William Kyle appears to be on the shorter side

[RealMcNeil]

He’s the guy at the 4 we would love to have weakside block. Should we be fake optimistic like every other season? It’s negative until proven positive at this point

Last year’s DBPM +3.5, EFG% 70, OR% 9.3, DR% 13.5. So he’s a plus defender that makes the most of his shot attempts (dunks), creates second chances and is at least average at limiting opponent second chances playing in B10. Is that fake optimism?

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’m much more excited about Kyle than I was Lampkin. He’s an elite athlete.

 

[AZOrange]

There’s a pretty good video in the preseason thread where he blocks another big trying to 2 hand tomahawk…I think he will be fine

 

[RedtheGOB]

lousiville has 5 players 610 or taller
duke has a 7 footer, a 611 and maliq brown
UNC only has 2 610s (but usually seems to have some size)
Kansas has a 611 and 2 69s
noter dame has 2 610 and 1 611
uva 2 610s, 1 611
nc state only has 1 610
houston has 611
tennessee has 2 611
st johns has 2 71s and a 610 (i think pitino knows what hes doing)
georgetown has 1 7, 1 611, and 3 69s
uconn has 2 610s
florida (defending champs) 1 79, 1 71, 2 611s and 1 610 (cant wait to see if we play them at some point lol)
arizona has a 72, and 2 7s
ucla has a 73
cal has 611 and 610
FSU has a 7, 2 611s and 2 610s
clemson has 7, 2 611s and 2 610s

idk it seems most teams can at least run out a 611 guy or better...and a lot of the good teams have at least 1 7 footer, if not multiple.

it does seem this year is somewhat lighter on big star centers than is sometimes the case, like when clingan was on uconn for example...like kentucky and auburn are really small fwiw

also, i resent the implication in your post as if all that matter is what happens in the ACC. firstly, non-conf is make or break in this era. you MUST do well in non-conf or your season is basically already over now...and this years non con is prtty challenging imo second, this should be a nationally looking program...not one that is fine and dandy with only whatever happens in conference. I realize the results havent been there lately, but assessing this roster and team should be done in a national context, not a local one, imo

I think it's funny you put in Florida's 7'9 guy from up North ha.

We play Houston/Kansas and Tennessee within a 10 day span and then the rest of our noncon is cupcakes. If we're losing to the noncon cupcakes or St Joes who has no coach or are getting bullied under the hoop at center by Q4 teams then the ship is already sunk anyway. The Losses to those 3 top tier programs will not hurt us either especially with 2 of them on the road.

Also Listing out 2nd and 3rd string centers and acting like we should be building a roster around that what if. If your want for the big tall talented center is to roll in the NCAA Tourney there's maybe a 5-10% chance we run into an elite 7 footer so its just a non factor for us.

Last thing you MUST do well in non-conf or your season is basically already over now... Just a reminder that UNC made the tourney last year and was 1-13 in Q1 games. They beat UCLA who ended up being a 7 seed by 2 points in December and that was their best win and their 2nd best win was a nontourney Dayton team on a neutral court, everyone else ACC teams and cupcakes. I think you meant to say that you just can't lose to the cupcakes and need to stack wins. BTW Those cupcakes in the portal era don't have bigs that can ball, they're are all identified quickly and pulled up into P5 programs real fast.

 

[Surfan06001]

Did WK not have a blk% of 9 last season, and over 7 at SDSU? Settle down, fam.

Never! He looks like Kyler Murray trying to hold a beachball. CANCEL HIS NIL

 

[sufandu]

Lot's of almost offended feeling takes on here. The OP didn't seem to mean to insult Kyle. It's perfectly reasonable to wonder if taller centers could give him trouble. At the same time, he seems to have athleticism we've lacked for a long time. If he, and we, can play with a more physical and aggressive style, we have a chance to be much better than we have been, but right now we're all pretty much guessing.

 

[Surfan06001]

Lot's of almost offended feeling takes on here. The OP didn't seem to mean to insult Kyle. It's perfectly reasonable to wonder if taller centers could give him trouble. At the same time, he seems to have athleticism we've lacked for a long time. If he, and we, can play with a more physical and aggressive style, we have a chance to be much better than we have been, but right now we're all pretty much guessing.

WE HAD a 7’4’’ center on the roster for two years. I’ll roll the dice on a shorter guy who’s a plus defender with crazy athleticism.

 

[Niastri]

If Donnie was a shot blocker, I wouldn’t care, but he isn’t. Hopefully Sadiq can pitch in there…

Freeman isn't much of a shotblocker. He's developing as one, and looked a lot better as time went on. We'll be a shotblocker by committee team.

White, Kyle, Souare, Betsey and Freeman are all athletic and long limbed, with an average of over 9' standing reach.

We won't have a McNeil or Etan Thomas, but we might have 5 guys averaging about a block a game, which would put us in the running for top10 in the NCAA.

Speaking of Kyle specifically, he had a 10.2 block % in conference play at UCLA, which is very good, though not elite. I think that's an area we'll be fine.

 

[sufandu]

WE HAD a 7’4’’ center on the roster for two years. I’ll roll the dice on a shorter guy who’s a plus defender with crazy athleticism.

You're response suggests you think I disagree with you. What in my post would make you think I dislike Kyle?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Discussing height only for a center is lazy scouting. You don’t play defense and block shots with your head. Some here would prefer a 7 footer with alligator arms over a 6’9 guy with a 7 foot plus wingspan.

 

[Surfan06001]

You're response suggests you think I disagree with you. What in my post would make you think I dislike Kyle?

