PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB heads to FGCU in first away game of season

Kentucky Women’s Basketball has a long week ahead of them going into the Paradise Jam, where they’ll face No. 14 NC State, No. 5 Colorado, and Cincinnati in a three-day, championship-style tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But first, the ‘Cats have to get through Florida Gulf Coast University in their first true away game of the season on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. EST (ESPN+).

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Not playing on their home turf isn’t something Kentucky isn’t used to, considering their official home court, Memorial Coliseum, is undergoing renovations. Since the beginning of the season, Kentucky has found itself at Rupp Arena, Transylvania’s Clive M. Beck Center, and Georgetown College’s Davis-Reid Memorial Gym. Playing on a new court is nothing out of the ordinary for the Lady ‘Cats.

Head Coach Kyra Elzy held a press conference on Friday in regard to the upcoming week. As made clear in the past three games, there is a decent amount of work that needs to be done for the Lady ‘Cats to have a successful season. Elzy talked about a major focus on defense around the perimeter, given that FGCU has shot 85 three-pointers over three games. Despite only making 27 of those 85, the Eagles will still give the Wildcats a run for their money offensively.

With starting guard Maddie Scherr still “day-to-day” after an ankle injury she suffered against USC Upstate, the ‘Cats will need to have some younger guards step up and do their job if they want to bring out a win on Sunday.

“To be the best, you have to play the best,” Elzy said. FGCU is an extremely talented team. The matchup will be a great way for the Wildcats to prepare for the Paradise Jam next week. But for now, let’s unpack the FGCU Eagles.

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Scouting Report: FGCU Eagles

Kentucky has a very tough test against the 2-1 FGCU Eagles on the road. FGCU is led by legendary head coach Karl Smesko, who is the 3rd all-time winningest coach with his career winning percentage of .830 (643-132). Who is he behind? Geno Auriemma (.883) and Kim Mulkey (.861). Smesko and the Eagles are very underrated heading into Sunday afternoon’s contest.

We’ll start with how FGCU has fared against their opponents so far. The Eagles are 2-1, with their only loss coming to a formidable USC team, who is ranked 10th in the nation, by a final score of 67-51. They put 80+ points on Brown and FIU respectively, cruising to blowout wins in those games. In short, FGCU is beating the bad teams they play, and they kept it fairly competitive against a top-ten team in the country. FGCU didn’t receive a single vote in the last AP Poll, but there is a strong argument that they should be ranked.

FGCU is led by two double-digit scorers, fifth-year senior forward Uju Ezeudu and redshirt junior guard Maddie Antenucci. Ezeudu is currently posting 15.3 PPG and 11.7 RPG, and is shooting lights out from the field. The preseason All-ASUN selection is shooting 57.6% from the field and 54.5% from deep. Antenucci is putting up 13 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.3 APG for the Eagles. However, the production doesn’t stop there for FGCU.

Senior guard Dolly Cairns gives Karl Smesko another reliable option on offense, scoring 9.7 PPG. In addition, she always seems to be in the right spots at the right times. Cairns grabs three rebounds and dishes out two assists per game, providing production in multiple phases of the game. Then, Ajulu Thatha is another fifth-year senior down low who helps round out a great front court between herself and Ezeudu. By recording 8.3 PPG, 6.3 PPG, and 1.7 SPG, Thatha provides another world of trouble for Kyra Elzy to deal with.