Benton Harbor, Michigan-- Like waiting for a package in the mail of an online delivery, and it finally comes; that would be the feeling that Utah Utes' fans feels right now as their 6’9 gift has finally arrived. Not a red shirt anymore, Kyle Kuzma is set to make an impact in the Pac-12 this coming season and is already getting attention from national media. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweeted "Another red shirt freshman to watch?--Utah's Kyle Kuzma."
Kuzma, a native of Flint, Michigan, grew up in the inner city and chose basketball as an outlet to stay out of trouble. Flint, similar to Detroit, was once a thriving city in the Midwest. However once the auto plants, such as General Motors, shut down, those jobs left and the crime increased forcing Kuzma and his family to find stability.
"Not having a lot of money, my family and I moved around Flint nine times in 16 years," said Kuzma. "I recall one year, my mom was laid off and we had to move into my grandmothers basement until she could get back on her feet. Moving around so much caused me to go to three different high schools so I didn't have that firm stability."
As a kid, Kuzma remember the days when his mother had to work two jobs to make ends meet and would pick him up from school and dropped him off at the local YMCA gym where he would stay there until she got off work later that evening around 8 or 9pm. He mentions that he believes he get his work ethic from his mother, watching her struggle and maintain two jobs and do all she can to provide for the family.
Kuzma had a gift of playing basketball, but not having a stable foundation caused him to be under-recruited in Michigan. At the time he didn't play AAU and the offers weren't of his liking. Being the hard worker he is, he decided it was time for him to make an impact in the world of basketball so he could get his name out there.
Kuzma got into AAU basketball playing for "Dorians Pride" and immediately started receiving offers. That summer of his junior year, Kuzma decided to step out of his comfort zone and leave his hometown of Flint and go to a prep school in Philadelphia to increase his visibility. This move forced Kuzma to face more adversity.
"Prep school is a different game vs public school basketball. There were coaches at all of the games and you play a lot of Division 1 players from game to game, so it was a difficult adjustment for me because I wasn't the strongest." said Kuzma.
The next AAU season that came and he was able to "Blow up in the AAU circuit.” This led to him being invited to the Reebok All American Camp. This stage brought Kuzma, virtually an unknown basketball player at the time, to the national stage. At the end of the first day, Kuzma was ranked number one in his position and that placed him ahead of Top 50 and Top 100 players.
Kuzma described that moment as "special." From that moment on is when big name schools such as U-Conn and Michigan State started making offers, however Kuzma was loyal to Utah.
"Utah was there from the beginning. They saw when I played against a kid that signed with them and told me they loved the way I played and would keep an eye on me," recollects Kuzma. "So when offers were being made, I chose to stick with Utah because they noticed me when no-one else did."
Kuzma also liked the fact that when he talked to Utah, it felt like they cared about him, as a person and how to improve his life, on and off the court.
"When I would talk to Coach K (Krystkowiak) and Coach Slocum, it wasn't always about basketball. It was about life and what I was doing from day to day and about family." said Kuzma.
Fast forwarding to now, Kuzma sits down in Salt Lake City looking at the skyline with the mountains behind it, reflecting on life, thinking about how far he's come, and focusing on the summer.
This summer Kuzma will continue to work on his game and prepare for next season where he's expected to make a huge impact on the Pac 12.
"Red-shirting gives you more hunger. It's like a year away from basketball makes you love the game a way you never did before. Now the fun begins," tweeted Kuzma. Utes fans have a lot to look forward to this offseason as their team is possibly the "second best team in the Pac-12" according to the former Utes beat writer Tony Jones.
Stay tuned this summer as we continue to follow Kuzma as he trains out in Salt Lake City.
Kuzma, a native of Flint, Michigan, grew up in the inner city and chose basketball as an outlet to stay out of trouble. Flint, similar to Detroit, was once a thriving city in the Midwest. However once the auto plants, such as General Motors, shut down, those jobs left and the crime increased forcing Kuzma and his family to find stability.
"Not having a lot of money, my family and I moved around Flint nine times in 16 years," said Kuzma. "I recall one year, my mom was laid off and we had to move into my grandmothers basement until she could get back on her feet. Moving around so much caused me to go to three different high schools so I didn't have that firm stability."
As a kid, Kuzma remember the days when his mother had to work two jobs to make ends meet and would pick him up from school and dropped him off at the local YMCA gym where he would stay there until she got off work later that evening around 8 or 9pm. He mentions that he believes he get his work ethic from his mother, watching her struggle and maintain two jobs and do all she can to provide for the family.
Kuzma had a gift of playing basketball, but not having a stable foundation caused him to be under-recruited in Michigan. At the time he didn't play AAU and the offers weren't of his liking. Being the hard worker he is, he decided it was time for him to make an impact in the world of basketball so he could get his name out there.
Kuzma got into AAU basketball playing for "Dorians Pride" and immediately started receiving offers. That summer of his junior year, Kuzma decided to step out of his comfort zone and leave his hometown of Flint and go to a prep school in Philadelphia to increase his visibility. This move forced Kuzma to face more adversity.
"Prep school is a different game vs public school basketball. There were coaches at all of the games and you play a lot of Division 1 players from game to game, so it was a difficult adjustment for me because I wasn't the strongest." said Kuzma.
The next AAU season that came and he was able to "Blow up in the AAU circuit.” This led to him being invited to the Reebok All American Camp. This stage brought Kuzma, virtually an unknown basketball player at the time, to the national stage. At the end of the first day, Kuzma was ranked number one in his position and that placed him ahead of Top 50 and Top 100 players.
Kuzma described that moment as "special." From that moment on is when big name schools such as U-Conn and Michigan State started making offers, however Kuzma was loyal to Utah.
"Utah was there from the beginning. They saw when I played against a kid that signed with them and told me they loved the way I played and would keep an eye on me," recollects Kuzma. "So when offers were being made, I chose to stick with Utah because they noticed me when no-one else did."
Kuzma also liked the fact that when he talked to Utah, it felt like they cared about him, as a person and how to improve his life, on and off the court.
"When I would talk to Coach K (Krystkowiak) and Coach Slocum, it wasn't always about basketball. It was about life and what I was doing from day to day and about family." said Kuzma.
Fast forwarding to now, Kuzma sits down in Salt Lake City looking at the skyline with the mountains behind it, reflecting on life, thinking about how far he's come, and focusing on the summer.
This summer Kuzma will continue to work on his game and prepare for next season where he's expected to make a huge impact on the Pac 12.
"Red-shirting gives you more hunger. It's like a year away from basketball makes you love the game a way you never did before. Now the fun begins," tweeted Kuzma. Utes fans have a lot to look forward to this offseason as their team is possibly the "second best team in the Pac-12" according to the former Utes beat writer Tony Jones.
Stay tuned this summer as we continue to follow Kuzma as he trains out in Salt Lake City.