Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Preview: #33 Kyle Wiltjer

Name: Kyle Wiltjer A.K.A “The Water Fountain”

6-9/239

Portland, Oregon

High School: Jesuit High School

Before being a Cat:

Kyle Wiltjer emerged on the scene as a senior at Jesuit High School where with his unique skill set he led the team with 19.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. That would lead him to become a McDonalds All American. As a Burger Boy Wiltjer took player in the three point shoot out where his smooth stroke earned him the win, and the three point challenge champion. He was ranked 18th overall by the ESPN U top 100, and was a 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year in Oregon. He is the son of a former professional basketball player, Greg Wiltjer who played on the Canadian National team for the 1984 summer Olympics.

From Scout.Com:

“Wiltjer is a talented post prospect headed to Kentucky. He has legitimate touch from the perimeter and range that extends past the three-point stripe. Wiltjer has a variety of moves and can score inside. He won’t overwhelm you with his speed or athleticism, but he’s a smart player that plays to his strength and has an impressive all around game, especially on the offensive end.”

What to Expect:

Wiltjer isn’t going to surprise anyone with his quickness, nor how strong he is. He isn’t going to catch you off guard by beating you down the floor or running you to death on the court. He isn’t going to over power the guy guarding him and dunk it. He’s just not that kind of power forward, but what he is, his a very smart and very versatile player. The type of player that I can compare Wiltjer too is the guy when you go to the YMCA to play, and he doesn’t look that impressive warming up, sure he’s knocking down a few shots but he’s your typical hitting a couple of mid range shots, then you get in the game and his team never sits down because he absolutely dominates. Let’s be honest, Wiltjer doesn’t have the best talent, nor is he the most athletic, but he’s going to make up for it with making the most of his skill set, and utilizing it to the point where he is almost unguardable. You can’t leave the guy open on the perimeter or it’s knockdown, we’ve seen that and if he can start knocking down that hook shot with perfect, no post in the nation can guard him, that’s for sure.

You can expect Wiltjer to be on the floor a lot, and you can tell by him choosing Kentucky by never stepping on campus that the guy loves competitiveness, so not only is he going to bring it when he steps onto the floor in the blue and white, but when he comes to practice he’s going to bring it. We are talking about a guy who would have started for any top 25 team he went too barring probably North Carolina. Wiltjer is a special, special player and expect him to be that 7th starter that Doron Lamb was last year, he’s going to see the floor a lot, and he’s going to have to play for the Wildcats to be successful. Expect him to be a fan favorite by the years end.

Calipari on Wiltjer:

“Kyle may be one of the best shooters we’ve had come through here. He’s a highly skilled, versatile big man who can play inside and shoot from the perimeter. If you leave him open, he’s going to hit the shot. WHat really strikes me about Kyle is his work ethic and desire to get better. Kyle has embraced the challenge and wants to play against the best players in the country to get better and compete for a national title.”

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