Props For Geno and CD From HoopGulrz

[JavaMan]

Dan Olson, the director of recruiting for HoopGulrz, told USA TODAY High Schools Sports this about the UConn class earlier this week:

“Connecticut grabbed the No. 1 point guard in the country in Crystal Dangerfield and then they went and got two other players who are not on the radar screen.

“Kyla Irvin is a blue-collar 6-2 center from State College, Pa., and Molly Bent, a guard from Tabor Academy in Masachusetts who surprised a lot of people in the Northeast. It goes to show you, you win national championships with more than a bunch of All-Americans. You have to have a mix. These two kids are good players but not among the elite players that you would think UConn would always get.”

[SOURCE]

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I know Dan was saying something positive, but I would not call Kyla Irwin's skill set "blue-collar center" and I doubt Dan knew much about her or her game when he said that. Ditto Bent "who surprised a lot of people in the Northest." She surprised a lot of people in the Southeast and had Mitchell of KY drooling over her, for example.

 

[UcMiami]

I know Dan was saying something positive, but I would not call Kyla Irwin's skill set "blue-collar center" and I doubt Dan knew much about her or her game when he said that. Ditto Bent "who surprised a lot of people in the Northest." She surprised a lot of people in the Southeast and had Mitchell of KY drooling over her, for example.

I don't think 'blue collar' is a bad way to describe either - fundamental sound, hard working players without the athletic flash or crazy skills of the top end of the recruiting pool.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I don't think 'blue collar' is a bad way to describe either - fundamental sound, hard working players without the athletic flash or crazy skills of the top end of the recruiting pool.

Maybe just me but I see "blue collar" and think "stolid".

 

[Orangutan]

Sort of wanted to start a thread about this, but obviously it's a sensitive subject. Irwin and Bent could certainly outperform evaluators' expectations and be key players. But when I see a top program recruiting a player ranked in the lower end of the top 100 or outside of the top 100, I assume they are recruiting role players. Irwin and Bent seem to both fit the profile that if they don't end up earning significant PT, they will still make great contributions to the team. Both very smart kids and coaches' daughters, if I recall correctly.

I think it's generally very important to get kids who will not bristle and want to transfer if they don't get playing time. In any given season, only 8 or 9 kids are going to get consistent, meaningful playing time. That means 3-6 kids that are only seeing garbage time. You still need those players for practice or in case of a rash of injuries. Those kids need to be upbeat, need to work as hard as anyone else, and need to be supportive of their teammates. Finding players who are good enough to be effective when you need them but humble enough to accept it when you don't is tricky.

Those kids don't get enough credit. For ND, I'm thinking of players like Markisha Wright (who could have started at many power-5 schools) and Whitney Holloway and on the current team players like Diamond Thompson. Hannah Huffman matured into a rotation player late last year but is another good example. When she had a stretch of great play in the Stanford game, the players on the bench were going mental. Her teammates love and support her and want to see her succeed. You see the same thing from UConn when the ex-walk-ons play. The starters know how hard they work and want to see them succeed. That kind of tight-knit team atmosphere is one of the under-appreciated keys to ND's and UConn's success. And you can't have it without kids who will stick it out and do their part even if they don't get the in-game glory.

So I agree with Olson that you have to have a mix. I don't know how good Irwin and Bent will be, but I think it's very smart recruiting to grab some kids who aren't rated as All-Americans but do have great character and work extremely hard.

 

[UcMiami]

Orangutan - nice post but I think you sell a wide range of players on teams short. There are true back of the bench team members that are great team members but really never contribute in meaningful ways in games, and there are those that just don't get big minutes because they are behind much better players, but are very capable of stepping in when fouls or injuries or graduation leave a void (Huffman being an example of what I mean from your post.) No one really suspected what Maria was capable of except the coaching staff, but she was integral to two NCs at Uconn and I suspect Bent is going to be perhaps a more physically gifted version of her. And I am personally really intrigued by Irwin - the limited film I have seen of her suggests a skill set not dissimilar to Dolson in a shorter (but still 6'2") body. I think she could be quite a surprise over her four years. She is an all state Volley Ball player as well - a sport that requires a lot of agility and faster reaction times than basketball.
I was interested in Geno's comparison of Bent to Sue Bird in the SNY blog by the way, and his read on the 'energy' Irwin brings reenforces my Dolson comparison.
http://snyuconn.com/uconn/geno-has-high-expectations-for-new-class/#more-16776

 

[MilfordHusky]

All 3 players are honors students. Molly is a high honors student. Molly and Kyla are coaches kids. They all appear to be very smart players. All of them play very hard. Kyla has good size, and Crystal has uber athleticism. As a group, they are not as highly ranked as the 2015 group, but I think all will contribute. Crystal should be a star. I suspect that Molly and Kyla will surprise folks.

