'Battle-Tested' Cats Ready for NCAA Tournament

The Kentucky women’s basketball team is headed back to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, where the Cats will face James Madison in the first round on Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia.

UK has played 33 games this season, with the last 19 coming against Southeastern Conference competition. Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks believes that this rugged schedule, which also included non-conference games against Louisville and Maryland, has gotten his team prepared for the postseason.

“We are, we’ve been through a lot,” Brooks said. “We’ve been through all kinds of situations in all kinds of environments. And I think it’s all preparation for this moment and we’re looking forward to trying to put that to use.”

Junior Clara Strack echoed the sentiments of her head coach.

“I think the SEC is the top conference and every night, you have an incredible game, an incredible matchup,” Strack said. “So, I think it’s definitely prepared us. I think we’ve already played the best teams in the country, so I think that we know that we can go out and we can play with anybody.”

Point guard Tonie Morgan also thinks that going through SEC play has made Kentucky better.

“I like to say that the SEC is, if not the best, one of the best leagues in the country,” Morgan said. “We’re battle-tested. It was a battle day in and day out, any night. So, I think it’s got us ready to play anybody in this tournament.”

Kentucky has had more than a week off since falling to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament. Brooks talked about how his team has used this week, and how they were just waiting to find out who they would be facing.

“This week, you spend a lot of time on yourself and rest and what ifs,” Brooks said. “So now, you’ve got an opponent. Now it’s time to get to work and that’s what we coaches want.”

James Madison happens to be Brooks’ alma mater and the place where he stared his head coaching career. He was asked if facing JMU would bring back any emotions.

“I’m so far removed,” Brooks said. “I don’t know a lot of people there (now).”

Kentucky will hit the court on Saturday, hoping that the grind of SEC play will pay off as they start the NCAA Tournament against James Madison in Morgantown.