#19 KENTUCKY VS. USC UPSTATE
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2021
MEMORIAL COLISEUM – LEXINGTON, KY.
KENTUCKY HEAD COACH KYRA ELZY
KENTUCKY HEAD COACH KYRA ELZY
On being able to balance slow starts …
“You know, as a coach you never want to start slow. The first four minutes are very important to the game but you know, sometimes it does happen and you have to play through it. I thought our players did respond after the timeout and like I said in the second and third quarter I thought intensity wise, that was more of what we were looking for. But we have to be better. We have to get off to a better start on both sides of the basketball.”
On the mentality after the Morgan State postponement …
“Of course, players want to play at this juncture of the season. That’s the fun part. No one wants to go to practice, right? So, they wanted to play the game. But you know, we just let them know that we could not afford to take a day off, so we treated that practice like a game. It was very intense. I thought we had two great days of practice leading up to this game. At the end of the day, you want to play, but those were the cards that we were dealt, and we have to deal with it and I thought they responded.”
On what areas the team is excelling at, and what areas the team could improve …
“Well, as a coach, you know, you always look at the things that you need to improve on. But right now I like our versatility offensively. We’re able to move people around. I’ve been playing with Dre [Dre’una Edwards], playing at the three, interchanging her and Rhyne [Howard] at the three and four. So our versatility is working for us. I think we do a great job of sharing the basketball. We play team basketball. We had 19 assists today. Then there are things that we need to continue to work on as we go into the conference season. Rebounding is always a big issue, making sure we’re boxing out, defending dribble penetration, and then we have to consistently knock down open shots and make layups. That’s important, along with free throws.”
On how Jada Walker and Jazmine Massengill play off each other …
“I think they play extremely well and Jaz [Jazmine Massengill] is a great mentor for Jada [Walker] and they complement each other. Where Jaz is a veteran point guard; she knows when to push, she knows when to pull back, time and possession; and Jada is a fearless point guard. She’s going hard, she’s going fast. She’s going to play downhill, look to score. So, I think they complement each other. Also, to have both of them to be able to guard the ball, I think that wears down the opponent’s point guard. Where Jaz can pick it up for a while and then Jada can come back and bring the heat. So, I think they’re a great combination.”
On what she is thankful for this holiday season …
“I’m thankful for the staff and the team. We have ups and downs, but we are truly family. It’s one thing to coach a team on the court but it’s another thing when you can coach them, where you all have a love and respect for each other. Off the court you enjoy spending time. I have a really funny group. If you ever want to come and get behind the scenes, I think we could have our own reality TV show. They’re pretty funny. Also for this staff, they just give so much to this program, to this team. I wouldn’t be able to do this job without them, along with the support staff. I want to thank all the Big Blue Nation fans for bringing the toys out. It was really important to our program to make sure that we give back to the kids in Western Kentucky. We want everyone to have a very Merry Christmas.”
KENTUCKY STUDENT-ATHLETES
#10 Rhyne Howard, Senior, Guard
On what turned the game around after starting slow …
“I would say defensive intensity, because those last six buckets were wide open layups, and they pretty much came off of our press.”
On how important defensive intensity is to the team …
“It is definitely important to us. She [Kyra Elzy] definitely emphasizes 40 minutes of dread. We know that if we play very hard defensively, then it will turn into easy buckets, which it did tonight. We just try to work smarter not harder and play like we know how to play.”
On commonalities between slow starts in the first quarter throughout this season …
“I really wouldn’t say tonight was a slow start for us, because we were getting very good looks, they just weren’t going in. I feel we came out a little bit slow, but I feel like it wasn’t what we’ve seen in the past. I think everyone was still very focused and locked in on both ends of the court. It just wasn’t falling.”
On the team’s mentality after Friday’s game against Morgan State was postponed …
“I think we still stayed pretty locked in and focused. We knew that we still had another game before we could take a break. We didn’t want to practice bad leading into this game and end up going home with a loss or a bad game, and then go home on bad vibes. Nobody wants that. So, I think our mentality was like, ‘Alright, let’s play hard, let’s play like we know how to so we can be able to chill, relax a little bit and go home on good energy.’”
#11 Jada Walker, Freshman, Guard
On how her second start tonight compared to her first start …
“The DePaul game was really a bigger stage. So, a lot I had to work on in that game, offensively and defensively, in transition, and I feel like I corrected it better in this game. Just learning from each game and getting better with offense and defense.”
On how her game complements Jazmine Massengill …
“I feel like we play off each other. I talk to her a lot just to get some point guard insight, because she has been in the SEC for a very long time. Really trying to get a connection with her and Rhyne. When she throws me the ball, she just tells me to rip it and go, so that’s what I try to do. I just play off her, Rhyne and Dre’una [Edwards’] energy and it works most of the time.”
On the advice Howard or Massengill has given her throughout the season …
“Really just to slow down and execute and don’t let the other team speed me up, because that’s the goal. They’re trying to speed us up, make us turn the ball over, and just execute the plays because they work. As we can see, playing inside out, getting open shots, skip passes, layups to Rhyne and Dre’una. So, it’s been working for us.”
On if it’s hard for her to slow down …
“I don’t think it’s hard for me to slow down, but it’s just me. Like, if I see the block, it just makes me want to go, so I just got to be more disciplined when I’m doing that.”