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

[EricLA]

Edwards left b/c she didn't fit at UConn. That was not a playing time thing b/c she left like 10 games into frosh year. Edwards would have seen plenty of time last year and this year as the bench is really short. Ekmark is different, she got limited PT 2 years and then transferred. If she was ever going to get time it would have been this yr.

Just wanted to address the Ekmark comment. I agree with you BTW on Edwards.

Courtney averaged 9 minutes per game last year, and that was with the holy trinity on the team. I think 9 MPG is pretty good considering we had probably the best trio in the history of the game. I don't disagree with her decision to transfer - it was pretty clear after 2 years that a role player position was her ceiling at UCONN. Not being satisfied with that is something I totally respect, and am rooting for her to have a great remainder of her basketball career at ASU.

With regards to Bent and Irwin - many of us who have followed UCONN for years noted that these kids were not highly ranked at all (several services had one or both outside their top 100). In my opinion, Geno recruited them because he felt they were great kids, had workers, and would make excellent teammates. We have read that Geno has said things like "we know what a kid looks like in high school, but we never really know how they will develop or what kind of player they will be until they get to campus and start practicing with the team."

Having said that, clearly Geno knows when he sees a prodigy like Dee or Maya or Stewie. He also knows when he sees lots of potential, but he never knows for sure. It is my belief that he also knows when a recruit will likely have a ceiling as a role player at UCONN. Kids like Tahirah Williams, Cassie Kerns, Meghan Gardler, Jacquie Fernandez, Lauren Engeln, and yes - probably Irwin and Bent.

I suspect that both these kids will earn some decent playing time in games that are well in hand. I hope they are able to contribute in "big games". They will be great teammates and student athlete representatives no matter what their role. Just ask Tierney Lawler...!

And barring an Angel McCaughtry type of moment, where pretty much everyone in high school missed the boat on her, it's unlikely that Kyla or Molly will be starters, or even significant bench players (think Ashley Battle or Kaili McLaren) during their UCONN careers. This is not to say they won't surprise. I hope they do, but the greater probability is that they won't.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Wow, there is a lot of negative sentiment in this thread about Molly and Kyla which I do not share, and I doubt that Geno does.

First of all, where do we get this idea that he "always" plays only 7 or 8 players? That has been true in the last few years at UConn, but I think that was because there has been a significant drop off in the contribution level of the specific players beyond the top 7 or 8. But in 2000 or 2001, and recently on the Olympic teams, he has been quite willing to spread the minutes when he had many players contributing at an approximately equal level. I think next year will be similar, and you will see a much longer bench.

Also, hasn't anyone noticed that Natalie Butler was outside the regular rotation last year, but is in that rotation this year and doing as well as could be expected? Being outside the top 7 or 8 is not a life sentence. For that matter, Gabby didn't play a ton of minutes in her freshman year (zero in the Stanford loss), and look at her now!

So why haven't Kyla and especially Molly gotten more minutes recently, especially since Geno said in a halftime interview on Sunday that he would prefer to substitute more than he has? I can only speculate, but my speculation is this:

• Kyla, mainly because she is lacking in foot speed and does not seem to be in top physical condition, looks like a long-term project. I do not foresee her getting significant minutes this year unless injuries or foul trouble make that necessary. She seems to be on course for a Heather Buck kind of career.
• Molly seems to me to be an entirely different case. I was frankly quite surprised that Geno did not give her about 10 minutes or so on Sunday with Saniya absent. She is in great shape, works hard, plays tenacious defense, and can hit some jump shots. I'm sure she makes mistakes (maybe more than most freshmen because she is trying so hard), but I doubt that she would have given away a double-digit lead if she had played 10 minutes in the KSU game.
• So I can only speculate that Geno is sending some sort of message to Molly -- maybe about calming down and letting the game come to her, and taking in more of what is going on around her so she doesn't miss opportunities? I really don't know.

I cautiously expect that Molly will get more minutes as the season continues, and hopefully follow a path similar to Natalie or Gabby.

I pretty much agree with everything you've said. I was very surprised she didn't play at KSU. Heck, maybe she was late for the plane or something.

