UK set for SEC Tournament run. The Cats could be vying for more than a league title.
The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team will make its postseason debut in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Greenville, S.C., on Friday night, and the 16th-ranked Wildcats could be fighting for more than a league championship.
With a strong showing in South Carolina, there’s a chance Kentucky could earn one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament field. That would mean the Cats would play their first two games of the tournament in Lexington: The top 16 seeds each host four-team subregionals.
After a disappointing loss at Vanderbilt to end the regular season, Kentucky (21-7 overall, 10-6 SEC) appears to be just outside that threshold as of now. ESPN’s Charlie Creme, who is responsible for the network’s women’s basketball “Bracketology,” currently has UK listed as a No. 6 seed. Kentucky is ranked No. 26 in the RPI.
To make a run at the SEC title and the right to host an NCAA subregional, the Cats must first contend with Tennessee (21-9, 10-6). The sixth-seeded Volunteers defeated No. 11 seed Missouri 64-51 late Thursday night to advance to Friday night’s quarterfinals matchup with Kentucky. The third-seeded Cats earned one of four double-byes in the conference tournament.
Kentucky beat Tennessee 80-76 in Lexington in the teams’ lone regular-season meeting this year.
Rhyne Howard will probably have a major impact on UK’s postseason fortunes. Earlier this week the sophomore star was named SEC Player of the Year, becoming the third player in program history to earn the honor (Victoria Dunlap, A’dia Mathies). Howard, who was named SEC Freshman of the Year last season, leads the league and is third nationally in scoring with an average of 23.3 points per game.
Howard was also named to the league’s all-defensive team. Junior guard Chasity Patterson was named the SEC’s Sixth Woman of the Year. The Houston native has played in 17 games after sitting out the first half of the season due to NCAA transfer rules and is UK’s second-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Patterson scored 20 or more points three times during SEC play, including a 32-point performance at Arkansas.
The top four seeds in the SEC Tournament are South Carolina, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Texas A&M. If Kentucky advances to Saturday’s semifinals, it would face the winner of Friday’s game between Mississippi State and LSU.
SEC Tournament
When: Through Sunday
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
Kentucky’s opener: 8 p.m. ET Friday in quarterfinals (SEC Network)
Kentucky’s opponent: Sixth-seeded Tennessee
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
