Kentucky alum Eric Bledsoe thinks Wildcats would beat 76ers

Top-ranked Kentucky made a loud statement Tuesday, obliterating No. 5 Kansas 72-40 in its first game of the year against a quality opponent.

The message, one that's been espoused by experts far and wide all offseason, is that the Wildcats are the team to beat this year, and it's not particularly close. No other college basketball team compares and, if you ask Kentucky alum Eric Bledsoe, one NBA team doesn't, either.

"I'll definitely take Kentucky," Bledsoe said Wednesday on Sirius XM NBA Radio when asked if he thought his alma mater could hang in a playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. "I think Philly would probably get maybe one game ... I know they're going to be mad, but I love my Wildcats."

This adds some nice fuel to an otherwise sparkless fire when Bledsoe's Phoenix Suns play the 76ers on Friday, though there may not be much the 0-10 76ers can do about it.

Whether or not the Wildcats could beat the 76ers in a series doesn't really matter, but it's fun to debate, anyway. Spoiler: they couldn't, although random variance and the weirdness of basketball would probably see them take the occasional game.

One thing's for sure, though: Bledsoe's 2009-10 Kentucky team would destroy the 76ers. John Wall, Bledsoe, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins, plus Josh Harrellson, Daniel Orton and DeAndre Liggins? Now that's a team worth putting up against NBA competition.

- With h/t to Eye on Basketball