Latest / The Sean O'Connell Show / Milee Rustand on Utah women's basketball, Hosting No. 18 Baylor tonight, Chyra Evans thriving as a point center, LA Sneed's development +...

Transcript

Milee Rustand on Utah women's basketball, Hosting No. 18 Baylor tonight, Chyra Evans thriving as a point center, LA Sneed's development +... · The Sean O'Connell Show

• 0:19
  Speaker 1: You tune to the Sean O'Connell Show from the Murdoch
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Chevrolet Studio of ESPN seven f M.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Welcome to Bali West, Seawan.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: O'Connell Show, ESPN seven hundred ninety to one FM. We
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: welcome Miley Roustan, color analysts on all of the Utah
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: women's basketball broadcast. You can hear her on the call
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: tonight as Utah takes on Baylor at the Huntsman Center.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Tip Off is at seven ninety two five. The beat
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: for the radio call with Miley and Tyson Ewing. Miley,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the show.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: How are you I'm doing good? How are you doing?
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Doing all right? Glad to have you on to talk
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: about Gavin Peterson squad who just I'm I'm just seeing
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: grabbed a commitment from a Emma Petrie out of Australia.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: How closely do you follow the recruiting picture in addition
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: to trying to stay on top of the game take.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: You know, we'll probably ask them about the game tonight
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: when we see the coaches how that all went down.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: But I'm with you, I saw it on Twitter or
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: X but no excited that they they're bringing in another recruit.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: Good to see, let's talk about this this team and
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: its actual success here on the floor. We've been covering
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: Utah women's basketball for you know, since I came back
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: on the station here, and it felt like in seasons
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: past there was a pretty obvious player who was kind
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: of like heartbeat of the team. Everything flowed through her
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: from either an actual tactical standpoint or just from a
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: I guess a culture standpoint. Is there one player that
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: fills that role for this team?
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  Speaker 2: That's a great question, and I do think we have
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: a two seniors and Maddie Wilkie and Lonnie White, who
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: are kind of the heartbeat of the team. The team flows.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: As they flow their energy that they provide, the team
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  Speaker 2: kind of follows them. So Maddie being with the team
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  Speaker 2: for now what three years, she's taken on that leadership role,
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: and then bringing Lonnie White back to the program has
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  Speaker 2: been a huge addition, getting her back out of the
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: transfer portal. If you ask the coaches, if you ask
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  Speaker 2: the players on the team. We talked to Gavin's wife
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  Speaker 2: and over this last week and they all just say
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  Speaker 2: how great of a teammate Lonnie is. So not necessarily
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: even the things that they're doing on the court, but
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  Speaker 2: just that energy and friendship that they provide off the
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: court as well.
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  Speaker 1: From ben on the court perspective, I mean, there's you
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  Speaker 1: always did want that leader to be in one of
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  Speaker 1: your most important players. But is are are there those
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  Speaker 1: two seniors the most important players from a scoring, rebounding,
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: assist perspective in your mind?
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  Speaker 2: This is where it gets a little interesting because some games, yes,
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  Speaker 2: some it is Matti Wilkey. In some games it is
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: Lonnie White who are taking on the bulk of the
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: responsibility of scoring. But you look back at last game
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: against Kansas State, Lonnie only scored five points and she
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: only took five shots, not like she needs to force
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: to get her points. We have a player in Rhys Ross,
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  Speaker 2: the junior out of South Dakota, who's been averaging almost
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: fourteen points in almost ten rebounds over her last eight games.
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  Speaker 2: And if she's not doing it, there's other players like
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  Speaker 2: Grace Foster, who barely played any minutes last last year,
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  Speaker 2: came off the bench at Kansas State and scored seventeen points.
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  Speaker 2: So as much as I want to say yes, Lonnie White,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Matty Wilke, we got a whole plethora of players who
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: come off the bench or who even start that take
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: on different roles any at any given time in the game.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: Kyra Evans took some time to get her healthy in
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  Speaker 1: this program, and it's nice to see her actually being
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: on the floor consistently and having an impact. What have
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: you made her season so far?
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: I love Kira's ability to distribute the ball. So yes,
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  Speaker 2: she is averaging eight points game this year, but her
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: ability to pass the ball is one of the best
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: I've seen in the entire country. And in post play,
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: she doesn't necessarily force trying to score, but she's always
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: looking for kickout opportunities or she has a high low
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  Speaker 2: opportunity with rhes Ross or another player. So Kira's very
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  Speaker 2: unique in that. Yes, she can shoot a three ball
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  Speaker 2: when she wants to go and shoot, she can take
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: people off of the driggle, but I think it's her
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  Speaker 2: passing ability that separates her from other posts in the country.
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: Is La sneed living up to the hype when Nate
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: when she committed to this program, highest rated recruit that
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: Utah women's basketball had ever signed.
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  Speaker 2: You know, if you were to ask that at the
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: start of the season, we would probably say no because
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  Speaker 2: it did take a little bit of time for La
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  Speaker 2: to adapt to the college game. When Brooke went out
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: with an injury, La had to feel that starting role
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  Speaker 2: that Brooke was playing. And she's growing and learning and
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: adapting every single game to where she's handling the ball better,
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  Speaker 2: she's shooting better, she's building more confidence in herself, and
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: she is a complete game manager. So when I look
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: back at the TCU game, I see that you know,
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: La might have not scored, but she played thirty minutes
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  Speaker 2: and only had one turnover and controlled the entire pace
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: of that game. So yes, I believe La is living
