Post by Lawdog on Mar 16, 2012 19:35:21 GMT -5
Kentucky, the 12th-ranked team in the country, is a No. 2 seed for the first time in 30 years as it faces 15th-seeded McNeese State on Saturday in a Kingston regional first-round game in Ames, Iowa.
The Wildcats (25-6) just might have their best chance yet at the Final Four berth that's eluded them. To get to Denver, they'll have to bounce back from a loss in the SEC tournament and get standout freshman Bria Goss going again.
Goss was the SEC's freshman of the year. But she recently hit the rookie wall, shooting just 4 of 24 from the field over her last three games.
"We certainly need her to play better than she did late in the season," Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said of Goss. "She just needs to let the game to her. One great thing about her. She's going to stay positive and, if anybody can get through it, she'll get through it."
Kentucky won the SEC regular-season title over Tennessee -- also its first in 30 years -- only to get tripped up by unranked LSU in the tourney semifinals.
The Wildcats are led by a pair of guards who were around for their somewhat surprising regional finals run two years ago; SEC Player of the Year A'dia Mathies and senior bench star Keyla Snowden.
McNeese State (26-7) is back for the second year in a row behind guards Ashlyn and Caitlyn Baggett, who've combined for nearly 30 points a game. The challenge facing the savvy twins is to find a way to deal with Kentucky's relentless defense.
The Wildcats lead the nation in turnover margin at nearly plus-11 per game and pride themselves on playing what they've dubbed "40 minutes of dread."
"They try to get you out of control and in a little faster pace than what you're used to, and if we just attack, but under control, we can stay in it for 40 minutes," Baggett said.
-ESPN
The Wildcats (25-6) just might have their best chance yet at the Final Four berth that's eluded them. To get to Denver, they'll have to bounce back from a loss in the SEC tournament and get standout freshman Bria Goss going again.
Goss was the SEC's freshman of the year. But she recently hit the rookie wall, shooting just 4 of 24 from the field over her last three games.
"We certainly need her to play better than she did late in the season," Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said of Goss. "She just needs to let the game to her. One great thing about her. She's going to stay positive and, if anybody can get through it, she'll get through it."
Kentucky won the SEC regular-season title over Tennessee -- also its first in 30 years -- only to get tripped up by unranked LSU in the tourney semifinals.
The Wildcats are led by a pair of guards who were around for their somewhat surprising regional finals run two years ago; SEC Player of the Year A'dia Mathies and senior bench star Keyla Snowden.
McNeese State (26-7) is back for the second year in a row behind guards Ashlyn and Caitlyn Baggett, who've combined for nearly 30 points a game. The challenge facing the savvy twins is to find a way to deal with Kentucky's relentless defense.
The Wildcats lead the nation in turnover margin at nearly plus-11 per game and pride themselves on playing what they've dubbed "40 minutes of dread."
"They try to get you out of control and in a little faster pace than what you're used to, and if we just attack, but under control, we can stay in it for 40 minutes," Baggett said.
-ESPN