Howard Making Immediate Impact for UK Women

Kentucky women’s basketball freshman Rhyne Howard came to the Wildcats with impressive credentials. Howard was one of 24 players who participated in the Jordan Brand Classic as a high school senior last season. She was Tennessee’s Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year. She was expected to make an immediate impact upon her arrival in Lexington.

Through two games, the 6-2 guard from Cleveland, Tennessee, has certainly done that. She scored 15 points in her collegiate debut on Wednesday against Alabama State, and followed that up with a 29-point effort in Kentucky’s 91-41 win over Southern on Sunday at Memorial Coliseum.

Sunday’s performance was one for the record books. Howard’s 29 points were the most by a UK freshman since Alexis Jennings scored 27 points in December of 2014 against Tennessee State. It was the second-highest point total by a freshman in the Matthew Mitchell Era at UK. Only A’dia Mathies’ 32-point effort against Liberty in 2010 ranks higher.

Howard also tied the UK school record for three-pointers made in a game with seven, tying the record that Sara Potts set in 2004 and again in 2005.

For Howard, she says she’s simply trying to improve with each game.

“After practice I usually just stay and put some more shots up and I’m always in the gym trying to work on my shot and get better,” Howard said. “Coach just told me I had to bring the energy (on Sunday) so I was trying to show him what I could do.”

Mitchell was pleased with his freshman’s effort on Sunday.

“Really proud of her for being that aggressive,” Mitchell said. “We talked to her and had a conversation with her Saturday about just the kind of mentality we wanted her to have.”

Howard made it look easy on Sunday, hitting 10 of her 17 shots from the field, including seven of 11 from three-point range.

Howard quickly established herself in the game, eclipsing her career high in scoring (16 points) in the first half. The freshman made six of her nine field goals attempts, including four of six from behind the arc, in the first 20 minutes. As if that weren’t enough, Howard had two rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and a steal in the first half. Howard nearly outscored Southern in the first half, as the Cats took a 50-18 lead at the break.

Senior Maci Morris knows that Howard has been working on her game.

“She hit seven (three-pointers) which tied program history, most threes in a game,” Morris said. “She’s just a freshman. She’s been working really hard since the last game and (Mitchell) challenged her and I think she stepped up to the plate. I thought she did better than what we thought she could and she’s just going to keep on doing better and blow our minds.”

Mitchell knows that Howard’s ceiling is extremely high.

“What’s so exciting about her, (she has) so much room for improvement and learning the game,” Mitchell said. “I thought she got better from the first game to the second game and that’s what we’re hunting right now.”

Sunday’s performance is likely just the tip of the iceberg for Howard during her UK career.