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

[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.

 

[Blue Huskie]

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.

 

[HuskiesU]

Its going to be hard for them to see min. their whole career with the edition of our class of 4 fresh (6) transfers but i can see molly seeing more playing time than irwin

 

[HuskyNan]

Thank goodness Geno is running the team and not Boneyarders. How anyone can pass judgement on two freshmen's impact this year, much less an entire career, based on a combined 114 minutes of play is just beyond me.

Maybe they won't be stars, maybe they'll "just" be role players. I'd like to remind folks that Carla Berube was a role player, so was Kennitra Johnson, Meg Gardler, Kaili McLaren, Maria Conlon, Kiah Stokes, among others, along with the best role player on any roster anywhere - Kelly Faris. While never stars, these young women all contributed key moments. If that's "all" we're going to get from Kyla and Molly, call me satisfied.

 

[hjoerring]

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.

I think he has answered this and the original question in an interview posted here, sometime back. To para.: the more players you put in the more disorganization you risk creating. Its a question of compliment, familiarity, etc. = time spent together on the court. This begs the question of what happens when there are potential AAs' on the bench. What about next year? Assuming Crystal starts, who of today's starters will sit and/or come off the bench: Gabby? Collier? Nurse? That will be a hard pill to swallow.

 

[Florida Fan]

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 if she stays at UConn.
• 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.

Good golly, Miss Molly
Show us some ball
Cause when you rockin and a rollin
The coach'll make a call

 

[hjoerring]

Thank goodness Geno is running the team and not Boneyarders. How anyone can pass judgement on a two freshmen's impact this year, much less an entire career, based on a combined 114 minutes of play is just beyond me.

Maybe they won't be stars, maybe they'll "just" be role players. I'd like to remind folks that Carla Berube was a role player, so was Kennitra Johnson, Meg Gardler, Kaili McLaren, Maria Conlon, Kiah Stokes, among others, along with the best role player on any roster anywhere - Kelly Faris. While never stars, these young women all contributed key moments. If that's "all" we're going to get from Kyla and Molly, call me satisfied.

Is it not much to call Kelis Fisher a role player, a s that term is used? I'd say she went from a "role player" recruit to a starter and a key player- though clearly not of Moore's calibre.

 

[JSB60]

You just never know. No one would have thought that Maria Conlon would go from somewhere around the 13th player on the team in 2001 to a starter on NC teams. And I am as big a Heather Buck fan as anyone, but didn't see her shutting down Griner for a victory over Baylor until it happened. All it takes is one game with foul trouble or the right matchup for any player on the bench to be the key ingredient.

 

[UcMiami]

Just as a point of reference :Gabby Williams (lots of posters want her on an AA team) played zero minutes in the Stanford loss as a freshman when we could have used a quick athletic player in an OT game with players fouling out, and her take - I didn't do enough in practice to prove I could be trusted, I need to do better in practice. By the very end of her freshman year she had proved enough to the coaching staff that she got 5 minutes in the E8, 6 minutes in the semis, and 3 minutes in the finals. She had worked her way up to averaging 4 min per game!!! (playing a full conference schedule she actually averaged 8 minutes per game that year, but not in competitive games)

Bent and Irwin actually played 5 minutes in an equally tough game against Baylor as freshman (game was the second of the season, the same as Stanford) in the first half. They are averaging at this moment two and one minutes per game - against a very tough opening schedule - 6 of 9 games against Sagrin top 25 teams. (And by the end of this month that will read 9-12.)

It really is very early in their freshman year to draw any conclusions, especially given the string of games Uconn has played. The coaching staff is dealing with an 'all change' team this season and their priority even in the 'easy' games of the first nine is helping the core seven players find their feet and establish rhythm and identity. Once they establish that, and get through this early season stretch of tough games, they can start worrying about things like working the other two freshman into games with starters and identifying the specific things they want those two players to be able to contribute consistently.

 

[Waquoit]

Thank goodness Geno is running the team and not Boneyarders. How anyone can pass judgement on a two freshmen's impact this year...combined 114 minutes of play is just beyond me.

Really? This reminds me of one of my favorite Newhart scenes:

 

[UcMiami]

FYI - 6-9 against Massey's and Sagrin's top 25 and LSU is coming in at #45 in Massey and #51 in Sagarin. Only Dayton (135/97) and Chattanooga 97/93) are outside the top 51 in either rating service. Definitely a decent SOS for Uconn!

Houston (223) at the end of January will be the first game against a team in the bottom half of the D1 field according to Massey. Tulsa (158) on 1/17 the first below 135.

 

[oldude]

FYI - 6-9 against Massey's and Sagrin's top 25 and LSU is coming in at #45 in Massey and #51 in Sagarin. Only Dayton (135/97) and Chattanooga 97/93) are outside the top 51 in either rating service. Definitely a decent SOS for Uconn!

Houston (223) at the end of January will be the first game against a team in the bottom half of the D1 field according to Massey. Tulsa (158) on 1/17 the first below 135.

UConn has played some really tough non-conference schedules in the past, but this year's schedule is the toughest by far IMO. 12 games in 45 days, 7 ranked teams and not a single cupcake among the 12 (Both Dayton/2015 & Chattanooga/2016 were recent NCAA tourney teams). For icing on the cake, add in SC in February.