At 7-4 this season, the Syracuse University men's basketball team has experienced its fair share of frustration.

The team has seen its two most important scorers, JJ Starling and Donnie Freeman, miss multiple games each, with Freeman missing the last seven games with a right foot injury. The Orange also lost a crushing overtime game against Houston in the Players Era Championship and got blown out by Iowa State in the same event.

While the Orange beat No. 13 Tennessee, they also suffered a home loss against mid-major Hofstra, losing to the Pride for the first time ever.

There have been frustrations about injuries, free throw-shooting and coaching, but one thing there has been no complaints about? The play of William Kyle III, which has been a godsend for this team.

About Kyle

A senior from Nebraska, Kyle came to Syracuse via the transfer portal. He spent his first two seasons at South Dakota St., averaging 8.9 ppg as a freshman and 13.1 as a sophomore. He transferred to UCLA for his junior year, where he had a hard time cracking Mick Cronin's rotation. He averaged just 9.6 minutes per game, scoring 2.9 ppg. 

This season in Central New York? He's averaging 10.8 ppg and 8.2 rebounds. He's held down the interior for the Orange, especially in the wake of Freeman's injury.

His hustle and motor never seem to stop. Head coach Adrian Autry always preaches the need to play at a "level-five energy," and Kyle is the poster child for that.

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Near the top of the charts

Kyle has 35 blocks in 11 games this season and is averaging 3.2 blocks per contest. That puts him near the head of the leaderboard nationally. He's second in the country in blocks per game and third in total blocks. Simply put, he's one of the most impactful defenders in the nation - and he's a double-figure scorer.

Also on campus

--The Syracuse men will be back in action on Saturday afternoon (4:00 p.m. ET) against Northeastern at the JMA Wireless Dome. Follow our own Tom Goslowski @TomGozz on social media for updates, and remember to interact in our community.

--The Syracuse women are currently 10-1 and they are hosting Mercyhurst on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET. The Orange also got great news on Thursday, as the nation's top prospect for the class of 2027, Kaleena Smith, will visit the Orange in February.

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