Kentucky WBB Position Preview: Does Kenny Brooks go with experience or talent at small forward?

Welcome in to the third edition of what will be a five-part series, the KSR Kentucky Women’s Basketball Position Preview series. The name is self-explanatory. We’ll take a look at each of the five positions on the court and assess how the 2024-25 ‘Cats fare at each spot.

Here, we evaluate the small forward position. With both Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurová out for a while due to offseason injuries, the depth at the three spot is a tad bit thinner than Kenny Brooks would have hoped, but there are still some very solid pieces who can step up in their place and contribute.

Check out our other editions in the series below:

• Point Guard Position Preview
• Shooting Guard Position Preview

The one looming question for the small forward position…

Again, with Obi and Paurová out, Kenny Brooks has a lot of thinking to do heading into this season. There’s a very strong argument to start either Saniah Tyler or Lexi Blue at the three. Here’s the case for both.

While Tyler is probably a more traditional two, her shooting from the perimeter warrants a spot at small forward. She can really spread opposing defenses in that way. However, her biggest advantage over Blue will be SEC experience. There is literally no one on the roster with more SEC experience than Tyler, so starting her would greatly help in the harder part of the schedule.

Additionally, she saw a huge spike in production last season, averaging 10.2 points per game. There’s no reason as to why that number can’t continue to trend upward in Brooks’ offense. However, Blue is certainly a viable starter at the three as well.

Ultimately, starting Blue at small forward seems like the most likely option at the moment. Not that Tyler isn’t talented, but Blue is especially talented. It’s as clear as day, and it’s backed by her top-40 ranking on nearly every recruiting service.

Blue is just as good a shooter from the perimeter as Tyler, but she brings more size and defensive versatility to the table than Tyler does. She is the quintessential Kenny Brooks player, after all. So, he may think Blue is a better fit in his offense than Tyler would be (and at small forward, specifically).

Tanah Becker is another name that should routinely rotate in at that spot, especially in situational moments — moments where you need a stop or two, namely. If Brooks wants to go really big in a certain situation, then he may even run Amelia Hassett or Teonni Key at the three (don’t expect too much of that, though).