Kentucky put on one of the most impressive displays in NCAA Tournament history Thursday, doubling-up West Virginia by a final score of 78-39.
This wasn’t a 1-16 cakewalk, either. The Mountaineers were a No. 5 seed in this year’s tourney and had just knocked off a formidable Maryland squad to earn their date with the Wildcats in the Sweet 16.
The 39-point thrashing raised the debate that always follows dominant college teams: Would they have a chance against the worst team at the next level? In the case of Kentucky, would the Wildcats be able to beat, say, the Philadelphia 76ers?
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, who has experience coaching both pros and student-athletes, was asked this question Friday during his weekly interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand.”
His answer was decisive, to say the least.
“No,” Stevens said. “No. No. Obviously, there are a lot of great college teams and many kids on many teams will grow up to be great NBA players — but, no. It’s a totally different game.”
So, there you have it.
It’s also worth noting that John Calipari, the man who has coached Kentucky to its record-setting 37-0 start, agrees.
[tweet https://twitter.com/UKCoachCalipari/status/531798205277962240 align=’center’]
Speaking of bad NBA teams, Stevens’ Celtics visit the 14-58 New York Knicks on Friday night.
Thumbnail photo via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
