PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB faces Georgia in first game of season series on the road

Kentucky has started off SEC play as well as you could ask for. 4-0 starts in conference play aren’t too common in Lexington, and the same could be said about starting 5-0 (which hasn’t occurred since the 2012-13 season). The Cats can do just that if they can manage to handle business against Georgia on the road.

Here’s more on the Lady Bulldogs before things get going in Athens.

Bio Blast

Georgia has struggled to start off this season. They sit at 9-10 overall and have a rather pathetic 1-4 record in the SEC. Before the year began, they were tabbed to finish 14th in the conference, and to this point, that prediction doesn’t seem to be too far off.

The Lady Bulldogs have lost five of their last seven games, with their last game being a 68-63 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station. Just to get a gauge on where they are, they lost to Florida by 16 in Gainesville, whereas Kentucky won by 16 against the Gators on the road.

We’re not saying Kentucky will beat Georgia by 30, but that’s a good indicator of just how differently this season has gone for the two programs.

In non-conference play, Georgia lost to Hampton 76-74 in overtime in Athens, but to their credit, also beat Clemson by seven on a neutral site. While Kentucky should go down to Stegeman Coliseum and bring back a win, it’s no certainty.

Scouting Report

The main thing about Georgia is that they love to dive deep into their bench. Rather than relying on their starters almost entirely all of their production — like Kentucky — they prefer to put fresh bodies in there whenever possible. In fact, there are nine players for the Lady Bulldogs that average at least 17 minutes per game.

Leading the way for Georgia is freshman guard Trinity Turner, who is averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. The former four-star recruit has been the best player for the Lady Bulldogs all season. She has recorded her last four games, scoring at least 20 points twice in that span.

Then, there’s De’Mauri Flournoy (12.6), Mia Woolfolk (11.2) and Asia Avinger (10.2), all of which average double digits in the scoring column. As a unit, Georgia really struggles offensively, averaging just 68.2 point per game, and that ranks second to last in the conference (Texas A&M; 66.2 PPG).

Projected Kentucky Starters

#3 – Georgia Amoore

5-FOOT-6 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

18.1 PPG – 7.4 APG – 2.4 RPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

11.9 PPG – 8.8 RPG – 2.3 BPG

#10 – Dazia Lawrence

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – REDSHIRT SENIOR

14.5 PPG – 2.3 APG – 2.0 RPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – SOPHOMORE

15.3 PPG – 9.7 RPG – 3.2 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-3 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

10.9 PPG – 9.4 RPG – 2.1 APG

Initial Availability Report

Starting this season in conference play, SEC teams are required to release an availability report, listing players and their injury statuses for their upcoming game.

Here is the initial report for Kentucky-Georgia:

The final availability report will be available closer to game time.

**Note: Kentucky’s Dominika Paurová is not listed as “Out” because she is completely exempt from the season due to an ACL tear she suffered in the offseason. Jordan Obi, who also suffered a lower leg injury in the summer, may return to the hardwood this season, hence why her name appears on the availability report.**

How to Watch/Listen

Place	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Stegeman Coliseum (Athens, GA)	2 p.m. ET	SEC Network+ (Matt Stewart and Anne Marie)	630 WLAP, 790 WKRD (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).