Kentucky-Tennessee Postgame Quotes
KENTUCKY BASKETBALL POSTGAME QUOTES
#15/14 KENTUCKY VS. #11/11 TENNESSEE
HISTOIRC MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
FEBRUARY 27, 2025
Head Coach Kenny Brooks
Opening statement…
“So proud of these kids, just their effort throughout the whole basketball game and their attitude leading into the game. Obviously, we were very disappointed on Sunday with the outcome. We felt like we played good enough to win, but we didn’t win. We watched the film of LSU, and we did not hang our heads. We watched, we saw what we could do. I think we gained confidence out of it. We came in with our approach, and then, obviously, playing against Tennessee in itself is going to be tough just because of the rivalry. Tennessee is Tennessee. Kim’s doing a tremendous job with that program. It’s very unique, very unique, so it’s kind of hard to prepare for it. We played off of our experiences last year going against them when they were at Marshall. Obviously, they have excellent athletes this year, with it we knew it was going to be a challenge. Both of these kids played against that system. We knew what to expect. We executed. We executed our game plan. A lot will be said about what we did on the offensive end. I thought our defense was tremendous, held them to 31% shooting I think it was, rebounded the basketball at a very high clip, so we can rebound, 52 to 31. But I just thought the kids did a really good job, and I’m very very proud of them.”
How the team looked tonight….
“They’re resilient. They’re fun. They come to work every day. This has probably been the least amount that I’ve raised my voice ever as a coach here in the whole year, just because they get it, they understand it, they know what the assignment is, and they work extremely well together. And it’s one of the things that we talked about, you know, as a group, we were trying to build chemistry, and we did it all organically. We didn’t go anywhere with any excursions and do any of that stuff. We just let them hang with each other. And the chemistry that they found. First and foremost, they are great kids, and they work. Sometimes they didn’t get talked about enough. We had two injuries at the beginning of the summer that could have been devastating to our program, but they all stepped up and they had to play a little bit extra or a different position. They all did it with a big smile on their face. Talked about the triplets and, they formed that, and to be able to play off of each other. Georgia’s leadership, Dazia Lawrence’s leadership, is all come together, because they’ve been willing to sacrifice a little bit of themselves for the betterment of the team. So when they came out today, I knew they were confident because their preparation leading up to the week. You know, I saw it in their faces. You know, we got shot with those two before the evening. They look good, and we knew we were going to get opportunities. And I was very proud. They stepped up and they were aggressive.”
How fun the season has been….
“Yeah, I’ve coached championship teams at both places I’ve been before. And, this is right up there if not the best year, just because, collectively as a group, one through where we have 13 kids, everybody just works together. They’re fun. I laugh and joke about sometimes I was scared I was going to jinx myself. But they’ve never been late to a meeting. You know, they’re always there. You know, whether I try to surprise you, to get there 10 minutes early, they’re there and they’re ready to go. So, when you have that type of mentality, good things are going to happen. And it’s been a lot of fun this year just watching, you know, I’ve been with her (Georgia Amoore) for five years, while I’m watching her do things I’ve never seen her before, today she let the game come to her. And as opposed to just really trying to attack it, and that’s leadership and maturity. But she can do that because she has so much confidence in these kids. And then watching this one (Clara Strack) grow right in front of my eyes, it’s been super fun having, just what she’s been able to do and her confidence. And then I think she’s going to learn from Georgia and take over a leadership role, next year. But you know, it’s just been fun for me all year coming to practice with this group.”
Team’s ability to execute a defensive game…
“Yeah, I’ve been seeing it a lot where, our offense, Clara scores 23 points. Georgia has 18, and we can shoot the basketball, but our defense is pretty good, and I think it gets overlooked because, we don’t do the things that some people that defense is made of, like trapping and pressing and doing that kind of stuff. We know what we’re supposed to do. We’re built off guarding the paint. We have, which is, I guess, the best shot blocking team in school history. And we’re long, we’re athletic. And so, we go in and we can test the shots, and then we go out and we try to clean up the play and finish it by rebounding basketball. This year, it’s been a little bit freer. It’s been more her (Georgia Amoore) calling the shots and what she wants out on the floor, or just going with the fast break. Because of our defense, it has given us a lot of offensive opportunities. So, I’m extremely proud, of our defense, because it doesn’t get talked about as much. But we go in, game in, game out, and we’re holding people below their averages.”
UK Student-Athletes
#13, Clara Strack, F
On what led to success against Tennessee…
“I think overall, as a team, we excelled against them because we were ready, and we knew we were going to be going up and down a lot. So, I think just being ready and knowing that you are going to get opportunities and that you need to be willing to knock them down when you get it.”
On how it feels to break records with her teammates…
“Yeah, it is really cool. I think it is special. I mean, not on a lot of teams do you have that, so I think it is really cool to play with them and be able to work off them and work with them.”
On the progress of Clara Silva…
“I think especially in the last two games she has really showed up and did a lot for us, and I think that is going to be really important for our team throughout the stretch of the postseason. She works hard every day, so it is special to see that coming from her.”
#3, Georgia Amoore, PG
On handling the Tennessee pressure…
“We practice scenarios like that all of the time. The other day at practice we did practice drills for the first time in maybe 12 years of my life, fundamental skip passes, and it worked. It puts us in positions with spacing and puts us in a position to pick your poison. As soon as I saw the Tennessee girls, I knew that Clara was going to be exactly where she needed to be.”
On Tennessee frustration…
“We have tried to focus on if we get them down, keep them down. We learned that from LSU it’s safe to say we didn’t do that. Sometimes you just get a vibe. Sometimes you feel it, you see it, body language and faces. You know you have them right where you want them and it kind of gives you a boost.”
On taking advantage of the full court pressure…
“The practice before this game I was talking to Coach Brooks and we agreed that this game is going to be fun. Fun because they give us opportunities the way that they play. We play as a team, though. I wouldn’t be able to find it if I didn’t have Dazia Lawrence tonight, or Teonni Key the way that she was attacking the defense was a turn. So, I think this whole focus, we knew they would give us a good look, just be patient and right before the game Coach Brooks says, ‘They’re going to give you opportunities, they want you to be uncomfortable but take them and be confident tonight.”
