The Syracuse Orange retooled a majority of the roster after last season’s disaster. Over the summer, a lot of people were concerned about the center spot and what could be expected from William Kyle after his
season at UCLA.
As Syracuse wraps up the non-conference schedule tonight, there is a strong arguments that Kyle has been Syracuse’s best transfer and their best player through the first 12 games. While a lot of the usual suspects enjoyed Sam’s update on the transfers out, it’s time to give the Orange staff some credit for identifying Kyle and landing him through the transfer portal.
Heading into tonight’s game, Kyle is averaging 11.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in 28 minutes per game. The senior center is shooting 72.9% from the field. a mark that is higher than the current school record of 69.8% set by Maliq Brown in the 23-24 season. Kyle’s 40 blocks lead the nation and his 3.3 blocks per game are tops in the ACC.
Kyle’s Player Efficiency Rating of 26.3 is currently tied for 5th in the ACC. Despite averaging just 5.8 field goal attempts per game, he’s had an incredible impact on this year’s Syracuse squad with his ability to get to the ball on both ends of the floor.
The one negative is his 49.2% from the foul line, but in the last five games, he’s 20-37 from the line. If Kyle is able to get back to his career average of 55% from the charity stripe, he can make it tougher on opponents who look to foul him intentionally.
As the Orange head into ACC play, they need to find more ways to get Kyle the ball around the rim more frequently because good things happen when he’s attacking the basket. He’s shooting 44-55 within 4.5 feet from the rim, so whether it’s a pick and roll, a lob, or a post opportunity, the Syracuse guards need to find him more frequently. When Kyle gets the ball in that low post, he’s nearly unstoppable when he can elevate around the basket.
