Rhyne Howard's last chance to find success in the NCAA Tournament

Rhyne Howard has done it all. The 6-foot-2 superstar is an All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year and second on Kentucky’s all-time scoring list. Howard’s accomplishments are endless. Well, almost endless.

In Howard’s four legendary years at UK, she has never made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. In her freshman year, Howard and the ‘Cats fell to NC State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. COVID-19 stole Howard’s sophomore March campaign. Most recently, Kentucky fell to Iowa, again in the Round of 32, during Howard’s junior season.

Rhyne Howard is confident in her team

With Kentucky on a 10-game win streak, Howard’s odds of finally seeing the third round of the tournament are better than ever. Further, she believes her team is ready for the challenge.

#BBN, We're dancing our way to Bloomington!

No. 6 Kentucky 🆚 No. 11 Princeton

Let's do this 😼#CommitToIt pic.twitter.com/2MjYvuTrcB

— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) March 14, 2022

“This year, we have a lot more confidence in ourselves and we’re having a lot more fun than what I’ve been a part of over the past years,” Howard said on Sunday night after Kentucky received their bid. “We’re on a roll and we’re just super hot, and we plan to stay that way.”

The ‘Cats rally around their leader

Howard’s lack of success at the Big Dance is hardly her fault. In four NCAA Tournament games, Howard has averaged 19.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. The Kentucky legend has paid the price for late-season success, yet has repeatedly come up short. Howard’s teammates want to change that narrative.

After Dre’Una Edwards hit the game-winning shot in the SEC Tournament championship, she immediately hugged Howard. Edwards let the media in on the intimate moment between Kentucky’s two top dogs.

“Rhyne kept saying thank you, and I said, ‘Man, this one was for you. I had to get you one before you left, man, I had to,” Edwards recalled.

What the support means to Rhyne Howard

The ‘Cats don’t want Howard’s story to end with the conference crown. They’re after something bigger. They want Howard’s exit to be as memorable as the rest of her career, and Howard couldn’t be more thankful.

“For me, it just means that my teammates love me. They worked their butts off this year. They knew it wasn’t going right for me personally, and they didn’t want to send me out that way.”

Poetically, Howard’s first opponent in her final NCAA Tournament is the same foe she defeated in her NCAA Tournament debut. On Saturday, the ‘Cats will face the Princeton Tigers in the first round of March Madness. Howard dropped 15 points on the Tigers as a freshman. After Howard has had four years to develop, head coach Kyra Elzy is excited to see what her star player does this time around.

“This is the final run, and I’m excited to sit back and see what she does.”

You’re not the only one, Coach. While Princeton is a good team, they’re not an enormous obstacle to Howard’s goal of making the Sweet 16. However, Kentucky’s likely second-round opponent of Indiana is.

On Nov. 14, 2021, Indiana dominated Kentucky in an 88-67 blowout. Nonetheless, Howard is confident in her team’s chances in the rematch. Further, she’s essentially promising a win.

“We are going to win. If we get there, we’re going to win. It’s simple as that,” Howard said about the potential showdown with Indiana.

Nonetheless, before Kentucky looks ahead, they must take care of the task at hand. Six-seeded Kentucky will face the 11-seed Princeton Tigers at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.