Molly Bent and Kyla Irwin - will they impact UCONN's run this year?

[Huskee11]

I have liked what I have seen from both Molly and Kyla. They appear to be great teammates. They will get valuable playing experience once the AAC schedule kicks in. How they perform in those games and in practice will dictate the extent to which they get on the court in the post-season. Based upon the one practice I saw, Molly is a very energetic practice player, and Kyla works hard also. At a minimum, they will give the starters some needed rest as they march through the AAC.

I went back to the box scores of the four most recent championship games won by UConn by 10 points or less. Interestingly, in each of those games, Geno played 7 players.

1. 2003 - 73-68 over Tennessee. Taurasi 37 minutes, Turner 21, J. Moore 35, Conlon 39, Strother 32, Battle 12, Crockett 24.

2. 2004 - 70-61 over Tennessee. Taurasi 37, Turner 33, J. Moore 30, Conlon 33, Strother 37, Battle 15, Crockett 15.

3. 2010 - 53-47 over Stanford. M. Moore 37, Charles 38, Hayes 30, Doty 36, Greene 32, Faris 25, McLaren 2.

4. 2015 - 63-53 over Notre Dame. Tuck 40, Lewis 40, Stewart 39, Jefferson 40, Nurse 28, Williams 3, Stokes 10.

Takeaway? That Geno is not afraid to go with 7 if that is what it takes.

 

[Kibitzer]

The question posed by the OP was essentially: Will Kyla or Molly will impact UConn's run this year?

Hmm.

Impact? Probably not.
Contribute? Most likely, yes.​

Next question?

 

[KevCav]

I'm not really worried about Molly or Kyla at all. I understand where mostly everyone is coming from, but I think the bottom line is that we just don't know how they're consistently doing in practice, what kind of improvements they're making, or where their minds are at. They're 9 games into their freshman season at one of the most recognizable programs in the country - not to mention that they're college freshmen and are living away from home. (I know Mass. and Penn. aren't that far away, but adjusting to living away from home and essentially being on your own is tough, and that's not even beginning to cover school work and the adjustments that come with being a college freshman, student athlete or not.) It's growing pains. Geno is likely still trying to figure them out and they're likely still trying to figure him out. Not everyone comes into the program ready to be thrown to the wolves, and that's okay. I think, in a sense, comparing them to others that did different things and reacted different during their freshman seasons is futile. Molly is Molly. Kyla is Kyla.

Do I think they have an impact on UConn's run this year? Of course I do! Maybe not in the in-game moments people are talking about, but I don't doubt for a second that they'll have an impact or that they're already having an impact. They're in practice, working hard with their teammates, trying not only to better themselves as players and people but help their teammates better themselves as players and people. They're on the sidelines cheering their teammates on when it's crunch time. Kyla goes hard for her team and it's so evident if you spend 30 seconds watching her on the bench during a game. These aren't the show stopping, wildly impactful in-game moments, but they are already a crucial part of the team just because of what they do in practice and how they support their teammates. And when the time is right, when Geno trusts them and they've earned a vote of confidence from him, we'll see them in the game striving to make him and the fans proud.

Not everyone is going to be a star, and not everyone has to be. They're still important members of the team, and they'll have some sort of impact on the team whether it's on or off the court - or both.

EDIT: It also makes sense that Geno would give the returning 4 as much time to gel as possible. Every single one of them is transitioning into a new role this year, and how they've learned to vibe and work with each other thus far will be very important come March. There's always a method to Geno's "madness."

Great observations Stephen! Positive posts go a long Way!

 

[KevCav]

The question posed by the OP was essentially: Will Kyla or Molly will impact UConn's run this year?

Hmm.

Impact? Probably not.
Contribute? Most likely, yes.​

Next question?

Kyla might get some minutes in the SC game, since she is the 3rd tallest of players available. She might be called on to fill up the paint to give Butler or Williams or even Collier a little relief. If so, I wish her well.

