Rhyne Howard (SEC Photo)
Kentucky (13-5, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) has had a week to think about a disappointing loss to Mississippi. It has had even longer to think about the way it was pounded at Tennessee earlier this season going into tonight’s game in Rupp Arena against the Vols. All-American Rhyne Howard averages 19.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game but she had a horrendous game at Tennessee. She was 3-for-16 from the field and scored only 14 points in 37 minutes. She also had just three rebounds.
“Rhyne is playing great basketball. We do like to move the ball and obviously, we are going to call her name because the offense does revolve around her, but we need other people to step up,” Kentucky coach Krya Elzy said Tuesday.
“When we are at our best and putting 80 plus points on the board, we have a balanced scoring attack. We are going to have to have Blair Green and Robyn Benton and Dre (Edwards) and KeKe (McKinney) step up so we have a well-balanced attack.
“I thought at Ole Miss, we really stood and watched Rhyne offensively, which we addressed in practice. We have to have more movement for our offense to be more efficient.”
Does Howard put too much pressure on herself against the Vols since she is a Tennessee native and is there added pressure on her?
“Well, I am sure there is. Obviously, the Tennessee girls want to have a great showing but that is not what we focus on,” Elzy, a former Tennessee assistant coach, said. “We focus on what we do to be our best. Now, if it helps them to have that chip on their shoulders then by all means bring it to the game. We like it. Let’s go. But it is not an area of focus for us.”
Tennessee (12-3, 6-1 SEC) had a pause of team activities due to COVID-19 protocols and has not played since defeating Florida 79-65 on Jan. 31. Tonight’s game in Rupp Arena is the first road game for the Vols since Jan. 17.
“We did not have our best showing in Knoxville. We were very disappointed about that,” Elzy said. “As far as preparation, you go back to work and the things that we did not do the first game – box out consistently, push the ball in transition, attacking the ball screen – those are all things that we have to go back and make an adjustment on.”
Elzy hopes not having a game over the weekend has her team rested and ready to go.
“You have time to rest and reset and come in with a focused mind and rested body. For the team, they are competitors and they like winning. We did not have our best showing in Knoxville, that is always in the back of all of our minds,” Elzy said.
“But the things that we did not do the first time, those are things that we can fix and we have been addressing day-in and day-out in practice. That is offensive rebounding – we have to get a box out – pushing the ball in transition or one-on-one defense. Then we have to attack more off the bounce.”
