NCAA TOURNAMENT SELECTION SHOW NEWS CONFERENCE
MONDAY, March 15, 2021
JOE CRAFT CENTER – LEXINGTON, KY.
Head Coach Kyra Elzy
On the draw and the tournament…
“Thank you so much. We are excited. We were excited to see our name pop up on the screen. Idaho State, the staff is already hard at work breaking down film. So, as far as the state of the team, we have had some of our best practices of the year. I like the energy. I like the focus. We are looking forward to going to Texas to make a run.”
On being a first-year head coach dancing in the tournament…
“Grateful, excited, but this team has been resilient all year. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I love how together we are. We battle together. And then, just an overall excitement. This what you play for. March Madness, here we are.”
On what has to happen for us to make a run…
“In order for us to make a run, we have to sell out defensively. Leave our heart on the floor no matter what defense we are in, and then we have to have a balanced scoring attack. When we are at our best, we are pushing the ball in transition and we have three to four people scoring in double figures.”
On being born and raised in Kentucky and taking Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament…
“It’s an honor. I am a Kentucky girl through and through, and it’s a big responsibility, but we represent the state of Kentucky, the community in Lexington, so to make them proud and them be behind this team, it’s more than what I can ask for, so thank you to everybody who has cheered us on and supported us all year, it’s truly an honor.”
On Treasure Hunt going into the postseason…
“That is correct, freshmen aren’t freshmen anymore. Treasure and I actually watched film today and that’s exactly what I told her, you are no longer a freshman, and I thought she really came on right before we played Georgia. Had one of her best practices of the year, and she has continued to get better and better each game that we have played. She is playing with a lot of confidence, and one thing that she can do, even when she was trying to transition into college, she can score. She knows how to put the ball in the basket, so she’s confident in that. I love that she is helping us rebound, and she will be a big X factor for us.”
On how the advantage of having her in the tournament…
“You know, Rhyne Howard is one of the best in the game and we’ve talked about it all year, her versatility and what she is able to do offensively and defensively. But, I think what makes Rhyne special is she can play the one through the five, but she also makes the people around her better, and she has matured into a vocal leader this year. Her teammates want to do well for her, as well. So, I think having Rhyne is a big advantage, but I just think that not only Rhyne, we have so much talent across the board, and that’s what makes us a dangerous team during this time.”
On what else the team is doing to stay healthy from COVID-19…
“You know, I hate to hear about Coach Geno Auriemma and I hope he recovers and is doing well under the circumstances. As far as our team, we are healthy and ready to go. We can continue just to follow the protocol. It does get tiring receiving all of the tests, you know, social distancing, wearing your mask, but those are things we must stay diligent in in order to play in March. So far, so good, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed to continue to do what we need to do to keep everyone safe. Shoutout to Courtney Jones, our trainers and our medical staff here at Kentucky have been amazing.”
On what you expect the biggest difference will be being a head coach at the tournament, rather an associate head coach…
“That’s a great question. You know, I’ve been in the business a long time, and as an assistant coach, you’re very cognitive and aware of what the head coach is doing, but it’s not until you move over to the seat, the sense of responsibility that you feel. You are no longer giving suggestions, you are the final say. Being able to really delegate and stay focused on the priorities that are important. At the end of the day, everything falls into your lap, so surrounding yourself with a staff that you trust, that is competent, that is willing to do whatever to make your program successful, then you’ve hit the jackpot, and I’ve hit the jackpot with this staff, so I am blessed to have them, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the team behind me.”
On how playing in the SEC prepares your team for the NCAA Tournament…
“You are right about the gauntlet of the SEC, and you could see the caliber of play as you watch the SEC teams go up on the board. The SEC was well represented, so shoutout to the SEC teams. But, I think playing in this league, it forces you to put your best foot forward night in and night out. We are battle tested. We’ve had to go against top caliber teams all year long in this league, so in order to prepare to be the best, you have to beat the best, and we’ve done that night in and night out in this league.”
#10 Rhyne Howard, Jr., G
On overall feeling going into the tournament…
“It’s just great to be able to have a tournament this year, because like you said, it did get canceled, so for us to know who we are playing and know where we’re going is a good chance for to go ahead and get a head start on it and get more prepared.”
On being selected second team All-America by ESPN.com…
“Um, I have a lot of thoughts about it, but we will keep it cordial. I definitely think it’s political. I am upset about it, and I’m hurt about it. But, I felt like I deserved it, of course, and I felt like I worked hard enough, but I’m just going to use it as motivation and continue to work hard and continue to prove myself.”
On the key to being consistent in the tournament…
“When everyone is moving around, or we’re making the extra pass, or we’re locked in defensively, we always play at our highest level when those things are happening. Um, we’re always on the same page, and we have to knock down shots and we’ll be good.”
On which part of your game do you think you can most improve upon…
“Um, I can always improve on everything, really. But, for sure still rebounding, and you know, assists, and definitely steals, continue to play defense, so, the other things will come. Like scoring will come if I play defense harder, if I get a couple more steals, I can turn them into fast break points, or get assists off of those.”
On how you would assess the mental aspect of your game…
“Um, I try not to get too high or too low because nothing is ever set until the last horn goes off. I know if I get too down, then my teammates are looking at me and they’re going to get really down, or if we get too high, then the other team can make a run, and then we’re just like, back to down, back to the beginning. So, I try to keep it steady and set the tone.”
On being in the tournament …
“It’s great to go back and continue to help prove myself as a whole and show what we’re made of.”
On if “having fun” is still in the game plan now that you’re in the tournament…
“We still want to have fun with it, but as long as we’re getting the job done. If we’re not doing what we’re supposed to do then it’s not going to be very fun.”