Kyle Wiltjer

Born and raised in Portland, Wiltjer attended Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Oregon, where he led the school to three consecutive Oregon state championships.

Wiltjer played in the 2011 McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago. He also played in the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit in his hometown of Portland and in the 2011 Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte.

Wiltjer was ranked as the No. 18 recruit in the class of 2011 in the ESPNU 100, the No. 25 recruit by Rivals.com, and the No. 22 recruit by Scout.com. He chose to play basketball for the University of Kentucky Wildcats and coach John Calipari on August 28, 2010. He had also considered Kansas, California, Texas, Gonzaga, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest.

Although he was a five-star recruit according to all of the recruiting analysts, Kyle Wiltjer never started a game his freshman season at Kentucky, and did not play as many minutes as fellow freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague. He averaged only 11.3 MPG and 4.8 PPG, although his three-point percentage was an impressive 42.5%. The Kentucky Wildcats won the 2012 NCAA championship during Wiltjer's freshman year.

Wiltjer began the 2012–13 season as a starter. In his third game of the season, against Lafayette, he accumulated 23 points, two assists, and four rebounds. However, he would eventually settle into an off-the-bench role, being named the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year.

In April 2013, he had announced he would remain at Kentucky for his junior season. However, he eventually changed his mind, posting a letter on Kentucky's official athletic website on June 23 indicating that he would transfer in order to "compete the way I know I can. ... wherever that may be." A later report indicated that Wiltjer had drawn interest from three of the four Division I programs in his home state of Oregon (Oregon, Oregon State, Portland), Gonzaga, Stanford, and Texas. According to that report, "he left the door open to return to Kentucky if he can't find the right situation."{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9419383/sources-schools-interested-kyle-wiltjer-leaves-kentucky|title=Kyle Wiltjer may transfer from UK|work=ESPN.com|date=June 25, 2013|access-date=June 25, 2013}} On July 19, multiple media outlets reported that Wiltjer had chosen Gonzaga.{{cite news|first=Jeff|last=Goodman|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9492804/kyle-wiltjer-transfer-gonzaga-bulldogs-sources|title=Sources: Kyle Wiltjer to Gonzaga|work=ESPN.com|date=July 19, 2013|access-date=July 20, 2013}}{{cite news|first=Jeff|last=Borzello|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/22819560/kentucky-transfer-kyle-wiltjer-headed-to-gonzaga|title=Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer headed to Gonzaga|work=CBSSports.com|date=July 19, 2013|access-date=July 20, 2013}} The transfer became official the next day, when Gonzaga received a signed copy of a financial aid agreement. After sitting out the 2013–14 season due to NCAA transfer rules, he had two remaining seasons of eligibility.{{cite press release|url=http://www.gozags.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26400&ATCLID=208752460 |title=Kyle Wiltjer Officially Joins Gonzaga Men's Basketball Team |work=GoZags.com |publisher=Gonzaga Athletics |date=July 20, 2013 |access-date=July 23, 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143115/http://www.gozags.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26400&ATCLID=208752460 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 }}

In February 2015 he scored a career-high 45 points against Pacific.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2015/02/20/wiltjers-has-career-high-45-no-3-gonzaga-beats-pacific/23723743/|title=Wiltjer's has career-high 45, No. 2 Gonzaga beats Pacific|work=USAToday.com|date=February 20, 2015|access-date=February 20, 2015}} Wiltjer led Gonzaga to its second ever Elite Eight appearance and a school record 35–3 record. He was named a Consensus Second-Team All-American, as well as First-Team All-WCC and WCC Newcomer of the Year.{{cite web|url=http://www.wccsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030315aab.html|title=WCC Announces 2015 Men's Basketball All-Conference Team|work=WCCSports.com|date=March 3, 2015|access-date=March 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305200139/http://www.wccsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030315aab.html|archive-date=March 5, 2015|url-status=dead}} In his first season with Gonzaga he appeared in 38 games averaging 16.8 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game and 1.9 assists per game in 27.6 minutes per game.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2581029/kyle-wiltjer|title=Kyle Wiltjer player profile|work=ESPN.com|access-date=March 29, 2015}} After contemplating forgoing his remaining eligibility to enter the 2015 NBA draft, Wiltjer decided to return to Gonzaga for his senior year.{{cite web|first=Sam|last=Vecenie|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25156083/gonzaga-forward-kyle-wiltjer-returning-for-senior-season|title=Gonzaga forward Kyle Wiltjer returning for senior season|work=CBSSports.com|date=April 20, 2015|access-date=April 20, 2015}}

