'Baby Shaq': Here's what UK basketball is getting in 2024 recruit Somto Cyril

DAYTON, Ohio — In his decades playing and working in basketball, Damien Wilkins said a common theme he comes across is that of the shy young player. Finding their way, and their voice, on the court comes with time.

Somto Cyril doesn't have that problem.

And he only began playing five years ago.

"I think that's what is the most impressive thing about him: He's picked up things so quickly," said Wilkins, the general manager and head of basketball at Overtime Elite, where Cyril plays. "Just his retention. He already has a lot of leadership qualities for someone who hasn't been playing for a long time."

A 6-foot-10, 246-pound center, Cyril committed to Kentucky last month, becoming the first member of the Wildcats' 2024 recruiting class. Last week Cyril and other Overtime Elite members competed in The Basketball Tournament's Dayton Regional. Overtime Elite went one-and-done, losing 80-68 to Carmens Crew at the University of Dayton Arena. Cyril became the first-ever amateur player to participate in TBT.

Facing older, physical players from Carmens Crew — a group of former Ohio State players coached by Buckeye great Jared Sullinger — Cyril struggled at times. He started and played nine minutes in the first half but ended up with three fouls and no points. Cyril bounced back in the final two quarters, making both field goals he attempted — a dunk and a shot inside the paint on which he was fouled — and grabbing a pair of rebounds. He also had two blocks during the defeat.

While Overtime Elite lost and Cyril's final statistical line (four points, two rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes) wasn't dazzling, that wasn't the point.

"The biggest thing is to get the experience, understanding this is a hostile crowd," head coach Corey Frazier said. "You're not going to get any calls and just try to play through the emotional side. And when I reminded him of it, he was like, 'You're right, you're right.' So now you have to flip the switch and think about other things. (Like), 'OK, let me impact the game another way.' Don't worry about the refs. Focus on blocking shots. Maybe get a dunk. Maybe get a rebound. … So the experience, to me, is more important than winning for him."

And to prepare him for what lies ahead.

Early look at 2023-24 Wildcats: 3 Kentucky basketball newcomers already showing promise

C.L Brown: Going from newcomers to winners shouldn’t take long for Jeff Walz, John Calipari's teams

Cyril: Kentucky 'the best situation for me'

Cyril grew up in Nigeria. Soccer and volleyball were his first loves. But in 2018, he picked up basketball.

He hasn't put it down.

Even before Cyril started playing the game, though, he remembered seeing NBA superstar LeBron James on television and watching Anthony Davis lead Kentucky to a national championship. So after Cyril moved to the United States three years ago and developed into one of the nation's most sought-after prospects — per the 247Sports composite, the four-star big man is the No. 47 overall player in the 2024 class — it wasn't a difficult decision to commit to the Wildcats once John Calipari came calling.

"I just feel like that's the best situation for me to be in," Cyril said.

Cyril was a defensive menace last season at Overtime Elite. He won OTE's Defensive Player of the Year award after leading the league in blocks per game (3.4) and total blocks (47, 14 more than the next-closest player).

"He's quick, and his timing is perfect," Frazier said. "He probably jumps high enough to where he can catch the ball versus blocking it."

Cyril said he views himself as "a defensive anchor" and believes it will be his primary role as a Wildcat. (The UK coaching staff has told him as much, he said.) But he doesn't want to be a one-trick pony, where his teammates — and opponents — only know him for his defense.

It's not that he's inefficient offensively. After all, he ranked first at Overtime Elite in field-goal percentage at 66.2% (45 for 68) last season. The only problem: nearly half of his made field goals (21) were dunks.

"I think the best thing he can do for himself between now and the time he leaves OTE is develop one offensive move — one post-up move," Wilkins said. "And he's been working on that."

Small-ball Cats? UK basketball should keep lineups small to win big — even when its 7-footers return

'He's become the hunted'

"Baby Shaq."

The nickname has followed Cyril for years. The comparison is easy, given Cyril's personality, size and immense physical gifts that call to mind a young Shaquille O'Neal, when the future Hall of Famer was terrorizing the SEC at LSU and then the NBA with the Orlando Magic. Back then, O'Neal shattered backboards with regularity.

Cyril knows the feeling.

He did the same during a practice at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy — the Chattanoga, Tennessee-based school where Cyril played before joining OTE — in September 2021.

With the "Baby Shaq" moniker comes expectations. Perhaps outsized expectations. Not that Cyril has given it much thought.

"I don't feel like it's any pressure for me, because I just go out there and do what I do," he said. "I don't really care about the (nick)name. I just go out there and try to win games. That's what I'm focused on."

That humility brought a smile to Wilkins' face.

"He's not a selfish guy," Wilkins said. "He wants to play well. He wants what's best for his teammates. For a guy who is starting to get the attention now, he's embracing that. But I think he's actually dealing with it better than most people would this soon.

"He understands there's still a lot of work to do. … He knows he's one of the best prospects we have this year in our league and it's not good enough to just sit back and rest on the laurels, right? You've still got to get better."

One way Cyril can improve, Wilkins said, is excelling despite the target now residing squarely on his back. It's a topic Wilkins said he's discussed with Cyril "ad nauseum" in recent months.

"He's become the hunted. … He understands the responsibility that he has now," Wilkins said. "Having that Kentucky commit, there are guys who look at that and they're like, 'I wanted that spot.' So they're gonna be coming after him, for sure, trying to prove themselves. He's going to have to do a good job of maintaining his composure throughout the game and playing the game the right way."

Adjusting to new realities: How changing college basketball landscape has altered John Calipari's Kentucky rosters

In terms of Cyril's long-term potential, Wilkins said, "the sky's the limit."

"The kid is so raw right now," Wilkins said. "With time, with work, with diligence, with effort, with the right people around him? He'll be a force."

Cyril's biggest obstacle has nothing to do with the game itself, Frazier said. He doesn't want Cyril to buy into the hype.

"I think it's more about, 'being the best version of myself,'" Frazier said. "And that's what we remind him to do: try to be the best version of who you're going to be when you get to college. If you try to be somebody else, you lose yourself."

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: 2024 commit Somto Cyril developing game