Senior guard Maddie Scherr wants to play an even bigger role this season. (SEC Photo)
Guard Maddie Scherr transferred to Kentucky last year after two seasons at Oregon and averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.1 blocks and 31.7 minutes per game but the Wildcats went 12-19.
Scherr, a two-time Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year and Miss Basketball for Ryle High School, feels the team did a “lot of growing” during the offseason.
“Mental toughness-wise — in a lot of situations, our backs are put against the wall and I think there’s no better way to learn and seize an opportunity than going through hard things together and that’s what we did. So we’re gonna take that, learn from it, and grow,” Scherr said at SEC Media Days.
Scherr says she has to have the mindset that this will be an even bigger year for her as well as the team.
“I wanna step up into a bigger role. Last season, I kind of had things going later in the season for me when SEC play started. But my goal is to come and get things going right from the jump,” Scherr, Ryle’s all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and assists, said.
Coach Kyra Elzy called Scherr a “pro” who got baptized by fire last season.
“She was still trying to find her way, her voice on this team. Towards the end of last year she found that. This summer she’s really emerged as the leader on this team,” Elzy said. “You’re not going to find anyone more competitive than her. She’s going to fight, claw. She loves winning. That is contagious. I think she will really come into her own this year. Now she knows where she fits.”
