Auburn transfer granted immediate eligibility for UK women’s basketball
More help is on the way for the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team.
Transfer Robyn Benton was granted immediately eligibility by the NCAA on Tuesday, meaning she’ll be allowed to take the floor for the Wildcats this season.
The 5-foot-9 guard from Conyers, Ga., transferred to UK in April after two seasons at Auburn, where she was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team then averaged double-digit points as a sophomore.
“We are so excited for Robyn,” Kentucky interim head coach Kyra Elzy said in a release from the school. “From the first day she stepped on campus, she has worked hard to improve her game. … Robyn is an explosive guard who can not only score but is an elite defender. She is in great shape and playing at an extremely high level. I can’t wait for Big Blue Nation to see her and the rest of the team play next week.”
As a freshman at Auburn, Benton played in 32 games and averaged 5.8 points per game, while going 35-of-94 from long range. Last season, Benton missed the first nine games of the season due to injury before averaging 10.1 points with 27 three-pointers, 56 steals and 28 assists.
Benton was a five-star recruit rated the No. 17 overall player in the 2018 class by ESPN. She was the Georgia High School Association Class AAA Player of the Year and a First-Team All-State selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution her junior year, averaging 17.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
The news of Benton’s eligibility is yet another domino in a whirlwind offseason for the Wildcats. Earlier Tuesday, it was announced that junior guard Rhyne Howard was voted the SEC preseason player of the year by the league’s coaches.
On Nov. 12 it was announced that Matthew Mitchell was retiring from coaching after 12 years as UK head coach because of issues surrounding brain surgery he underwent to address complications from a concussion.
Last month, the team got a major boost when 6-foot-4 center Olivia Owens was granted immediate eligibility after transferring from Maryland.
Kentucky, which was ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 poll released last week, is scheduled to begin the 2020-21 season on Wednesday, Nov. 25, against Murray State. The Wildcats and Racers will play at 1 p.m. inside Memorial Coliseum.