I remain bullish on Bent. Regarding Irwin, she seems to have good BB IQ, coach's daughter and all. I would like to see her red-shirted next year to give more time to develop and to ease the bottleneck on playing time.

 

[eebmg]

The bottom line is that Geno uses practice to gauge who he can trust to contribute in tough situations and unless that level is met, he will not give major minutes. To be honest, if I were coaching, I would probably be trying to find more minutes for these players since we will probably win it all anyway (but less convincing?) and it is a nice and fun thing to do but then I imagine I would not have 11 NC's. I for one would be very happy if our rotation could be 9 or 10 deep but I would not criticize if that does not happen.

One ultimately needs to be harsh and objective to implement a true meritocracy that drives competition at the highest level.

 

[oldude]

How soon we all forget. Go back and take a look at Mo Jeff's stats from the 1st 9 games of her freshman year. She played limited minutes, with lots of turnovers and her shooting was abysmal. In a big game vs MD, she played 3 minutes, 0 points, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 rebounds. At the time, I remember thinking there was no way that she could possibly be the #2 recruit in the country. Thankfully, I was about as wrong about Mo as I could possibly be.

Give Kyla & Molly some time. Geno will play them at the right time, in the right situation, and they will both get better.

 

[Kaizen]

Anyone still remembers those 2 exhibition games:
-Freshman Kyla Irwin (State College, Penn.) put up 12 points on the board, going 4-5 from the paint and grabbed four rebounds in her college debut. Also taking the court for the first time were Molly Bent (Centerville, Mass.) and Crystal Dangerfield (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), who combined for four points, four assists and three rebounds.
-Freshman Molly Bent (25 minutes) and Kyla Irwin (18 minutes) came off the bench, and senior Tierney Lawlor played 10 minutes and was in the game in the first half.

 

[Bretski]

are we really going to have a post like this every single season? as a friendly reminder, Geno has 11 NCs...we all combined have none. lets see how the season plays out before we start in-fighting for no reason

 

[cbraarj]

Maria Conlon.

If Taurasi wasnt on the team Maria would not have played at the level she did. If Nicole Wolf didnt have her injuries Maria would have never been a starter. Nicole started as a freshman.

 

[HuskyNan]

If Taurasi wasnt on the team Maria would not have played at the level she did. If Nicole Wolf didnt have her injuries Maria would have never been a starter. Nicole started as a freshman.

Maria had 9 assists to 0 turnovers in the 2004 Final Four and forced a key turnover at the end of the championship game. She also nailed a couple key threes in the final against Tennessee which caused a Lady Vol fan to declare he was glad Maria was graduating. Diana had nothing to do with any of that.

 

[Waquoit]

How soon we all forget. Go back and take a look at Mo Jeff's stats from the 1st 9 games of her freshman year.

I have a better idea. Go back and watch Mo Jeff play as a freshman. The talent and athleticism were evident from the first time she stepped on the floor. Apples and oranges.

 

[cbraarj]

Maria had 9 assists to 0 turnovers in the 2004 Final Four and forced a key turnover at the end of the championship game. She also nailed a couple key threes in the final against Tennessee which caused a Lady Vol fan to declare he was glad Maria was graduating. Diana had nothing to do with any of that.

If that is what you think than so be it. but with Diana just being on the court with her and being the type of player she is made all her teammates better than they really were. Instead of going by what LVF said ask the players who played with Dee.

 

[donalddoowop]

Because of her size, ability to hit the three pointer, and rebounding, UCONN NEEDS Irwin to develop enough to be a factor by March. She could give the front line players needed rest and not hurt team production. The bench should get enough playing time during the conference games. I'm REALLY pulling for Bent, Irwin, and Butler. Speaking of Butler, it does not seem as if her teammates are getting her the ball in a spot close enough to the basketball where it would be easy to score without dribbling. I watch other teams like Utah, that has a very good center no one has heard of (Potter) and K. State who get the ball to their bigs close to the basket. I suppose CD will have Butler playing at a high level before her career is over at UCONN.

 

[oldude]

I have a better idea. Go back and watch Mo Jeff play as a freshman. The talent and athleticism were evident from the first time she stepped on the floor. Apples and oranges.

