Mir McLean, Live and In Person

[Mdoggie]

IDK. Looks quite a bit like Kalana here.

How so?

 

[meyers7]

How so?

Her build.

 

[MilfordHusky]

On the Geno show of Feb. 7, he talks about all of the 5 recruits individually. He says that Mir is uber athletic, is one of those kids who goes and get rebounds, reminds him of a smaller Swin, and welcomes the challenge of playing at UConn.

I went out to watch Mir again last night. Her team played St. John Vallotti of Laurel, MD. Unbeknownst to me, Vallotti has their own McDonald's All-American, Eniyah Russell. HoopGurlz lists her as #43, a 5'10" PG headed to South Carolina. She looks more like a 6'0" shooting guard and plays with a lot of energy and intensity. She made a couple of jumpers early, but shot a couple of airballs later. She and Mir were far more athletic than anyone else on the floor.

Roland Park had beaten Vallotti at home in January. This time, Vallotti got the win. Roland Park led 17-12 after Q1, helped by a couple of 3-pointers. But Vallotti went on a big run and led by 36-24 at halftime. The lead expanded to at least 16, but Roland Park cut it to 6 with a few minutes remaining. I think the last score I saw was 58-48, but then the power went out. The lights in the gym had gone off twice in Q4, but were turned back on almost immediately. This time, only the emergency lights came on. There was reportedly a transformer fire behind the school, and all the neighborhood was dark. The officials met with the coaches and decided to call the game. I think Vallotti got the win, unless it was deemed a forfeit. It was very strange!

Regarding Mir's play, she had played both inside and outside when I saw her previously. She played only inside last night and moved around the 2-3 zone. I can't find detailed stats, but my slipshod notes show the following: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Shooting was 4-7, all inside the arc, and 8-11 from the FT line. Two of the misses were very late in the game when she was too far under the basket--she had started 4-4. On an early basket, she took a lob pass that would have hit the backboard if she had't snared it, was closely defended, but managed to leap, double-clutch, and make the shot while being fouled. On another basket, she took a pass deep in the lane and sank a fall-away jumper. It was a little like Liv's turn-around fall-away in the lane, except Mir was much higher in the air and fell away about 2 feet farther.

Mir sat about 2 minutes in Q2 because of a second foul, but was actively cheering from the bench. She played hard and was knocked to the floor at least 3 times. One play should have been a flagrant foul on Vallotti. A few of Mir's rebounds came right to her and were rather mundane, but a few others were of the spectacular type at rim level that left the crowd gasping. There were taller players on both teams, but Mir won the opening tip by exploding off the floor.

Mir reminds me of Aubrey and Gabby in some ways. She is raw offensively, but has played volleyball and done track and field, so she will be able to specialize in basketball at UConn. Unlike Gabby and Aubrey, Mir appears to be a solid FT shooter already. She was about 8-11 last night and 6-6 when I saw her previously. She is not as tall or long as Aubrey, but she plays bigger than her 5'11". Like Aubrey, her offensive game needs work. She reminds me more of a thinner Gabby, because she explodes off the floor so quickly and is the same height. Mir does not appear to have Gabby's passing skills, but I recall how much Gabby improved from her freshman season. Mir has a substantial upside, no pun intended. I think she would be very effective in a full-court press, and she rebounds the heck out of the ball--a foot above everyone else. Comparing Mir to the rest of next year's recruits, she is not as ready as Paige or Aaliyah, but is not nearly as raw as Piath. I'm not sure if I have time to see her again for Roland Park, but I expect to see her (and Paige) in the McDonald's game in Houston.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Guess who won the opening tip! She’s Gabulous.

 

[Charliebball]

as much as I look forward to viewing her "Gabby like" jumping ability.........I maintain that even with all of her athleticism it's going to be her ability to hit the mid range jump shot that's going to determine whether she's a useful player as opposed to a really, really good player............

 

[MilfordHusky]

as much as I look forward to viewing her "Gabby like" jumping ability.........I maintain that even with all of her athleticism it's going to be her ability to hit the mid range jump shot that's going to determine whether she's a useful player as opposed to a really, really good player............

Agreed. With her leaping ability, she should be able to get a shot from 6 to 8 feet. Her FT shooting suggests that a pull-up from 12 to 16 feet could be very effective. She may be a better shooter than Aubrey at this stage.

