Kyle Hines

High school career

Hines attended ninth grade at Camden Catholic High School, where he scraped his way onto the freshman team and transferred to Timber Creek Regional High School to play for the Chargers as a sophomore, playing on its basketball team from 2001 to 2004. Timber Creek first opened its doors after Hines' freshman year ended, but after his relocation to the new school he became a three-year varsity starter under coach Gary Saunders. After averaging 15.3 points per game his sophomore season, Kyle burst onto the scene during his junior campaign. He was voted a First Team All-South Jersey player after averaging 20.6 points, named MVP of the Philly USA All-Star Classic, and received a Top-20 All-Star status at Five Star Camp.

Hines repeated as a First Team All-South Jersey selection his senior year, and additionally garnered a Second Team All-State. He averaged 23.5 ppg and eventually became his high school’s all-time leading scorer, finishing his career with 1,562 points (his brother Tyler, coincidentally, is also a 1,000-point scorer at Timber Creek).

Other accolades received during his senior season include: NJ Hoops First-Team All-Camden County, NJ Hoops Awards Rebounder Team, Best Post Player Team, Second-Team Top Dunkers), Best Rebounder and Top 20 All-Star at the summer Five Star Camp, and also rated one of the Top 15 seniors in the Delaware Valley.

College career

Despite a highly successful high school basketball career, Hines did not get many college scholarship offers, however the University of North Carolina Greensboro Spartans coach Fran McCaffery recruited the undersized Hines.

Freshman season

Kyle Hines started all 30 games and posted 13.6 ppg, a team-leading 8.6 rpg, and shot a Southern Conference-leading 62.1% from the field (which also ranked seventh nationally). The first two games of Hines’ collegiate career were double-doubles, a precedent never done before at UNCG. Blocking shots became his specialty, as evidenced by the school record 106 rejections he amassed. This was also good for a 3.5 bpg average (ranking fourth nationally). In a game against Georgia Southern on February 8, 2005, he set a Fleming Gymnasium record when he grabbed 18 rebounds. Hines was selected the Southern Conference’s Player of the Month for January as well as the SoCon Freshman of the Year. At the season's conclusion, he was selected to the All-Conference Team (a remarkable feat for a freshman).

By the end of his first season, Hines had established several school records. His 259 rebounds and 175 field goals set new UNCG freshman records. The rebound total shattered the previous high of 152 and just 25 shy of the all-time record, and his field goal total was good for third all-time. He scored 408 points, which fell five short of the freshman record set by Jay Joseph.

Sophomore season

The 2005–06 season began with a "new" coach at the helm, Mike Dement (it was his second tenure with UNCG after having previously coached the Spartans from 1991–1995). Former coach McCaffery left to run the Siena men's basketball program. Despite the coaching change, Kyle continued to excel.

Starting 30 of UNCG’s 31 games (did not play the season-opener against UW-Green Bay), Hines led the team in scoring (19.3 ppg / 578 total), rebounding (8.2 rpg – also led conference / 247 total) and blocks (2.8 bpg / 84 total). His scoring average and point total were the most in the Spartans’ Division I-era history, and most ever by a sophomore. Kyle dropped in 239 field goals, also a school D-I record. Showing his versatility, he ranked in the SoCon’s Top 10 in steals (51; seventh) and minutes per game (34.0; fifth).

Hines recorded a school record 12 double-doubles during the ’05-’06 campaign. His most impressive single-game performance came on December 31 against the #1 team in the nation, Duke, when he scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in the loss. Kyle drew praise from legendary Duke Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski for his performance who praised the player for good games.

On December 3, Kyle set a school sophomore record when he pulled down 21 boards against the College of Charleston. For his excellent individual season, Hines was named to the USBWA All-District Team and All-Southern Conference First Team.

Junior season

After finishing as runner-up as the Southern Conference Player of the Year for his first two seasons, Hines finally won the award during his junior year campaign. Additionally, he became the first player in UNCG history to receive it.

In 2006–07, Kyle was only one of five players in all of men’s college basketball to average 20+ points and 9+ boards per game. On November 11, 2006, he set a career-high of 38 points against Marshall University in an 80-82 overtime loss. His 605 total points set a new UNCG junior season record (second all-time). Another solid performance came against Duke University four days later. Despite constant double-teaming by 6’10” Josh McRoberts and 7’1” Brian Zoubek, Hines managed to score 17 points and snatch 8 rebounds, both team-highs.

At the conclusion of the season, Kyle had recorded at least one blocked shot in 83 of 89 career games. His school record streak of 37 consecutive games with a block, started on February 19, 2005, was snapped during an early season game against Penn State on November 13, 2006.

Senior season

In his senior college season, he averaged 19.2 points and career-high 9.1 rebounds per game.

Veroli Basket

After being undrafted in the 2008 NBA draft, Hines signed with Veroli Basket in Italy, where he played two seasons in the Italian national second-tier level LegaDue Basket division. With Veroli, he won 2 Italian Second Division Cups, in 2009 and 2010, and he was named the MVP of the Italian Second Division Cup in 2009.

Brose Baskets

In August 2010, he signed a one-year contract with the German League pro club Brose Baskets. With Brose, he won the German Supercup and German Cup titles, and the German League championship, and he was named the German League Finals MVP in 2011. He was also named the MVP of the German League All-Star Game that same season.

