Singler at the top of his game

Coming off a highly impressive performance at the NIKE Skills Academy from all accounts, Kyle Singler did not slow down a bit during the USA U18 National Team Trials.

Singler, 6-foot-8, 210-pounds out of South Medford (Ore.) High School, displayed the versatility and talent of a future NBA wing guard or point forward. Over the past week, he has garnered the respect and admiration of both the NIKE brass and his peers.

"Look at how he looked off that bounce pass before he let it go," uttered George Raveling, Director of Global Marketing for NIKE, during the USA trials. "He is so smart on the court. He does everything the right way. You're looking at a first round pick."

When Jerryd Bayless was asked who was the most impressive player at the NIKE Skills Academy, he was quick with an answer.

"Kyle Singler," Bayless answered. "I didn't realize how good he was till I played with him there. He can do so many things at 6-foot-8. He is so smart with his game. He knows how to do all the little things like using screens, and he can really shoot the ball."

Singler attributes his recent strong play to the high level of competition that has surrounded him on the court.

"Being around good competition makes the difference," said Singler. "It raises my energy level, and it is just good to be around great players."

With gifted players around him, Singler serves as a catalyst with his cerebral, skilled style of play, making his teammates and himself better.

Out of the 23 players competing at the trials, Singler finished third in scoring, second in blocks, fifth in steals, ninth in assists and tenth in rebounding.

He also shot an impressive 50 percent from the field and was the top percentage three-point shooter at 50 percent from behind the arc.

To put the efficiency of his shooting in perspective, Singler hit 5 of 10 three-point attempts while Taylor King made three more shots for 8 makes but attempted a total of 27 shots from three.

With a steady school list of Arizona, Duke, Kansas, UCLA and Washington, Singler is in no rush to make a decision.

"I want to take official visits to Arizona and Kansas for sure," he said. "A visit to Washington is also a possibility."

With all this time being spent on the hardwood and with his desire to take official visits in the fall, Singler, a talented quarterback, might forego his senior season of football.

"I'm missing so much football training this summer with my focus being on basketball, it just doesn't seem fair to the team for me to just show up and play," he said. "Also, I'll miss football in the fall when I take those visits."

Kyle Singler scouting report:

Already a legitimate small forward, Singler can make all the plays. He is active around the basket, can lead the fastbreak, can shoot the three ball and can even run the point guard position in a pinch. With a great feel for the game, he only needs to gain strength and continue his natural progression to maintain his status as an elite prospect.