'Big week for us'. Kenny Brooks is excited for first taste of Kentucky-Louisville rivalry

Now that the first three games are out of the way, all eyes are on Kentucky vs. Louisville this Saturday. The new-look Cats under Kenny Brooks take on Jeff Walz and the No. 18 Cardinals inside of the recently renovated Historic Memorial Coliseum. For years, it hasn’t really been a rivalry. While Kentucky has a 34-24 all-time series lead, Louisville has won seven straight.

Brooks is excited to try to right that wrong on Saturday.

“Big week for us,” Brooks said in his pre-Louisville press conference. “Obviously, very excited for our first taste of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry. Although playing Louisville is not new to us, and obviously playing in some very big games a couple years ago, the ACC championship last year, we went down there, and I think it was pretty much a sold out crowd and two ranked teams, so very healthy rivalry between the coaching staffs, the players.”

Of course, Louisville is a very, very good team — their only loss coming to No. 5 UCLA in Paris, France. However, having Georgia Amoore, Clara Strack, Teonni Key and basically a whole coaching staff come from the ACC is going to do dividends in game prep.

“[Clara Strack has] had experience doing it, Georgia [Amoore], obviously Teonni Key, so there’s some familiarity with it, but obviously, when it’s Kentucky-Louisville, it’s gonna be a little bit different. So, we’re excited about the opportunity. We’re continuing to get better.”

Brooks added, “[It helps] a lot. There’s a lot of familiarity, not only with their team, their personnel, their coaching, their style. We know what plays, we know what they like to run. Everything seems familiar. We played them, I think it was like our third to the last game last year. So, [we] play them quicker in another turnaround. There’s a lot of familiarity in what they do and what we do and how we play each other. So, that helps out a whole lot.”

That being said Louisville is going to bring it, and Brooks and the Cats are in no way shying away from the impending battle.

“It’ll be a good test for us,” Brooks noted. “You know, by no means will it be the be-all and end-all or the end of everything with the game, but it’s going to be a good test for us to show where we are, what we need to do, win or lose, and just excited for the opportunity.”

Brooks is pretty familiar with the Cardinals, and specifically Jeff Walz, who has been at the helm in Louisville since 2007.

“Jeff [Walz is] one of the pioneers of the ACC,” Brooks mentioned. “He also has a lot of great ideas for women’s basketball. The most respect for him and what he’s done for women’s basketball. Sometimes I don’t think he gets enough credit.”

He added, “So, he’s a staple, and he’s done a great job. He and I, you know, we’re friends. We probably would consider each other friends. I know his daughters, he knows my daughters, and we wish each other luck, except for when we play each other.”

Despite their closeness and their friendliness, it’ll be a fiery and competitive game on Saturday.

“There is a relationship there, but when we get out on the court, he wants to beat me as bad as I want to beat him.”