Kyla Irwin!

[Bronxjeff]

She played incredible minutes tonight, definitely the best since she’s been here. Hustle and confidence!

 

[bags27]

With Batouly (alas) seemingly hurt still (again), Kyla is getting a real chance here.

 

[augustaTC]

Way to go Kyla (so soon some wrote her off!).

 

[HoopsFan21]

I thought she showed promise last year. Do you guys remember her playing last year? She would come in knock down a 3, get a layup, maybe shoot some free throws. Always seemed to get her 5 or 6 points in limited minutes. Plus doesn't mind setting screens and when you see her she is always mixing it up with one of the opponents bigger kids so she is not afraid of the physical aspect of the game.

 

[Kaizen]

Kyla has the size and quickness. She knows where she should be. You can see at defense her hands are always up and we need her in tough game.

 

[donalddoowop]

It really helps her to be out there with some of the starters.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It really helps her to be out there with some of the starters.

That's a key point, though late in the game, she appeared to be the go-to scorer. Overall, Kyla looked aggressive and confident.

I also thought that Mikayla looked good. She got in early and showed her quickness. She got her hand on several loose balls in the 4th quarter and took a steal coast to coast for a layup.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Kyla is a solid 6"2 tweener. She loves the high post--of course, passing is one of her best skills. In addition, I agree with Hoopsfan in that Kyla is adept at setting screens. She is active and always looking to help someone pop open. As the perimeter player part of tweener comes out--she can shoot the three. She is tough competitor from State College. She has a little bit of "Linebacker U in her DNA." She can go inside a bit. IN a nutshell, she can do a little bit of inside and outside. And undeniably she has the required High BB IQ. Coaches daughter. IMHO she will suck up all the best info from the UConn coaches and go into coaching as soon as she has an opportunity. Kyla is from the glue part of the team in that she helps keep the team loose and together. She is a leader. She seems to be always talking, guiding, and encouraging the frosh.
IMO Kyla is the 7th woman in. She is gaining trust and she must be working hard in practice since Geno is rewarding her with time. I am rooting for her ---as I am for others on the team. Looks to me like the future is bright.

 

[Charles T]

Kyla's mother and father (and sitting between them maybe her brother) were in Toronto in their aisle seats in Row E well before the tip. Glad to see Kyla scrapping tough in the paint

 

[BostonCanuck]

If Kyla stays on her current glide path, she could have a huge senior year. The Huskies will then be looking for players to step up after losing Lou and Pheesa to graduation, and she could very well earn her way into the staring lineup.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Great to see the development of Kyla... a PA Product! She was not highly rated coming out of HS, but Geno and Staff have developed her into a contributor. She is a "Team Player"... and while not as "gifted" as some of our players, she takes full advantage of the time she gets on the court. Sometimes she might look a little confused, but I think it's just that she is trying to figure out the best way to do the best thing(s) she can to contribute! I like the comment from PhillyCoach about the "Linebacker U DNA"... Kyla is not afraid to mix it up with the opponent's Bigs! Keep it up Kyla!

 

[cohenzone]

She is definitely the sub beyond the first 7 who is noticeable when she’s on the floor. I’d still like to see her get a little more time, even if just a few minutes, when scores are not totally lopsided.

AEH isn’t shy about shooting. If she gains trust as a defender, she can be a weapon. The couple of shots she took yesterday weren’t way off.

 

[pinotbear]

Bam-Bam part II: The Kylanator!

 

[Longtime fan]

With Batouly (alas) seemingly hurt still (again), Kyla is getting a real chance here.

Is that true? Batouly is again injured? How did that happen? Was it simply from the stress of playing a few garbage minutes? Again, though not a medical person on the scene, this sounds like more than a bruised knee. I mean, once recovered from that ( and it can take 2 months ), a bruised knee ailment does not generally recur unless it is specifically re-injured. But it does explain why Camara got no court time against Duquesne. I wish her well. She is potentially a really good addition to the team. Red shirt?

 

[oldude]

It was nice to see Kyla get some minutes and play well. That should earn her more minutes once the AAC schedule begins, but it remains to be seen if Kyla can be effective against top teams like TX, SC & Lou.

 

[Longtime fan]

She played incredible minutes tonight, definitely the best since she’s been here. Hustle and confidence!

