Photo - UK Athletics
Today one of the very best basketball players ever to play at Kentucky will play her final regular-season game for the Wildcats. Rhyne Howard has already scored 2,153 points — more than any player at Kentucky except for Valerie Still who scored 2,763 points between1979 and 1983 at Kentucky and averaged 23.2 points per game for 119 games.
On the men’s side, Dan Issel finished his career with 2,138 points in 83 games. Kenny Walker had 2,080 points in 132 games and Jack Givens had 2,038 in 123 games.
Howard will play her final regular-season home game today against Auburn at 4 and will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Every fan who attends the game will get a free Rhyne Howard commemorative poster.
Howard will finish her career in the top 10 of nearly every statistical category at UK, including second in scoring and 3-point shooting. Howard is a two-time consensus first-team All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, has been a finalist for every major national player of the year award each of the last two seasons, and was the unanimous national freshman of the year in 2019.
This season, Howard is leading Kentucky in scoring (19.9 points per game), rebounding (7 per game), 3-point shooting (37.4 percent), steals (65) and blocks (34). She is second on the team in assists (83). Howard has scored 10 or more points in 12 of the last 13 games, including eight double-doubles during that stretch, and today will be her 109th start for the Cats.
Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy knows how fortunate she has been to coach Howard as an assistant for two years and now the head coach for the last two years.
“I’ve been blessed. Not every head coach taking over as a first-time head coach has the opportunity to coach a player like a Rhyne Howard. You embrace the moment and try to enjoy it,” Elzy said Friday
“It’s hard to believe it’s coming to an end. But for years to come, it will have an impact on myself and this staff because it’s not every day that you have a player of this caliber.”
She’s right. It’s not every day you get to watch a legacy player as a media member. She’s been special from the start and her versatility has been amazing to watch. She’s a guard leading the team in scoring, rebounding, blocks, and steals. Who does that? Not ever Oscar the Great — Oscar Tshiebwe — is doing that.
However, what you have to love about Howard is that she wants to be remembered for way more than just her scoring totals.
“Definitely as someone who cared more about than just basketball. I care about people’s well-being. I’m always trying to be there for my friends and teammates. I don’t really care to be remembered for what I do on the court,” Howard said Friday.
“People here in Kentucky are going to care about more than just basketball. You’re going to have a family wherever you go. You’re going to have the connections. These people are going to be with you for the rest of your life.”
