Elzy, Cats Hoping to Make Deep NCAA Tournament Run

Kentucky women’s basketball head coach Kyra Elzy tried to keep her cool on Monday night but she was obviously excited upon hearing her team’s draw for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

“Just an overall excitement, this is what you play for,” Elzy said. “March Madness, here we are.”

Her excitement continued, although Elzy also knows there’s plenty of work ahead before Kentucky faces Idaho State on Sunday at 2 p.m.

“We’re excited. We were excited to see our name pop up on the screen,” Elzy said. “Idaho State, the staff is already hard at work, breaking down film.”

The winner of the Kentucky-Idaho State game will face the winner of the Iowa-Central Michigan matchup in the second round on Tuesday.

Idaho State is no pushover. The Bengals are 22-3 on the season and champions of the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals have four players averaging in double figures on the season.

This season, which began late and was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been different for Kentucky. But Elzy is proud of how her group has handled its business.

“Grateful, excited, but this team has been resilient this year,” Elzy said. “We’ve had our ups and downs but I love how together we are. We battle together.”

That includes playing in one of the best conferences in the country, the SEC. Elzy hopes that the many battles the Cats faced this season will help them in the NCAA Tournament.

“You could see the caliber of play as you watched the SEC teams go up on the (NCAA Tournament) board,” Elzy said. “The SEC was well-represented. Playing in this league, it forces you to put your best foot forward night in and night out. We are battle tested. We have had to go against top-caliber teams all year long in this league. In order to prepare to be the best, you have to play against the best and we’ve done that night in and night out in this league.”

Kentucky is 17-8 this season and is led by All-American guard Rhyne Howard. The SEC Player of the Year is among the best players in the women’s game according to her head coach.

“Rhyne Howard is one of the best in the game,” Elzy said. “We’ve talked about it all year, her versatility and what she’s able to do offensively and defensively. But I think what makes Rhyne special is that she can play the one through the five but she also makes people around her better. She has matured into a vocal leader this year and her teammates want to do well for her. I think having Rhyne is a big advantage.”

As for Howard, she’s constantly working to improve her all-around game, despite already being a very accomplished player.

“I can always improve on everything, really. But for sure, rebounding, assists, steals, continue to play defense. The other things will come, like scoring will come if I play defense harder.”

Elzy knows having Howard is important but she also knows that her team is better when multiple players contribute. She knows it will take that kind of output for a long stay in the postseason.

“In order for us to make a run, we have to sell out defensively, leave our heart on the floor no matter what defense we are in,” Elzy said. “Then, we have to have a balanced scoring attack. When we are at our best, we’re pushing the ball in transition and we have three to four people scoring in double figures.”

Elzy likes where her team is heading into the NCAA Tournament.

“As far as our team, we’ve had some of our best practices of the year,” Elzy said. “I like the energy, I like the focus and we are looking forward to going to Texas to make a run.”

Elzy is looking for a team effort from her Cats in the postseason. She hopes that type of effort will produce a run that keeps the Cats in Texas for a long time.