Kyla is looking more confident, and has certainly earned her court time from Coach. I wish she had hit her three and not missed that last second lay-up. I also note that she gets called for non-fouls under the basket all the time. She puts her arms straight up and jumps straight up ( i.e. no "lean in" contact with the opposing player ), but draws the whistle. Just because she is an unknown? Poor refereeing still prevails.

 

[JustinesGuy]

If anyone has followed my posts on here they know I'm a huge supporter of Kyla. I have always felt she has what it takes to be a solid regular contributor. I feel like she just needed solid game minutes with starters and she would settle into a good rhythm. Some times I think its hard cause these reserves are always looking over there shoulder cause they know there coming out soon. So happy for Kyla, I'm her biggest fan.

 

[cohenzone]

It was nice to see Kyla get some minutes and play well. That should earn her more minutes once the AAC schedule begins, but it remains to be seen if Kyla can be effective against top teams like TX, SC & Lou.

That’s why I’d like to see a few earlier entries even if just 2-4 minutes.

 

[Longtime fan]

That's a key point, though late in the game, she appeared to be the go-to scorer. Overall, Kyla looked aggressive and confident.

I also thought that Mikayla looked good. She got in early and showed her quickness. She got her hand on several loose balls in the 4th quarter and took a steal coast to coast for a layup.

Let's summarize what we have seen so far from the " bench" :

1. Azura is fantastic and of starter quality.
2. Walker seems the next person off the bench.....she will be great. The more she plays, the harder it will be not to give her minutes. But we don't want injuries, so Meg will give breathers to all of the starting " six." The one exception could be Crystal, whom no one can replace. But the team just rotates others into the off guard slot and gives Kia the point. Which she handles beautifully.
3. Kyla ( surprisingly to me) seems to have earned the next place off the bench into the game. This is a good sign, because the Coach doesn't award court time without a player earning it.
4. Molly still seems to play " out of control." She has no confidence shooting the ball, although can make a lay-up. The aspect of her play that is difficult to absorb, is her ball security. She telegraphs some of her passes like a 4th grader, just learning the game. Her defense is pretty good, I think. But she hasn't shown enough to earn a lot of trust from either the coaches or her teammates. A point guard without excellent ball security is a poor marriage of skills.
5. Camara - not enough experience on the court in a UCONN uniform to assess much. Other than she " has the look of a player." But this injury thing is putting her 2017/2018 season in the " wasted year" category.
6. Number 2 - the guard from Ossining, with a lot of names ( Hunter, Espinoza?). Has shown that she is comfortable shooting from a distance, and earned an early ( and fairly extensive ) appearance against the Dukes. Made a nice steal, as I recall. The important thing here is that she must be starting to " get it" because she was on the court most of the second quarter. And I did not see her do anything cringe-worthy. As Coach has said, " all these kids can score. That's what they were raised to do." But She has to learn defense, and moving effectively without the ball. She may be starting to do so.
7. Number 4 ( Mikayla ) - the guard from Georgia. She makes you want to see more of her on the court. Made a nice play during garbage time. Appears quick.
8. Lexi Gordon - I like her because she committed to UCONN early and,for a Texas player, that is tough to do ( outside pressure from the community, etc ). She is , by default, slower making the transition to UCONN basketball than the others because she has earned the least playing time. She got a few garbage minutes yesterday, but her lack of confidence and lack of sharpness showed. She appeared hesitant and turned the ball over ( twice I think ). It was difficult to see any talent there at all. And we know she has it. She was a superstar in HS. After waiting patiently to see her play ( and looking for a Hollywood ending....or beginning, in this case), I was heavily disappointed. K It will be interesting to watch how she handles things. I would still like to see the Hollywood thing happen.

As league play commences, and the 30-40 point, one-sided games emerge, we should see a lot more of the bench players. If there is someone we don't see, it will because they are not earning the trust needed to be on the court.

