Sophomore forward Kyra Bussell rids herself of stubbornness to become threat for Chippewas
Freshman forward Kyra Bussell cheers during the basketball game against Eastern Michigan on March 7 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Four games into the 2018-19 season, sophomore forward Kyra Bussell was far from coachable.
Bussell was stubborn, and coach Sue Guevara was vexed – not a plausible combination.
Standing at the center circle in McGuirk Arena, Guevara unleashed her thoughts, feelings and emotions on Bussell.
Glaring at Bussell square in the eyes, Guevara questioned, "Bussell, when are you going to stop being so stubborn? When are you going to be coachable? We could really use you."
Bussell, through four games, was averaging 2.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and a handful of mistakes off the bench. Coming into the season, Guevara had high hopes for the second-year Chippewa, but there was minimal production on the court.
Guevara said she pleaded for Bussell to make a handful of changes but only saw the same poor result on game day. Bussell rarely played with her back to the basket, wouldn't turn to the basket, rushed through every play and didn't make her reads. Most of the time, those situations resulted in turnovers.
"At one point, I didn't think she was being very coachable," Guevara exclaimed. "I thought she was being really stubborn, and I told her that. It got the point where I was frustrated."
But Guevara, in her 12th-year as CMU's coach, got in Bussell's head – as she has done with countless players over the past decade.
Days after Guevara's conversation at mid-court was a Nov. 25 clash against Chattanooga, the final match of the Cavalier Classic. Bussell poured in 14 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 23 minutes.
With just one concrete performance under her belt at the time, there still wasn't a conclusion.
But Bussell did it again. Then a third time, and she's never quit. Nowadays, a 10-plus point performance from the forward is second nature, even with freshman center Jahari Smith continuously starting ahead of her.
"Honestly, it's just me embracing my role," Bussell said. "That's my job, and I'm doing it to the best of my capabilities. It's all about the team."
Bussell's top performance of the season was a 19 point, eight rebound effort in a Dec. 29 loss to Tulane, 68-57, in the Miami Holiday Classic. With senior guard Presley Hudson and senior forward Reyna Frost being held to seven and 12 points, respectively, Bussell carried the Chippewas on her back.
"She's been more aggressive, grabbed rebounds and has a little bit of a dog in her that we are seeing now," Guevara said. "I like the fact that she's looking at the basket. There was a point where she would turn the ball over instead of shooting it. They were one-handed passes without fakes. Buss is one of our best 3-point shooters.
"She's smarter defensively. Her feet have gotten better. She's got long arms. I think she's coming into her own, being more coachable and producing."
Even though Bussell's performance against Tulane was her purest form moxie, her favorite game was on Dec. 2 – when CMU earned a 67-52 revenge-filled victory against Quinnipiac on the road in Connecticut.
Just a year ago, the Bobcats topped CMU at McGuirk Arena. Bussell made sure there wasn't a repeat of failure with seven points, two rebounds, a perfect shooting night from beyond the arc and quality defense in 25 minutes played.
"Every rebound and every point mattered," Bussell said. "That's a matchup we could see in March, so doing all the little things was most important."
Bussell has turned the corner and opened a new chapter in her book, now averaging 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20 minutes per game for Guevara.
With stubbornness behind her, Bussell is ready to uncover what is a mystery to many – her 3-point shot.
For the 2018-19 campaign, the 6-foot-1 forward is 8-of-21 from 3-point land, but she has just barley scratched her surface. Bussell, obviously humbling herself, believes she's at a quarter of her 3-point capabilities, but Guevara thinks differently.
"It's serious. She's legit," Guevara said of Bussell's outside shot. "What I like about it is she's a pick-and-popper. It's nice to see the confidence come in her."
Coming out of Grand Rapids Catholic Center, Bussell had offers from Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Akron, Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley and Ferris State.
When Bussell committed to join CMU on Sept. 1, she knew shooting the 3-pointer with success was a necessity, not a choice, under Guevara. Her high school coach, Trevor Hinshaw, knew Bussell's versatility would play a colossal role at the collegiate level.
“Kyra is a really versatile player for her size," Hinshaw explained. "She can step out and knock down shots at the perimeter, and she can go low and block shots and get you points as well.”
The next step for Bussell's move toward stardom is to improve handling the basketball, which is vital for attacking the rim with authority and running the fast break succeeding a rebound.
But for now, Guevara's enjoying the newfound coachability in her up-and-coming forward.
"Some kids get stubborn and keep doing the same thing over and over," Guevara said while smiling. "When I say coachability, I can see her making the change.
"Absolutely love it."
