KSR GAMEDAY: Kentucky faces former Transy coach Juli Fulks against Marshall

Kentucky’s first road game of the season went pretty well. Clara Strack had her best game as a Wildcat against her hometown team. While no one is returning to their old stomping grounds this time around, the Cats will yet again be on the road against a mid-major opponent when they take on Marshall.

Before you tune into the game, read up on everything you need to know about the Thundering Herd.

Bio Blast

When Marshall lost Kim Caldwell last offseason to Tennessee, there were some questions being raised out in Huntington. Who would replace her? Who could possibly try to replicate the level of success that she had there? Enter Juli Fulks, who you may know from her time as the head coach at D-III Transylvania in Lexington.

At Transy, Fulks went on an incredible three-year run where the Pioneers went 91-2 in that span. That’s Geno Auriemma-level stuff. During that incredible run, Transy won 64 consecutive games, which is the third-longest winning streak in D-III history. That winning streak saw Fulks lead her team to a perfect 33-0 record in the 2022-23 season as they won the D-III National Championship.

Last season was a rough one for Fulks at Marshall though, as the Thundering Herd went just 15-20 (6-12 SBC). However, in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, Marshall won four games before finally falling to Troy. This year, they’re off to a 2-1 start, with their only loss being a six-point defeat at Indiana. So, it looks like the momentum is rolling high for Fulks and the Thundering Herd heading into Saturday’s matchup.

Scouting Report

Marshall is led by freshman Olivia Olson, who is currently putting up a team-high 13 points per game while shooting 36.4% from the three-point line. However, she is shooting just 38.9% from the field overall, so the 5-foot-10 guard may not exactly be the most efficient of scorers out there.

Olson is complemented by Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, another fellow guard. The senior VCU transfer is currently averaging 10 points, 4.7 rebounds and four steals per game — certainly have to watch out for her when Marshall is on defense. As a unit, the Thundering Herd are averaging 15 steals per game, which is tied for 24th in the country.

Lastly, there’s Kassie Ingram, yet another guard Kentucky must keep an eye on anytime she’s on the floor. Through three games, the 5-foot-11 sophomore is recording seven points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Blessing King us the team’s rebounds leader, bringing in 8.7 rebounds per game, even at just 5-foot-10.

Marshall Thundering Herd roster

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Projected Kentucky Starters

#5 – Tonie Morgan

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR

10 PPG – 9.5 APG – 1.8 RPG

#0 – Jordan Obi

6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

11 PPG – 7.3 RPG – 1.5 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR

13.8 PPG – 6.3 RPG – 2.3 BPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-5 – FORWARD – SENIOR

11.5 PPG – 6 RPG – 1.8 BPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR

17.3 PPG – 12.3 RPG – 3.5 BPG

Phoenix’s Prediction

Score: 76-61, Kentucky

MVP: Clara Strack

Marshall has looked impressive to begin their season, especially considering that they kept it a single-digit game against a pretty good Indiana team in Bloomington. While I do believe that this one can be close, I’m expecting Kentucky to win this one fairly easily. I think, again, Clara Strack will dominate this one and continue to prove why she’s one of the best bigs in the sport.

How to Watch/Listen

Location	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Cam Henderson Center (Huntington, WV)	1 p.m. ET	ESPN+ (Bobby Iddings and Ben Westfall)	98.5 ICONS, 790 WKRD, SiriusXM (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).