Wildcats will begin 2019-20 season Wednesday with exhibition game vs. Southern Indiana
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second time this preseason, University of Kentucky sophomore guard Rhyne Howard has been tabbed a Preseason All-Southeastern Conference First-Team honoree after an annual vote by league coaches last week. Kentucky was been tabbed to finish fourth in the SEC behind Texas A&M, South Carolina and Mississippi State, respectively.
The honor for Howard comes two weeks after a vote of league media placed the star on its Preseason All-SEC First Team. Howard, who received two votes for player of the year in the media poll, was also named last week to the 2020 Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watch List, which annually honors the nation’s best small forward.
Howard is coming off an incredible first season at Kentucky where she was named a unanimous national freshman of the year by espnW, USBWA and WBCA. The national honors were added to her already lengthy list of honors last season as the SEC Freshman of the Year by league coaches and SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press. She was also named WBCA All-America honorable mention, first-team All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman Team and second-team All-SEC by the AP.
The guard put herself in elite company last season as she was only the second freshman in program history to lead the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding as a rookie, joining UK All-American Valerie Still. Howard ended the season leading UK with 16.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while she ranked second with 68 steals and 74 3-pointers made and third in assists and blocks. She scored in double figures in 26 games with 20 or more points in 10 games and five double-doubles while she was the only freshman in the country with 500+ points, 70+ 3s, 75+ assists and 65+ steals while she ranked third among freshmen nationally in points and points per game.
Kentucky is hosting its lone exhibition of the season Wednesday night at 7 ET inside Memorial Coliseum. Admission to the game is free and all seating areas are first-come, first-served. With Halloween two days away, Big Blue Nation is encouraged to come to the game dressed for Halloween with free trick-or-treating candy available. Per Lexington city ordinance, masks may not be worn in public and fans will not be allowed to enter Memorial Coliseum with masks or wear masks on game day. For safety purposes, costume props will also not be permitted inside Memorial Coliseum. UK Marketing will also have free posters and schedules cards available on the concourses.
Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale not at UKathletics.com/tickets. Purchasing season tickets offers the best option and price savings for fans. New season ticket purchases are available in upper-level reserved chairbacks (sections AA-JJ), lower-level reserved bleachers (sections R-Z) or general admission bleachers (sections RR-ZZ) for $69 per ticket. Lower-level reserved chairbacks (A-J) sections are sold out again this season. Single-game tickets are $10 (all ages) in reserved seating areas, while general admission tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-18) and seniors (age 65+). Children aged 5 and under do not require a ticket in general admission areas.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SEC Preseason Poll by league coaches
Order of Finish
1. Texas A&M
2. South Carolina
3. Mississippi State
4. Kentucky
5. Arkansas
6. LSU
7. Tennessee
8. Auburn
9. Missouri
10. Georgia
11. Alabama
12. Vanderbilt
13. Ole Miss
14. Florida
Player of the Year
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
First Team All-SEC
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Jordan Danberry, Mississippi State
Amber Smith, Missouri
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Second Team All-SEC
Cierra Johnson, Alabama
Daisa Alexander, Auburn
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Gabby Connally, Georgia
Chloe Bibby, Mississippi State
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
Kayla Wells, Texas A&M
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt
