Kenny Brooks and the Kentucky women’s basketball team begin their March journey in just two days, and there is officially no rest for the weary.
Coming off a draining, physical matchup against No. 3 South Carolina, the Wildcats are tasked with a quick turnaround. Kentucky heads to Greenville, South Carolina, as the No. 9 seed to face the No. 16 seed Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday morning.
While the Cats handled the Hogs 93-73 in Fayetteville earlier this season, the postseason is a different beast. Arkansas has struggled under first-year head coach Kelsi Musick, but they remain dangerous, boasting a season-high of 92 points when it gets hot from the perimeter.
Kentucky women's basketball's SEC Tournament path in Greenville revealed
The SEC Tournament officially runs from Wednesday, March 4, through Sunday, March 8, at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Here is how the opening round shapes up:
- Game 1: 9-seed Kentucky vs. 16-seed Arkansas, 11 a.m. (SEC Network)
- Game 2: 12-seed Florida vs. 13-seed Mississippi State, 1:30 p.m.
- Game 3: 10-seed Texas A&M vs. 15-seed Auburn, 6 p.m.
- Game 4: 11-seed Alabama vs. 14-seed Missouri, 8:30 p.m.
If the Cats take care of business against Arkansas, a revenge opportunity looms. They would move on to face 8-seed Georgia, a team that knocked off the Cats 72-67 earlier this year while Teonni Key was still sidelined with an elbow injury. Win that, and the "prize" is a rematch with No. 1 South Carolina.
"Battle tested" and ready
Despite the difficult bracket, Kenny Brooks isn't interested in scoreboard watching or seeding complaints. He is focused entirely on the health and confidence of his locker room.
"I don't care about any other team. I don't care about any other league," Brooks said. "I just want to get there and get healthy. I don't care where we have to play... we’re battle tested. We’ve been at Vanderbilt with a chance to win. We’ve been at Texas with a chance to win. We won at Louisville. We’re fine."
For Brooks, this is the first time in his career that he is "not worried" about the seeding. His message to the Big Blue Nation is simple: if this team is confident, they can play anywhere.
"As long as I have them ready and they feel comfortable and confident, we'll go anywhere and play anybody," Brooks said. "That's what I'll get them ready for."