Kentucky WBB starting lineup breakdown: what's working and what's not?

A common theme for Kentucky Women’s Basketball fans this season has been “why?”

Like myself, I’m sure that a lot of you have been wondering why Kentucky Women’s Basketball hasn’t been up to par since the Matthew Mitchell era ended a few years ago. Why doesn’t Kentucky have the talent that other schools have? Why does Kentucky keep losing, despite the fact that some of their stats tell a different story?

While all of those are good questions, one that really sticks out to me is, “Why does Kyra Elzy keep changing her starting lineup?” Over 24 games this season, Elzy has used nine different starting lineups, and only one of them has a winning record. So, let’s take a look at each of the starting lineups, and why they did (or didn’t) fail. With the season winding down and coming to a close, this should be an interesting trip down memory lane.

Note: while the actual lineups are in chronological order of the first time they were used, the list of all the games they were used in is not!

Miles, Scherr, Tyler, Jenkins, and Petty

This is the first lineup to make its debut. It has been used four times and is currently 2-2. With wins against ETSU and USC Upstate, this lineup was pretty successful with lower-level non-conference teams. But, this lineup was used twice in the final two games of the Paradise Jam, which as we know, didn’t end well. So, with losses to Colorado (96-53) and Cincinnati (65-41), Elzy put this lineup to rest.

It’s likely that this lineup wasn’t used again due to injuries. Both Maddie Scherr (head, ankle) and Amiya Jenkins (shoulder) were unavailable for a portion of time due to injury. But now, they’re both healthy, and these five players are pretty consistent stats-wise, so why not give this lineup another go?

This group of starters helped Kentucky average just 48.8 points per game, but it’s likely that was brought down by the team’s performance against Cincinnati, where they only scored 41. Against ETSU and USC Upstate, this lineup actually performed pretty well — granted they aren’t SEC-caliber teams, but the stats are still pretty pleasing. However, this lineup also only combined for 11-55 (20%) from the three-point line over the four games. Terrible, I know, but the three-point shooting has improved greatly since then, especially from Saniah Tyler and Scherr. If Elzy gives this lineup another chance, I think we could see a big difference in the point production.

Miles, Tyler, Petty, Russell, and Jenkins

I’m sure we all remember the disaster that was the Austin Peay game. Senior Maddie Scherr was unavailable due to an ankle injury, which resulted in Eniya Russell‘s first start of the season. The game was the first and only to be played at Georgetown College and it resulted in a 68-63 loss, the first of the season for the ‘Cats.

The starters shot only 20-67 (29.9%) from the field, including a disappointing 3-16 (18.8%) from the outside. We’ve talked about the Cats’ first-quarter woes before, and this game was no different. Austin Peay outscored Kentucky in the first quarter, 14-10. The ‘Cats as a whole out-rebounded the Governors 39-32, and the starters contributed 30 of those. 14 of the rebounds came from Ajae Petty, who also led her team in scoring with 19 points. The only two other ‘Cats with double-digit scoring were Tyler and Russell, who both finished with 11 a piece on a combined 7-32 (21.9%) from the field.

Miles, Tyler, Petty, King, and Jenkins

Immediately following the Austin Peay game, Elzy tried out a new lineup, probably in hopes of changing the horrible outcome. But no, this lineup didn’t work either. This was Kentucky’s first true away game of the season, and FGCU dominated the entire time. The result was a 59-48 loss, one of the Wildcats’ lowest-scoring games of the season. Again, Maddie Scherr was unavailable due to injury, and neither of the freshmen hit the floor, making the bench only eight deep.

Amiya Jenkins led the team in scoring with 18 points on 7-17 (41.2%) shooting from the field. The starters though, only made 16 of their shots, meaning that Jenkins accounted for almost half of her team’s baskets. The other majority came from Petty, who finished with 15 points on 7-8 (87.5%) shooting from the field and 13 rebounds. Brooklynn Miles and Tyler were a combined 2-10 (20%) from the field, each of them with a basket a piece. Overall, not a successful lineup for the ‘Cats, but given that Scherr was unavailable, and this game followed a pretty gut-wrenching loss to Austin Peay, I think I’ll let this one slide.

Miles, Scherr, Jenkins, Thomas, and Petty

For the first game of the Paradise Jam, Elzy debuted a new lineup, which failed miserably. The ‘Cats lost to NC State 84-55, and this one marked Zennia Thomas‘ only start of the season. Thomas was dismissed from the team later in the year. During this game, Scherr suffered an ankle injury that put her out for the remainder of the Paradise Jam.

This lineup went only 6-28 (21.4%) from the field, with the majority of their points coming from the bench. Along with the lack of scoring, the starters also only grabbed 12 of the team’s 28 total rebounds. Despite the fact that this game was just a disaster, the bench clearly performed better than the actual starters. Fortunately, this lineup can never be used again.

Miles, Scherr, Tyler, King, and Petty

One of the more successful lineups, this one finished 2-3, with wins against Boston College (83-81) and Missouri (76-71) and losses to Louisville (73-61) and Arkansas (88-61) at Bud Walton. Overall, this starting lineup isn’t terrible. For starters, Louisville is a great team in the ACC, so losing to the Cardinals wasn’t a shock. The ‘Cats had beaten Arkansas once before at Rupp, and beating a good team twice, especially at their home arena, was gonna be a challenge anyway. Missouri is an okay SEC team, now 11-12 (2-8 SEC), so not that impressive. And Boston College is 11-14 (3-9 ACC), with a solid 101-37 victory over Stonehill and an upset over Miami.

