‘We’re going to do what’s best for her.’ Kentucky not rushing Jordan Obi’s return to court.
Kenny Brooks provided some good news for Kentucky women’s basketball fans Tuesday: Jordan Obi’s lower-leg injury is “progressing very, very nicely,” the UK head coach said.
The 6-foot-1 graduate guard transferred to UK after playing a prominent role at Penn for three seasons, but she sustained an unspecified lower-leg injury during the offseason.
“She’s moving now,” Brooks said, smiling. “Yeah, she’s out there, and she looks really good. She looks really good. It’s a tease. You know, it’s a tease, but obviously we’re excited for her, for her progression, because it was devastating for her when she got injured. You could see it all over her face, she came here to play for Kentucky, but she’s been exceptional, as far as, like, staying engaged with the team, planting her inspirations throughout the team. But just her touch on everything.”
Though Obi is getting cleared for more and more activity, Brooks and his staff won’t rush her return to the court for the 11th-ranked Wildcats (16-1, 5-0 SEC).
“Probably, the last week or so, we got to see her move around a little bit,” Brooks said. “But you know, as far as her future, we’re going to take it slow. We’re not going to do anything to rush that situation, and we’re going to do what’s best for her, even though it’s very tempting and you really need that. But she’s a special player. She really is. She’s a lot, she goes very well with what the other players do. It’s great chemistry.”
The temptation Brooks mentioned stems from the fact four of Kentucky’s five starters average 31 minutes or more per game and the fifth averages 28. An injection of veteran depth to the Wildcats’ youthful bench could provide a boost as UK digs deeper into its SEC schedule.
Obi’s debut with the Quakers was delayed to 2021-22 (her sophomore year) because of the Ivy League’s cancellation of winter sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In three seasons at Penn, Obi played in 83 games, making 82 starts, and scored 1,142 points and pulled in 631 rebounds. As a senior last season, Obi averaged 14.8 points, a team-high 7.7 rebounds and a team-high 1.4 blocks per game in a team-leading 34.1 minutes per contest.
Obi is one of two Kentucky transfers out for the foreseeable future, alongside sophomore guard Dominika Paurová, who suffered a torn ACL during a FIBA Women’s EuroBasket game against Iceland while playing with Czechia’s U20 roster on July 14.
During her freshman season at Oregon State, Paurová averaged 5.5 points on 48% shooting from the field, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.5 minutes per game. She played in each of the Beavers’ 35 contests, including their NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup against eventual national champion South Carolina.
Fans should not expect Paurová to return during 2024-25, but Brooks is pleased with her progress.
“Dom, she had an ACL injury,” Brooks said. “So she’s recovering a little bit slower, but at a really great pace for the injury. Both kids are hard workers. They’re going to be major contributors for us. We had really penciled them in to both possibly being starters, or definitely in the top six, so just having them be able to come back for next year is gonna be a boost for us, along with Clara Strack and Teonni Key and Amelia Hassett.”
Brooks also made a point to say that both Obi and Paurová are staying engaged, working out and watching film with the team.
“I’ll even ask them from an outsider’s perspective because they’re not playing,” Brooks said. “You know, what did they see? So I think that they’re really seeing the game differently, and they’re using this year, even though it’s lost on the court, they’re using it to gain some valuable experience.”
Next game
No. 11 Kentucky at Texas A&M
When: 7 p.m. EST Thursday
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630
Records: Kentucky 16-1 (5-0 SEC), Texas A&M 9-8 (2-3)
Series: Texas A&M leads 10-5
Last meeting: Texas A&M won 61-44 at Rupp Arena on Feb. 11, 2024
