The Brown transfer quickly became one of Joe McKeown’s favorite go-to scorers this season.
Next up in Inside NU’s series of women’s basketball player reviews is shooting guard Kyla Jones, who became a really important piece for the ‘Cats after coming in from Brown.
The Good
After transferring into Northwestern one year removed from earning All-Ivy League honors, Jones immediately made an impact for the ‘Cats. The senior guard quickly worked her way into the rotation and eventually the starting lineup, proving herself as one of the hardest workers on a team that had struggled to compete the previous two years.
Jones’ best attribute was her ability to get to the hoop at will. Despite not having the most consistent three-point shot, guarding the Chicago native was still a tough task for Big Ten defenders, as her quick first step and unique finishing ability made even her most predictable moves difficult to stop. That impressive driving ability and layup package showed, too, as the graduate senior shot better than 50% from the field on seven shots per game.
Outside of her on-court skill, Jones was also invaluable to head coach Joe McKeown and Co. in stepping up as a leader despite being a newcomer to the roster. With the three years of experience under her belt, Jones was one of the leading voices in the locker room in the toughest moments and showed her unfazed attitude on the court when it mattered most, too.
The Bad
I just talked about how impressive Jones was inside the paint at getting to her spots and finishing tough shots; but her lack of an outside shot was a serious deterrent to her ability to take the next leap as a scorer in her time with a high-major program.
One of the 5’9” guard’s biggest weaknesses while in Providence was her inability to knock down triples at a solid rate — although she did improve from a dismal 8% to 28% by her third season with the program. At Northwestern, she unfortunately continued to look uncomfortable launching from long range, never really finding a groove beyond the arc.
What’s more, Jones was a surprisingly poor free throw shooter for the ‘Cats this year. Despite knocking down 70% of her shots from the charity stripe in her last season with the Bears, that mark fell down to just 54% this season on over two attempts per game. Jones’ driving ability gave her a knack for drawing fouls, but her lack of consistency to convert on those opportunities made such a skill significantly less valuable.
The Bottom Line
Kyla Jones was a huge get in the portal for the Wildcats when she committed to Northwestern last spring, and she proved that all the hype was warranted throughout this past season. From the onset of season, Jones looked the part, as her 28-point performance against Illinois State put everyone in Evanston on notice.
Even though Northwestern’s team as a whole continued to struggle, Jones was a bright spot, seemingly doing everything she could on both ends of the floor. Her tough mentality was crucial, especially as she led the ‘Cats in scoring four times throughout the year and was a great counter to the passing ability of Caroline Lau and shooting prowess of Casey Harter.
It might not have been a perfect season by any means, but Jones was still a valuable piece who distinguished herself on a Northwestern squad that still looked stuck in its losing ways of the two seasons prior. So, even if the ‘Cats struggled, Jones still deserves her flowers for her efforts this fall and winter.