SMU head coach and former NBA head coach Larry Brown thinks this year’s Kentucky team would bode well in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
The Kentucky Wildcats could finish this season 40-0 if things go their way in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve been the hot commodity in college basketball all season, now they’ll hold that title for all of sports in the next several weeks.
SMU head coach Larry Brown made his media rounds this week with his team matching up against UCLA in the first round of the tournament on Thursday. In talking about Kentucky, this comment surfaced:
Larry Brown just said “I honestly believe Kentucky would make the NBA Playoffs in the East”
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 18, 2015
Well, at least Brown is clearly paying attention to the NBA. The Eastern Conference is in no way formidable right now. Still, for those who just love to delve into this conversation, it’s an undeniable fact that any NBA team would have an experiential, athletic, physical, and mental advantage over a college team — even one as loaded as Kentucky.
Even John Wall, Kentucky product, gave his honest opinion when these Wildcats were said to be good enough to beat the Philadelphia 76ers. Wall’s response was perfect. This Kentucky team has pro-ready players, sure, but that doesn’t qualify them to be ready to beat the actual pros right away. We see that more often than not when guys the league as rookies. Playing as a team right now against other NBA teams might give them more confidence to compete, but in no way would this be a foregone conclusion. Even in the Eastern Conference.
