The shot clock is ticking down, and the ball is in UA freshman Marlee Kyles’ hands — right where her coach, Adia Barnes, wants it.
And it’s exactly where Kyles wants to be. For her, it’s one of the best times on the court.
The pressure? She’s used to it.
She learned the game from two of three older brothers — Andrew, who is 30, and Keyvon, who is 20. (Older brother Keith is 22 and doesn’t play basketball.) And, as a baby sister, if you know anything about older brothers, you know they are harder on you than anyone else, yet they are always in your corner as your biggest fans.
‘It’s hard, (as the only girl) I didn’t have anyone to relate to. But it was fun at the same time,” said Kyles, whose Wildcats host Oregon State on Friday at 8 p.m. at McKale Center. “They were so hard on me … to this day. The expectations they have for me are so high, which is great. When I do amazing things on the court and in life, I think it’s OK they taught me that. And it makes it so much better.”
And, Kyles has done some amazing things on the court this season. She started it off by scoring 17 points in the season opener. Her career-high of 19 came against Long Beach State at the end of November. She is the third highest scorer on the team, averaging 8.7 points per game.
For this 5-foot-7-inch guard, it is not only that she scores, it is how she scores and sets up her teammates, how she leaps against larger opponents to grab that rebound, and the spark that she provides off the bench.
It all goes back to her brothers and that basketball court that her dad built in the backyard. She was out there every day after school shooting, playing H-O-R-S-E and pick-up ball. She also played with the boys’ AAU feeder team before high school.
“Keyvon is a shooter and Andrew, too. They shoot all the time,” said Kyles. “I was an attacker; always drove to the basket and they have helped me develop my shot. I think it’s so funny when they say playing with the guys helps girls get better. I don’t know about that. For me, it is about proving them wrong; that girls can actually do something.
“(In those games) you are always under pressure. That’s where I learned to score and create my own shot because I had to.”
Now Kyles is doing more than creating her own shot. Instead of running a motion offense, driving and kicking it out, she is reading defenses and knows how to run an offense when a teammate gets hot.
Her Pac-12 season was interrupted early on with a concussion suffered in the game at Utah. She sat out for three games and it took a while to get the feel of her game and her shot back.
“It was tough coming back,” said Kyles. “I didn’t have the confidence and wasn’t in the shape I was in before. I was so hard on myself every day, that didn’t help. I was putting up shots and not seeing it. Talking to coach Morgan (Valley) helped.
“She said I would see it. It was frustrating not being what my team needed.”
She also went back to what she knows: working with her brother. Andrew moved to Tucson five months ago to be close to his sister and help her development. Every few days, when their schedules align, they hit the gym together, to put up those extra shots and work on her handles.
And, yes, while Andrew is watching her games in-person, Keyvon is watching online and both are critiquing their little sister, giving her tips on what she can do better.
Next season, Keyvon, who is her No. 1 fan, will be watching in McKale, as in May, he is moving to Tucson. As soon as he gets here, all three of them will hit the gym together. Just like they always do. Then, as she said, there will be “no excuses.”
“(Keyvon) said ‘I’m going to get you where you want to go,’” said Kyles. “This offseason will be big for me. It comes down to my diet and eating healthier. I want to be quicker and lighter on the floor. So lots of cardio. I will be working on it all, handles, set shots, etc. But my main goal is cardio and eating healthy.
“And, I am working on my jumpers. Coach Barnes told me that the mid-range is the lowest percentage shot for both men and women. I want such a good mid-range shot, so I am working on it.”
Barnes was happy to hear Kyles say she is putting in the work during the offseason.
“She has improved so much this season and I think it’s a very big offseason for her to decide how bad she really wants it. She has the potential to be great,” said Barnes. “She has the chance to be special and she has to put in the work and that’s what separates the best. I want her switch to turn on.
“I want her to reach her maximum potential and it’s my job to find a way to get her to do it on and off the court. She is made for it. She’s a good kid, the type that cares about people and puts a smile on your face.”
