Predictions for Kentucky WBB's 2022-2023 season
It’s that time of the year. The leaves are changing color, the air is getting colder and the Kentucky Women’s Basketball season is beginning.
On Wednesday, the Wildcats will kick off their season with an exhibition against the University of Pikeville in Memorial Coliseum with a 7:00 p.m. EST tip-time. Although we learned a bit about the team from the Blue-White Game, there are still endless questions surrounding this year’s team.
Who will stuff the stat sheets? Will the team reach the AP Top 25? How will the season end? Here are KSR’s predictions for the Kentucky Women’s Basketball 2022-2023 season.
Who will be Kentucky’s leading scorer?
When asking this question for the Blue-White Game, I made it too complicated. I looked at the subtext, the advanced stats. I tried to be clever. In reality, the leading scorer for this year’s team will be the returning player who averaged the most points last year: Jada Walker.
The now sophomore point guard had an outstanding debut campaign, averaging 10.4 points per game. Walker hasn’t lost her touch. In the intrasquad scrimmage, Walker scored 23 points while shooting 10-14 from the field and 3-3 from downtown.
This performance is what put Walker over top of the pile for me. While Walker could score last season, she wasn’t always efficient in doing so. The 5-foot-7 guard would allow the defense to rush her. She’d lose track of her pace.
Consequently, her shooting percentages weren’t fantastic. Walker shot 41.4% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc last season. Nonetheless, Walker looked anything but hurried in the Blue-White Game. If Walker can shoot the way she did against her teammates, her opponents will have headaches trying to guard her this year.
Who will lead the other statistics?
Of course, everybody wants to know who’s going to put the points on the board, but the less glamorous statistics are equally important. This team’s assist leader will undoubtedly be Maddie Scherr. The 5-foot-11 combo guard dished out 10 assists in the Blue-White Game and looked comfortable doing it.
Scherr isn’t always aggressive offensively but she knows how to get her teammates open. I would be surprised if Scherr averaged anything fewer than five assists per game. For reference, the team’s leading passer last season, Jazmine Massengill, dished out 4.7 assists per outing.
Naming this squad’s top rebounder isn’t so easy. With players like Nyah Leveretter, Adebola Adeyeye, Ajae Petty and Zennia Thomas, it’s challenging to pick one. Yet, what am I doing here if I’m not making bold takes?
With that said, Ajae Petty will lead the ‘Cats on the glass this season. Standing at 6-foot-3, Petty rivals Leveretter for the title of tallest player on the team. Moreover, Petty is likely the strongest ‘Cat, boasting a build that you can’t teach.
Petty only grabbed four rebounds in the Blue-White Game, but her potential was evident. Don’t be surprised if the junior forward sneaks her way into the starting lineup before the end of the year.
Who will be in the starting lineup?
Speaking of starting lineups, let’s discuss who will be the first to get on the court for the ‘Cats each game. From watching practices and the Blue-White Game, the lineup looks veteran-heavy. Here’s what the team seems to be leaning toward:
PG Jada Walker
G Robyn Benton
G Maddie Scherr
F Blair Green
C Nyah Leveretter
The lineup includes four of the five returning ‘Cats from last season, excluding only Emma King. The one player who wasn’t a ‘Cat last year, Scherr, is a Kentuckian. Moreover, the lineup embodies Elzy’s positionless basketball philosophy.
With a power forward that can set the nets on fire, this lineup will pose endless issues for opposing defenses. However, don’t be shocked if this isn’t the starting squad at the end of the year. Players like Eniya Russell, Petty or Adeyeye could easily squeeze their way into Kentucky’s five-headed frontcourt monster.
How successful will Kentucky be?
Ultimately, this question is the only one that matters. Likewise, it’s probably the toughest question to answer. Like it or not, we know little to nothing about how this team plays together. With six freshmen and four transfers, this is essentially a brand-new squad.
Despite the lack of knowledge, I’m confident in stating this team will be better than preseason polls are assuming. On Oct. 18, the USA Today Sports Network predicted Kentucky would finish 10th in the SEC, only outplaying Texas A&M, Missouri, Auburn and Vanderbilt.
With an SEC Championship under her belt, head coach Kyra Elzy asserted herself as one of the top coaches in the league last season. She won’t let this team settle for mediocrity. The Wildcats will likely finish around sixth place in the conference, beating out the likes of Mississippi State and Florida.
While this finish may not be satisfactory to fans, they need to remember one thing. Kentucky was a seven-seed entering the SEC Tournament last year. If Elzy could win an SEC Championship with that team, what will she be capable of this year?
We won’t have to wait long to find out. Kentucky will face off against Pikeville on Nov. 2 in Memorial Coliseum at 7 p.m. Only five days later, the season will officially begin.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard