Overview
William Kyle began his college career at South Dakota State, where he earned Summit League All-First Team, Summit League Defensive Player of the Year and Summit League Tournament MVP honors as a sophomore after averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He transferred to UCLA for his junior year but hardly saw the floor, averaging 9.7 minutes a night while splitting backup minutes with Aday Mara. Kyle then transferred to Syracuse, where he reclaimed a starting role. In 32 appearances, he averaged 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals and a team-leading 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 66.1 percent from the field.
Analysis
Kyle’s appeal as a prospect is almost entirely predicated on his defensive toolbox. He has the footwork and length to protect the rim at a high level while showing the lateral quickness to switch onto smaller players on the perimeter if needed. Kyle has a relentless motor on both sides of the ball, with his offense mostly coming off rolls, cuts and putbacks. He never attempted a three-pointer in college and was a liability at the free-throw line.
Projection
Kyle’s most realistic NBA path is as a backup center who earns his roster spot purely through defensive energy and rim protection, similar to Bismack Biyombo and Robert Williams. If he can develop better free-throw shooting to make him a viable pick-and-roll target, Kyle has the physical profile to emulate Kenneth Faried’s per-minute impact.
— Profile by RotoWire.com