Kylor Kelley

Kylor Kelley (born August 26, 1997) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Oregon State Beavers.

Kylor Kelley
Kelley with Oregon State in February 2020
Personal information
Born (1997-08-26) August 26, 1997
Logan, Utah
NationalityAmerican
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolGervais
(Gervais, Oregon)
College
NBA draft2020 / Undrafted
Playing career2020–present
PositionPower forward / Center
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2019, 2020)
  • NWAC All-Defensive Team (2018)

Early life and high school career

Kelley grew up playing basketball under the coaching of his mother, a former high school player.[1] At age six or seven, he moved with his mother and brother from Utah to Oregon, after his parents split.[2] Kelley played three years of varsity basketball for Gervais High School in Gervais, Oregon.[3] While attending Gervais, he grew from 6'1 to 7'0 but did not weigh more than 185 pounds.[4] As a senior, Kelley averaged 15.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 7.8 blocks and 2.4 assists per game and was named PacWest Player of the Year. He set the school's career, single-season and single-game records for blocks.[5] Kelley did not qualify to play for most four-year colleges. As a result, he had no NCAA Division I offers out of high school.[4]

College career

Kelley began playing college basketball for Northwest Christian University. As a freshman, Kelley averaged 8.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game and set a school single-game record with 10 blocks against Southern Oregon.[6] After 10 games, he was dismissed from Northwest Christian. Kelley transferred to Lane Community College, where he received more Division I interest as a result. In his sophomore season, he averaged 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game and was a Northwest Athletic Conference All-Defensive Team selection.[7]

At Lane CC, Kelley was recruited by multiple Pac-12 programs and chose to continue his career at Oregon State because he wanted to stay close to home.[8] On December 17, 2018, as a junior at Oregon State, Kelley tallied a school-record nine blocks, to go with 10 points and nine rebounds, in an 82–67 victory over Pepperdine.[9] By the end of the season, he ranked second in the nation, led the Pac-12 and set a school record with 3.35 blocks per game. He also averaged 7.7 points and five rebounds per game and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.[10] On December 18, 2019, as a senior, Kelley posted a season-high 23 points, six rebounds and three blocks in an 88–78 win over UTSA.[11] He became Oregon State's all-time leader in blocks in a January 30, 2020 victory over Stanford, during which he posted 10 points, seven blocks and six rebounds.[12] Kelley finished his senior season averaging 11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.45 blocks per game, earning Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors for a second time. He averaged the second-most blocks per game in the nation and led the Pac-12 in that category.[13] Despite the Pac-12 Tournament being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kelley finished with 211 blocks in two years at Oregon State.[14]

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, on December 11, 2020, Kelley was reported to had signed with the San Antonio Spurs and subsequently waived by the San Antonio Spurs.[15]

Personal life

Kelley's father, Jeff, played college basketball for Boise State. His mother, Shandel Howell, had intended to play the same sport for Utah State before its women's program was cut by the university.[4]

References
  1. Bennett, Brian (February 4, 2019). "Look, Mom, all smiles! Kylor Kelley works through severe dental issues to become Oregon State's top shot-blocker". The Athletic. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  2. Meek, Austin (December 24, 2018). "Oregon State's Kylor Kelley took a winding road to OSU record book". The Register-Guard. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  3. Sowa, Jesse (February 7, 2020). "OSU men's basketball: Kylor Kelley has left his mark as a shot-blocker". Albany Democrat-Herald. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  4. Daschel, Nick (January 23, 2019). "For Oregon State 7-footer Kylor Kelley, it's now books before blocks". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  5. Horowitz, Gary (November 3, 2018). "Gervais product Kylor Kelley hopes to make impact at OSU". Statesman Journal. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  6. "His story is a mouthful". Arizona Daily Star. January 18, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  7. Santora, Mario (January 29, 2020). "OSU basketball player Kylor Kelley credits LCC for his success on and off court". KVAL-TV. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  8. Akins, Brady (March 2, 2020). "Oregon State's record-breaking underdog". Orange Media Network. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  9. Daschel, Nick (December 17, 2018). "Kylor Kelley's record-setting night helps Oregon State roll Pepperdine 82-67: at a glance". The Oregonian. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  10. "Kylor Kelley shows no intention of slowing down after shattering Oregon State's blocks record". The Oregonian. High School Journalism Institute. July 20, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  11. "Ethan Thompson, Kylor Kelley score 23 apiece as Oregon State men's basketball beats UTSA". The Oregonian. Associated Press. December 18, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  12. "Kelley, Lucas Lead Beavers To Road Win Over Stanford". Oregon State University Athletics. January 30, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  13. "Kylor Kelley". Oregon State University Athletics. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  14. Sanchez, Orlando (May 4, 2020). "Beavers big man Kylor Kelley poised for the next level". KGW8. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  15. Suleymanov, Mark (December 11, 2020). "Spurs Sign, Waive Kylor Kelley". hoopsrumors.com. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
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