Kenny Brooks learned 'we still have other options' if Clara Strack isn't playing well or out

Toward the end of the first quarter of Kentucky’s 76-44 win over Marshall, Clara Strack went down with what looked like a lower leg injury. She was holding down by her lower shin/ankle area, and the severity of the injury at that moment in time wasn’t really known. For the final few minutes of the first quarter, Kenny Brooks couldn’t go to Strack.

Of course, the 6-foot-5 center would check back into the game at the start of the second quarter, but that was really the first time this season that Strack was unavailable.

Kentucky was already in the middle of a rock fight against a tough, physical team. When you couple that with the rowdy road environment, it would have made sense if Kentucky got rattled a bit, with their leader not being there to keep them even-keeled on the court.

Instead, Brooks and his team remained calm and got out of the first quarter with a 9-6 lead. Not a big lead by any means, but they could have withered and have been trailing at that point. Following the game, Brooks talked about how important Strack is for this Kentucky team while also praising her toughness.

“Clara is instrumental to anything and everything that we’re going to do,” Brooks said. “So, obviously, I was a little worried — actually had to catch myself to not go back in the tunnel to see what was going on with her. When she came back out, we got the okay — Clara is one of the toughest players I’ve ever coached in my life. If she can go, she’s going to go.”

Again, before they did get that okay, the team had to battle without her. Brooks was proud of his team’s resolve and ability to overcome adversity. Plus, he learned something about his team in that moment.

“There wasn’t panic because we felt like we had players that could step up and play in her absence,” Brooks added. “We didn’t stall out while she was out. We didn’t just hope and pray that she was going to be able to come back — we did, but we weren’t waiting on it to happen. We were still playing, and that just goes to show that the experience that we have, the maturity that we have and that we can get it done. So, what that tells us is that if Clara is not playing well on a particular night, we still have other options that can help us get through it.”

Obviously, Kentucky is going to need Strack and her services if they want to reach the heights that they’re reaching for. However, if there are times along that climb where Strack can’t be there, it isn’t the end of the world.

Jordan Obi provided a bit of an extra spark offensively, scoring a season-high 17 points against the Thundering Herd. Amelia Hassett had nine points on 3-9 shooting from beyond the arc, but her 14 rebounds (six offensive) that she reeled in is where she arguably made her greatest impact. Asia Boone hit four threes on her way to a 14-point outing, Teonni Key scored 10 points and Tonie Morgan stayed hot dishing the ball with 11 assists on Saturday.

Kentucky is certainly at its best with Strack on the floor, but as Brooks noted, it ain’t just a one-player show.

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