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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18., 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE DAILY DEBATE
Who would win a matchup between Kentucky and the 76ers?
"KENTUCKY"
By Christian Hardy
@HardyNFL
For a long time the hypothetical discussion of a collegiate team defeating a professional team has been deliberated by sports fans. A few years ago, it was the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Jacksonville Jaguars in football. In 2012, some thought Kentucky could take down the Toronto Raptors.
It's always been an outlandish thought that could be shot down in seconds. Now, it's a more practical proposition than ever. No. 1 Kentucky against the tanking Philadelphia 76ers. Finally, there is a real argument to be made for a college team here.
We'll start with the worst team in the NBA; the 76ers. Never before has there been a more definitive and widely accepted worst team in a league until this team came along. Before the season started, sports experts everywhere knew one thing about this season — the 76ers are very, very bad.
The team's rotation features
six players who almost certainly wouldn't be in the NBA if the 76ers weren't tanking for a top pick in 2015: Hollis Thompson, Henry Sims, Robert Covington, Brandon Davies, Malcolm Thomas and JaKarr Sampson. You could pluck almost any six players off Calipari's current Kentucky roster that would outplay those six players.
While you can make the case that the 76ers have experience that the Wildcats don't, it does not hold much substance. The 76ers are the youngest (23.3 years old) and least experienced (1.9 years of experience) team in the NBA.
Calipari's Kentucky team might be the most loaded team he ever had. Kentucky houses nine McDonald's All-Americans. To put that in perspective, Kansas currently has four on the roster. Kentucky hosts the No. 3, 10, 19, 30, 32, 33, 37, 39 and 43 players in DraftExpress rankings.
are bound to be NBA first- round picks. The 76ers have three first-round picks on their entire roster — the least of any in the NBA. In fact, only seven of their 15 players were drafted at all.
the 76ers are 0-9 and lose their games by an average of 16 points. They will be considered lucky if they can pull 10 wins out of the 82-game NBA season.
This is a clash of a woeful NBA team, which could go down in the record books as one of the worst teams of all time against a Kentucky team that is filled to the brim with talent, and is heavily favored to win the National Championship.
Those are nine prospects who
Edited by Ben Carroll
Of course, this Kentucky team wouldn't defeat the 76ers 10 times out of 10, but, for once, a collegiate team would have a real shot to upend a professional team. There's real reason to believe Kentucky could down this 76ers team.
"76ERS"
By Amie Just
@Amie Just
Kentucky's basketball roster is stacked from top to bottom. The No.1 team in college basketball has McDonald's All-Americans bursting at the seams.
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The team has been lauded as the best John Calipari has ever coached, predicted to finish 40-0, and the season is only a week old.
This season's Philadelphia 76ers have started out 0-10 and have been predicted to finish among the worst teams in NBA history.
Who would win between one of college basketball's premier powerhouses and the current laughing stock of the NBA?
The level of competition that the 76ers see is unparalleled at Kentucky. Some of the phenomials has played against just 10 games into the season include Chris Bosh, James Harden, Dirk Nowitzki, Roy Hibbert, O.J. Mayo, Dwyane
Wade, Dwight Howard, Jimmy Butler, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, among others. Kentucky has played Grand Canyon and Buffalo so far this year, not counting exhibition games. The Wildcats had no problem with the Antelopes, but Buffalo posed a tougher challenge.
The pesky Buffalo squad led Kentucky 38-33 at half and didn't let off the gas until the last 10 minutes of the game.
If Kentucky has a hard time against Buffalo, a team who is 175th in points per game (69.0), 270th in assists per game (8.0) and 280th in field-goal percentage (.324), how could they reasonably compete with Philadelphia?
Kentucky has been overhyped in the past, most recently, last year. Around this time in 2013, Kentucky was prematurely heralded as a team that could go undefeated. Shirts were printed up saying "40-0" two weeks into the season. Kentucky lost its following game against Michigan State and finished the season 29-11.
The Wildcats advanced to
the National Championship in 2013, losing to the Connecticut Huskies, 60-54, but the season did not go according to hype.
While much of the country is feeding into the hype, Calipari isn't going for it.
"Now we go (play) Kansas and it's the same thing." Calipari said after the Buffalo game on Sunday. "We probably need another hit in the mouth to see where we are."
The 76ers aren't the cream of the crop statistically, in Kentucky's defense, but even so, Kentucky would still get clobbered.
It's no question that professional athletes have the upper hand against college athletes. Philadelphia shooting guard Jason Richardson has been in the league since 2001. The Kentucky freshmen were in kindergarten when he was a rookie.
Professionals are professionals for a reason. Amateurs are amateurs' for a reason.
Women's Basketball Gameday: Texas Southern University
Edited by Rob Pyatt
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
Senior forward Chelsea Gardner pivots around Washburn junior forward Jayna Smith on Nov. 9, Kansas plays Texas Southern tonight at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.
KANSAS
Lauren Aldridge, Freshman,
Guard
Aldridge is coming off a tough shooting performance, but she still managed to come through in the clutch, going 9-of-10 at the free throw line in the second half. Aldridge also led the Jayhawks in assists against the South Dakota Coyotes, and she played 32 minutes, the second most of anyone on the team.
Jada Brown, Sophomore,
Forward
ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
natalie Knight, Senior, Guard Knight was stellar in the season opener, scoring 15 points while adding seven rebounds and five steals. Knight played a team-high 39 minutes, and she was especially vital for the team when Chelsea Gardner left the game due to foul trouble.
Asia Boyd, Senior, Guard Boyd didn't have the statistical performance of some of the other Jayhawks in the opener, but she played a key defensive role. The senior guard will be looking to bounce back against Texas Southern, which seems likely as Boyd scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds against the Lady Tigers last season.
Asia Boyd, Senior, Guard
Brown got the start in the first game, although she didn't spend a whole lot of time on the court, only playing 12 minutes. However, Brown was able to crash the glass, grabbing a couple of offensive rebounds, while managing to chip in two points.
Chelsea Gardner, Senior Forward
Gardner faced a double and triple team against South Dakota and couldn't be stopped as the senior went for 24 points in 24 minutes. Expect a big game from the newest member of the Jayhawks' 1,000-point club.
Brianna Siuney, junior, guard Sidney chipped in 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls, and she also snagged four rebounds and four steals. Siuney made more 3-pointers than any other player on the team, and she'll need to be at her best if the Lady Tigers are going to defeat the Jayhawks.
TEXAS SOUTHERN
Alexus Johnson, Sophomore,
Forward
opener, Davis scored just two points in 20 minutes, and she failed to be much of a factor.
Sarah Williams, Senior, Guard Williams had a solid season last year, but she had a dismal performance against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in the season opener, recording two assists and five turnovers in 13 minutes. She'll need to play much better against the Jayhawks.
miracle Davis, Senior, Guard Davis wasn't especially impressive last season, averaging just 1.6 points, 2.0 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game. In the Lady Tigers' season
One season ago, Alexus Johnson averaged 9.4 points and 6 rebounds per game, which was especially impressive considering that she played just 20.1 minutes per
game on average. Johnson was one rebound away from a double-double against the Cowgirls, and she'll look to repeat that performance against the Jayhawks.
Morgan Simmons, Senior Forward
Morgan Simmons had a productive game against Oklahoma State, scoring nine points and grabbing
seven rebounds, which was reminiscent of her season last year, when she averaged 7.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The La Marque, Texas, native will have her hands full against Kansas, as she'll be one of the two front court players tasked with guarding Chelsea Gardner.
Edited by Miranda Davis
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