Saniah Tyler has not let her lack of playing time keep her from trying to conform to what coach Kenny Brooks wants her to do. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Saniah Tyler played in 32 games as a sophomore last season at Kentucky and made 13 starts while averaging 10.2 points per game — second most on the team. She had 17 double-figure scoring games and six games with 15 or more points.
When coach Kyra Elzy was fired, Tyler contemplated transferring but stayed at UK to play for new coach Kenny Brooks. However, it has not been an easy transition as she is averaging only about seven minutes per game and did not even play in five of UK’s first 12 games.
However, she got 11 points in a recent game against Western Kentucky when she hit three 3-pointers. In the SEC opener against Mississippi State, she played 16 ½ minutes and hit a 3-pointer in the win. The next game at Vanderbilt he played only four minutes but then she got 19 minutes against Florida.
Brooks appreciates the sacrifices Tyler, a four-star high school recruit, has made and effort she’s put into adapting to what he wants going into today’s home game with Auburn.
“You go into your third year and you feel like you know a lot of what’s going on. Then all of a sudden, here comes a new coach who has a totally different system, totally different style, totally different everything,” Brooks said. “It’s taken her a little while to understand what it is that I wanted, and we had a heart-to-heart.
“And I told her, I said, ‘You need to do all the little things. You need to play good defense. You need to come out there and give us things we don’t have. You just have to play hard, and you have to make me play you.’”
She did that against Western Kentucky and Brooks is hoping she will do it more in SEC play because UK could use more bench scoring.
“She’s been nothing but receptive to what we’re doing. Even though her minutes have plummeted from last year, she has not been a distraction,” Brooks said. “I would like for her to be a little bit more assertive, but this is a spark that we need.”
The coach knows he needs Tyler and others to provide more help off the bench.
“Our starting five is as good as anybody’s in the country,” Brooks said. “We have got to make sure we continue to get production off the bench.”
One Response
Having a productive bench is key to a team’s success. I am so glad that Saniah is getting her opportunity to contribute.