Syracuse basketball alums William Kyle III and JJ Starling got some dissappointing news on Friday, as neither player was on the list of players invited to the NBA Combine.

Kyle and Starling were both longshots for the NBA Draft, but the fact that they aren't even going to be at the combine means that they'll have an ever tougher time securing a chance in the NBA next season.

If they are not drafted, they can still sign undrafted free agent deals and be invited to NBA Summer League competition, but the combine is a nice way to get your game in front of scouts and executives for those opportunities.

The full list of invited players is below.

Kyle has done some workouts for NBA teams at least, and we saw him in the gym with the New York Knicks in April.

Kyle finished his college career at Syracuse after spending his first two seasons at South Dakota State and his junior year at UCLA. 

In his career, he played in 131 games. He started all 32 games for SU in 2025-26 as the Orange went 15-17, missing the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season.

An excellent rim protector and rebounder, Kyle averaged 8.4 ppg to go along with 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. He shot 66.1 percent from the floor. An excellent finisher at the rim, he also competed in the college version of the slam dunk contest.

For starters, he's a high-motor player. He plays extremely hard and there's something to be said for that at the next level. His motor and rebounding abilities are both things that will translate to the NBA, as will his defensive intensity and IQ.

For starters, Kyle is 6'9. While he played the center position at Syracuse, 6'9 is the size of a small forward in the NBA.

Is Kyle quick enough to defend perimeter players? Or is a team confident to put him on post players, knowing that he'll be undersized in that role?

Second off, 6'9 is likely a wing player on offense. Kyle didn't attempt even a single three-pointer in his career, meaning that he won't fit a traditional wing role on that front, either. He also only shot 54.4 percent from the foul line in his college career, so that's an issue as well.

A Syracuse native, Starling spent one year at Notre Dame and three with the Orange. He played in 116 career games, starting 112. He averaged 13.2 ppg for his career, but this past season's 10.9 was actually the worst of his four years.

He averaged 17.8 ppg as a junior while shooting 40.7 percent from the floor. If a team can find a way to get him more consistent from the outside, and from the free-throw line, he could end up with a look at the NBA level.

At 6'4, he has more of an NBA position than Kyle does, which will work in his favor also.

If neither player can secure an NBA chance, there's always a shot they could head to Europe, which is a very viable option for many players.

Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!