Kentucky-Queens Postgame Quotes
KENTUCKY BASKETBALL POSTGAME QUOTES
#16 KENTUCKY VS. QUEENS
HISTORIC MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
DECEMBER 9, 2024
Head Coach Kenny Brooks
Opening statement…
“When you coach as long as I have, you’ll have nights like this where it’s excitement. It was fun going against Jen Brown – my former player, my former assistant coach at James Madison and Virginia Tech. It was fun to watch, and be across from her. There were a couple of moments when I looked down and she was screaming out offenses and they were some of our offenses – so it means that she was listening. Very proud of her, what she’s been able to do, the transition, it’s always tough when you’re transitioning from Division II to Division I– but she’s doing a good job with that program. She had another assistant on her staff, Toya Jenkins, who was a player of mine at James Madison– so it was cool. Really really good night, it was an opportunity for us to bounce back, get back on the floor when we felt like we didn’t have a great performance the game previous– it was a fun night.”
On the tenacity in this game…
“I think sometimes we look at them, myself included, we almost look at them like robots. We expect them to come out there and just do exactly what they’re supposed to do each and every time they step out on the floor. We didn’t play well at UNC, had opportunities to really get back into the game, just couldn’t get over the hump. It seems like we lost very 50-50 ball and I thought that the mood after the game was a little bit down and when you play at this level and you have a lot to play for, you can’t let one loss become two, then two becomes three. So, we really just had to tell the team you’re not playing bad, you played bad and we had to get back at it. The great thing about basketball is you only have to wait three or four days for your next opportunity, and they were looking forward to it– so we got out there a little bit we talked about the sense of urgency and coming back out. I thought they did a really good job stepping up tonight and getting off to a really good start.”
On Amelia Hassett’s performance today…
“I love Amelia. I asked her after the game how she would assess her performance today and she said she could play better and I agreed with her, but I also made sure she knew that whatever she did that I would trust her, and in nine games she has developed trust with me that she will always be in the right place and know where to be and what to do. There are going to be games where she makes five to six threes. When I recruited her, I told her she would be a stretch four and we have changed that position and she is a force. People try to go after her on the perimeter and she moves her feet well and contests the shots. I am tickled with her performance and think we can build off it and she will have an even more prominent role for us as the season goes along.”
On if we could see the injured players return and Coach Brown saying they’re an elite eight team…
“She was on my staff and helped me recruit Jordan [Obi] to Virginia Tech, so she knows how Jordan is capable, and she got to watch Dom [Paurova] play a little bit too. But no, there is still no update on those two. We have what we have and that is what we are going with day-by-day, but she is right. You know we do miss those two kids, and it hurts us in a lot of different ways, but we have what we have, and the kids are working hard.”
Player Quotes
#32, Amelia Hassett, F, Jr.
On scoring 1000 points and her fit in the program…
“It was a great feeling hitting that milestone. Props to my teammates for helping me get there. This team can be great. We have to put the work in. And yeah, I felt like it was a great fit and choice. And I just love the coaching staff and Coach Brooks.”
On what she enjoys about defensive rebounding…
“I just enjoy getting that rebound for my team and not letting the opponent get that second chance.”
