FORT WORTH — When this season’s Naismith defensive player of the year is named in the next few days, the winner won’t hail from the SEC.
South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, who won the SEC’s version of the award, wasn’t among the four national finalists this year — UCLA’s Lauren Betts, West Virginia’s Jordan Harrison, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong. Neither was Texas women’s basketball star Rori Harmon, who recently became UT’s all-time leader in steals. Kentucky center Clara Strack is arguably the best shot blocker in college basketball, but she solicited just semifinalist’s status this season.
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Liz Scott of the Oklahoma Sooners shoots against Clara Strack?of the Kentucky Wildcats in the second quarter during the quarterfinal round of the SEC women’s basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 7, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina.
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South Carolina’s Tessa Johnson (5) shoots while defended by Kentucky’s Clara Strack, top, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, March 1, 2026.
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For the most part, Texas coach Vic Schaefer bit his tongue Friday when he was asked about this year’s national defensive honor. He said he didn’t want to take anything away from the finalists, but argued that voters should factor in the level of competition on their ballots.
“All I’ll say is we play in the Southeastern Conference, and it is full of future WNBA players,” Schaefer said. “I’ll take our league against any other league with how many players are in that league, how many future players are in that — going to be in that league, and that’s who we have to guard every night. We’ll just leave it at that.”
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Kentucky Wildcats center Clara Strack (13) and Texas Longhorns forward Teya Sidberry (32) dive for the ball as Texas takes on Kentucky at The Moody Center in Austin Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.
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Texas set to face one of country’s top shot blockers
1-TEXAS VS. 5-KENTUCKY
When/where: 2 p.m. Saturday in Fort Worth.
TV/radio: ABC; 1300 AM.
If any of these SEC semifinalists are feeling snubbed, the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament could serve as a way to air their grievances. On Saturday, Johnson and the Gamecocks will play a high-scoring Oklahoma team in Sacramento, Calif. Meanwhile, No. 1 Texas (33-3) and No. 5 Kentucky (25-10) will meet at 2 p.m. inside Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena.
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For Harmon, that means a matchup with her Kentucky counterpart Tonie Morgan. A fourth-year transfer who once played for former Texas star Nell Fortner at Georgia Tech, Morgan leads the country with 279 assists.
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Strack, meanwhile, will be tasked with trying to help Kentucky slow down a Texas offense that doesn’t shoot a lot of 3-pointers and prefers to play in the paint. Over its 36 games, UT has lost the battle in the paint only six times.
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South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel shoots over Kentucky center Clara Strack during second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Greenville, S.C.
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Strack, a 6-foot-5 junior, has blocked 91 shots this season. Nationally, that ranks behind the 92 stuffs recorded by California Baptist’s Emma Johansson, whose season ended March 21. And Strack doesn’t seem to discriminate on whom she rejects. Over Kentucky’s five games in the SEC and NCAA tournaments, the victims of Slack’s 14 blocks have ranged from the 5-foot-6 Harrison to 6-foot-6 South Carolina center Madina Okot. Two of Strack’s blocks during that stretch were on 3-point shots.
“Strack has just continued to develop, get better and better,” Schaefer said. “Kenny (Brooks, the Kentucky coach) has done a great job with her. From a matchup perspective, it’s a real challenge. She’s so long, like you better put a butt on her because she’s a great rebounder. She has that nose for where the ball is coming off from.”
Texas Longhorns center Kyla Oldacre (00) gestures to the referee as Texas takes on Kentucky at The Moody Center in Austin Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
How does Texas prepare to face Kentucky’s Clara Strack?
How Strack fared defensively Feb. 9 against Texas might depend on who you ask. The Texas statistician recorded her with no blocks in the Longhorns’ 64-53 win in Austin. Kentucky, however, had Strack down with two blocks for that game.
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The Longhorns, though, don’t need a stat sheet to tell them that Strack presents a problem. Texas forward Justice Carlton even said that while the men on the team’s practice squad usually aren’t allowed to leave their feet during drills, Schaefer has allowed them to jump this week in an effort to mimic what Strack can do on a court.
“Our bigs have been working a lot on counters this week,” Carlton said.
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Said Texas guard Jordan Lee: “We have to stay true to our principles and know some of the things that we do well when we’re attacking downhill, and just be aware and look for the pickup and look for rotation (since) they do have the extra length on the perimeter and inside.”
As a team, Kentucky is averaging 6.6 blocks per game. That’s the top mark in college basketball.