coming to the NBA.
These guys play better competition in practice that UK will play in the Final Four on Saturday.
Surely if they played enough games they would win a few. Sometimes shots don't fall, players get in foul trouble, someone gets in the zone and drops 30 out of nowhere - there are things you can't account for that work in your favor sometimes.
Here are a couple of questions for you.
1.) Out of all of Calipari's amazing recruiting classes: how many of his players had immediate and legitimate success in the NBA?
2.) Imagine taking an entire group of college students similar to the ones that Cal has sent to the NBA that did/didn't have immediate success in the NBA and put them all on the same team. How would they fare?
Again - this is all based on my logic.
We will probably never know the answer to this one.
Well, if it wouldnt for Blake Griffin going down his 1st season in the NBA, the last 3 ROY would been Cal players. John Wall would have won last season. However, 2 of the last 3 have been Cal players, Rose and Evans. Derick Rose won MVP last season. Is ROY and MVP in your 3rd season, not considered an immediate success?
03-30-2012, 06:58 PM
FBALL Wrote:No they couldn't. OK, Kentucky has 6 NBA players. Well the Wizards have 13.
Way to quote Van Gundy word for word and act like it's your own.
04-03-2012, 12:21 PM
MVP2 Wrote:Well, if it wouldnt for Blake Griffin going down his 1st season in the NBA, the last 3 ROY would been Cal players. John Wall would have won last season. However, 2 of the last 3 have been Cal players, Rose and Evans. Derick Rose won MVP last season. Is ROY and MVP in your 3rd season, not considered an immediate success?
I said how many...
I didn't say there wasn't any.
And if Blake Griffin would have played the season before - he would have still been the POY in that season so it would still be 2 out of 3 ROYs.
My point is nothing against Calipari...
it's the steep learning curve of the NBA game.
Look at the top 10 draft picks of each draft.
There will be some that absolutely tore it up in college but didn't cut it in the NBA.
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
