A look ahead at what Kentucky WBB can do in the 2024 Women's SEC Tournament

After losing to No. 9 LSU 77-56 on the road, Kentucky women’s basketball will head to Greenville, South Carolina this week for the SEC Tournament.

Of course, just two years ago, the ‘Cats did the impossible and made a run all the way to the title game. They would end up defeating the 29-1 South Carolina Gamecocks 64-62 to win their second SEC Championship in program history and first in 40 years, but is there any chance that Kentucky can make another run this year?

Of course, the chances are low, but if there is anything we have learned about Kyra Elzy, it’s that she’s prone to make unprecedented runs in the SEC Tournament.

First, let’s take a look at the bracket.

First Round

In the first round, Kentucky will look to defeat Georgia. Just by looking at the seeding, Kentucky should win this game. On February 4th, however, the ‘Cats fell to the Bulldogs 72-65 in Athens. Despite jumping out to a 22-7 lead in the first quarter, Georgia stormed back and got the win. On a neutral court though, Kentucky should be able to beat Georgia, getting them into the second round.

Second Round

Then, if Kentucky were to win their first-round game, they’d take on Tennessee on Thursday. In Knoxville, Kentucky led by 17 at one point but lost by 18 in an 87-69 loss. We know that Kentucky can beat Tennessee, but this is where things start to become tricky. Lady Vol fans have been known to travel very well for the SEC Tournament, considering it’s just a sub-three-hour road trip for them. So, that would basically end up being another road game for Kentucky.

This is probably where the road ends for the ‘Cats. They’d finish the season with a 12-20 record, but let’s go ahead and forecast the rest of the tournament.

Quarterfinals

Let’s say Kentucky matches their success from last year’s SEC Tournament, meaning they advance to the Quarterfinals. They would face Alabama who they lost to 91-74 earlier this season. Unfortunately, there’s no real silver lining in this one. Kentucky didn’t muster much of a lead and the Tide rolled. However, of the double-bye teams, Alabama is seeded the lowest. It’s better to play Alabama than South Carolina, LSU, or Ole Miss.

Semifinals

At this point, the ‘Cats would have already far exceeded expectations, but now we’re talking about long, long shots. Kentucky would almost certainly be playing 29-0 South Carolina. In the two meetings between the ‘Cats and the Gamecocks this season, South Carolina won by an average of 55 points. However, Kentucky has beaten South Carolina in David and Goliath fashion before, so who’s to say they can’t do it again?

Championship

Here, we would most likely see a rematch between Kentucky and LSU for the SEC Championship. Honestly, if Kentucky made it to this point, they’d probably put up a really strong fight against the Tigers. On Sunday, when the two teams met in Baton Rouge, the ‘Cats made multiple runs, and it was even a six-point ball game at the half. If Kentucky could manage 40 minutes of elite play, then they’d clinch their second SEC Championship in three years under Kyra Elzy.