PREVIEW: No. 19 Kentucky WBB set to take on Winthrop

With a week of preparation fueling them, Kentucky Women’s Basketball is ready to get back on track. This Sunday, the No. 19 Wildcats face the Winthrop Eagles at 2 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The ‘Cats are looking to rebound from a painful loss to top 5 Indiana last weekend.

Time to bounce 🔙 tomorrow at home!#CommitToIt

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— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) November 20, 2021

While Winthrop is an easier foe than the Hoosiers, the ‘Cats are facing plenty of adversity. Kentucky Women’s Basketball still only has eight healthy scholarship players available.

The thin roster proved problematic last weekend when the ‘Cats faced fatigue and foul trouble. While Winthrop may not be a powerhouse opponent, they are an excellent trial before the ‘Cats run into more ranked opponents just over the horizon.

What’s up with Winthrop?

To say the Winthrop Eagles are an imposing adversary would be a stretch. Led by first-year head coach Seneca Randall Lay, the Eagles are 0-3 heading into Sunday. Furthermore, the team is yet to finish a contest within 20 points of an opponent. If Kentucky plays their cards right, this ugly streak will continue.

Though the Eagles aren’t finding success as a team, they have a few impressive individuals. Sophomore guard J’Mani Ingram leads Winthrop with 13 points and five rebounds per game. Junior Myra Strickland doesn’t trail far behind. The 5-foot-6 guard averages 10 points and five rebounds per contest.

Winthrop’s guards may be holding up their end of the bargain, but the same can’t be said for the Eagles’ bigs. Throughout Winthrop’s first three contests, the team’s guards have averaged more rebounds than the bigs. Even worse, not a single Winthrop forward is averaging more than five points.

As a team, Winthrop is posting just 41 points per contest. In comparison, the ‘Cats are recording an average of 82 points a game. Obviously, if the ‘Cats come ready to play, the math adds up to an easy Kentucky victory.

Keys for Kentucky WBB

While Winthrop may not be a top-10 challenge, Kentucky needs to act like they are. This contest is about fixing the little things so, in the future, the Wildcats can achieve their big goals. Fittingly, the first battle the ‘Cats have to face will be found in the early moments of the game.

Hands up if you're excited to be back in Memorial this weekend! 🙋‍♀️#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/BPNgupGFmY

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) November 19, 2021

Kentucky is yet to jump out to an early lead this season. In fact, they’ve done just the opposite. Nearly inevitably, each game has begun with the ‘Cats being pounced on, Elzy calling a timeout and Kentucky coming to life. While it’s nice to know the ‘Cats can flip a switch, it’d be even better if they began the game with some energy.

Of course, these lethargic beginnings bleed into other aspects of Kentucky’s game. Specifically, the ‘Cats defense suffers when their opponents can catch fire early in the game. Head coach Kyra Elzy is going back to the basics to try and solve this fundamental problem.

“Coming off a loss it’s an opportunity to learn and grow,” Elzy said at a press conference on Thursday morning. “We went back to the fundamentals of defense: our basic shell, moving with the ball, seeing the ball, helping outside the paint, doubling in the post, finishing with the box out.”

Though the list may seem long, it’s necessary. The ‘Cats gave up 88 points to Indiana, which is more than the team allowed any opponent to score last season. Defense isn’t the only place Elzy is hoping to slow things down.

Against Indiana, the ‘Cats shot 42% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc. A large factor behind these poor percentages was forced shots. After watching the film, Elzy is working to correct this issue.

“We settled for some quick shots — did not make them play defense long enough, which ignited their offense,” Elzy said. “All the things that we watched on film, as a staff and as a team, they’re all fixable.”

While Elzy can bring her team to water, she can’t make them drink. Despite Kentucky having three scorers in Rhyne Howard, Dre’Una Edwards and Robyn Benton, Elzy has been clear the ‘Cats need four double-digit scorers to be a great team. After dropping a career-high 16 points against Indiana, freshman Jada Walkers looks like the answer to Kentucky’s prayers.

If Kentucky can nail Elzy’s points of emphasis, they’ll have great odds against more teams than just the Winthrop Eagles.

Final thoughts on upcoming Kentucky WBB game

Winthrop is exactly what the ‘Cats need right now. While what happens on the court is vital, what occurs off the court is equally important. A massive victory over the Winthrop Eagles will provide some serious confidence to the ‘Cats heading into bigger competitions.

History has been kind to Kentucky Women’s Basketball when they’ve run into Winthrop. The Wildcats are 2-0 in their all-time record against the Eagles, winning by an average margin of 55. For BBN’s sake, let’s hope history repeats itself.

Kentucky will take on the Winthrop Eagles at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday in Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.