We are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that we can return to a “normal” version of college basketball this fall: fans in the stands, announcers without masks, etc. Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen but we will try to restore some order with season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. We continue our coverage with South Dakota State SR F Tylee Irwin. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Tylee about being a great FT shooter and her expectations for this season.
You made your high school varsity team as an 8th grader: what was it like playing with/against people who were several years older than you? My 1st real varsity experience was in the 8th grade: it was a big change and I remember being very nervous. We had a lot of seniors and there were high expectations but we made it to state for the 1st time in over 25 years so it was cool.
Your high school jersey is now in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: how did that happen, and what was your reaction when you heard the news? My teammate sent me a photo of my jersey hanging in the Hall of Fame next to hers.
You were born/raised in North Dakota: what made you choose South Dakota State? It is not too far from home and they have a winning culture and are focused on academics. I felt that I could jump right in and have high expectations.
You play for Coach Aaron Johnston: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? AJ was another big reason I chose South Dakota State. He knows the game really well and has great communication with his players. He expects our best and has had a lot of great players during his time here.
In the 2019 NCAA tourney you became the 1st Summit League team to ever reach the Sweet 16 before a 10-PT loss to Oregon: where does Sabrina Ionescu rank among the greatest players that you have ever faced? I do not think that I will ever face another player as good as Sabrina. The fact that we also played them at home earlier that year was surreal: it was a great year for us and making the Sweet 16 was awesome.
Last season you were named 1st-Team All-Summit League: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? We had a very successful year as a team. I had a lot of confidence from my teammates and felt really comfortable in my role. I was shocked to make the 1st-team but also excited.
You were also #14 in the nation with 88 FT%: what is the secret to making FTs? I was not a great FT shooter during my 1st few years but shot a lot at home during COVID. I worked on it during the offseason and know that confidence also helps a lot.
In the 2021 NCAA tourney you had 8 REB/5 AST in a loss to Syracuse: what did you learn from that loss that will help you this year? It was a shock because we actually beat Syracuse in 2019 to make the Sweet 16. We knew that they would be ready to play and they had a very athletic team. There were not a lot of fans in the arena due to COVID and we did not play our best but it was still great to be there.
Your brother Blaze/sister Tawny/mother Darla all played basketball in high school: who is the best athlete in the family? I have to give a lot of credit to all of them for where I am at…but I would consider myself the best!
What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We had some injuries last year and did not play our best in the postseason so hopefully we can make a great postseason run this year.