Women's Hoops Hello: Kysre Gondrezick

Submitted by Raoul on

Kim Barnes Arico wrapped up her 2016 recruiting class in a big way by getting an in-state commitment from Kysre Gondrezick, a 5-9 combo guard out of Benton Harbor HS who's a consensus top 100 player. She picked the Wolverines over Baylor, Texas A&M, and Penn State. She's ranked #30 by Blue Star, #43 by ASGR, and #70 by espnW. Her espnW page includes this scouting report from July:

Smooth lead-guard with consistent offensive game; handles and distributes in transition game; mid-range game creator delivers in traffic; developing deep threat consistency; among the stock risers in the 2016 class.

Here's another recent eval from Blue Star:

College ready game…understands how to create space and get shot off while defended…ballhandling is proficient with both hands…can get to any spot on the floor and make a play.

This commitment is also important in another way: Gondrezick is the first in-state player that Coach Arico has landed during her time at Michigan. And this will also ratchet up the Michigan-MSU rivalry in women's hoops a bit more, as Kysre's sister Kalabrya is a freshman guard for the Spartans.

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Basketball
Women's Basketball
Kim Barnes Arico
Kysre Gondrezick
2016 women's basketball recruiting

Raoul

November 4th, 2015 at 5:10 PM ^

The AAU coach of two of Michigan's 2016 commits passed along this photo taken when all four took their official visits.

L to R: Keasja Peace, Kayla Robbins, Akienreh Johnson, Kysre Gondrezick

Here's a quick rundown of the other commits:

Akienreh Johnson — 6-0 W, Toledo Rogers HS (OH)

Keasja Peace — 6-2 PF, Toledo Rogers HS (OH)

Kayla Robbins — 6-2 W, St. John’s College HS (DC)

The rankings for them vary quite a bit; the services have at least one of them in their top 100, and some just outside the top 100. So they're either solid four-stars or high three-stars. It'll be great to get even more height on the team; the 2016-17 roster may be the tallest one in Michigan WBB history.

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 13957

Matt EM

November 4th, 2015 at 5:42 PM ^

To supplement Raoul's post above, Keasja (or K.P. as we call her!) also plays for the same AAU club.

Scouting Report - she's actuallly a legit 6'2, solid frame, but will need some toning from the SC staff. Her skillset at that size is quite good...........she can shoot out to 16-17 feet (she hits the occassional 3 as well, but not reliable enough to shoot it in college), good footwork, excellent touch (lefty!), good passer, lacks athleticism to be shot blocker though............similar to female version of Greg Monroe. The most important thing for K.P. is consistency/motor, must keep it full tilt at all times..........her skillset is undeniable at that size. I anticipate a RS year for K.P. to get her physically ready in terms of conditioning and energy level. Think she can be a a 12-14ppg type player as an upperclassmen. Will be able to run offense through her on the block.

Akienreh - somewhat under the radar because she is coming off knee injury, but I actually think she has the most upside out of the 16 class. She has everything you want from a prototype SF........has excellent handle for a legit 5'11 - 6'0 player, can pass the ball extremely well for her size, rebounds, excels in transition...........just a well rounded player. Really looking forward to he suiting up for UM, think she has the potential to be a 15, 5, 5 type player.

Think this will be a really good class for UM, with Johnson potentially contributing immediately and Peace and Kysre coming on as upperclassmen. Those 3 are extremely humble young ladies and I have no doubt they will represent UM in the best possible manner both on and off the court.

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 13822

Matt EM

November 4th, 2015 at 5:20 PM ^

First, I can confirm the name is pronounced as Raoul mentioned above, KYE-zer. Great basketball genes, as her mother is Lisa Harvey, former Michigan Miss Basketball and member of 88 Louisiana Tech NC team. Father is Grant Gondrezick, played at Pepperdine before a few stints in the NBA.

I've seen her play quite a bit over the years (daughter plays for the same AAU club). She is roughly 5'6 - 5'7 as opposed to 5'9 (most girls heights are exaggerated by 2 inches for recruiting purposes). Thick build, the SC staff will tone her up no doubt, but adding weight is not a concern.

Most definitely a lead guard, not a true PG, but not a shooting guard either. Has good change of direction/ballhandling, but ability to gain separation is limited by lack of athleticism. To compensate, she has an excellent pullup jumpshot off the bounce out to 18 feet...............quite frankly its one of the best pullup jumpshots i've seen, including the opposite gender. Her balance and verticality are absolutely superb on the pullup jumpshot. Has good court vision and passing for a combo guard, but she looks to score moreso than distribute. She draws fouls at a very high rate. 3ball is still developing, and she needs to work out some mechancial issues on the shot (late relase so the shot is a bit flat), but her mechanics from the waist down (balance/verticality) are excellent. Defense needs some work.

Overall - multidimensional player that will most likely see the court as a freshman in a backup combo guard role if she can be average on the defensive end. A bit different than any of the current guards on the roster in that her offense is generated primarily closer to the rim as opposed to a catch and shoot role (Sierra Thompson/Katelynn Flaherty)

She is better than her sister at MSU!

 

 

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 13822

Matt EM

November 4th, 2015 at 5:51 PM ^

Only meant to convey that she does not need to put on weight in order to see the floor. Perhaps solid frame would've been better terminology choice. I still think you clearly knew my intent, and were reading a bit too much into it. In any event, my apologies.

