Former Miss Basketball Beth Wilkerson Wants UK Bigs More Involved in Offense

Aaron Bradshaw is one of UK's bigs that has not been a consistent offensive threat. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Initially I thought there was no way this could be the Beth Wilkerson who was Kentucky’s 1979 Miss Basketball leaving a comment on this website about Kentucky basketball.

I thought since the Mr. and  Miss Basketball announcements were coming up that I was reading too much into the name. However, I realized it really was Beth Wilkerson (Hammond), a former first team Parade All-American after scoring over 1,600 points at Paris High School and playing in the 1977-78-79 state tournaments (she made the all-tourney team each year).

She was also one of the first winners of the Kentucky Female Athlete of the Year selected by the Kentucky Sportswriters Association because of her basketball and tennis skills.

Wilkerson went on to play at Old Dominion University where she helped the Lady Monarchs win the 1980 AIAW national championship and made an appearance in the 1983 NCAA Final Four. Her teammates included Nancy Lieberman (2,430 points along with 1,167 rebounds in her collegiate career) and Anne Donovan  (2,719 points along with 1,976 rebounds and 801 blocks), women’s basketball legends.

“I didn’t go to Kentucky because I went to the team that was the best in the country and I wanted to play with the best,” she said. “I was starting or coming in first off the bench when I blew my knee out as a freshman. My job was to get the ball into Anne. We won the AIAW national championship, hosted the first NCAA Final Four, played in the second NCAA Final Four and I had to guard Cheryl Miller. I don’t know why but she schooled me pretty good. They won another title after I left.”

She met her husband while coaching tennis and basketball at Ohio University and they have three children. She also coached at Morehead and Ball State.

Wilkerson, 62, now lives in Westerville, Ohio, and teaches reading intervention to elementary students. She can retire in two years and would like to coach again then.

Wilkerson watches coach John Calipari’s team and was as perplexed/frustrated as other UK fans when the Cats lost to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. That led to this post on this website:

“Kentucky needs to get their big men involved more in the game. So much talent to just watch guards drive and shoot all the time. Texas A&M stopped the drive and the 3-point shot. What they gave Kentucky was the low and high post and it was not utilized. As far as the defense goes, they need to work on help defense and the basic rotation.”

Short, sweet and accurate it seemed to me.

“Coach Cal is a great coach but it frustrates me that not everyone is involved in the game.
In the NCAA Tournament you have got to get the ball inside and have to score or get it back out to the shooters and they have many. If you are not, it is going to be hard to win the overall championship,” Wilkerson said.

“The bigs have got to move. They can get a post player down low and then the post people have to take it in and score. If they are a threat it opens the outside and Kentucky has great shooters.”

Wilkerson said it is not too late in the season to change things even though Calipari is not one who tends to make quick changes.

“I am sure they have been taught to post with their back to the basket,” Wilkerson said. “They are so talented and have options to pass to the low post. If they get the post more involved, they can go far (in the NCAA tourney).

“This is what I like about women’s basketball. All five have to pass the ball and play five together. If Kentucky plays five together I don’t see who will beat then. Just look for whoever is open and who is shooting the best. That is what happens in women’s basketball and why it is becoming more popular.”