I don’t disagree. I like that Kyles athletic and couldn’t care less about his height (6’9 is fine)

 

[Surfan06001]

Discussing height only for a center is lazy scouting. You don’t play defense and block shots with your head. Some here would prefer a 7 footer with alligator arms over a 6’9 guy with a 7 foot plus wingspan.

I like seven footers but only if they have stumpy arms and legs and a neck like a giraffe.

 

[sufandu]

Discussing height only for a center is lazy scouting. You don’t play defense and block shots with your head. Some here would prefer a 7 footer with alligator arms over a 6’9 guy with a 7 foot plus wingspan.

Yeah, there's a lot more to defense and shot blocking that height. Athleticism, timing, awareness all play a role. In 2003 we were so fortunate to have 2 centers that brought such different skillsets that we could go back and forth to. I was surprised to see McNeil actually averaged 1 min more per game than Forth, and didn't realize he averaged 2.9 blocks in only 18.8 mpg.

 

[sufandu]

I don’t disagree. I like that Kyles athletic and couldn’t care less about his height (6’9 is fine)

I didn't say you did disagree. I said you sounded as if you thought I did. Do you have difficulty with reading comprehension?

 

[Surfan06001]

I didn't say you did disagree. I said you sounded as if you thought I did. Do you have difficulty with reading comprehension?

 

[RF2044]

Is the 44 inch vertical actually confirmed? Holy moly

Kyle is an EXCEPTIONAL athlete. He's like a bigger [physically], stronger Hakim Warrick. Zero exaggeration / hyperbole.

He isn't nearly as talented offensively as Warrick, but he's in the same league athletically.

 

[RF2044]

Yeah, there's a lot more to defense and shot blocking that height. Athleticism, timing, awareness all play a role. In 2003 we were so fortunate to have 2 centers that brought such different skillsets that we could go back and forth to. I was surprised to see McNeil actually averaged 1 min more per game than Forth, and didn't realize he averaged 2.9 blocks in only 18.8 mpg.

That's right -- and a lot of that is what I'm basing my opinion on, based upon watching him play P4 teams from when he was at South Dakota State [prior to transferring to UCLA last year].

But I think his height is "fine." I think he'll be a perfectly good weakside shotblocker. I just don't think he's a defensively stopper, based upon seeing him play guys his size.

Plus rebounder? Absolutely. Runs the floor like a gazelle? Yup. Finishes in transition by beating other bigs down the floor. Yes.

Lock down defender? No.

 

[sufandu]

Kyle is an EXCEPTIONAL athlete. He's like a bigger [physically], stronger Hakim Warrick. Zero exaggeration / hyperbole.

He isn't nearly as talented offensively as Warrick, but he's in the same league athletically.

If the 44in vertical is accurate, he actually out jumps Warrick.

Prior to the 2003 season, I remember reading McNeil actually had the higher jump and reach. I think it aways looked like Warrick got higher because of how long limbed and thin he was. He also got to display more on offense with his post game.

Imagine McNeil's athleticism with Otis Hill's skillset. He would've been an all-american

 

[Orangezoo]

That's right -- and a lot of that is what I'm basing my opinion on, based upon watching him play P4 teams.

But I think his height is "fine." I think he'll be a perfectly good weakside shotblocker. I just don't think he's a defensively stopper, based upon seeing him play guys his size.

Plus rebounder? Absolutely. Runs the floor like a gazelle? Yup. Finishes in transition by beating other bigs down the floor. Yes.

Lock down defender? No.

Given the make up of the other guys in the front court and the team as a whole on paper - I think that works just fine for us in terms of what he brings and the fact there shouldn’t be expectations he is going to play 30 plus mpg.

 

[sufandu]

That's right -- and a lot of that is what I'm basing my opinion on, based upon watching him play P4 teams.

But I think his height is "fine." I think he'll be a perfectly good weakside shotblocker. I just don't think he's a defensively stopper, based upon seeing him play guys his size.

Plus rebounder? Absolutely. Runs the floor like a gazelle? Yup. Finishes in transition by beating other bigs down the floor. Yes.

Lock down defender? No.

Too often shot blocking is mistaken for lock down defense. Even in 2003 we didn't really have an interior defensive stopper. We had no Etan Thomas, but what we did at an elite level was help. It's why we averaged 7 blocks per game as a team and frustrated teams when they got inside. Suddenly they'd be surrounded by long arms. The primary guy would slow them down and then the help guy would change or swat the shot. Then, unlike our recent teams, we had very good rebounding that limited second chance points.

With all of our athletes this year, hopefully we see some of that again.

 

[Cuse_NYC]

Last year’s DBPM +3.5, EFG% 70, OR% 9.3, DR% 13.5. So he’s a plus defender that makes the most of his shot attempts (dunks), creates second chances and is at least average at limiting opponent second chances playing in B10. Is that fake optimism?

He hardly played lol

 

[Cuse_NYC]

WE HAD a 7’4’’ center on the roster for two years. I’ll roll the dice on a shorter guy who’s a plus defender with crazy athleticism.

I’m hopeful. But it’s a legitimate question.

 

[Cuse_NYC]

There’s a pretty good video in the preseason thread where he blocks another big trying to 2 hand tomahawk…I think he will be fine

Kaleb Joseph looked good in videos

 

[Cusefan0307]

He hardly played lol

He was injured most of the year. He will be a huge upgrade defensively over Lampkin.

 

[721Comstock]

He was injured most of the year. He will be a huge upgrade defensively over Lampkin.

A traffic cone or folding chair is a huge upgrade defensively over Lampkin.