After a month or so, Elzy brought this lineup back for the Texas A&M game. It’s likely that Elzy wanted a change because the ‘Cats were in the midst of a four-game skid, but this lineup didn’t work that well either. The starters combined for 11-36 (30.6%) shooting from the field, including only 3-11 (27.3%) from the perimeter. Saniah Tyler also only played nine minutes of this game after going 0-3 from the field with a foul and two turnovers.

Miles, Rowe, Tyler, King, and Petty

This lineup was only used once in a 73-67 win over Tennessee Tech on Dec. 3. As one of four games the team played at Transylvania’s Clive M. Beck Center, this game was one of the more packed ones. The energy from the fans was much needed, considering both Maddie Scherr and Amiya Jenkins were unavailable due to injuries, so the bench was only eight deep. Plus, freshman Jordy Griggs didn’t hit the floor, so Elzy used a seven-woman rotation for all 40 minutes. Mainly six, if you remember that freshman Janae Walker only played two minutes.

In the first quarter, the ‘Cats outscored the Golden Eagles 21-15. The starters combined for 51 points, which includes Ajae Petty’s whopping 33-point performance. The only other starters in double-digits were Saniah Tyler and Emma King, who finished with 13 and 14, respectively. Cassidy Rowe and Brooklynn Miles didn’t make a huge impact on the scoring end, but combined for nine assists, four rebounds, and drew four fouls as a duo.

Miles, Tyler, Russell, King, and Petty

This lineup resulted in a pretty terrible 76-57 loss to Minnesota, immediately following the team’s win to Tennessee Tech. Again, both Scherr and Jenkins were unavailable due to injury, and the only difference here is that Elzy replaced Cassidy Rowe with Eniya Russell. Rowe was unavailable with a head injury, so Kentucky’s bench was truly seven deep. Both freshmen made an appearance on the court, although they only totaled four points and three rebounds in a combined 13 minutes of action.

As for the starters, they combined for 53 points on 20-49 (40.8%) from the field, including 3-11 (27.3%) from three. Ajae Petty finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Russell finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, but no one else really stood out. Just another lackluster game with a pretty average starting lineup, nothing new.

Miles, Rowe, Scherr, King, and Petty

Technically, the most successful of the nine lineups, this one sits at 4-3. However, since the horrifying loss at South Carolina, Cassidy Rowe has yet to see the starting lineup again.

Over seven starts, this lineup averages 45.6 points per game, along with 23.4 rebounds. It’s very likely that the loss at South Carolina skews these numbers downward a bit, but other than that, it’s not bad. As a whole, the lineup produced 124-295 (42%) shooting from the field, including 20-64 (31.25%) from three. This lineup is definitely not the most efficient in point-producing, but somehow manages 10.9 assists and only 9.6 turnovers per game.

Miles, Scherr, Jenkins, King and Petty

After an away loss to Arkansas, Elzy decided to try something else out. She used this lineup for three games, and all three were losses: Alabama, Mississippi State, and Georgia.

Amiya Jenkins was unavailable for a while due to a shoulder injury and came back with a 20-point performance against Lipscomb. However, in these three games, she didn’t perform the way we had seen in the past, which may be a reason why she isn’t a part of the starting lineup anymore. In fact, Jenkins didn’t play a single minute against Texas A&M, which Elzy chalked up to being a “coach’s decision,” and nothing else.

As for this lineup, though, the starters averaged 39.3 points and 21 rebounds per game. The five players went a combined 46-120 (38.3%) from the field, including only 8-32 (25%) from three. Overall, this isn’t a great lineup, so it’s no surprise Elzy retired this one for the time being.

What starting lineup should Elzy use?

After digging through the stats for every player and the way they’ve been performing, my ideal starting lineup would be: Miles, Tyler, Rowe, Scherr, and Petty, with Russell as the sixth-woman.

It’s become evident that these six players aren’t only the most efficient, but also the most effective on the court, even if some size is being sacrificed. While Miles isn’t necessarily a point producer, she does bring a pace to the offense that no one else can. She’s quick and knows how to find her teammates for open shots. Saniah Tyler could be, in my opinion, the most improved player of the season. She’s now consistently putting up double-digits and has become the best three-point shooter on the team.

Cassidy Rowe is in the same kind of position as Miles. While she isn’t a consistent point producer, she isn’t afraid to take shots. Rowe will shoot every open shot she has and has definitely improved on the perimeter since October. She’s also taken 19 charges so far this year, which isn’t something a lot of players can say. As for Scherr, she’s considered the leader of the team. Being a senior, Scherr’s experience and basketball IQ come in handy when the team needs someone to guide them. However, Scherr has been playing all 40 minutes for the last few games, so Eniya Russell would be the person who I’d give her a rest for.

Finally, Ajae Petty is the obvious big. At 6-3, Petty may not be the tallest on the team (only behind 6-4 freshman Janae Walker), but she’s the best rebounder. Despite having a few “meh” games, it’s looking like Petty is getting back into her groove.

Next, Kentucky will take on Auburn on Thursday, Feb. 15, at Neville Arena. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. EST and will be streamed on the SEC Network.