Kentucky already had one of the nation's best women's basketball players in Rhyne Howard. With the additions Wednesday of transfers Robyn Benton and Jazmine Massengill, the Wildcats are trying to assemble the supporting cast necessary to be one of the nation's best teams.
Kentucky announced the additions by way of SEC rivals on the first day of the national signing period. Massengill comes to Kentucky from Tennessee, while Benton arrives from Auburn. Like Howard, who was a Wooden Award finalist and AP All-American for Kentucky this season, both newcomers are sophomores. Both started extensively for their respective teams this season.
A 6-foot guard, Massengill started 30 of 31 games in her second season with the Lady Vols and averaged 4.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Ranked among the top 25 recruits in her class by ESPN Hoopgurlz coming out of high school, she averaged around 18 minutes a game as a freshman under former Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick during the 2018-19 season.
"Jazmine is an electric guard that uses her size and strength to really make a difference on both ends of the court," Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said in a statement.
Massengill attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga alongside current Kentucky signee Treasure Hunt, the program's top-ranked incoming recruit. Hamilton Heights coach Keisha Hunt, Treasure's mother, also coached Howard in AAU basketball in Tennessee.
After missing the first nine games of this past season with an injury, Benton started in 14 of her 20 appearances for Auburn and averaged 10.1 points and 2.8 steals per game. A 5-foot-9 guard, she received SEC all-freshman recognition in her debut season with the Tigers after averaging 5.8 points and 1.1 steals per game as a reserve.
"When you look at her production the last two seasons, she has shown an ability to score at a high level," Mitchell said in a statement. "And [she] has some defensive intangibles that you cannot teach, averaging nearly two steals per game."
Benton was ranked No. 17 by Hoopgurlz coming out of high school, eight spots ahead of Massengill. Both ranked ahead of Howard, who was No. 32 on the same list. But it is Howard who has emerged as arguably the preseason favorite for National Player of the Year in the 2020-21 season. The SEC Player of the Year, she was second in the nation in scoring as a sophomore and first among players in the Power 5 conferences at 23.4 points per game.
With Howard leading the way, Kentucky had a 22-8 record at the time the NCAA tournament was canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But with regulars Sabrina Haines, Amanda Paschal and Jaida Roper out of eligibility after accounting for 44 percent of the points Howard didn't score this past season, the Wildcats faced some personnel questions.
Even if Benton and Massengill have to sit out the 2020-21 season, pending an NCAA decision on a one-time transfer waiver for all athletes, they would be on the court for Howard's senior season (she won't be old enough to enter the WNBA draft after her junior season).