 

[CocoHusky]

as much as I look forward to viewing her "Gabby like" jumping ability.........I maintain that even with all of her athleticism it's going to be her ability to hit the mid range jump shot that's going to determine whether she's a useful player as opposed to a really, really good player............

Gabby had some other elite skills besides her great leaping ability which earned her playing time. Even as a freshman Gabby was the best interior passer on a team full of great passers, her first step with the ball was elite enough to get by even great defenders. Gabby also didn't miss many bunnies at the basket either except for that one time in the championship game against ND. I agree with you, Mir is going to have to bring something else to the table to earn playing time because that F position is going to be loaded (Megan, Anna, Aubrey, & Aaliyah). I also could envision UCONN utilizing a 3 guard line up next year also which could be problem for Mir.

 

[EricLA]

GREAT stuff Ken! Appreciate all your insights, observations, and willingness to travel to see our next generation of recruits before we get a chance to enjoy them in Storrs!!!

 

[psconn]

IDK. Looks quite a bit like Kalana here.

Looks like she knows the way to the weight room.

 

[Charliebball]

Gabby had some other elite skills besides her great leaping ability which earned her playing time. Even as a freshman Gabby was the best interior passer on a team full of great passers, her first step with the ball was elite enough to get by even great defenders. Gabby also didn't miss many bunnies at the basket either except for that one time in the championship game against ND. I agree with you, Mir is going to have to bring something else to the table to earn playing time because that F position is going to be loaded (Megan, Anna, Aubrey, & Aaliyah). I also could envision UCONN utilizing a 3 guard line up next year also which could be problem for Mir.

agreed but something tells me Geno is going to fall in love with her ability as a ball magnet...............in addition to her mid range game the question is can she finish among the trees at the next level..........if she can he'll figure out a way to get her some minutes...........

 

[Carnac]

On the Geno show of Feb. 7, he talks about all of the 5 recruits individually. He says that Mir is uber athletic, is one of those kids who goes and get rebounds, reminds him of a smaller Swin, and welcomes the challenge of playing at UConn.

I went out to watch Mir again last night. Her team played St. John Vallotti of Laurel, MD. Unbeknownst to me, Vallotti has their own McDonald's All-American, Eniyah Russell. HoopGurlz lists her as #43, a 5'10" PG headed to South Carolina. She looks more like a 6'0" shooting guard and plays with a lot of energy and intensity. She made a couple of jumpers early, but shot a couple of airballs later. She and Mir were far more athletic than anyone else on the floor.

Roland Park had beaten Vallotti at home in January. This time, Vallotti got the win. Roland Park led 17-12 after Q1, helped by a couple of 3-pointers. But Vallotti went on a big run and led by 36-24 at halftime. The lead expanded to at least 16, but Roland Park cut it to 6 with a few minutes remaining. I think the last score I saw was 58-48, but then the power went out. The lights in the gym had gone off twice in Q4, but were turned back on almost immediately. This time, only the emergency lights came on. There was reportedly a transformer fire behind the school, and all the neighborhood was dark. The officials met with the coaches and decided to call the game. I think Vallotti got the win, unless it was deemed a forfeit. It was very strange!

Regarding Mir's play, she had played both inside and outside when I saw her previously. She played only inside last night and moved around the 2-3 zone. I can't find detailed stats, but my slipshod notes show the following: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Shooting was 4-7, all inside the arc, and 8-11 from the FT line. Two of the misses were very late in the game when she was too far under the basket--she had started 4-4. On an early basket, she took a lob pass that would have hit the backboard if she had't snared it, was closely defended, but managed to leap, double-clutch, and make the shot while being fouled. On another basket, she took a pass deep in the lane and sank a fall-away jumper. It was a little like Liv's turn-around fall-away in the lane, except Mir was much higher in the air and fell away about 2 feet farther.

Mir sat about 2 minutes in Q2 because of a second foul, but was actively cheering from the bench. She played hard and was knocked to the floor at least 3 times. One play should have been a flagrant foul on Vallotti. A few of Mir's rebounds came right to her and were rather mundane, but a few others were of the spectacular type at rim level that left the crowd gasping. There were taller players on both teams, but Mir won the opening tip by exploding off the floor.

