Undeniably, Syracuse basketball coaches this off-season needed to pluck a center out of the transfer portal, which officially opened for business this past Monday and runs through April 22.
The Orange staff has found one.
Per his social media accounts, William Kyle lll has committed to the 'Cuse. A huge congrats and welcome from Orange Nation to William!
In the 2024-25 season, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound Kyle was a junior at Big Ten Conference member UCLA, which finished at 23-11 overall and reached the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
All Glory To God🍊 #committed pic.twitter.com/1hbFXbcW5K
— William Kyle lll (@WilliamKyleIII) March 28, 2025
Kyle, who hails from Bellevue, Neb., didn't play a ton this past term for the Bruins. Before that, though, he was excellent at Summit League school South Dakota State.
Syracuse basketball has landed a talented center via the transfer portal.
According to experts, Kyle oozes with athleticism. He's mobile and runs the floor well. Most importantly, at least from my perspective, Kyle is stellar on the defensive end, both in rebounding as well as protecting the rim.
Syracuse earned a commitment from UCLA F William Kyle III last night. 🍊🍊
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) March 28, 2025
What are they getting from him?
Athleticism✅
Rim-Runner✅
Shot Blocker✅
Check out his tape ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MAbG0n0DfW
Experts note that he is also proficient at finishing near the basket while on offense. Kyle competes with high energy and plays with toughness to his game.
When, last spring, he transferred from South Dakota State to UCLA, Bruins head coach Mick Cronin said in part, "Will has established himself as a strong, athletic and talented post player, and we're looking forward to having him join our program. He has a high motor, quick explosiveness and can finish at the rim, really adding another dimension to our team's frontcourt. He is a difference-maker on defense."
In 2024-25, as a junior for UCLA, Kyle averaged 9.6 minutes, 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while connecting on 70.4 percent from the field.
However, as a sophomore at South Dakota State in 2023-24, Kyle averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 blocks per contest while making 62.3 percent from the field but just 58.0 percent from the free-throw line.
During that campaign, he played in the NCAA Tournament. Kyle was also named the Summit League's defensive player of the year and to the All-Summit League first squad.
On Friday, in national transfer rankings on the 247Sports Web site, Kyle was rated as three stars, No. 122 overall and No. 26 at power forward.
This past term, Syracuse basketball went 14-19 overall. Of the team's 12 scholarship players, five exhausted their college eligibility, including two centers. Four guys have hit the portal. Junior guard J.J. Starling and freshman power forward Donnie Freeman will return, while the Orange brings in a four-member 2025 class at the high school level.