NCAA analyst Robin Lundberg praised Rutgers freshman Kiyomi McMiller for her breakout 2024-25 women's college basketball season. He compared the 5-foot-8 guard to former Duke player and Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving.
Lundberg made the comparison in his show that was posted on YouTube on Sunday. The NCAA analyst who can also be seen in Sports Illustrated's daily shows and CBS Sports Radio had a segment on Kiyomi McMiller and her rise at Rutgers.
He said that McMiller plays with a certain flash to her game and excellent handles comparable to Irving.
"People have compared her to Kyrie Irving with the handles and stuff," Lundberg said (Timestamp: 1:18).
The college basketball expert also noted that the veteran guard grew up in the New Jersey suburbs, and McMiller's skills and ballhandling flare and style could be rooted in this area.
"She has that flare and style to her game, and it's basically made to be a highlight reel," Lundberg said (Timestamp: 1:36).
The Silver Spring, Maryland, native has suited up in 14 Rutgers games and has averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
NCAA analyst wonders why Kiyomi McMiller missed USC game
In the second half of the segment, NCAA analyst Robin Lundberg wondered why Kiyomi McMiller was scratched before a 92-42 loss to No. 4 USC on Monday. It would have been a clash between the freshman upstart and last year's top first-year player, JuJu Watkins.
Lundberg expressed sadness over the development for it had been a great game to feature, and he wanted to see how McMiller figured against one of the best scorers in the nation. He went through the Rutgers player's Instagram post and noted that it was the decision of Scarlet Knights coach Coquese Washington.
Lundberg said that although it was nice to apologize to the fans, he criticized McMiller for throwing her coach under the bus and pointed out that it was the coach's decision.
The analyst is interested in how Washington will react to McMiller's post. He felt it was a strange story and not the perfect way for McMiller to claim fame negatively.
Rutgers (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten) went on to suffer its third straight loss, but McMiller's presence could've made the game more exciting for college basketball fans.
What did you think of Kiyomi McMiller's absence in Rutgers' game against USC? Let us know your insights in the comments section.
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