Athleticism for sure, but early on during her freshmen year, Mo could be out of control on the court, forcing the play which lead to lots of missed shots and turnovers. Mo had 0 pts in the national semifinal vs ND and 3 pts in the final vs Louisville as a freshman.

 

[BobbyJ]

I don't know. I've been looking but have yet to find any of the numerous articles where Geno talks about these two young women. He sure seemed to think that the sky was the limit for them then and hard to imagine that he, and the rest of the coaching staff could have been terribly wrong about them to the point that they'll both have to leave in order to play.

Sometimes it's not all about the physical ability. In HS all these kids play loose and free because they're confident about how they match up with the opposition. But at a top 25 program there are mental adjustments that have to be made before the kids can play loose and confidentally. Until those adjustments are made to the pace and physicality they will look and feel lost in practice and that is where they have to earn that PT. And when you see them in practice it is very obvious whether they are ready or not.

 

[tomcat]

I suspect that barring injury to first-stringers, these two won't have much impact. That does not mean that they won't get meaningful time in games against teams like Cincy and Memphis, but IMHO it's not likely they will see much time in big games.

 

[Uconnsdabest]

These kids knew coming to Uconn that it will not be an easy place to earn minutes. They will have to continue to prove themselves in practice to find time on the floor. They will have plenty of mop up duty once we get into conference play when our schedule difficulty lightens. But I don't see them making any big contribution on the floor. But they bring a lot to them team by being great women and bringing energy to practice and on the bench.

And with the 4 new gals coming next year + 2 transfers who will be eligible, their time on the floor will be even less next year...

 

[Zanzman]

Let us all be patient they are young and played a real tough schedule so far. I think once we get into conference play geno will give them more chances to prove themselves , at that stage I think both will find their roles .

 

[HoopsFan21]

Most UConn WCBB players will go pro in something other than basketball. Regardless of playing time, the other skills learned from Geno's program are invaluable in life after college. I'll bet the players and their parents understand this while we as fans simply look at stat sheets.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I read it differently. Geno used the first part of the schedule to get his starters to gel. Napheesa is playing like an AA, so Irwin isn't taking her minutes. Gabby has been immense and Katie Lou is your star. Butler has more experience and has been around the program longer. So, it is up to Irwin to earn more minutes and I think she will as the season progresses.

Bent is your 4 th guard on a team where the starters are position interchangeable. Again, with time she can assert herself. Now that the starters have been developed, now Geno can work on the bench players and fine tune things. If Irwin and Bent are still riding the bench in February, then we will know where they stand. But 10 or so games in is way too early.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Because of her size, ability to hit the three pointer, and rebounding, UCONN NEEDS Irwin to develop enough to be a factor by March. She could give the front line players needed rest and not hurt team production. The bench should get enough playing time during the conference games. I'm REALLY pulling for Bent, Irwin, and Butler. Speaking of Butler, it does not seem as if her teammates are getting her the ball in a spot close enough to the basketball where it would be easy to score without dribbling. I watch other teams like Utah, that has a very good center no one has heard of (Potter) and K. State who get the ball to their bigs close to the basket. I suppose CD will have Butler playing at a high level before her career is over at UCONN.

I re-watched the Notre Dame earlier tonight, after two or three passes over the K-State game. It is remarkable to me how many times the pass to Nat seems to be juuusssstt a little bit beyond her grasp, that she is always trying to, or having to try to, catch the ball with her fingertips. Don't know what's going on there (speed of the game, balance residual hesitancy from thumb, etc.), but I'm sure it's frustrating for all concerned.

 

[ochoopsfan]

The subject of this topic is Irwin and Bent and will they impact on UConn's run THIS year.

So for those that want to talk about next year, when 14 are at UConn, or for their remaining time at UConn, that isnt the point.
If those two can get into the line up during AAC play for 5-6 minutes a game, most likely during blow out time, that is less wear and tear on the main 4 players. Lou, Nurse, Gabby and Collier.
So IMO, anything that helps the team, even it is less wear and tear, will have an impact on the starters and help.
Lets keep everyone healthy and hope for the best.