 

[UcMiami]

Maybe just me but I see "blue collar" and think "stolid".

I think Faris was sometimes described as 'blue collar' and she certainly wasn't 'stolid'. It refers both to the hard work and dedication, but also to willingness to do the 'dirty' work that is beneath some super stars. Thinking about it, I believe some used 'blue collar work ethic' for Maya as well.
Generally I think the use of the term has become quite a positive in current usage in this country - occasionally not, but mostly as a recommendation for a person.
(Probably a direct correlation between its usage and the denigration of 'intellectual' - I think we may be one of the only countries in history to have as high a distrust of intelligence and a distain for highly educated people.)

 

[JoePgh]

If Irwin or Bent do anywhere near as well as Kelly Faris, that will be an extremely pleasant surprise. I don't expect it -- after all, Kelly was rated around #30 in her high school class, as I recall. And she had real athletic gifts -- leaping ability and quickness.

Players like Jamelle Eliot, Jen Rizzotti, Maria Conlon, Meghan Gardler, and the Valley girls come to mind as possible parallels for Irwin and Bent. I still recall a game in 2005 or 2006 when Rutgers had Cappie Pondexter and an excellent supporting cast, and UConn beat them even though Strother and Turner had a mediocre game. CViv's quote after the game was, "We got beat by a bunch of no-names", referring mainly to Ashley Valley, who had something like 15 points and zero turnovers against the dreaded "55" press.

In fact, there is some resemblance between the 2016 class and UConn's high school class of 2000, which included one star (somebody named Diana), and two no-names known to history as Morgan Valley and Jessica Moore. That worked out OK.

 

[ctfjr]

I know Dan was saying something positive, but I would not call Kyla Irwin's skill set "blue-collar center" and I doubt Dan knew much about her or her game when he said that. Ditto Bent "who surprised a lot of people in the Northest." She surprised a lot of people in the Southeast and had Mitchell of KY drooling over her, for example.

Jim Calhoun was referred to, on more than one occasion, as a blue collar coach. Served him well enough.

 

[Kibitzer]

[QUOTE="UcMiami, post: 1471082, member: 199"(Probably a direct correlation between its usage and the denigration of 'intellectual' - I think we may be one of the only countries in history to have as high a distrust of intelligence and a distain for highly educated people.)[/QUOTE]

Years ago Richard Nixon called Adlai Stevenson an "Egghead," meant as an insult to his witty and urbane political adversary.

Soon afterward, Stevenson urged his fellow intellectuals to pay no mind to such derogatory remarks:

"Eggheads of the world, unite. We have nothing to lose but our yolks!" ​

 

[huskeynut]

Blue collar is not a negative tag. Quite the opposite. It means hard working and relentless.

Whether Molly or Kyla become starters, time will tell.

What we do know is that Geno and company saw something the liked and offered both scholarships.

I suspect that these two are going to contribute a lot more than the "experts" think.

Welcome ladies!

 

[cabbie191]

Maybe just me but I see "blue collar" and think "stolid".

I see blue collar and I think solid work ethic.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think De'Janae is considered a blue collar player too.

If it refers to work ethic, Maya was the bluest of blue, despite her prodigious talent.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

I know Dan was saying something positive, but I would not call Kyla Irwin's skill set "blue-collar center" and I doubt Dan knew much about her or her game when he said that. Ditto Bent "who surprised a lot of people in the Northest." She surprised a lot of people in the Southeast and had Mitchell of KY drooling over her, for example.

On his site (Dan Olson Collegiate Girls Basketball Report), he has an evaluation of Kyla Irwin's skillset, with specific notes and details about her game. He ranks her 114th in the class.

And he has a detailed evaluation of Molly Bent, whom he ranks 169th in the class.

The term "blue collar" refers to a player in basketball (usually a post player) who is known for being a hard worker and always putting up solid performances, without the flash or style. It also refers to players who do yeoman's work on the glass, corralling rebounds to allow other players to score or getting putbacks/stickbacks. It is a complimentary term.

 

[Icebear]

As probably one of the few who have seen Kyla in person, blue collar is the perfect description of her game. There is a nothing flashy but just get it done attitude to her game. She is smart and solid and a coaches kid. Three things Geno's loves.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It is a complimentary term.

No, really?! Gee, I didn't know that. (sarcasm emoticon). "I know Dan is saying something positive..." I'm just disagreeing with him in his assessment.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Do "blue coller" centers pass behind their back with either hand to a wing sprinting to the basket? I think not. But I know when I'm outnumbered by people whose opinions I value!