Entering his second season with Gonzaga, Wiltjer was named CBS Sports' preseason player of the year.{{cite web|first=Gary|last=Parrish|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25328096/gonzaga-senior-kyle-wiltjer-is-cbs-sports-preseason-player-of-year|title=Gonzaga senior Kyle Wiltjer is CBS Sports' Preseason Player of Year|work=CBSSports.com|date=October 6, 2015|access-date=October 6, 2015}} Sports Illustrated projected Wiltjer as the preseason player of the year, scoring champion, and the top-usage player in all of NCAA Division 1 basketball.{{cite web|first=Luke|last=Winn|url=https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2015/10/13/player-year-wooden-naismith-kyle-wiltjer-ben-simmons|title=Player of the Year projections: Wiltjer, Simmons a cut above competition|work=SI.com|date=October 13, 2015|access-date=October 14, 2015}} He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy on February 11.{{cite news|first=Terrence|last=Payne|url=http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/oklahoma-sooners-buddy-hield-lsu-tigers-ben-simmons-naismith-trophy-35-finalists-021116|title=Naismith Trophy midseason list announced|work=FoxSports.com|date=February 11, 2016|access-date=February 19, 2016}}

After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Wiltjer joined the Houston Rockets for the 2016 NBA Summer League.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/rockets-compete-samsung-nba-summer-league-2016/|title=Rockets to Compete in Samsung NBA Summer League 2016|work=NBA.com|date=July 1, 2016|access-date=December 8, 2016}} On September 23, 2016, he signed with the Rockets.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/rockets-announce-training-camp-roster|title=Rockets Announce Training Camp Roster|work=NBA.com|date=September 23, 2016|access-date=September 23, 2016}} Wiltjer appeared in four of the Rockets' first 25 games of the 2016–17 season, scoring a total of three points. On December 14, 2016, he scored a season-high seven points in a 132–98 win over the Sacramento Kings.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wiltjky01/gamelog/2017/|title=Kyle Wiltjer 2016–17 Game Log|work=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date=December 22, 2016}} During his rookie season, Wiltjer had multiple assignments with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' D-League affiliate.{{cite web|url=http://dleague.nba.com/assignments/|title=2016–17 NBA Assignments|work=NBA.com|access-date=December 8, 2016|archive-date=January 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126075350/http://dleague.nba.com/assignments/|url-status=dead}}

On June 28, 2017, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Wiltjer, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Lou Williams and a 2018 Top 3 Protected first-round pick (which ended up being pick #30) from the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/clippers/press-release-la-clippers-acquire-seven-players-and-draft-pick-including-beverley-dekker-harrell-and|title=Press Release: L.A. Clippers Acquire Seven Players and Draft Pick, Including Beverley, Dekker, Harrell and Williams|work=NBA.com|date=June 28, 2017|access-date=June 28, 2017}} He was later waived by the Clippers on July 15, 2017.{{cite web|last=Charania|first=Shams|url=http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/246912/Clippers-Waive-Kyle-Wiltjer|title=Clippers Waive Kyle Wiltjer|work=RealGM.com|date=July 15, 2017|access-date=July 15, 2017}}

On August 15, 2017, Wiltjer signed with the Toronto Raptors.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/raptors/press-releases/raptors-sign-kyle-wiltjer|title=Raptors Sign Kyle Wiltjer|work=NBA.com|date=August 15, 2017|access-date=August 15, 2017}} On October 7 he was waived by the Raptors.{{cite news|title=Raptors waive Rautins, Meeks, Wiltjer|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2017/10/07/raptors-waive-rautins-meeks-wiltjer.html|access-date=October 7, 2017|work=Toronto Star|date=October 7, 2017}} On October 21, he signed with the Toronto Raptors' NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905.{{cite web|title=Raptors' Kyle Wiltjer: Signs with Raptors' G-League affiliate|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/raptors-kyle-wiltjer-signs-with-raptors-g-league-affiliate/|website=CBSSports.com|access-date=October 30, 2017|date=October 21, 2017}}