 

[bballnut90]

This may not be a popular opinion, but I don't see either Bent or Irwin ever being rotation players at UCONN. Neither one was highly recruited, so I'm assuming each came in knowing it'd be a long shot that they'd log major playing time. Geno has so much talent coming in next year and builds his roster knowing there are going to be some players who will ride the pine their whole career but they'll work hard and be good teammates. Not everyone is a star, and that is okay. As long as they work hard, bring a positive attitude and are encouraging their teammates, theyll be fulfilling what was expect of them coming to UCONN. Anything more is gravy imo.

 

[Blueballer]

They will see increased minutes in the American games and make progress. It's too soon to say if they will have a big impact on a game along the way but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened later this season. It may actually be best if they don't have to. If they do, it may mean somebody else got hurt or is sick.

 

[hoophuskee]

I have a slightly different question. Could a few more minutes of rest each game for the starters add up to a better rested team at the end of the year? Yes, I have watched Geno for many years and know this is typically not in the plans but I don't remember such a small team with so few subs that is getting pounded so hard each game.

When they are in the AAC, don't expect them to get pounded as much. Therefore, no you don't need to give them much rest until they reach the AAC.

 

[hoophuskee]

How soon we all forget. Go back and take a look at Mo Jeff's stats from the 1st 9 games of her freshman year. She played limited minutes, with lots of turnovers and her shooting was abysmal. In a big game vs MD, she played 3 minutes, 0 points, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 rebounds. At the time, I remember thinking there was no way that she could possibly be the #2 recruit in the country. Thankfully, I was about as wrong about Mo as I could possibly be.

Give Kyla & Molly some time. Geno will play them at the right time, in the right situation, and they will both get better.

I always thought the moment MoJeff showed she could shoot, she would be tremendous. It had nothing to do with forgetting. She just wasn't efficient shooting the ball. Once she was able to do that, she already had everything else. As a number 2 overall recruit, I was "waiting" for it to happen.

 

[hoophuskee]

Because of her size, ability to hit the three pointer, and rebounding, UCONN NEEDS Irwin to develop enough to be a factor by March. She could give the front line players needed rest and not hurt team production. The bench should get enough playing time during the conference games. I'm REALLY pulling for Bent, Irwin, and Butler. Speaking of Butler, it does not seem as if her teammates are getting her the ball in a spot close enough to the basketball where it would be easy to score without dribbling. I watch other teams like Utah, that has a very good center no one has heard of (Potter) and K. State who get the ball to their bigs close to the basket. I suppose CD will have Butler playing at a high level before her career is over at UCONN.

I don't agree at all.

1-- Irwin hasn't shown an ability in games to hit 3 pointers. And size isn't a guarantee a player can defend. We are winning right now for a reason- Butler has size to some extent and we have enough quickness in another. Realistically you aren't supposed to have undefeated seasons in which nearly all your games are won by 10 or more. Sure we can still get beat. But it doesn't mean you NEED to sacrifice taking out an all-american caliber player (Collier or Gabby or Lou) because a Iriwn is slightly taller.

2-- I love love love what Butler is doing. Other than being more efficient with her chances, I don't agree UCONN should be "looking more for her" if that is what you are suggesting. There are 5 players on this UCONN team that are all-american "talents" with the ball in their hands. You want the ball mainly in their hands. They can make more plays. Not to look actively for a less talented player just because she is bigger.

3-- We have seen over the years Tuck make mincemeat out of bigger players. Size that is slow can be defeated. US UCONN fans know this 1st hand. The tough schedule is coming to a close. After that there will be very very few tough games before the NCAA's. There is no reason to not work on doing what we have exactly done these past few months. No one has beaten us. We've lost one or two games in the past and still won the title.

4-- I want to add again I love what Butler is doing. love it. I'm impresses with her passing. If she doesn't try to do too much offensively I like her face up shot. But we're not going to win games vs the elite teams with Natalie getting 16 in the paint. We're gonna win a lot by her playing solid defense and rebounding and passing and hitting open shots. If our "big" can consistently do that -- then that is super tremendous. And for the most part vs the elite teams she has held up very well. I am so proud of her effort.