Recruiting Report: Kyle Birr (2016)
Update from 10/14/15 by Alex Conover A Division II head coach recently tweeted that “multi-sport athlete toughness translates to college b-ball.” And although that program may or may not be recruiting Albany senior Kyle Birr, he’s a kid who I…
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Continue ReadingUpdate from 10/14/15 by Alex Conover
A Division II head coach recently tweeted that “multi-sport athlete toughness translates to college b-ball.” And although that program may or may not be recruiting Albany senior Kyle Birr, he’s a kid who I think of when I think about toughness across seasons.
This fall, Birr has racked up 900+ rushing yards for an Albany team that was undefeated until Becker took them out in the final regular season game. The Huskies are waiting to find out who their opponent will be in Tuesday’s Section 6AAA semifinals, as Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta and New London-Spicer face off tonight.
I’ve never seen Birr play football, but I can imagine that he’s a gritty, tough running back — you don’t just accidentally gain 900 yards in AAA. And he’s going to play his heart out this fall, but after that, football is likely over. He’s concerned about long-term health if he keeps playing running back, and with all of the injury-related news surrounding football right now, it’s hard to blame him.
“I'm focused on football right because we have a legit chance of winning state this year,” Birr said. “Once basketball comes, that'll be my focus. I'm most excited to play with my senior season with guys I grew up with every day for 10 years.”
Schools like Mankato State have inquired about football, but Birr is instead aiming at the D3/NAIA level for college hoops.
“Augsburg is still really going after me,” he said. “St. John's, Mayville State, Nebraska Wesleyan, UW-La Crosse and UW-River Falls are showing interest. I really want to play for St. Thomas, but they're showing the least interest.”
Birr plans to take some campus visits whenever his football season concludes.
Update from 6/29/15 by Alex Conover
The NHR staff loves the scrappiness of Comets Servaty 17U point guard Kyle Birr. Both myself and RJ think that he could be a really nice fit at some kind of D3 college. I caught up with him recently to gauge where his recruitment is at right now.
“Augsburg is the major one,” Birr told NHR. “St. John's, St. Scholastica, St. Thomas, and others have showed a little interest. I’d like to visit Augsburg and St. Thomas for sure, and possibly Bemidji State.”
Birr is a major contributor for Comets Servaty (possibly the team’s best guard), and he know what he brings to the table for his team.
“I think I know the game very well, and I know the right decisions to make on the court,” Birr said. “I’m a good leader, and I can hit pull-up jumpers from the free throw area along with extended range beyond 3. I can also get to the cup. Since I got to Albany, defense is a major priority, so coach Schlagel instilled that into us. That's what we made our emphasis.”
Birr and Albany gave DeLaSalle a major scare in the Class AAA state tournament last year. We expect to see them make another serious run in 2016.