‘Rupp better than this.’ Ex-Cat Malik Monk not impressed with UNC’s arena.

With the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets holding training camp at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., it was hard for former Kentucky player Malik Monk to be diplomatic about the North Carolina Tar Heels venue.

“They’ve got a lot of nice stuff in here, but this is not like Rupp, though. Rupp is better than this,” Monk said, playfully, during a courtside interview posted by @SportsChannel8 on Tuesday.

As he was being asked whether he was impressed with the facilities, the second-year NBA guard shook his head, intimating he had no interest in the question. “Nah. None of that. Nope.”

Questioner: “You’re looking to get this week over with.”

Monk: “I am ready to get out of Chapel Hill,” Monk said, smiling. “Nah, I’m just fooling. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Monk was also asked whether he’d accept a lunch invitation from North Carolina senior forward Luke Maye. Maye famously made a shot that eliminated Monk’s Kentucky team from the NCAA Tournament in 2017.

Monk listened to the question and pretended to walk out of the interview. Returning, he said, “Nah, don’t ask me that one.”