Kailyn Gilbert had a monster week and was rewarded for her efforts, claiming Pac-12 Player of the Week honors.
Against No. 5 Texas on Wednesday and rival ASU on Sunday, the sophomore guard averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. In addition, she shot 83.3% front beyond the arc, going 5 of 6.
In the home loss to Texas, she put the Wildcats on her shoulders to keep close it early by scoring 12 of her 26 points in the first quarter. She got Arizona started with a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer and was a spark in the fourth-quarter run, putting up 11 more. She found seams just before the defense collapsed on her and wiggled out of it. Those 26 points were the most since last year against Cal Baptist.
Against Arizona State in a 91-52 win Sunday in Tempe, not only did she score (19 points), but she led the team with four assists and grabbed six defensive rebounds.
UA coach Adia Barnes said that Gilbert was “the catalyst” on offense against ASU. With her at the point for much of the matchup, she ran the system, which includes looking for the best shot. This helped the Wildcats finish with 24 assists on 34 made baskets.
It’s easy to say that when the lights got brighter, Gilbert delivered. But looking closer, that offseason transformation has been here all along.
Arizona's Kailyn Gilbert gets a shot off during the win over ASU on Sunday night in Tempe.
In 11 games, Gilbert is averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 27.5 minutes per game. As a comparison, last season over 32 games, Gilbert averaged 4.9 points, 1.1 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game. Also, she is close to smashing her freshman total minutes mark of 339. She stands at 303 minutes total so far.
Right before the season started, Barnes said of Gilbert, “She’s worked and was intentional in offseason.”
“She’s taken it personal and she did a really good job,” Barnes said. “(She’s) a completely different player. Having some pride, becoming a better player, a complete player, and she has the ability to (do that). It’s just (that) she didn’t have the mentality and now she has that mentality.”
Barnes added that this is only the beginning, “She’s only going to get better.”
Over the last four games — UNLV, UC San Diego, Texas and ASU — Gilbert is averaging 19.2 points per game. Also, it’s important to note that her turnovers over the last four matchups have gone down. As a shooting guard who is playing more point guard this season, the ball is in her hands a lot. She is taking better care of it, averaging 2.8 turnovers compared to her first four games at 4.0.
The last Wildcat to earn the Pac-12 weekly honor was Shaina Pellington last February in upsets of the mountain schools. She had 35 points, eight rebounds and five steals against Utah and 19 points, five assists and two blocks against Colorado.
UA coach Adia Barnes chats with Courtney Blakely during the win over ASU. The Wildcats have been red-hot from long range lately. "A lot of our game is mental," Barnes said. "We're feeling better, we're more confident. So that should carryover."
3s are falling
The Wildcats made 13 of 20 3-pointers for 65% against ASU, continuing their hot hands from long-distance shooting that started against UC San Diego (10 of 20) and 7 of 8 or 87.5% against Texas — the highest in school and Pac-12 history.
Barnes doesn’t think they will keep this pace up, but does think the Wildcats can end up shooting around 35%.
Why are the 3s falling now?
Barnes said a big focus in practice has been shooting. Now, they are getting up 100 shots per day.
“A lot of our game is mental,” Barnes said. “We’re feeling better, we’re more confident. So that should carryover.”
Watch here
Arizona’s matchup against No. 20 Gonzaga in Jerry Colangelo’s Hall of Fame series at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Phoenix is now being televised on ESPN+ and KOLD, locally. The ASU-Fresno State game that starts at noon, will also be shown on ESPN+. Originally, both games were going to be shown on Pac-12 Networks.
However, it makes sense that ESPN shows all four games — Arizona men’s basketball team is facing Alabama at 9 p.m. on ESPN and ASU men’s basketball is playing Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2 — as all of the cameras are already set up at the Footprint Center.
Listen in
After a holiday hiatus, the next edition of the Adia Barnes’ radio show is scheduled for Jan. 2. The show, which will run weekly at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays through the end of February, is hosted by UA women’s basketball play-by-play voice Derrick Palmer and airs live on 1290-AM.
UA fans are invited to attend the show live at The Sands Club, which is located on the fifth floor of the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility on the north end of Arizona Stadium. Those in attendance do not need to be Sands Club members to attend in person.
Arizona women's basketball defeated Arizona State by a final score of 91-52 on Sunday, Dec. 17 in Tempe. Kailyn Gilbert scored a game-high 19 points, while Helena Pueyo made a career-high five three-pointers for the Wildcats. (Pac-12 YouTube)
