LOS ANGELES — William Kyle III decided to put his high-jumping career on hold after COVID-19 canceled his sophomore season of high school, instead shifting his focus to basketball.
That verticality, though, didn’t just disappear. It helped him earn Summit League Defensive Player of the Year last year as a sophomore at South Dakota State. And on Tuesday, it proved the difference in UCLA’s 85-83 win over Wisconsin.
Kyle hadn’t seen the floor in the second half until UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin subbed him into the game with 30 seconds left.
The Bruins were up two points, needing a stop. Badgers guard John Blackwell drove into the left side of the paint and, as he rose for a shot, Kyle ditched his assignment to contest Blackwell’s shot.
“I didn’t expect to block it,” he said Thursday, reflecting on the play. “Just tried to get a contest and then, luckily, blocked the shot.”
Kyle’s a humble kid, but that game-sealing block was a product of his instincts and athleticism. It’s why Cronin deployed him then, the center in a lineup of five players who could guard any position.
That’s what he felt was needed in that scenario.
Cronin had played 7-foot-3 sophomore Aday Mara 15 minutes in the second half, as his size and footwork gave Wisconsin fits, but when Cronin identified a moment better suited for Kyle, he smoothly went back to him.
“We got production from two guys that I was saying we gotta get,” Cronin said.
It’s unrealistic to expect either big man to solidify themselves as a 30-plus minute player. Their destiny is to be effective in spurts, complement Tyler Bilodeau and act as puzzle pieces for Cronin.
Over the Bruins’ (13-6, 4-4 Big Ten) recent homestand, Kyle and Mara traded breakout performances. In a Big Ten Conference where roster construction varies, Cronin’s effectiveness in mixing his frontcourt to match each opponent will go a long way in determining their success.
On Friday, UCLA will play a Washington team (10-9, 1-7) led by formidable 6-foot-8 forward Great Osobor, who uses his strength to gain position inside. The Bruins beat the Huskies 69-58 in their Big Ten debut Dec. 3, but the Huskies were without 6-foot-11 center Franck Kepnang, who Cronin said may return for the rematch.
Neither Kyle nor Mara was effective in the previous matchup. Mara played 14 minutes, scoring four points; Kyle played eight minutes and didn’t score.
Those unimpressive performances were common early in the season as Cronin tried to understand when it made sense to play each one. Kyle struggled to adapt to the speed of the game in a Power-4 conference. Mara was a step slow defensively; offensively, his size was neutralized, Cronin said, because teams “were allowed to tackle him” and he wasn’t receiving a “fair whistle.”
Cronin took accountability for their slow maturation process, saying the duo needed more coaching. That was especially apparent after Michigan handed the Bruins a 94-75 drubbing in Pauley Pavilion, in which the Wolverines’ pair of 7-footers imposed their will, while Cronin played Kyle and Mara a combined 12 minutes.
But, he stuck with it, knowing it would determine the Bruins’ ceiling in the Big Ten.
It was also crucial in unlocking Bilodeau, the Bruins’ leading scorer (14.6 points per game). He’s struggled, at times, in pick-and-roll coverage and, at 6-9, guarding bigger players. Cronin had rarely played Mara or Kyle with Bilodeau, but when they shared the court over the past two games, Kyle’s agility allowed him to man the perimeter, while Bilodeau could focus on protecting the rim. Mara’s ability to score inside freed Bilodeau to space the floor.
“(Cronin) is very strategic in that way,” Kyle said.
Cronin felt Kyle could handle Iowa’s tendency to spread out a defense with its drive-and-kicks. The result: Kyle had his best performance in a 94-70 rout of the Hawkeyes and Mara didn’t play.
But against Wisconsin, he thought Mara would have an advantage against Crowl. The result: Mara played a season-high 21 minutes and scored a career-high 22 points, while Kyle played sparingly but maximized his opportunity with that block.
“Made me look smart,” Cronin said about the lineup decisions that led to Tuesday’s win over Wisconsin.
UCLA at Washington
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Alaska Airlines Arena, Seattle
TV/radio: FS1/AM 570