JMU women’s basketball will face Kenny Brooks and Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It’s an intriguing matchup for the 12th-seeded Dukes, who will face their former coach in Morgantown, West Virginia, with a likely showdown with West Virginia waiting for the winner.

The game will tip off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and it will air on ESPNU.

Here are three things to know about the matchup.

It’s a tough draw

The Dukes are good enough to win an NCAA Tournament game. It also would’ve helped a lot if they earned an 11 seed. Instead, JMU is a 14.5-point underdog against a ranked SEC opponent.

Kentucky has notable wins over LSU, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss. The Wildcats nearly upset South Carolina earlier this year, and they have a pair of narrow losses to a good Vanderbilt team. The Wildcats have a realistic road to a Sweet 16 appearance and an outside shot to make the Elite Eight or Final Four.

JMU played a stiff nonconference schedule, but the Dukes couldn’t come through with a win over ranked competition during the year. They do, however, have a win over ninth-seeded Virginia Tech.

Expect a battle in the post

JMU ranks in the top 15 nationally in rebounds per game and rebounding margin. Kentucky is no slouch in the category either, with a top-20 rebounding margin.

Will the Dukes have an answer for Virginia Tech transfer Clara Strack? That’s the game’s most pivotal question.

Strack, who stands 6-5, averages 17.1 points and 10 rebounds per game, and she blocks 2.6 shots per contest. The Wildcats rank second nationally with 6.6 blocked shots per game.

Ashanti Barnes has been fantastic for JMU on the block this season, but she’s listed at 6-2 and has rarely faced players with Strack’s size and talent this season. Barnes showed up huge against Notre Dame, scoring 22 and adding 13 rebounds. She was less of a factor against Texas, with five points and six rebounds. Can she bring her best against Strack?

And what about JMU’s freshman center Grace McDonough? She’s been a valuable asset at 6’2, but this is a major test against elite competition.

Strack is a defensive eraser and an offensive weapon. JMU’s path to victory starts by hanging tough in the post against an elite SEC center.

Turnovers could decide the game

Kentucky ranks in the top 15 nationally in assist to turnover ratio, while JMU ranks 77th. The Dukes have solid guard play, but turnovers can crush them.

JMU is 13-0 when turning the ball over 12 times or fewer. The Dukes are 13-8 when turning it over 13 times or more.

In a blowout loss to Texas, JMU gave the ball up 29 times. The Dukes cannot afford to give Kentucky a significant edge in possessions. That means limiting Kentucky’s offensive rebounds and avoiding sloppy turnovers.

On the other side, Tonie Morgan is among the SEC’s best passers. She averages more than eight assists per game, but she’s also been turnover prone in a few losses. Maryland forced her into eight earlier this year. If the Dukes can force Morgan into mistakes, they’ll balance out her assist total, which will likely be high.

The Dukes are a double-digit underdog, but they also have the talent to make this a close game entering the fourth quarter. That only happens if JMU doesn’t cough up the ball 20 times.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications