MORGANTOWN — When your name is mentioned alongside Candace Parker, one of the all-time greats in women’s college basketball, things must be going pretty good.
That’s where Kentucky center Clara Strack finds herself entering the NCAA tournament.
The 6-foot-5 junior played her freshman year at Virginia Tech and then transferred to Kentucky when her head coach, Kenny Brooks, became the Wildcats’ head coach in 2024.
Her first two seasons with the Wildcats have been historic. She became just the second player in the history of the SEC to have 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 150 blocks, 125 assists and 50 steals over their first two seasons playing in the conference. Parker, who went on to play 16 seasons in the WNBA, was the first.
“Before it’s over with, she probably will be the best superstar that I ever coached,” Brooks said. “Clara is one of the toughest players in the country.”
Strack leads No. 16 Kentucky (23-10) to Morgantown at 2:30 p.m. Saturday to face James Madison in the first round of the NCAA tournament as the regional’s top player to watch.
She averages 17.1 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. Her outside shooting ability is what sets her apart from other post players. During the SEC tournament this season, Strack hit five 3-pointers in a 33-point performance against Georgia in the second round. That made her the only SEC player who is 6-5 or taller to hit that many threes in a game.
“I think that what we have and what we can be is really special,” Strack said. “Everyone is on the same page, and I think that we can make a long run, and I’m excited to do it with these people around me.”
In terms of draft projections, Strack is projected as a top-seven pick for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
“She makes my life a lot easier. She makes my job very easy,” Kentucky point guard Tonie Morgan said. “I think everybody says it in the locker room. She’s the best player, best post player in the country.”
New to March Madness
Quite possibly the most improved player in the Morgantown Regional is Miami (Ohio) center Ilse de Vries, who went from averaging 4.8 points per game as a freshman to scoring 12.7 points this season heading into Saturday’s 5 p.m. matchup against 11th-ranked West Virginia.
The RedHawks (28-6), champions of the MAC in both the regular season and postseason tournament, are making their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2008.
The 6-foot-3 de Vries, a native of the Netherlands, admitted she wasn’t even sure what the NCAA tournament was until a couple of years ago.
“This is really special to me, [and] this is really special for people at home,” she said. “My parents are really proud. This is a dream coming true. Everyone is super-excited to play. It’s a great opportunity.”
Offense and defense
At first glance, the RedHawks appear to throw a lot of offense at the Mountaineers in the opening matchup.
Miami (Ohio) has four players who score in double figures and the RedHawks’ 292 3-pointers were second-most in the Mid-American Conference.
“What’s interesting about it is I control a lot of who scores,” Miami head coach Glenn Box said during the conference tournament. “There’s a million ways to win. You get to choose how you want to win. We’ve found what works for this team, and we’re good with that.”
What may get overlooked is the RedHawks allowed the fewest amount of points among MAC teams, holding opponents to just 58.5 points per game this season. Miami also led the MAC in turnovers forced (20.1 per game) and opponents shot just 37.8% overall against the RedHawks.
Not exactly Cinderella
James Madison last played in the NCAA tournament in 2023, and the Dukes will be making their 14th all-time appearance on Saturday, when they play Kentucky.
The Dukes finished in a tie for third place in the Sun Belt Conference during the regular season and was the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, yet knocked off top-seeded Georgia Southern in the semifinals and No. 2-seeded Troy in the finals.
Yet don’t think of James Madison (26-8) as the team just happy to be here. The Dukes have played in the Sun Belt finals for four consecutive years and they lost in overtime in 2024 and 2025.
Over the last four years, James Madison has averaged 26 wins per season under head coach Sean O’Regan, including a 30-6 record last season.
“For us, it doesn’t matter,” O’Regan said. “We can’t let down if they give us a seed and we’re playing a road game. We’re trying to win a game, and that’s got to be the approach. We don’t care, man. We’re coming with it and we’re going to play the way we’ve played. That’s kept us in a really good space.”
Led by senior guard Peyton McDaniel, who averages 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, James Madison enters the NCAAs on a 12-game winning streak.
