PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB prepares for No. 14 Virginia Tech in the Bahamas

On3 imageby:Grant Grubbs11/21/22

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Kentucky Women’s Basketball is ready to cause trouble in paradise.

On Monday, the Wildcats (4-0) will take on the No. 14 Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0) at noon EST in their first game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas. The Hokies are Kentucky’s first ranked opponent this season.

Nonetheless, the ‘Cats have momentum on their side. Kentucky is 4-0 with an average win margin of 18.3 points. However, Virginia Tech doesn’t plan on adding to this impressive statistic. Here’s what you need to know about the 14th-best team in the country.

How ’bout them Hokies?

The ‘Cats aren’t the only ones entering Monday’s contest without a loss. The Hokies are 3-0 with wins over Mount St. Mary’s, Bucknell and USC Upstate. Against those weaker teams, Virginia Tech has the second-best margin of victory in the nation at 45.7 points per game.

The Hokies’ blowout wins are a product of head coach Kenny Brooks’ proven system. The 53-year-old is in his seventh season at the helm of Virginia Tech. Under Brooks’ leadership, the Hokies have never had a losing season.

Brooks’ defensive system is the foundation of his success. This year, Virginia Tech’s opponents are averaging 36.7 points per outing, the lowest in the country. Moreover, the Hokies force 23.3 turnovers a night. However, they aren’t only strong on defense.

Elizabeth Kitley is particularly a force on offense. The 6-foot-6 center is a double-double machine, averaging 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season. Moreover, Kitley is extremely efficient. As a preseason AP All-American, Kitley is shooting 61.8% from the field this season.

Wildly, Kitley is just a fraction of Virginia Tech’s talented roster. Through three games, senior guard Cayla King is averaging 16.7 points. The 6-foot veteran is a sniper from deep, who is 14-28 (50%) from beyond the arc this season. King hit nine three-pointers in the team’s season opener alone.

King’s partner in the backcourt, Georgia Amoore, is equally dangerous. Amoore is adding 11 points per contest to the Hokies’ effort. Moreover, the 5-foot-6 guard is the team’s top distributor with nearly six assists per game. To pile on, Virginia Tech boasts Maryland transfer Ashley Owusu, who was named to AP All-American Third Team in 2021.

The Hokies have no shortage of threats and Kentucky knows it. Specifically, graduate student Robyn Benton discussed the talented opponent during an interview on Friday.

“Ashley Owusu, she was pretty good at Maryland. Then, they have the big girl, Kitley. We’re going to have to really prepare for her and also the rest of the team.”

Keys for Kentucky WBB

Preparation won’t be enough for Kentucky to win this game. They must perform. While the ‘Cats are 4-0, they are yet to play a complete game. Specifically, Kentucky is yet to finish strong. The ‘Cats have been outscored by every opponent in the fourth quarter so far this season

Despite this shortcoming, head coach Kyra Elzy is happy with her team’s progress.

“We’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for progression as we’re putting 10 new people on the floor to play with each other,” Elzy said to the media on Friday.

Kentucky’s fourth quarter will need to be essentially perfect if they want to close out a Top 25 opponent like Virginia Tech. Although Elzy is glad her team is taking strides, she knows they’re not at their end goal. She discussed some improvements she wants to see her team make while in the Bahamas.

“The big thing is we have to be able to knock down 3s. We are a great 3-point shooting team even though the ball’s not going in the basket right; trying to get some confidence back.”

The long ball has gone anywhere but the basket for the ‘Cats recently. Excluding an impressive 3-point effort against Morehead State, Kentucky is 9-62 (14.5%) from downtown this year. Most recently, Kentucky went 3-24 (12.5%) from 3-point land versus Bellarmine.

The only ‘Cat who is shooting above 40% from distance is Jada Walker. The 5-foot-7 guard is 4-9 (44%) from beyond the arc this season. The ‘Cats must find their shooting rhythm if they want to keep up with the hot-handed Hokies.

Above all, Elzy wants to see her ‘Cats be competitive. She considers this game a moment to find out what her team is made of.

“This is a great test. Virginia Tech is an unbelievable team, Top 25 opponent. We need to step up to the challenge,” Elzy said. “This is a great measuring stick.

In just a few hours, we’ll see how Kentucky measures up against top talent. The ‘Cats will take on the No. 14 Virginia Tech Hokies at noon. The game will be streamed on FloHoops.

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2024-03-28