 

[HuskyNan]

Kyla is a solid 6"2 tweener. She loves the high post--of course, passing is one of her best skills. In addition, I agree with Hoopsfan in that Kyla is adept at setting screens. She is active and always looking to help someone pop open. As the perimeter player part of tweener comes out--she can shoot the three. She is tough competitor from State College. She has a little bit of "Linebacker U in her DNA." She can go inside a bit. IN a nutshell, she can do a little bit of inside and outside. And undeniably she has the required High BB IQ. Coaches daughter. IMHO she will suck up all the best info from the UConn coaches and go into coaching as soon as she has an opportunity. Kyla is from the glue part of the team in that she helps keep the team loose and together. She is a leader. She seems to be always talking, guiding, and encouraging the frosh.
IMO Kyla is the 7th woman in. She is gaining trust and she must be working hard in practice since Geno is rewarding her with time. I am rooting for her ---as I am for others on the team. Looks to me like the future is bright.

8th woman, yes? After Azura and Megan.

 

[JustinesGuy]

That’s why I’d like to see a few earlier entries even if just 2-4 minutes.

I would like to see AEH to continue to be mixed in with Walker and Irwin. We are going to need these girls next year and getting experience now is so crucial. Walker and Irwin will be counted on when Gabby and Kia depart. Im not sure its a lock that CW will step in here and start. As we can see thats almost a rare as seeing a dodo bird.

 

[eebmg]

I think Geno will try to adopt an approach that even in games which are blowouts, he will try to maintain a minimum of 3 of the core 6 players
and rotate in bench players earned from practice until the last 3 minutes or so unless some of the bench players push forward on a consistent basis. I don't think that has happened yet. I don't thing MW has risen to the consistency level where we think of her as part of core 7 yet.

 

[caramel]

Bam-Bam part II: The Kylanator!

good nickname for Kyla,Bam Bam Irwin!

 

[victor64]

I want Kyla to get more time simply because of her unbridled enthusiasm on the bench. I know getting rewarded that way isn't how it works but I bet she is a really good teammate.

 

[boontonbomber]

Let's summarize what we have seen so far from the " bench" :

1. Azura is fantastic and of starter quality.
2. Walker seems the next person off the bench.....she will be great. The more she plays, the harder it will be not to give her minutes. But we don't want injuries, so Meg will give breathers to all of the starting " six." The one exception could be Crystal, whom no one can replace. But the team just rotates others into the off guard slot and gives Kia the point. Which she handles beautifully.
3. Kyla ( surprisingly to me) seems to have earned the next place off the bench into the game. This is a good sign, because the Coach doesn't award court time without a player earning it.
4. Molly still seems to play " out of control." She has no confidence shooting the ball, although can make a lay-up. The aspect of her play that is difficult to absorb, is her ball security. She telegraphs some of her passes like a 4th grader, just learning the game. Her defense is pretty good, I think. But she hasn't shown enough to earn a lot of trust from either the coaches or her teammates. A point guard without excellent ball security is a poor marriage of skills.
5. Camara - not enough experience on the court in a UCONN uniform to assess much. Other than she " has the look of a player." But this injury thing is putting her 2017/2018 season in the " wasted year" category.
6. Number 2 - the guard from Ossining, with a lot of names ( Hunter, Espinoza?). Has shown that she is comfortable shooting from a distance, and earned an early ( and fairly extensive ) appearance against the Dukes. Made a nice steal, as I recall. The important thing here is that she must be starting to " get it" because she was on the court most of the second quarter. And I did not see her do anything cringe-worthy. As Coach has said, " all these kids can score. That's what they were raised to do." But She has to learn defense, and moving effectively without the ball. She may be starting to do so.
7. Number 4 ( Mikayla ) - the guard from Georgia. She makes you want to see more of her on the court. Made a nice play during garbage time. Appears quick.
8. Lexi Gordon - I like her because she committed to UCONN early and,for a Texas player, that is tough to do ( outside pressure from the community, etc ). She is , by default, slower making the transition to UCONN basketball than the others because she has earned the least playing time. She got a few garbage minutes yesterday, but her lack of confidence and lack of sharpness showed. She appeared hesitant and turned the ball over ( twice I think ). It was difficult to see any talent there at all. And we know she has it. She was a superstar in HS. After waiting patiently to see her play ( and looking for a Hollywood ending....or beginning, in this case), I was heavily disappointed. K It will be interesting to watch how she handles things. I would still like to see the Hollywood thing happen.

As league play commences, and the 30-40 point, one-sided games emerge, we should see a lot more of the bench players. If there is someone we don't see, it will because they are not earning the trust needed to be on the court.

Espinoza-Hunter,not so hard.