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 13822

rob f

November 4th, 2015 at 6:49 PM ^

But I'm sure most female athletes would much rather see the term "solid frame" used as a description of their body type.  After all, these are teenagers we're talking of, not WNBA players.

There was absolutely no other intent to my post. 

BTW, thanks for all the analysis of her game you provided---yours was very thorough and informative, and you were upvoted accordingly when I first read it.

Again, Go Tigers!  Happy to see positive news like this and the coverage of the BH Football resurgence coming from that school and town, as it seems most of the time media coverage instead dwells on anything bad that happens in Benton Harbor.

I know and have worked with literally hundreds of wonderful people from the area, and the relationships I cherish most (as I get all-too-close to retirement) are the ones from Benton Harbor I've made over the years.  There's something about adversity---and BH has known more than its share---that brings out the best in the good people who overcome it.

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 195035

FieldingBLUE

November 4th, 2015 at 7:32 PM ^

I'm happy to see Kysre going to the good guys as she's been the better of the two sisters even during her freshman and sophomore years at BHHS. That program is on the upswing with mom coaching now. Her little brother is a 6th grader and a pretty good baseball player. I've coached against him for a few years.

Awesome to see Principal Triplett make the Twitter feed!

Our town has had a lot of issues in the past couple weeks with a 17 year old murdered a couple weeks ago in a dispute. The high school has been struggling with it (even though the student had transferred to a charter a couple years ago) as many kids had grown up with him. Then another murder this weekend at a motorcycle club.

I've been living in BH for 11 years and there is usually an average of one murder a year but to have two in a couple weeks is disheartening. But with so much positivity also offsetting it, the strength of Bungtown will survive.

Joined: 08/28/2008

MGoPoints: 4507

Raoul

November 4th, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^

Thanks, matt D, for posting all of that. Great stuff! I just wanted to mention as far as Michigan guards go—don't forget about Boogie Brozoski, who'll bring a new dimension to Michigan's backcourt this season. She's a very quick, penetrating point guard who can hit pull-up mid-range jumpers and step-back long-range shots, as well as being a great passer. Her height (listed as 5-6) might be a problem against taller guards, but her quickness can compensate for that. A future backcourt of Brozoski and Gondrezick could be formidable.

Michigan also has a 2017 commit from another highly rated guard, Bre Hampton-Bey, who's also out of Toledo. So Coach Arico appears to be in great shape at the guard position for the next several seasons.

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 13957

Matt EM

November 4th, 2015 at 8:47 PM ^

I've had the opportunity to watch Bey several times as well, as she plays for the same HS team with Peace and Johnson (same AAU club as Johnson - Kysre and KP play for different AAU club). In the 5'5 range, athletic with above average lateral agility and vertical speed. She is the definition of a pure, pass first PG. Plays the game really strong and effectively dictates tempo. Very strong for a PG, and utilizes it to get to the rack. Above average to good court vision, but outside shot still developing. Good defender as well. Overall, I think Bey has the potential to be a really good 2 way player, potentially a lockdown perimeter defender that may score 10ppg with 5 assists and a few steals. Really like the direction Coach has women's hoops heading in. From personal experience I can tell you the entire staff is first rate all the way.........detailed and thorough in their teaching/practice approach, and absolutely wonderful people with class and integrity.

Joined: 11/08/2008

MGoPoints: 13822

Raoul

November 4th, 2015 at 10:29 PM ^

I remember Hampton-Bey got notice for her stellar defensive play during Rogers' state playoff run last season. By the way, I heard she transferred to Toledo Notre Dame (and Akienreh Johnson's younger sister Jala is also attending that school).

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 13957

rob f

November 4th, 2015 at 5:50 PM ^

and another great basketball player from the town of Benton Harbor.  Go BH Tigers!!!

Her mother, Lisa Harvey, is almost legendary among a lot of fine women's high school players this area has produced over the years.  Though I've never watched Kysre or her older sister play, they both have gotten a lot of ink in the local sports page ever since their freshman H.S season.  And, as was mentioned earlier, she's supposed to be the more talented of the two Gondrezick sisters.  No doubt a great pick-up for the Michigan Women's Basketball program and Coach B-A.

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 195035

Tyrone Biggums

November 5th, 2015 at 8:08 AM ^

Two sisters choosing Michigan and MSU when they know they will being playing competitivly against each other. The sibling rivalry must be strong! This is PPV stuff, bring it! The fact that they are both gorgeous (Kalabrya is also a competitive and reigning beauty queen) has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

Joined: 01/16/2013

MGoPoints: 4720

Raoul

November 4th, 2015 at 7:50 PM ^

Here's a quote from a WNDU piece on her commitment:

So why Michigan?

"Why not Michigan?" Kysre asked back with a big smile and laugh. "Michigan is phenomenal. They are such a very well respected university and I just wanted to be a part of that. It's the best 4-for-40 year decision and I know I'll be taken care of and be proud to say one day I'm a Michigan alum. Go Blue."

The piece also mentions that her official visit to Michigan included a sitdown with Jim Harbaugh.

And I should note that despite what this and other articles say, I still believe she picked Michigan over the three schools listed in the OP. I believe her reported offers are a bit on the exaggerated side (not an unusual occurrence).

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 13957

Coldwater

November 4th, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^

Oh yeah, I was hoping for this commit...I harp on the fact that both men and woman's basketball coaches seem to ignore in state players in favor of out of staters. I'm very pleased to see this. She'll be an instant contributor...those games against State are going to be very interesting.

Joined: 12/14/2008

MGoPoints: 11234