Kentucky women’s basketball faces tough defensive test in NCAA Tournament opener
In the last two weeks, Dre’una Edwards has gotten the calls and texts, the social media praise and the national media attention.
Making a game-winning three-pointer in the waning seconds to defeat the No. 1 team in the country — and win Kentucky its first Southeastern Conference Tournament title since 1982 — will cause that.
“My phone’s been blowing up like crazy. I’ve been getting a lot of followers everywhere. A lot of people have been contacting me and things like that,” Edwards said Friday afternoon during Kentucky’s pre-NCAA Tournament press conference inside Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
“But I’ve just been staying focused on what we’ve got next. I was definitely excited, but I had to put that behind me now because we’re focused on the next championship.”
Moving forward and staying locked in was a common refrain referenced by Edwards, star senior Rhyne Howard and head coach Kyra Elzy as Kentucky shifts into NCAA Tournament mode.
The Wildcats begin tournament play at about 4 p.m. Saturday inside Assembly Hall. Kentucky is a No. 6 seed set to go up against No. 11 seed Princeton, the champions of the Ivy league Tournament.
The winner of that game will play the winner of No. 3 seed Indiana and No. 14 seed Charlotte on Monday in the round of 32.
The Tigers will pose a daunting challenge for the Cats.
Ranked No. 25 in the country in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, Princeton is 24-4 overall and went undefeated in Ivy League play, both in the regular season and the conference tournament.
Princeton has won 17 straight games and hasn’t lost in 2022, presenting a tantalizing matchup as UK enters Saturday’s game on a 10-game winning streak.
“We can’t let them control us. We can only play our game and control what we can control,” Howard said.
Princeton’s calling card is defense. The Tigers allow just 50.9 points per game, the third-lowest amount in the nation as of Friday morning, and opponents shoot just 34.9% from the field against them.
“What they do defensively, they’re switching. They keep you in front of them, solid one-on-one,” Elzy said. “So we have to take care of the ball, offensive movement, player movement, ball movement and we have to find the mismatch inside when they are switching.”
Additionally, Princeton forces more than 19 turnovers per game by opponents.
“We love getting stops. That’s our thing. That’s our motto. So that’s the plan,” said Princeton junior guard Maggie Connolly.
By contrast, Kentucky averages 72.5 points and commits 14 turnovers per game.
How do the Cats plan to counteract the Princeton defense?
“Our job is to attack offensively. We cannot play on our heels,” Elzy said.
The switch defense played by Princeton means significant responsibility will fall on UK’s post players, sophomores Treasure Hunt and Nyah Leveretter, when it comes to screening and creating space and favorable matchups for Kentucky’s offense.
“I think the big thing about Kentucky is that they don’t just have Rhyne Howard, either. They’ve got a great group around her,” said Princeton head coach Carla Berube.
Kentucky will also look to establish a defensive tone itself after several strong showings on that end during its run to the SEC Tournament title two weeks ago.
The Wildcats held both LSU and South Carolina to 63 or less points. It was LSU’s fourth-lowest scoring output of the season, and it tied South Carolina’s fifth-lowest scoring game of the season.
UK also held South Carolina to just 59 points in a February home loss to the Gamecocks.
Kentucky might also benefit from an unexpected boost in pro-UK attendance this weekend in Bloomington.
With the Kentucky men’s basketball team’s shocking elimination from the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night by No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s, there are likely plenty of UK fans in the Hoosier state without Saturday afternoon plans.
Do Edwards and Howard think that will result in more blue and white inside Assembly Hall?
“Yeah, we’re expecting a big crowd. Hopefully they come through. I think they will, though,” Edwards said.
“I mean, who else (are) they going to cheer for besides us? Why not come down and cheer for us?” Howard added. “We have yet to let y’all down.”
Howard adds to legacy with more awards
Howard earned more national awards this week ahead of her final NCAA Tournament run with the Cats, further cementing her legacy as one of the most decorated college basketball players of all time.
Howard was named a First-Team All-American by both the Associated Press and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Howard is the ninth player in women’s basketball history to receive three First-Team All-American honors from the AP.
The other eight are: Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson, Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke’s Alana Beard, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris and Connecticut’s Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore.
Howard is now the only player in UK history to earn three First-Team All-American honors from multiple major organizations.
Howard was also the USBWA National Freshman of the Year in 2019.
Howard is a finalist for the 2022 Cheryl Miller Award, one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy Women’s National Player of the Year, is on the national ballot for the Wooden Award and is a finalist for the Dawn Staley Award.
Saturday
No. 6 seed Kentucky vs. No. 11 Princeton
What: NCAA Tournament round-of-64 game in the Bridgeport (Conn.) Regional
When: About 4 p.m.
Where: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.
TV: ESPN
Records: Kentucky 19-11, Princeton 24-4
Series: Kentucky leads 1-0
Last meeting: Kentucky won 82-77 on March 23, 2019, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Raleigh, N.C.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 4:05 PM.
