Kenny Brooks Wants Cats to Enjoy SEC Tournament Experience

Dazia Lawrence celebrated with UK fans after the win over Tennessee last week. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Kenny Brooks admits he came into his first season as Kentucky’s coach with “no realistic expectations” about what might happen.

“We had a whole new group who had never seen what we were about to experience,” said the Kentucky coach. “I am proud of the way we came together all year to form the team we are today.”

Kentucky is 22-6 overall and earned the No. 4 seed in this week’s SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. Kentucky will play the winner of today’s Georgia-Oklahoma game at 2:30 p.m. EST on Friday. Kentucky beat Georgia twice during the season and scored 95 points to win at Oklahoma when point guard Georgia Amoore had a school-record 43 points.

Brooks said not only did he have 11 players who had not played together, but there was “no drama” all season.

Kentucky has not won a NCAA Tournament game since 2019 and has not been in the Sweet Sixteen since 2016. The Cats seem positioned now to host a NCAA tourney opening round based on what they’ve done this season but Brooks is taking nothing for granted.

“The main thing (at the SEC Tournament)  is we want to get better and come out unscathed,” the UK coach said. “We have had some come out of conference tournaments banged up (in prior seasons). It’s not a given (about hosting NCAA games). Anything can happen.”

Brooks said he has not spent time worrying about scenarios that could lead to UK hosting or not hosting NCAA games but feels good about how Kentucky is positioned.

“I want them to enjoy it. We want them to really enjoy this experience (at the SEC Tournament),” Brooks said.

He does know the more UK wins at the SEC Tournament the more it could help their NCAA seeding.

“If we win the SEC we probably would get a two seed,” Brooks said.

Winning the SEC tourney is not an easy task with South Carolina, Texas and LSU all seeded above UK. However, Brooks pointed out UK had a 16-point lead on LSU and had a chance to win in the final two minutes and also was down only one point with five minutes to play at South Carolina.

“We are a good team,” Brooks said.

He said the atmosphere at South Carolina to end the regular season should have prepared UK for anything it will see in postseason play. He said the 18,000 fans not only were knowledgeable but also choreographed perfectly.

“I have coached in a Final Four game, coached in an NBA arena,” Brooks said. “I have never heard a building that loud or choreographed. It would have been a great atmosphere if it had been a men’s game or NBA game. For our kids not to get rattled and play through it proves we can play with anybody.”