In the wake of former Marquette sophomore forward Camryn Taylor’s sudden transfer to the University of Virginia following last season, Marquette women’s basketball head coach Megan Duffy was in need of a new forward.
Duffy, the 2019-20 BIG EAST Coach of the Year, had already received the news that forward Lauren Van Kleunen would return for a sixth year under the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility given to all student-athletes due to COVID-19.
Then she received notice Purdue’s all-time 3-point shooter Karissa McLaughlin would be transferring to Marquette as a fifth-year grad transfer granted because of Covid-19.
But there was still a need and an empty roster spot so Duffy and her staff went to the NCAA Transfer Portal one more time.
The University of Illinois forward Kennedi Myles announced on April 1 on her Twitter she would be traveling up I-43 to Milwaukee to continue her collegiate career.
During Myles’s sophomore year, she led Illinois in rebounding, averaging 8 per game. She ranked third in scoring with 8.7 points per game, and she was second on the team in steals with over 3 per game.
Duffy said she is excited about what Myles’s experience will bring to her program.
“She’s a two-year starter from Illinois. She is just kind of that bruiser, she was a defensive stopper. She could score in the paint. She really just had a hard-nosed competitive mentality,” Duffy said.
Assistant coach Justine Raterman said Myles has not changed since high school when she was recruiting her while on Duffy’s staff at Miami (Ohio).
“She is a winner at heart,” Raterman said. “She wants to be pushed, she wants to be coached and she wants to have her level raised,“ Raterman said.
Raterman is most excited about Myles energy.
“She brings great energy in everything she does which raises everybody else’s energy,” said Raterman.
Myles said having a previous relationship with Raterman and Duffy helped persuade her in choosing to join the Golden Eagles.
“When I made that decision, I wanted to go somewhere where I felt I trusted and understood the position of the coach,” Myles said. “As well as a program that I could see myself having a lot of success.
Myles said due to COVID-19, she was unable to visit campus and Marquette’s facilities during the transfer recruiting progress. However, the way Duffy and her staff recruited her stood out on Zoom.
“They had everything laid out (from) what they saw for me, what they envisioned, as well as what the campus held for me,” Myles said. “Being at a smaller private school made it that in classes I could engage with my professors as well as having a deeper connection with my teammates.”
Duffy said Myles’s role on the team is still being hashed out.
“We’re really trying to figure out her skill set,” Duffy said. “She has the ability to play inside and out. She’s a very versatile player, so she’s going to have the challenge of guarding other team’s strong interior players so we’ll see if she evolves into her role. I love the energy she brings.”
Redshirt junior forward Chloe Marotta said Myles has impressed her and her teammates in practices since she arrived this summer.
“Kennedi is a hard worker. She does really well with just providing that energy for us,” Marotta said. “She comes in and she’s going to get the hard boards or ducking hard on the post up and so she really provides that energy. Also just being experienced, she brings that voice to our team, that knowledge, and IQ of the game.”
Myles said teammates like graduate student forward Lauren Van Kleunen have helped with her transition to the Golden Eagles and understanding Duffy’s system.
“Lauren is a vet,” Myles said. “She does a great job of including me on stuff (like) plays because obviously, she knows the plays and runs (the) plays. This being my first year with that stuff, she’s been taking me in with that stuff.”
Myles said one of her goals this season is to bring energy to Marquette.
“Just energy, attitude, the spunk to be here,” Myles said. “A fire passion and a willingness to just get better. I have great teammates, so just taking what I can from them and expanding on that.”
With the season set to get underway, Myles said she hopes to contribute to her new team and be a difference-maker right away.
“I feel as I am who I am and what I do speaks for itself,” Myles said. “I’m a team player. I want to do what I can for everybody else.”
This article was written by Johnnie Brooker. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Brookerjr21.