 

[KevCav]

Most freshmen at UCONN are judged at how they perform on the floor once they put on they put on the UCONN jersey. We've heard many times H/s is nothing like the jump here to UCONN standards. Ekmark didn't shoot well for UCONN. In H/s she was a star shooter but not at UCONN. Her h/s shooting prowess doesn't mean we should have played her vs Syracuse because Lou was out even though maybe we could have used a replacement shooter. You don't go taking the ball out of your best scorers hands to appease a much less talented player.

When Butler is in the game, she is usually playing with a minimum of 2 all-american talent-type of stars if not 4 stars (Collier, Gabby, Lou, Kia and Danger). In the NCAA's these 5 talented players (Chong is talented too but not a/a caliber talent) will be the ones called on to significantly score not Nat. These are the players Nat needs to be accustomed to playing well with as a complimentary player. All 5 of the UCONN players mentioned are significantly different and will play different too depending on the tough team they face/ the matchup on that particular night. That understanding of the stars capabilities and how to play off of them on offense and defense doesn't happen over night. This should be more of a focus for Nat rather than "points scored." Not every player needs to be a scorer in order to be very good. It doesn't mean she can't keep plugging away but there is a reason why she hasn't been a focal part of the offense. The others are better. The 11 time NC coach realizes this.

And no way do I believe Nat is capable of "opening the lane" for our other players. The 5stars I mentioned and even Chong can "open the lane" better than Nat. Nat would be the 7th option to open up the lane. Teams will give Nat that 15 foot jump shot. They'll sag in the lane daring her to shoot. The other 5 players I've mentioned and even Chong are much more explosive. I prefer Nat to try to be the big that can hit an occasional jumper but focus offensively on her passing and setting picks and getting offensive rebounds and limit her turnovers. For offensive rebounds, don't force the shot, throw it back it out if she's in a box. Defensively, rebound and defend and make smart strong outlet passes.

Same goes for Kyla and Molly. As of right now their roles should be to play off the stars. Though I must say with Molly she always looks pretty good out there. Right now with Kyla I wouldn't trust her if we were playing a tough team and we had a 20 point lead unless there weren't many minutes left in the game. As you say - we both have opinions.

Excellent observations. One added comment on Butler. In a few situations under the hoop she seemed hesitant to go back up after snagging an offensive rebound - choosing to pass nearby. I think as she develops more, she will assert herself more often

 

[Rb335]

My honest assessment of Bent and Irwin thus far are that they are going to evolve into players of the caliber of Fernandes, Kerns, Tahira Williams, etc. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Not every player walks into Uconn destined to be the next AA or score 1500 plus points. And we need players who fit that role, are happy to work hard in practice, and close out wins with larger MOV.

With respect to their impact this season, they are most valuable in practice right now. Although you could argue that Stevens and Camara bring equal if not more to practices. But that is pure speculation based on college experience. They will increase in value as the conference season opens. Each should average close to 10 mpg which will help rest our core rotations legs.

For the future, I hate to write kids off this early, but the initial impression is not super optimistic. To me, I am happy with them developing into solid bench players who are faces of the program that true fans remember in years to come. I know the boneyard loves to react in extremes (declaring every player the next AA- see butler or proclaiming we have so many flaws after a loss to a top 5 team in OT on the road). We were so high on the two freshman after the exhibitions but after 9 games, they seem almost invisible (based on minutes).

It is one thing for highly ranked freshman to struggle. You see those flashes of brilliance, the athleticism, and most importantly Geno plays them. Yes MoJeff only got 3 minutes here, or Stewie 7 minutes there as a freshman. But those occasions are a minority. (maybe this season feels extreme bc of SOS). We are already used to these players not receiving any play time, even when injury shortens the bench further. To me, since we have not seen flashes of brilliance or any real trust from Geno, my gut tells me that they are not likely to become regular rotation players. And that is ok. Also, if one of them proves me wrong, I will be more than ok with it!

Us fans are so used to having AA after AA. I think by now, I can sense the difference between struggling freshman, and players who seem to fit a bench player role with some accuracy. But then again, I have 0 NC and Geno recruited them. So its all pure speculation!

 

[HuskyNan]

We've had enough people declaring Molly and Kyla's careers a bust so it's time to move on.