The word is out around the Mid-American Conference: University of Toledo senior center Kaayla McIntyre demands attention when she is in the post.
Battling frequent double- and triple-teams, digs by opposing guards, and any type of defense that is thrown her way, McIntyre throughout her career has been able to finish at a rate that is among the best in program history.
Toledo coach Tricia Cullop calls McIntyre the most consistent shooter she has coached.
“She’s always been ‘Miss Consistent.’ She’s somebody we can really rely on in the paint to give us paint points,” Cullop said. “I just really appreciate what good touch she has around the hole and what great hands she has to catch the passes that are in traffic.”
As a freshman, McIntyre set the Toledo season record for field goal percentage at 64.3 percent. At her current pace this season (59.3 percent), McIntyre will have four of the top 10 single-season field-goal percentage marks in program history, with 60.2 percent as a sophomore (seventh) and 63.2 percent as a junior (fourth).
For McIntyre, the art of scoring down low begins with getting good position and creating a good angle to receive a pass into the post from a guard.
“It’s all about technique,” McIntyre said. “I know the coaching staff works with me a lot on that, as well as with other post players. We have to make sure we always have contact, and you have to be strong in the post. Just being able to be strong and have the proper technique is beneficial.”
Creating a good passing angle is something Cullop and her staff work on extensively with their post players, and McIntyre is one of the best at it.
“It’s their job to get good angles, to get good seals, and to sprint to where they need to get it,” Cullop said. “A lot of times defenses are trying to run around them and trying to front them and deny them as much as possible. It’s really a game of feet and constantly trying to create a better passing angle and being very vocal when they are open.”
The next step to finishing is actually catching the pass. This may seem simple, but on a lob into the post, McIntyre is often dealing with multiple defenders who are trying to get their hands on that pass.
“Coach always tells me I have good hands,” McIntyre said. “Just being able to catch it and know where I am at on the floor is helpful for me.”
She also uses her 6-foot-2 frame to her advantage.
“She has great poise, and she keeps the ball high,” Cullop said. “She’s great for younger post players to watch, because she doesn’t bring the ball down a lot. I think the mistake that younger post players make is they will catch a lob and bring it down, and then guards can get a piece of it down low.”
In the past few seasons, McIntyre has made strides in finishing with her left hand, she said, but still can improve.
“It’s been a work in progress,” McIntyre said. “I do favor one hand over the other. But being that teams scout me for it, I have to be able to finish with my opposite hand, and that’s something I’ve really worked on this year. It makes me harder to guard.”
Cullop said having the threat of using both hands to finish has helped McIntyre navigate through some of the traffic she attracts from opposing defenses.
“We know that sometimes people will try to force her one way or the other, but she really can go either way, and you can’t overplay her,” Cullop said. “I think the toughest thing is a lot of times she doesn’t have a lot of real estate to work with down there, because people are sagging and double-teaming and trying not to allow her much room. She’s warranted that kind of attention. What she’s done is done a better job of evaluating the situation and taking what the defense is giving her.”
As it stands now, McIntyre’s career field goal percentage of 61.5 percent would rank second in program history behind only Latoja Harris (62.3 percent).
“My teammates put me in good positions,” she said. “I make sure I seal properly, and then they give me the ball, and I’m able to finish it.”
First Published February 22, 2019, 8:23 p.m.