Mir reminds me of Aubrey and Gabby in some ways. She is raw offensively, but has played volleyball and done track and field, so she will be able to specialize in basketball at UConn. Unlike Gabby and Aubrey, Mir appears to be a solid FT shooter already. She was about 8-11 last night and 6-6 when I saw her previously. She is not as tall or long as Aubrey, but she plays bigger than her 5'11". Like Aubrey, her offensive game needs work. She reminds me more of a thinner Gabby, because she explodes off the floor so quickly and is the same height. Mir does not appear to have Gabby's passing skills, but I recall how much Gabby improved from her freshman season. Mir has a substantial upside, no pun intended. I think she would be very effective in a full-court press, and she rebounds the heck out of the ball--a foot above everyone else. Comparing Mir to the rest of next year's recruits, she is not as ready as Paige or Aaliyah, but is not nearly as raw as Piath. I'm not sure if I have time to see her again for Roland Park, but I expect to see her (and Paige) in the McDonald's game in Houston.

Great report, thanks. We look forward to your next one. Reports like this is how we get to know these recruits before they arrive on campus in June to begin their college experience.

 

[Steelerone]

I got to watch Mir McLean and her Roland Park Country School team against St. John's Catholic Prep in Buckeysville, MD. St. Johns had beaten Roland Park at Roland Park earlier in the season. St. John's won this game as well. After a 25-25 first half, St. Johns got hot and won 65-47. Roland Park's record dropped to 10-7. Mir fouled out on a strange ticky-tack foul with 15 seconds remaining.

I had the pleasure of watching and chatting with an eminent Boneyarder, so my attention was diverted at times. I invite him to chime in. Unlike last night, I did not take detailed notes or stats. Instead, I'll present several impressions.

Mir was the best player on the floor and the obvious focus of the defense. St. Johns has some fairly big and athletic players who surrounded her frequently. The St. Johns team also pressed full court on most (all?) possessions. I am guessing at Mir's stats. She swished a 3-pointer, hit some layups and short-range shots, and made (I believe) all of her free throws (about 6-6 with nice form). But generally, she did not look for outside shots. She generally tried to attack the basket. She got some shots off cleanly, while others were contested. She was called for traveling at least twice and took a big Eurostep (Asianstep?) a few times. My guess would be about 20 points, maybe half of Roland Park's 47 points. Mir clearly had double-digit rebounds. My best guess is 16-18. When she grabs the ball, she stands out--literally, because she's a foot higher than everyone else.

Mir seems to be a competent ball handler. She tried to beat double-teams with the dribble and did so sometimes, while losing the ball 2 or 3 times.

Her speed seems good. She was probably the fastest player on the floor. She does not seem as fast as Aubrey, however, as very few players are.

Mir's strength is her leaping ability. (Her listed 5'11" height seems about right.) She gets off the floor faster than anyone this side of Gabby Williams. Like Gabby, she can go up a second time. She also rebounds the ball near its apex. Think Gabby. Think also Aubrey. Think Human Pogo Stick. Overall, I see her as a slightly shorter version of Aubrey. She has the same leaping ability, perhaps more; she has perhaps a bit less speed; and she has the same reluctance to shoot from the outside. Can she dunk? I don't know, but she may be close.

Mir has played volleyball, done track and field, and played basketball in high school. She will focus on hoops at UConn, which will help her development. She is raw but has some incredible tools. Few players have her vertical leap. She is definitely the rebounding McLean.

For Eric: Mir's attitude was fine, and her effort was excellent. In some videos of the Middletown game, she appeared to be taking plays off. There was none of that tonight. Absolutely none. Both Mir and Saylor play hard. When they get to UConn, they will play even harder.

I hope to see her again this season.

Edit--Additional thought: Remember the inbound plays when Aubrey was defending on the baseline and snatched the would-be passes out of the air? Yep, Mir did that tonight. She should be devastating in the full-court press.

Great post Milford. It's one thing to see a brief write up in Hoopgurlz. It's another to get some real front line reporting.

 

[Carnac]

agreed but something tells me Geno is going to fall in love with her ability as a ball magnet...............in addition to her mid range game the question is can she finish among the trees at the next level..........if she can he'll figure out a way to get her some minutes...........

It's been said that "your gifts will make room for you."

 

[Calbysdad]

Looks like she knows the way to the weight room.

