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PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB prepares for Princeton in first round matchup

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•03/19/22•

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Photo by Eddie Justice | UK Athletics

The wait is over. Kentucky Women’s Basketball begins its NCAA Tournament run on Saturday afternoon.

The No. 6 seed Wildcats will face the No. 11 seed Princeton Tigers at 4 p.m. EST up in Bloomington, IN at Assembly Hall. Princeton is an old friend of the ‘Cats — Kentucky defeated the Tigers 82-77 in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

During that first matchup, Kyra Elzy was an assistant coach. After Kentucky received its bid on Sunday, Elzy reflected on the 2019 matchup.

“Princeton is a really good team. It was a dogfight the last time we played them, and I don’t see that changing. Everybody wants to win in March,” Elzy said.

Everybody wants to win, especially Elzy. Now in her second year as head coach, Elzy aims to repeat history against Princeton. Nonetheless, the Tigers won’t make it easy.

Let’s talk about the Tigers

Princeton is a terrifying 11-seed. The Tigers are entering Saturday’s contest on a 17-game winning streak with a top 25 national ranking. While most of this streak is from Ivy League victories, the Tigers win in convincing fashion.

Led by head coach Carla Berube, Princeton averages 68.8 points per game while allowing 50.9 points per contest. In simpler terms, Princeton is winning their games this season by an average margin of 17.8 points.

The Tigers’ domination can be attributed to their defensive prowess. Princeton holds their opponents to the fourth-lowest scoring average in the nation. The Tigers don’t sit back on defense. They attack.

Princeton swipes 10.3 steals per outing. More impressively, the Tigers force an opponent turnover in one out of every four possessions. Princeton’s defense is a Saw trap, yet they have just as much talent on offense.

Senior guard Abby Meyers leads the Tigers, scoring 17.8 points per game while shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc. Meyers was the 2022 Ivy League Player of the Year and an Associated Press All-American honorable mention. Elzy discussed the threat of Meyers during a press conference on Friday.

“Abby is very talented. When I watch her on film, sleepless night,” Elzy said. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us. So I’m glad that we have played talented guards in the past, and let’s hope that will help us for tomorrow’s game.”

Meyers isn’t the only talented Tiger. Julia Cunningham contributes 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Moreover, the 5-foot-11 guard is a First-Team All-Ivy League player who has been hot lately. In the Ivy League championship, Cunningham dropped 16 points.

The third cog in Princeton’s offensive machine is Kaitlyn Chen. The 5-foot-9 sophomore leads the team in assists while adding 10.3 points per night. Chen isn’t a threat from outside, connecting on just 28.2% of her attempts from downtown this season.

Although Princeton is undoubtedly skilled, they’re not physically gifted. The Tigers don’t have a player taller than 6-foot-1 who averages more than six minutes per game. Nonetheless, the team’s heart makes up for their height as they grab 13.9 offensive rebounds per contest.

One thing is certain: Princeton will not be a free win for the ‘Cats.

Keys for Kentucky WBB

Thankfully for Kentucky, they’re not used to picking up easy victories. The ‘Cats are on a 10-game winning streak, including a historic run to the conference crown. Kentucky defeated three AP Top 25 teams in the process and is now ranked No. 15 as a result. A triumph over the No. 25 Princeton Tigers would be another feather in their caps.

While UK is thankful for its recent success, they’re not relying on it. The team has had 13 days between their last game and Saturday’s contest. Elzy believes her team has done all they can to prepare.

“It’s survive and advance. But it is a long time, and we are ready to play. There’s only so much film, only so much practice, and you’re so excited for this moment. So, we look forward to tomorrow.“

For Kentucky to advance, they cannot expect Rhyne Howard to single-handedly carry them to victory. Perhaps UK’s greatest strength in the SEC Tournament was their multi-faceted offense. The ‘Cats had six different players score double figures during the four-game stretch.

This season’s SEC Tournament isn’t the only place Kentucky has found buckets. In Kentucky’s two-game NCAA Tournament run last season, Howard, Dre’una Edwards and Jazmine Massengill recorded 10 or more points at least once.

Specifically, Howard has taken notice of the difference that a balanced offense makes.

“It hasn’t been about me taking over the game in the past couple of months,” Howard said on Friday. “We’ve been having fun, and it’s really been letting other people shine and step up and play how they want to play and be confident in themselves.”

Elzy gave the media several reasons why this self-belief was well-deserved.

“Jazmine Massengill has really stepped up. She is the coach on the floor,” Elzy said. “You can just go down the list. Robyn Benton has hit big shot after big shot, and then do not leave out my fearless freshman Jada Walker, what she has been able to do for this team.”

More than anything, Elzy wants her players to enjoy the opportunity. When the ‘Cats are smiling, they’re winning. Kentucky knows what lies ahead of them and they’re not afraid of the challenge.

“It’s going to be a great game. I told the players we’re going to be in a dogfight,” Elzy said. “We’ll have our hands full, but we look forward to the opportunity.”

Kentucky will take on the Princeton Tigers at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The victor will advance to play the winner between Indiana and Charlotte.

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2025-04-07