Kyle Young is moving on from basketball.
After playing for Ohio State for the last five years, Young has decided not to pursue a professional basketball career, instead announcing his retirement from the sport on Thursday.
The game of basketball has brought so much joy in my life and Im forever thankful for what it has done for me.
— Kyle Young (@kyle_young25) May 12, 2022
Ive decided the time has come to hang em up and start something new. Excited for a new chapter in my life pic.twitter.com/A2bFbpl8k8
“It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that I won’t be playing basketball anymore, but I can find some peace in knowing that I was able to leave everything I had out there and give everything 110% to Ohio State and all of Buckeye Nation,” Young said in a video accompanying his announcement. “The game of basketball holds a very special place in my heart. I will forever be grateful for the places it has brought me, the people I’ve been able to meet and the opportunities I’ve been given because of it. It will forever be a part of me and who I am.”
In five seasons with the Buckeyes (2017-22), Young was known for being a glue guy for Ohio State, bringing consistent effort on both ends of the floor. While he averaged only 6.5 points per game for his career and never more than 8.6 points per game in a season, he provided crucial contributions as a defender and rebounder while taking on a variety of roles in the Buckeyes’ frontcourt, sometimes as a starter and sometimes coming off the bench.
Young battled injuries throughout his Ohio State career, however, including three concussions over his final two seasons as a Buckeye.
While he’ll no longer be playing basketball, Young should have plenty of opportunities in front of him off the court as he leaves Ohio State with two college degrees. He earned his master’s degree in kinesiology at last weekend’s spring commencement after previously earning a bachelor’s degree in sport industry in 2020.
Young is one of eight members of last year’s Ohio State men’s basketball team who are no longer playing college basketball along with Malaki Branham, E.J. Liddell, Jamari Wheeler, Cedric Russell, Joey Brunk, Jimmy Sotos and Harrison Hookfin. Branham and Liddell are both projected as potential first-round picks in this year’s NBA draft while Wheeler, Russell and Sotos have also said they intend to pursue professional basketball careers.
