Kenny Brooks laid bare the words that motivated Clara Strack and flipped a switch after the Auburn game. “I looked at her, and I said, ‘You are the worst superstar I’ve ever coached.’ And when she looked at me, she had tears in her eyes,” Brooks revealed on the SEC network. Immediately, his words offended many fans online for being overly harsh. Others thought that this incident could have been kept under wraps, as Strack was vulnerable in that moment. And yet the player herself agrees with her coach’s treatment.

Strack has been balling ever since that locker room talking-to from Kenny Brooks. Against South Carolina, Strack dropped 24 points and 9 rebounds. Pumping the accelerator, she followed that up with a 20-point 13 rebound double-double against Arkansas. Against Georgia in the second round of the SEC tournament, she broke all barriers. Strack dropped a career-high 33 points, five three-pointers, and grabbed eight rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal, leading Kentucky to a 76-61 win. After the game, she emphasized that she had no problem regarding Brooks’ comments.

“I mean, I played terribly against Auburn. I think I needed that,” She told the media. “I’ve always responded best to harsh criticism, like tough love, anything like that,” Strack said. “I always need something like that to get me going. I think within this league, it’s a long season. You’ll have lulls, but I think you have to remember to take it game by game. And he was just trying to get me ready for the next game. There were no harsh feelings there, maybe for a few minutes.”

Such methods are always situational. There are some players that retreat into their shell after heavy criticism. They need a different approach to coach. Research shows 80–90% of our communication should be positive reinforcement. But a balance is necessary, as players like Strack need discipline at moments like these. And Brooks understands this balance because of their years-long close relationship.

“I know what Clara needs. Clara and I spend a lot of time together. I’m the one that watches film with her. I’m the one that does her workouts,” Brooks said. “She’s best friends with my daughter, so she’s at my house. She sees me in a lot of different lights. She sees me as a coach, but she can also see me as a dad. We have a very good relationship. I know how to get her going.”

The former four-star recruit began her career with Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech. Strack followed her head coach to Lexington prior to last season. The pair has worked wonders for Kentucky, leading them to the NCAA after two 12 win seasons. This year, they are vying to challenge for the National Championship as well and possibly the SEC. 

That moment in the locker room was just one example of Brooks’ hands-on and demanding coaching approach. And as Kentucky enters the most crucial phase of its season, the Wildcats’ head coach is leaning even more into that urgency.

Kenny Brooks Explains His Urgent Coaching Attitude Ahead Of Trying Postseason

There were just 24 hours of turnaround time for Kenny Brooks and Kentucky after their SEC opener against Arkansas. In a knockout game every inch and every basket matters. Fortunately, there was little tiredness on this side and they swept Georgia quite comfortably while leading 83% of the time. However, this is how it’s going to be in March and coach Kenny Brooks is thinking differently.

“Every coach that you’ve talked to that’s advanced in a tournament, at some point in the game you coach the game differently. You don’t just coach for that moment. You don’t just coach for that game,” Brooks said. “You’re doing things because you know that you have to play. You may have to play tomorrow. And so you’re constantly thinking.”

Unlike the regular season, Kentucky doesn’t know the opponents over the next half a month. The season can end any day and it’s a battle to keep it going. A lot of controllables slip away and the team has to think on its feet. In addition, they are in a good seeding position for the tournament. 

“We’re going to be the best five or six seed in the history of five or six seeds. And so that’s what we’re trying to continue to build upon so that we are really good,” Brooks said. “We feel really confident and then when we get to tomorrow, we get to the next tournament, and we’re going to be very, very confident. So that’s the way we’re coaching right now.”

ESPN bracketology predicts Kentucky as one of the No. 4 seeds in the NCAA’s Lexington region. Charlie Creme predicts they can even go as high as No. 2. However, they need to go deeper in the SEC tournament. Next, they face SEC top seed South Carolina in the semifinals. The Wildcats have a chance to avenge their 60-56 loss days ago.