College Commitment – Kyle Counts (2024 Wilsonville)
Even when he wasn’t completely healthy,
Kyle Counts
Kyle
Counts
6'7" | PF
Wilsonville | 2024
State
OR
was a handful this spring and summer. The versatile 6-foot-7 forward from Wilsonville proved himself to be a handful while playing on the AAU circuit and college coaches were impressed with what he produced on the basketball floor. Scholarship offers started to roll in and Counts started to go through his options. He made an official visit to St. Thomas and it wasn’t long afterward that he decided he wanted to be a Tommie.
“The coaches were one of the main reasons,” Countsa said. “They were different from other coaches I’ve talked and every single one of them had unique value they brought to the table. I also liked their story, I had a chance to be part of something special and play on a great team for a great coach and I couldn’t pass that up.”
Counts recently made his visit to St. Thomas – a school that is essentially brand new at the Division I level, competing in the Summit League. During his visit the program made an offer and Counts liked the fit on the basketball floor. “I’ve seen a lot of their film and think I would really fit in,” Counts said. “They play a fast pace. The coaches like the way I pass and shoot the ball and think I would help them offensively.”
Off the floor, Counts liked the fit as well. The fact he will have a support system in the Minneapolis metro area certainly played into his decision as well. “I have family who lives in St. Paul – shoutout to the Minnesota Counts’s – and that was a big bonus,” Counts said. “Especially since I’m moving my far away from family.”
In the end, all the plusses added up and Counts chose St. Thomas over North Dakota, OIT, and a number of other suitors. With his decision made, Counts is now focused on getting fully healthy and seeing if he and the Wildcats can three-peat as 5A state champions.
“We’ve got to be better then last year in the sense that we need to be more consistent,” Counts said. “We have a great group of guys and I like this team a lot I think if we buy into what Coach Roche says we can be special.”
Counts currently ranks as the #12 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2024 rankings, which will be updated at the start of September. Our congratulations go out to Counts and his family on his decision.