Hillcrest Prep coach Nick Weaver says Somto Cyril is way more physical than former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick DeAndre Ayton. (Instagram Photo)
If Hillcrest Prep coach Nick Weaver is right, Kentucky’s 2023-24 roster could be adding a “huge” player if Overtime Elite four-star center Somto Cyril completes his reclassification to the 2023 recruiting class and picks UK.
The 6-10, 240-pound Cyril is a top 40 player and No. 4 center in the 2024 recruiting class. The Nigeria native is a four-star prospect who recently made a visit to Kentucky after taking an unofficial to UK in October of 2021. He’s also taken official visits to Cincinnati, Indiana and Providence.
He averaged 8.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 1.5 dunks, 1.7 turnovers and 20.3 minutes per game in 15 games for Cold Hearts in Overtime Elite play and shot 66 percent from the field. He was nicknamed “Baby Shaq” because of his physical presence.
Weaver worked with Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, at Hillcrest Prep. He coached recent UK signee Jordan Burks this season and coached against Cyril.
“I will tell you right now in all my years of doing high school basketball, coaching players who played in the pros and I had Deandre Ayton, I have never seen anything like him,” Weaver said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “I have never seen a high school player or Overtime Elite player dominate a game physically like him. He’s the most physical presence I have ever seen at the high school level.”
Weaver said he was “impossible” to guard and was an intense competitor.
“I have never seen anything like him. He is so physically gifted. He moves so well, can score and has a great touch,” Weaver said. “It kills me to say he’s more physical than Deandre but I really have never seen anything like him.
“Deandre has a little finesse to him. Somto just physically punishes you in the paint. He got us in foul trouble every game. He bent one of the rims in our gym. He’s just so physically gifted and plays so hard. I have never seen anyone that big move like he does and play as hard as he does.
“If Kentucky gets Somto, that will be something.”
2 Responses
I hope we get him and then we will be stacked rickyburkhart63@gmail.com
If Somto-Cyril is as good as advertised, and if UK signs him, he’ll more than likely be gone in a year under NBA Cal. However, not many players of late, are getting drafted into the pros from UK in 2023 it seems. I am more concerned about all the players and coaches leaving the UK program now in this fading Calipari era, getting as far away from Calipari as possible it would seem. What this Kentucky basketball program needs now is new leadership, a new facelift that puts winning, and winning championships, the most important things. By the way, the main focus of Kentucky basketball for many decades, and not making "boy millionaires" after a short stay at UK on their way to the pros the main focus of a once proud program.