Olympiacos

In July 2011, he signed with Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League. With Olympiacos, he won the EuroLeague championships in 2012 and 2013, and the Greek League championship in 2012. He contributed substantially to his team in all leagues, with both scoring and defensive skills. He made notable appearances at the top level of the European game, considering his rather low height for a center-forward. On June 24, 2013, Hines opted out of his contract with Olympiacos.

CSKA Moscow

On June 28, 2013, Hines signed two-year deal with the Russian powerhouse CSKA Moskow.

In the 2014–15 season, CSKA Moscow managed to advance to the EuroLeague Final Four for the fourth straight season, after eliminating Panathinaikos for the second straight season in the quarter-final series with a 3–1 series win. However, in the semifinal game, despite being dubbed by the media as an absolute favorite to advance, CSKA once again lost to Olympiacos. The final score was 70–68, after a great Olympiacos comeback in 4th quarter, led by Vassilis Spanoulis. CSKA Moscow eventually won the EuroLeague third place game, after defeating Fenerbahçe, by a score of 86–80. In his second EuroLeague season with CSKA Moscow, Hines averaged a career-low 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, over 30 games played. CSKA Moscow finished the season by winning the VTB United League, after eliminating Khimki with a 3–0 series sweep in the League's finals series.

On June 17, 2015, he signed a two-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow. On June 16, 2017, he signed a new two-year contract with CSKA Moscow.

Career statistics

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

College career highs

38 points at Marshall University (ot), on 11/11/06

21 rebounds vs. College of Charleston, on 12/3/05

6 assists vs. Montreat College, on 1/11/06

5 steals, in six games

7 blocks, in four games

43 minutes vs. E. Tennessee St. (ot), 1/18/05

Personal life

Born in Sicklerville, New Jersey to Deidre Ledgister and Reggie Hines, Kyle spent his childhood growing up in South Jersey outside of Philadelphia. Hines’ father, Reggie, was a part of several different NFL training camps. He also has two younger siblings, one brother and one sister. His brother, Tyler, is also a professional basketball player. Kyle and his wife, Gianna Smith, married in July 2015.

Professional career

2x Italian Cup Second Division Winner: (2009, 2010)

Italian Cup Second Division MVP: (2009)

German Supercup Winner: (2010)

German League All-Star Game MVP: (2011)

German Cup Winner: (2011)

German League Champion: (2011)

German League Finals MVP: (2011)

3x EuroLeague Champion: (2012, 2013, 2016)

Greek League Champion: (2012)

4x VTB League Champion: (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

Collegiate career

Kyle Hines graduated as the most decorated basketball player, men's or women's, in school history. He is statistically one of the greatest players in Southern Conference history and are good enough to be included in an exclusive short list in NCAA annals. Below are the awards garnered and records established by Hines during his career as a Spartan. (Compiled from the following sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7])

Awards

Southern Conference Rookie of the Year (2005)

Southern Conference Player of the Week (twice):

-January 23, 2007-February 25, 2008

Southern Conference Player of the Month (four times):

-January 2005-January 2006-December 2006-January 2007

Named Dick Vitale’s "Diaper Dandy of the Week" at one point during freshman season (2005)

USBWA All-District Selection three consecutive times (2006-2008)

One of only four Southern Conference players ever to garner 4 All-Conference selections

Southern Conference Player of the Year (2007)

-Other three seasons he finished runner-up as POY-First UNCG player to ever win this award

First UNCG player to be named an All-American (2007)

Named to three Mid-Major All-American squads (2007):

-CNN-SI-CollegeInsider.com-CollegeHoops.net

Featured in October issue of Basketball Times Magazine as one of five "Under the Radar" players nationally (2007)

According to Midmajority.com, he ranked 10th in the nation (out of 1,837 qualifying players) in player efficiency (an NBA stat similar to that of a quarterback passer rating in football, taking into account all of a player’s positive stats versus missed shots and turnovers) (2007)

First UNCG player to have his/her jersey number retired while still active (#42) (2008)

Records

First UNCG player to start career with back to back double-doubles (2005)

Tied UNCG single game blocked shots (7) (four times)

UNCG single game rebounds (21) (2005)

Fleming Gymnasium rebounds record (18) (2005)

UNCG freshman season rebounds (259) (2005)

UNCG freshman field goals made (175) (2005)

UNCG sophomore single season points (578) (2006)

UNCG junior single season points (605) (2007)

UNCG senior single season points (596) (2008)

UNCG single season double-doubles (12) (2006)

UNCG single season 30+ point games (5) (2007)

UNCG single season free throw makes

UNCG single season free throw attempts (Div-I era) (230) (2007)

First player in school history to record back to back 500-point seasons (2006-2007)

-First player to then achieve it three straight times (2006-2008)

First UNCG duo (along with Ricky Hickman) to both score 500 points in a single season (2007)

First player in school history to record three straight 400-point seasons (2005-2007)

-First player to then achieve it four straight times (2005-2008)

UNCG consecutive games with at least one block (37) (2005-2006)

UNCG all-time leading scorer (2,187)

UNCG all-time leading rebounder (1,047)

Only UNCG player to join the 2000/1000 club

NCAA – one of only six players to ever record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocks in a career:

1. Alonzo Mourning2. David Robinson3. Tim Duncan4. Pervis Ellison5. Derrick Coleman6. Kyle Hines

Southern Conference all-time leading shot blocker (349)

Southern Conference single season blocked shots (106) (2005)

Southern Conference leader in blocks for four consecutive seasons (2005-2008)

Southern Conference consecutive double-digit scoring games (81) (2005-2008)

-It was the longest such streak in the nation at his career’s end