Opposing Coach Says Kentucky Could Have Beaten NBA Teams

Kentucky squashed Georgetown (Ky.) in an exhibition game Sunday night 121-52 and the opposing coach was impressed, saying the Wildcats could have beaten NBA competition.

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were firing on all cylinders during an exhibition game against Georgetown (Ky.) at Rupp Arena, crushing their overmatched NAIA opponent by 69 points, 121-52.

Georgetown coach Chris Briggs was impressed, telling reporters afterward (via the Lexington Herald-Leader):

"“I just told the guys in the locker room, they could have beaten some NBA teams tonight. No doubt in my mind.”"

The Twitter account of the UK athletic department was quick to jump on the hype train:

For his part, Kentucky coach John Calipari kept it light in his postgame press conference:

"“Coach, did you do that to me? So he said we’re going to have 40 wins and win by 25, right?”"

But on his personal Twitter account, Calipari tried to put a lid on the thing:

Calipari is right, of course, and it’s one of those statements that get thrown around by fans in college football and basketball on a fairly regular basis.

And it’s completely wrong.

A college basketball team is a collection of players who were standouts in high school. Many of those players have to learn to be role players at the next level.

An NBA team is a collection of players who were standouts in college.

Yes, most NBA role players would dominate college competition. You might not want to think so, but it’s the truth.

Calipari knows that, having coached—albeit briefly and not entirely successfully—for the NBA’s New Jersey Nets in the late 1990s.

Kentucky squashed Georgetown (Ky.) in an exhibition game Sunday night 121-52 and the opposing coach was impressed, saying the Wildcats could have beaten NBA competition.

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