The women’s basketball matchup this Sunday against the Kentucky Wildcats could get the Tigers back in the winner’s column.
After losing their last two matchups, both on the road, the team returns home to take on Kentucky (9-8, 2-5 SEC), a team that has been plagued with injuries and an additional suspension. In fact, they left their game Thursday night against Vanderbilt with six healthy players.
However, Kentucky still isn’t to be taken lightly. The Wildcats are led by the SEC Coaches’ Preseason Player of the Year, Rhyne Howard. “They’re hungry,” Coach Kim Mulkey said of Kentucky in her press conference following their loss to Arkansas, “I would imagine their SEC season has not gone as they had hoped or had planned, and when you have a player as good as she [Howard] is, and you get everybody back healthy, you can turn that corner quickly.”
Regardless of losing the past two games, Coach Mulkey has a very optimistic and unfazed mentality. “Guys, do you realize yesterday the NCAA revealed their bracket, and we would host the first and second rounds here,” she said. “Keep perspective,” she added. While Mulkey is focused on constructive criticism for her team, she wants to remind them on what good things they’ve done to reach the point of being a powerful team in the SEC.
Coach Mulkey understands that there is a new mentality within the team now that they are ranked; they have more of a target on their back. “None of them in that locker room have ever been the hunted,” Mulkey said, “that takes it to a whole other level pressure wise, that takes it to a whole other level for your opponent to want to beat a ranked team.” But she continues to preach to the team that not many people expected them to have the year they’ve had, and as long as they keep playing with effort as they have been, good things will happen.
The Tigers are also not going into their matchup with Kentucky with much depth. So the team is focused on fixing the mistakes within the team, mainly what is discussed in the film room. Once everyone is on the same page within the team, it will be time to adjust and prepare for Kentucky.
The team will face Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. C.T. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and it will be televised live on the SEC Network.