Everything Kentucky head WBB coach Kenny Brooks said after loss to South Carolina

Kentucky head women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks spoke to the media following the team’s 78-66 loss to South Carolina on Sunday. Here’s everything he had to say.

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Opening statement

“First and foremost, I’m extremely proud of my kids. They played really hard. Obviously, coming into this game, we had the No. 4 seed already locked in – couldn’t do any better, couldn’t do any worse. We, actually, even contemplated rest for a couple of kids. Clara Strack was banged up. She had a knee to the thigh. Jordan (Obi)‘s been a little bit banged up. But they’re resilient kids, and they wanted to play. So, (I) put them out there, and they competed.

“I’ll say this about Clara Strack. I know she’s probably on the fringe of being an All-Conference selection, but if somebody doesn’t think she’s one of the best players in this league, they need to really double check. I know she doesn’t have a big name, and she’s burst onto the scene, but that kid’s played her tail off all year, anchoring our defense.

“We had opportunities. Again, we played hard. We didn’t always play smart, we didn’t always execute, but they went out, and they competed in a very tough environment. I think we will learn from this. We had a couple of lulls in the game, and we learned from that opportunity. We look forward to learning from this one.”

On how Kentucky has grown throughout the season

“They’ve grown immensely. Obviously, we had a lot of doubts – you know, 11 new players out of 13. We talk about it a little bit, but in a game like this, it really comes into play. When we had the injuries to the two kids –Jordan Obi and Dominika Paurova – that really hurt our depth. Those two kids are probably going to be definitely in the rotation, maybe even being starters. And in a game like this, you need it.

“They were bringing in McDonald’s All-Americans for McDonald’s All-Americans, just seeing which one was going to play better. They were fresh. Going down the stretch – I think it was four minutes to go, it was, maybe, a one-possession game – and that really elevated them. But, looking back on the year, I was just talking to a friend out there I hadn’t seen in a while, and it’s been the smoothest year that I’ve had.

“The kids are great. They came together organically to form the chemistry that we do have. To finish top four in this league, that’s a tall order because it’s the best league in the country. So, I think it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been very successful. But the great thing is we feel like we still have a lot of basketball left to play, and we’re excited about that.”

On how Kentucky’s players handled South Carolina’s late scoring run

“I thought the flow of the game changed. There was a couple of low opportunities that just didn’t go our way. We didn’t respond very well, and they did. A couple of the mistakes, they capitalized on live-ball turnovers, and that’s what they do. We did a pretty good job of limiting those opportunities. You’re never going to eliminate live-ball opportunities for South Carolina – it’s what they do. But I thought we had really held that in check for a while.

“Some of the plays that happened going down the stretch, at that point in time, they weren’t only bad plays, but they were live-ball turnovers. They led to opportunities for them, and they capitalized on them. So, again, that’s another thing that we’ll lock in. We’ll watch film, and we’ll learn from it.”

On how Kentucky’s ball screens led to success on defense

“We have, in my opinion, the best point guard in the country. She can pick a defense apart, and she did a really good job. She made adjustments. They made adjustments on how they were handling it. She’s in constant communication with me and talking about different coverages and how to do it.

“She came over from the ACC and came into the SEC for her final year, and I think it’s been a blessing for her because the defenses that she’s faced this year, it’s going to be great preparation for her in the future and what she’s going to be able to see. The way she’s been able to handle it – it’s a way more physical league, the amount of bumps, bruises, scratches that she gets during the game. She was able to pick it apart – not pick it apart, I’m not going to say she picked it apart – but she was able to have success against it and get easy opportunities.

“I think one of the mental adjustments that she made was that she was a little bit more aggressive. At first, she was really trying to come off of them and facilitate. And then, I think she really got it going a couple of times when she was really taking advantage of her opportunities. I think it really got us back in the game, and it kept us in it for a little while.”

On what Kentucky needs to do to make run in SEC Tournament

“The beautiful thing about the SEC being stacked is we’re part of the stack, and we’re excited about that. So, it can be stacked all it wants to be – as long as you’re part of the stack, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think we’ve proven that we can play with the best in this league.

“Also, everything that we’re seeing is for the first time. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in this building. It’s the first time we’ve I’ve ever played against South Carolina; it’s the first time I’ve played against Texas. Unfortunately, I’ve played against (LSU head women’s basketball coach) Kim Mulkey too many times. Things are new for us, so we’re getting a feel for everything. And I think the way that we handled it, and the way that we came through it, has been great.

“Now, we have some familiarity with it, some knowledge of the league. It’s definitely different than the ACC. But sometimes, those are the rejuvenating opportunities that you get. I’m really proud of our kids, the way that they come through and handled the whole situation.

“A lot of times, before I even played a game in the SEC, everybody was saying, ‘Are you ready for the SEC?’ And I’m just glad that we’ve proven that we can be a part of the SEC.”

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