Suspension over, UK’s Rhyne Howard set for season debut. Here’s what to expect.

University of Kentucky basketball fans will get their first look this season at All-American Rhyne Howard on Thursday night.

What should they expect from the 6-foot-2 junior guard when she returns from a two-game season-opening suspension to lead the Wildcats against Kansas State in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge?

“I don’t want her to feel like she has to go out and make heroic plays, I just want her to play good basketball and do the things that she does best and greatness will come out,” Kentucky’s interim head coach, Kyra Elzy, said Wednesday.

Elzy, without detailing Howard’s offense, sat down the national player of the year candidate for UK’s season-opening win over Murray State and for Sunday’s victory over Belmont “for not upholding the standards of the program.”

In discussing Howard on Wednesday, Elzy’s use of the words “heroic” and “greatness” hit the mark in terms of the star guard’s value to the program. Last year, after Howard averaged 23.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 steals while leading Kentucky to a 22-8 record, she was named First Team All-America by The Associated Press, the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Wooden Award.

Elzy said Howard took the suspension to heart.

“The thing about Rhyne is that she has held herself accountable the whole time. She has taken responsibility for her actions. She has apologized to the staff and team for putting us in this position and I commend her for that. She has been great on the bench as far as energy and coaching the other players. What we talked about yesterday is that she will take the floor but it is still team basketball and I want her to play within herself and we will continue to play as a team. There are other people on the floor that can help her get the job done. That is what we are focusing on is team basketball.”

Focus is what will be required Thursday night, as the Wildcats go on the road for the first time in 2020-21, one of 10 scheduled games in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.

Kansas State (1-0) defeated Southern 66-51 in its season opener in Manhattan, Kan., on Sunday. KSU finished 16-13 overall and tied for fourth place in the Big 12 last season (10-8).

Kansas State is led by 6-foot-6 sophomore Ayoka Lee, who provided 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in the team’s season opener after a Big 12 Freshman of the year campaign in 2019-20. The team brings off the bench 6-foot-7 freshman Taylor Lauterbach, who had four points and three rebounds in her nine-minute college debut.

“Six-foot-6 and 6-foot-7 has kept me up at night,” Elzy said Wednesday. “One thing we have really emphasized with our players as we have started to prep for K-State is that our post defense will start with our guards. We really have to bring great ball pressure and have to get to help side. We are asking our posts — they have a big task in front of them — but it will take everyone to help them get the job done.”

For its first two games, Kentucky’s starting lineup included Dre’una Edwards (6-2), KeKe McKinney (6-1), Blair Green (6-0), Emma King (5-10) and Chasity Patterson (5-5). UK’s tallest players are 6-4 Olivia Owens and 6-3 Nyah Leveretter, who have provided important minutes off the bench. Tatyana Wyatt, who stands 6-2 and has started 56 games in her three seasons at Kentucky, will be serving the final game of her own three-game suspension Thursday night.

The SEC-Big 12 Challenge was reduced from 10 games to eight this week after a pair of COVID cancellations.

Elzy’s best player is returning to the court, but the coach said now is no time to ease up, with her team traveling for the first time during the pandemic.

“We have had our fair share of issues just like everyone,” she said. “You know, we’ve had to have people in and out of practice, however that is part of what we’re dealing with, and that is why we say we must stay resilient and mentally tough to get through these times.”

Thursday

No. 11 Kentucky at Kansas State

What: SEC-Big 12 Challenge

Where: Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan. (limited spectators)

When: 7:30 p.m. EST

Live video broadcast: ESPN Plus (online only)

Radio: WLAP-AM 630

Records: Kentucky 2-0 (0-0 SEC), Kansas State 1-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Series: First meeting

SEC-Big 12 Challenge

All times Eastern and p.m.

Wednesday

Canceled: Texas Tech at Vanderbilt

Thursday

7:30: No. 11 Kentucky at Kansas State (ESPN Plus)

8:30: Kansas at Ole Miss (SEC Network)

Saturday

3:30: Alabama at Oklahoma State (ESPN Plus)

Sunday

Noon: No. 1 South Carolina at No. 23 Iowa State (ESPNU)

Noon: Oklahoma at Georgia (SEC Network)

2:00: Tennessee at West Virginia (ESPN Plus)

6:00: No. 4 Baylor at No. 16 Arkansas (ESPN2)

8:30: No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 25 Texas (ESPN2)

Canceled: TCU at Missouri