Texas State Brings Kyla McBride Home
For star basketball recruit, the new team feels like family—and home is close by
Summary
- Kyla McBride, a versatile 6’0” guard/forward, transferred to Texas State—close to home and full of opportunity—after helping NWFSC win a national championship.
- McBride matured, reshaped her game over the summer, and returned with sharper ball-handling, a deeper skillset, and new confidence.
They’re holding me to a championship standard. I really like it.
The NWFSC Raiders held an embarrassment of riches last season, in the form of three mature and versatile combo forwards. The guard-iest (definitely a word) of those three was Kyla McBride. The 6’0” Guard/Forward was raised in Magnolia, Arkansas, and played her high school ball outside of Dallas.
She transferred to Texas State, a mere three hours away from her HS and less than a day’s drive from her hometown. When she went to visit the Bobcats, McBride’s caption read "Hometown Hero 👀???"
“She's a great player, so for her to go back and then put on for her hometown, it's a beautiful thing,” said teammate Nevaeh Scott.
Though Arkansas-Little Rock and Western Kentucky both sought to recruit McBride, she can expect more playing time and opportunity upside at Texas State. This summer, school officials informed the Sun Belt of their intention to join the Pac-12, according to multiple news reports.
McBride has settled in quickly, after some work with the coaches over a few weeks, she’s headed back for her first break of the summer.
“It's been real good. There should be a high standard and a high expectation because we (NWFSC) won the championship. So they’re holding me to a championship standard,” said the Bobcat’s newest wing. “I really like it.”
McBride described her troubles at the 2023 tournament—at one point, she went on a tirade over fast-food—as eye-opening. It almost got her sent home from the national tournament and Northwest Florida permanently. Losing the national title only days later solidified to her the need to get out of her own way. She recommitted to the team and to being a great teammate, and put her head down for the summer.
“I needed to work on my ball handling so bad. The scouting report and even our commentators would know I would always go right,” said McBride. “If my teammates pass me the ball with five seconds on the clock, it’s got to be something quick. I can't sit and think for five seconds.” She came back with a duffel bag full of moves.
McBride started by working on attacking closeouts and moving without the ball, and once her comfort increased the team could add downhill designed attacks for her. At a full 6’0”, she’s a nightmare for a power forward to guard, with a good first step. The response at the JuCo level was to use smaller defenders to climb under her handle, and that’s when she started posting up switches.
“I'll say my ball handling has gotten way, way better. I could finish with both hands now, I'm not predictable actually. I’ve been working so hard to basically develop myself because I want to get somewhere.”
McBride can play multiple positions big and small and even jump out on some PGs. She can score at all three levels and scale up or down as needed. With Texas State angling for a conference move, that versatility will be key and keep McBride in the mix.
The culture of Texas State and values-based leadership, is what will keep McBride able to adjust.
“We look out for each other even though we barely even knew each other from the first day. I got a nickname on the first day,” said McBride, dubbed by her new Texas State teammates as ‘KD’. “It's a good situation. It's a good culture. And then the coaching staff, oh my gosh, it felt like a family. I love a family-oriented coaching staff.”
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