Syracuse Basketball: William Kyle's athleticism is off the charts, has NBA Draft buzz

In the Orange's 11-point road win against Pittsburgh on Saturday, Syracuse basketball senior center William Kyle III threw down a ridiculous dunk that was worthy of making the ESPN SportsCenter top 10.

It was the latest example of Kyle's tremendous athleticism, something that has proven huge for the 'Cuse so far this season, as the Orange has produced a strong defense after struggling in that arena last term.

The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Kyle, who transferred in from UCLA this off-season and hails from Bellevue, Neb., has been terrific for Syracuse basketball (11-5 overall, 2-1 in the ACC) to date in the 2025-26 campaign. His defense, rebounding, shot-blocking and interior scoring are all excellent, and Kyle is even garnering 2026 NBA Draft buzz.

While the regular season is only about halfway over, I have seen Kyle's name pop up on various 2026 NBA Draft big boards, which is an awesome sight to see. He's a high-energy player who always gives his best effort.

Syracuse basketball senior center William Kyle III is having a stellar senior year.

In the Orange's 83-72 triumph at Pittsburgh, Kyle went 5-of-7 from the field in 19 minutes. He finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four steals. Entering Saturday's game, Kyle was averaging 9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest while making 65.5 percent from the field.

Senior shooting guard J.J. Starling is the veteran leader of this team, and sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman is arguably the squad's best player, and he's put forth three fabulous performances in a row since returning from a lower-body injury.

But one can reasonably argue that Kyle has been Syracuse basketball's most consistent - and most important - player in 2025-26, especially after the 'Cuse struggled at the center spot, and on defense, in 2024-25.

As Freeman missed nine games, coming back to the team's line-up on New Year's Eve in a three-point home loss to Clemson, Kyle was instrumental in holding down the fort, so to speak. Yes, amid Freeman's absence, the Orange had a bad setback to Hofstra, but Syracuse basketball also upset a ranked Tennessee team and nearly stunned highly rated Houston in Las Vegas during the Thanksgiving holiday.

This off-season, head coach Adrian Autry and his staff made it a point of emphasis to construct a roster that was much more versatile and athletic than in 2024-25. Retaining Starling and Freeman was pivotal.

But bringing in transfers such as Kyle was also important, and if Syracuse basketball hears its name called on Selection Sunday for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Orange's ridiculously athletic starting center will be a big reason why.