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: up to that hype and she's going to continue to
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: grow and develop and get better.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: When we talk about a player like that in the
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: development that this coaching staff and her teammates can help with,
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: what is the next thing you'd like her to see,
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  Speaker 1: to see her add to the game to I guess
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: make herself a bigger factor, because I agree with you,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: already a big enough factor, certainly, But would it be
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: you know, scoring off her own dribble, creating her own
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: opportunities somehow, getting better at the distribution, rebounding better because
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: she's got enough size for a guard is what would
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  Speaker 1: be the thing that if you're coaching or you'd say, okay,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: let's add this next.
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  Speaker 2: We've talked to the coaches and we also talked to
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: La about this, and I agree that I want to
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: see her continue to get confident in her three point shot.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: There's a lot of times that in the Utah offense,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: when they're playing against the team, teams will go under
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: a handoff or under a screen, or La is open
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: on a wing for a three point shot and she
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: hesitates for a secord she will decide to put the
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: ball on the ground. So I think the next thing
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: for La is just continuing to build that confidence in
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  Speaker 2: that shot, to not even hesitate when it gets into
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  Speaker 2: her hands, and to just get in that rhythm. Like
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: she's thirty one percent on the season right now, is
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: knocked down eleven of thirty five shots. But I think
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: once she develops a more rhythm and a more comfortable
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  Speaker 2: three point shot, she's going to be extremely hard to
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: guard because her ability to put the ball on the ground.
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: She's extremely shifty as she attacks the basket, so she
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: can get to the basket, but she has to have
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: people respect her at that three point line.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: What's the key against Baylor tonight? A ranked Baylor team
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: that I mean, yeah, they got the number to their name.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: I don't think really any better than this Utah team.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: No, but one thing with Baylor is that they're always
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: going to play hard. They're led in a sophomore guard
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: who's on her third team. We love the transfer portal,
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: but Talia Scott, she's averaging twenty points, does a great
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: job getting to the free throw line. So just like
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: we played Kansas, we kept Samia Nickels off the free
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: throw line, We're gonna have to keep Talia Scott off
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: of the free throw line. And then they also have
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: a Darian alittlepage Bugs, who we actually didn't get to
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: see last year because of some fighting suspension that she
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: didn't play in the game against Utah, but she's averaging
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: a double double this year ten points, ten rebounds, is
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: just extremely aggressive and dominant post player. So between those
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: two players, and then there's our lineup is pretty good.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: They don't have a lot of depth and they don't
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  Speaker 2: really have a lot of people coming off the bench,
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: so it's going to be keing in on the top
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  Speaker 2: players of Scott and little page Bugs.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: I'm a huge Gavin Peterson fan, and I mean, like, really,
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: anytime you know this better than I do. Anytime you
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: get to be around NCAA coaches and especially coaches in
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: women's sports when we're in this media role, they're so
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: gracious with their time and the fact that everybody endorsed
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: when he was taken over for coach rob everybody, players,
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: equipment managers, everyone was like, no, absolutely, this is the
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: right person for the job. When you have your interactions
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: with Coach Peterson and you've seen what he's been able
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: to do with this program, just give me a sense
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: of where you think he can take it, what the
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: ceiling is for Utah women's basketball with him at the helm.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: I think sky's the limit with what he has the
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: ability to do and with the players that he's recruiting.
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: In the players he has, I think there are a
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: lot of question marks coming into this season as we
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: lost five starters, and just to see what he's been
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  Speaker 2: able to do with a new roster with a core
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: group of freshmen. We're thirteen and four right now, we're
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: six and oh on the road. We're projected to finish
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: eighth in the Big Twelve. But I think that's low.
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: From what play I'm seeing right now, I think we
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: have the ability to get up in that top four
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: and really push some of these rent teams. So I
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: love what Gavin's doing. I know how hardy coaches. I
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: see all the f for him as staff, putting each
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: game into their scouts. We love going on the road,
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: being able to see them practice on the road as well,
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: just how dialed in the entire team in the team
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: is and how much they respect the coaching staff as well.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: So I don't want to say what the limit is
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: or what the bottom is. I think there's a lot
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: of room and a lot of potential that Kevin has
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: with this team.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: All right, if you're listening right now, you don't have
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: anything better to do tonight and going up to the
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: Huntsman Center, Tickets for you and your entire family are
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: very affordable. Tip Off is at seven, plenty of time
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: after work to get there. Stop, grab some food on
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: the way, grab some food while you're there. But the
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: point is get to the Huntsman Center and support this
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: Utah women's basketball team as they take on number eighteen Baylor.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Miley will be on the call alongside Tyson Ewing Miley,
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: thanks for your time today. Tell Tyson we said hi, all.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: Right, Hilo, for sure, thank you so much.
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: As Miley rustands color analyst on the Utah women's basketball broadcasts,
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: you can listen to the game tonight on ninety two
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: to five to beat Over on the FM dial.