The highly anticipated dinner will kick off at 7 p.m. ET in the Grand Ballroom of The Galt House Hotel. To secure tickets for the Leadoff Dinner, individuals can conveniently purchase them online. For additional information about the event, interested parties can reach out to Ronee Baxter at 502-852-2015 or via email at [email protected].

This is Rhodes’ third consecutive year receiving this honor. She was named to the Second Team in 2021 and the Third Team in 2020. Rhodes had an outstanding season, leading the Wildcats with nine goals and 22 points. In an impressive feat, she became Kentucky’s all-time leading goal scorer with a total of 45 career goals. Her exceptional performance also earned her a spot on the All-SEC First Team and she was twice named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.

Excitement is building around the upcoming Kentucky men’s basketball team, as they gradually come together game by game. Head coach John Calipari’s Wildcats have yet to taste defeat at home in Rupp Arena this season, including a stellar top-10 home win against Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday night.

Louisville’s success from the free throw line played a crucial role in their win, as they shot an impressive 25-for-36. This marks the fifth game this season where they have made 20 or more free throws, with the Cardinals boasting a flawless 4-0 record in those games. It came as no surprise that they entered the game ranked 5th in the country for free throws made per game, averaging 19.9.

The Cardinals were trailing at halftime but managed to take control of the game in the third quarter. With a 7-0 run, they regained the lead and never looked back. This win also ended the Rebels’ five-game winning streak.

After trailing 27-22 at halftime, Louisville came out strong in the second half, shooting an impressive 55% from the field and making 16 of 22 free throws. Junior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield commented on the team’s motivation, saying, “We just wanted to remember last year and how it went. Louisville vs. Bellarmine – we all knew what was at stake. They’re a very good team. A very, very disciplined team. So, we just wanted to have the right focus, one through 15. We just wanted to come out here and be different than last year, and I feel like we did that.”

The Cardinals have already faced Wright State earlier this season, defeating them 3-1. Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly expressed excitement about playing them again and acknowledged the tough competition. She also highlighted the special opportunity to play at home in front of their fans.

Leading the way for Louisville were Mia Duchars, Emilia Kaczmarczyk, and Julie Kouijzer, who were all selected to the first team. Aimee Plumb, India Reed, Minna Tremonti, and Merlijn van der Vegt earned second team honors.

The Wildcats will kick off their eighth season under Coach Mingione with two away weekends before their home opener at Kentucky Proud Park on February 20 against Morehead State. One interesting addition to their schedule is a home-and-home series with Eastern Kentucky, where they will play back-to-back games in early March.

Joining Louisville in the talented eight-team field will be Arizona, Creighton, Davidson, Gonzaga, Indiana, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. The matchups and television coverage for the tournament will be announced at a later date, building anticipation for the thrilling event.