It is a shame that only one (1) Division 1 school has offered Kylia Sykes. At this point in the 6’5” wing’s season, he should be setting up official visits as opposed to playing for scholarships.
Being that he is from North Carolina, we are familiar with Sykes. He is an elite defender who is able to change the entire complexion of the game on that side of the ball. Offensively, Sykes is a downhill wing who is a great run and jump athlete. Throughout the course of a game he is able to get 6-8 points just off hustle plays (steal, boards, etc…) alone.
Sykes has been coming to Phenom Hoops’ events for years. After the 2013 Spring NC Phenom 150 camp we wrote, “There may not be a more active player in the NC 2016 class than Kylia Sykes. Kylia is a high octane/high energy player than is getting a regional reputation as one of the hardest working players. He has excellent length and bounce and is a quick leaper. While he has a solid offensive game, it is on the defensive side of the court that deserves special recognition. Kylia is a major contributor defensively, but we were impressed with his ability to talk and communicate on defense. Every coach at every level loves to hear a young player talk, especially on the defensive end of the court. Also a big time football wide receiver, Kylia will need to fine tune a mid-range game and help perfect his perimeter skills to take the next big step.”
As you can see above, Sykes is a big time athlete. He also carries D1 interest as a football wide receiver. However, many schools that see Sykes feel that he is a football players. His high school coach, Sean McAloon reiterated to us at the Beach Ball Classic that Sykes also does not carry a football offer and that he (McAloon) thinks his (Sykes) “heart is with basketball”.
After his performance in the prestigious 2014 North Carolina Top 80 we wrote, “Kylia has always played with a high motor and his performance at the NC Top 80 was no exception. He plays with passion and a full throttle approach, which is fun to watch. Coach Brian Field stated, “Kylia really got better as the day progressed. He is a high flyer and shot it really well. He has little to no problem getting to the rim.” Kylia has a great attitude and work ethic and what he lacks in skillset is more than made up in his work ethic and hard play. Simply put, he gives you 100% all the time!”
Sykes is a big time athlete. He is a Division 1 basketball player, and one that low to mid school should be looking in on.