Her calves look like they were added on after the fact. No wonder she can leap!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Check the February Recruiting thread for some more on Mir. She had 28 and 18 last night in a conference quarterfinal game. Two videos show her explosiveness. She gets off the floor much like Gabby. The opponent is reaching and looking for the ball, but Mir has already snared it. Anyone remember David Thompson?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Ok, I’ll make it convenient.

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

 

[MilfordHusky]

“McLean, Myah Simmons and Diehl combined for six free throws down the stretch to keep the Reds in the lead. McLean hit both ends of the double bonus with 12.4 seconds left to give the Reds a 56-52 lead, enough to hold off the Vikings despite Jasmine Lindsey’s final basket.“

Mir makes clutch free throws!

 

[eebmg]

Mir bringing some confidence against a team that smoked them twice.

With 28 points and 18 rebounds, she led the fifth-seeded Reds to a 56-54 upset victory over fourth-seeded St. John’s Catholic Prep in the quarterfinals of the IAAM A Conference tournament in Frederick.

The Reds dropped their two regular-season games to St. John’s by an average of 22 points. McLean, a 5-11 wing, missed the second meeting for a family emergency, but she said the two losses didn’t matter heading into the playoffs.

“We really had nothing to lose,” McLean said. “We were all confident we could try to win. We had an extra chip on our shoulders, because we did lose twice, so we just stuck to we have nothing to lose and we trusted each other.”

 

[Alydar]

Ok, I’ll make it convenient.

CAPTION:
"Ok, tell you what, I'll lay down here and you stand under the basket when the shooter jumps and I'll still beat you to the rebound".

I try not to project what freshmen will do but she looks like the type that will come in for 3 or 4 minutes at a time and provide energy, much like what Geno has done with Griffin this season. Like most UConn freshmen she will be lost in the motion offense and often out of position in a man-to-man switching defense. And UConn will be loaded at the 1-3 slots. I don't see her scoring much away from the basket either (even 8-10 footers). Her scoring will be of the ill-named garbage type, (better-named second chance points). Her job will be to harass on defense and rebound. As the ESPN assessment says, a matchup nightmare.
She will be a crowd favorite.

 

[MilfordHusky]

CAPTION:
"Ok, tell you what, I'll lay down here and you stand under the basket when the shooter jumps and I'll still beat you to the rebound".

I try not to project what freshmen will do but she looks like the type that will come in for 3 or 4 minutes at a time and provide energy, much like what Geno has done with Griffin this season. Like most UConn freshmen she will be lost in the motion offense and often out of position in a man-to-man switching defense. And UConn will be loaded at the 1-3 slots. I don't see her scoring much away from the basket either (even 8-10 footers). Her scoring will be of the ill-named garbage type, (better-named second chance points). Her job will be to harass on defense and rebound. As the ESPN assessment says, a matchup nightmare.
She will be a crowd favorite.

I think Mir will take time to learn the system and may not get a ton of PT next year, but I agree on these: (1) she will add energy; (2) her job will be to harass on defense and rebound; and (3) she will wow the crowd with her leaping ability. In time, I think Paige will be throwing her alley-oop passes.

 

[eebmg]

I think Mir will take time to learn the system and may not get a ton of PT next year, but I agree on these: (1) she will add energy; (2) her job will be to harass on defense and rebound; and (3) she will wow the crowd with her leaping ability. In time, I think Paige will be throwing her alley-oop passes.

and her 1000 Watt smile.

 

[j66kicker]

Check the February Recruiting thread for some more on Mir. She had 28 and 18 last night in a conference quarterfinal game. Two videos show her explosiveness. She gets off the floor much like Gabby. The opponent is reaching and looking for the ball, but Mir has already snared it. Anyone remember David Thompson?

Yes! I lived in Denver when he played for the ABA Nuggets (coached by Larry Brown in overalls). At 6'4" he would get WAY above the basket on the way to a Dr. J-inspired dunk (it was also a thrill when the Doctor came to town and flew from beyond the free throw line with that red, white & blue basketball high in the air).

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yes! I lived in Denver when he played for the ABA Nuggets (coached by Larry Brown in overalls). At 6'4" he would get WAY above the basket on the way to a Dr. J-inspired dunk (it was also a thrill when the Doctor came to town and flew from beyond the free throw line with that red, white & blue basketball high in the air).

If not for knee injuries and substance abuse, David could have been Michael Jordan. I believe he had a better vertical leap.

Is there anywhere that you have NOT lived?