Morris, Murray Ready for Leadership Roles
When it comes to his team adjusting to the loss of senior leaders Makayla Epps and Evelyn Akhator, Kentucky women’s basketball head coach Matthew Mitchell isn’t worried.
“Those were two terrific young people,” Mitchell said of the two departed seniors. “The basketball part, I don’t know if I have just accepted (players graduating) as a coach, but it is just the rhythm of it. I have never been one to be too upset about that part of it. It is just the rhythm of life.”
In the wake of losing their two main leaders from last season, the Wildcats have turned to junior guards Maci Morris and Taylor Murray, to lead the 2017-18 Wildcats.
Morris and Murray return as the third and fourth leading scorers from the 2016-17 season, behind only Epps and Akhator. In 33 appearances last season, Morris put up 391 points (11.8 points per game), while Murray scored 366 points (12.2) of her own in 30 appearances.
After two years of watching Epps and Akhator at the helm, Morris and Murray are prepared for their heightened roles.
“It’s a step up role for us, but we’re up for the challenge,” Murray said. “We know what we need to do. This is our third year and we’ve been playing in the SEC so we know what expectations that we need to bring and help our team get to where we need to go.”
Arriving at Kentucky as a freshman, Morris was touted as a prolific shooter, and she has lived up to those expectations. In her two years at UK, Morris has become just the second Kentucky player to hit more than 100 career three-pointers in their first two seasons (Sara Potts was the other). Despite her role on the offensive end, Morris has also worked to improve her abilities on the defensive end of the court, as well as her conditioning and she is prepared for her new role as a leader for the upcoming season.
“To me, it’s just making sure that I’m coming to practice everyday pushing everybody as hard as they can go and just being reliable for myself and for others,” Morris, a Bell County, Kentucky native, said. “People are going to look up to me to do my job and I have to hold up my end of the deal.”
With the potential to be one of the fastest guards in Division I basketball, Murray has fit perfectly into the up-tempo pace that Mitchell likes to play. The 2015 McDonald’s All-American and Maryland native broke out in her sophomore season, nearly doubling her points per game from her freshman season. While her impact on the court is obvious, Mitchell believes it is just as apparent off the court.
“She really cares about people and cares about her improvement and what her role needs to be on the team,” Mitchell said of his point guard. “So when you are conscientious and care about people and are a hard worker and then have some talents that is a recipe for a good player.”
While the loss of Epps and Akhator will be evident on the court when the season begins on Nov. 5 against Southern Indiana University, Morris and Murray are prepping a team with seven players who haven’t played in the SEC to contend in the highly-competitive league.
“Just because our two best players left doesn’t mean we’re out of the running for a championship in the SEC or a national championship,” Morris said. “I think we have as good a chance as anybody.”
