By Keith Taylor
KyForward senior sports writer
Kentucky is still dancing and Matthew Mitchell is enjoying every minute of it.
“This team loves one another,” Mitchell after the Wildcats defeated Oklahoma 79-58 Monday night to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in five years. “It is a beautiful thing to be coaching this team right now because these are great kids that really, really have come together and they are a true team.”
In addition to team chemistry, Mitchell likes the way the Wildcats have played in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky opened the tourney with an 85-31 rout of UNC-Asheville, followed by a double-digit win over the Sooners. Mitchell’s squad has won 10 of their past 11 games going into Friday’s Lexington Regional semifinal contest against Washington set for 7 p.m. at Rupp Arena.
“I’m telling you, I think our team’s getting better,” Mitchell said. “We are improving and these kids are still excited to play. It’s a real, real blessing to be involved with a group of young people like this. They are fun to coach.”
The Wildcats (25-7) have just nine players on the roster, but despite the lack of depth, Kentucky has gotten quality minutes and production from his five starters, along with the reserves. In the win over Oklahoma earlier this week, five players, all starters, finished in double figures for the Wildcats.
“We’re not a real overly deep team like some teams in the past where we could play 10 or 12 people,” Mitchell said. “But the folks that we have, we don’t really have anyone on the team that can’t go in and give you something. It’s a balanced team. We play for each other. They’re not overly concerned about who gets the credit. They just want each other to be successful. And it’s a really fun, beautiful thing to be a part of right now.”
Senior Janee Thompson, junior Makayla Epps and post players Alexis Jennings and Alysa Rice have given the Wildcats a boost during the past month, but Maci Morris has been an added plus for Kentucky during the postseason. Morris set an NCAA record after making seven consecutive shots from long range in the first two rounds of the tourney. Morris scored 12 points in the win over Oklahoma.
“I thought Maci gave us a lift early when she made her first four 3s,” Mitchell said. “She was lighting it up in warmups. I told her I didn’t know that she missed a shot in warmups. You never know how it’s going to go in a game but man, she really did a good job there.
“I think what makes us successful at this point in time is we have a few weapons and we’re playing well together.”
Although the team is producing on offense, Mitchell said the team’s dedication on the defensive end has played a key role in Kentucky’s success during the past month. Jennings has stepped up her post defense and her six blocks against Oklahoma set a new tournament record for most blocks in a single encounter.
In the first two tournament games, the Wildcats have held their opponents to under 30 percent shooting from the floor for the first time this season. UNC-Asheville made just 20 percent of its shots from the floor in the tournament opener, a testament of the team’s defensive improvement.
“The team’s put in a lot of work,” Mitchell said. “Six weeks ago we did not approach being a good defensive team, in fact — we were a bad defensive team with no identity. They’ve done defensive drills outside of practice. They just fought for this improvement.”
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports writer who covers University of Kentucky athletics for KyForward.com