March Madness has arrived in Lexington, and Kentucky women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks couldn’t be more excited. As his Wildcats prepare to face Liberty on Friday at Historic Memorial Coliseum, Brooks is feeling the weight—and the privilege—of hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The Home-Court Advantage
Hosting games at Memorial Coliseum is a big deal, and Brooks made sure to emphasize just how much of an advantage that gives his team.
“It’s a big difference. Five years ago, when we first heard our name at Virginia Tech, I was just hoping to get in, I didn’t care about seeding. Being on that four line, and being able to host, it means the world. It gives you a home court advantage and gives you an opportunity to advance. It’s very, very important,” Brooks explained.
That home-court advantage could be a game-changer for the Wildcats, especially with Memorial Coliseum expected to be rocking with Big Blue Nation’s support.
Georgia Amoore’s Leadership Is Key
Brooks knows his team is talented, but when it comes to postseason experience, nobody brings more to the table than Georgia Amoore. The star point guard will be playing in her fifth NCAA Tournament, and her leadership will be essential to Kentucky’s success.
“Everyone’s going to be experiencing this thing for the first time,” Brooks said. “We’re going to lean heavily on Georgia and her experiences and she’s going to lead us and I think the kids are willing to follow her and her lead and her demeanor and I think that’s going to be a big key for us to advance.”
Amoore’s calm, steadying presence will be crucial for a Kentucky team aiming to make a deep run in the tournament.
Building a Winner in Lexington
Brooks only arrived in Lexington last spring, but he’s already managed to put together a strong roster ready for the spotlight. However, even he admits that hosting the NCAA Tournament wasn’t on his radar initially.
“You didn’t know what to expect,” Brooks admitted. “We hit the ground running. We were trying to put together a roster, trying to put together a staff, trying to put together a schedule. We did everything, we liked where we were, we had some adversity over the summer, so we had time to reinvent ourselves and in reinventing ourselves, we became unique in a lot of different ways and we just built off of that.”
The Liberty Flames Challenge
The Wildcats may have home-court advantage, but Brooks knows his team won’t have an easy time against Liberty. He’s faced head coach Carey Green’s squads several times during his previous stints at James Madison and Virginia Tech.
“Always been in my side. Carey does a tremendous job with that program. You can look at his record and it’s real, it’s no fluke. He does a tremendous job and he’s got that program back. I come to Kentucky and I’m still playing against Carey Green,” Brooks said. “I played against him a lot when I was at James Madison, played against his teams a lot when I was at Virginia Tech. You know you’re going to play against a very well-coached basketball team. We know it’s going to be a very tough game.”
Game and Ticket Information
The Kentucky Wildcats will take on Liberty at Historic Memorial Coliseum on Friday, March 21, as part of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds. Tickets for the games went on sale Monday, March 17, at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster, in person at the Joe Craft Center Ticket Office, or by calling the UK Ticket Office at (800) 928-2287.
All-session ticket prices range from $40 to $50 for adults and $28 to $32 for youth and seniors. Single-session tickets are also available and range from $25 to $30 for adults and $18 to $22 for youth and seniors.
For Kentucky, it’s all about taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them. With Kenny Brooks at the helm, Georgia Amoore leading the way, and Big Blue Nation’s support, the Wildcats are ready to make some noise in March.