On October 29, 2017, Wiltjer signed with Olympiacos Piraeus of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague.[http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/8bfseqy4ptfh5v4b/olympiacos-signs-big-man-wiltjer Olympiacos signs big man Wiltjer.]{{cite web|script-title=el:Συμφώνησε με Γουίλτζερ ο Θρύλος|url=http://www.olympiacosbc.gr/el/news-el/announcements-el/4497-%CF%83%CF%85%CE%BC%CF%86%CF%8E%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B5-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%AF%CE%BB%CF%84%CE%B6%CE%B5%CF%81-%CE%BF-%CE%B8%CF%81%CF%8D%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82.html|website=Olympiacos BC|access-date=October 30, 2017|language=el-GR|date=October 29, 2017}}

On July 3, 2018, Wiltjer signed a one-year deal with Unicaja of the Spanish Liga ACB.{{cite news |title=Wiltjer, first singning of Unicaja / Web Oficial del Unicaja Baloncesto |url=https://www.unicajabaloncesto.com/en/news/show/id/22430/title/wiltjer-first-singning-of-unicaja.html |access-date=July 4, 2018 |work=www.unicajabaloncesto.com |date=July 3, 2018}}

Wiltjer signed with Türk Telekom in July 2019.{{

cite news|title=Kyle Wiltjer signed with Turk Telekom|last=Bourannis|first=Yiannis

|url=https://www.talkbasket.net/48493-kyle-wiltjer-sined-with-turk-telekom

|work=TalkBasket.net|date=July 19, 2019|access-date=June 8, 2021}} He averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in the 2019–20 season,{{cite news |last1=Varney |first1=Dennis |title=Catch up with 36 ex-Cats playing pro basketball in leagues outside the NBA |url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/ex-cats/article241420196.html |access-date=May 16, 2020 |work=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=March 26, 2020}} and then averaged 18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the 2020–21 season.{{cite news |last1=|first1=|title=El Lenovo Tenerifa Ficha a Kyle Wiltjer |url=https://cbcanarias.net/2021/07/13/el-lenovo-tenerife-ficha-a-kyle-wiltjer/ |access-date=July 18, 2021 |website=cbcanarias.net |language= Es|date=July 13, 2021}}

On July 13, 2021, Wiltjer signed a one-year contract with Lenovo Tenerife of the Spanish Liga ACB.

On October 2, 2022, Wiltjer signed with the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).{{Cite web |title=Kyle Wiltjer lands in China |url=https://www.eurohoops.net/en/others/1398635/zhejiang-lions-add-kyle-wiltjer-cba/ |access-date=February 25, 2023 |website=Eurohoops|date=October 3, 2022 }}

On September 21, 2023, Wiltjer signed with Reyer Venezia Mestre of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).{{Cite web |title=Reyer completes signing of Kyle Wiltjer |url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/reyer-venezia-completes-signing-of-kyle-wiltjer/ |access-date=October 13, 2023 |website=euroleaguebasketball.net|date=September 21, 2023 }}

As a member of the Canadian Under-18 junior national team, Wiltjer won a bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. As a member of the Canadian university national team, he played at the 2013 World University Games.

With the senior Canada national basketball team, Wiltjer played at the 2015 Pan American Games, where he won a silver medal.[https://web.archive.org/web/20171110225310/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/Kyle%20Wiltjer/pid//_//players.html Kyle Gregory WILTJER (CAN).]

In 2019, Wiltjer participated in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. Wiltjer was the team leader in point per game at 16.4. The team finished 21st out of 32 teams.{{cite web | url=https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2019/team/Canada#%7Ctab=roster,average_statistics | title=Canada at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/canada/2019.html | title=2019 Stats – Canada }}

{{Euroleague player statistics legend}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|2016}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

| 14 || 0 || 3.1 || .286 || .308 || .500 || .7 || .1 || .2 || .1 || .9

{{s-end}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|2016}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Houston

| 1 || 0 || 5.0 || 1.000 || 1.000 || – || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 3.0

{{s-end}}

{{Euroleague player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18

| style="text-align:left;"| Olympiacos

| 24 || 2 || 9.4 || .476 || .420 || .667 || 1.4 || .1 || .2 || .1 || 4.5 || 3.3

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:left;"| Career

| style="text-align:left;"|

| 24 || 2 || 9.4 || .476 || .420 || .667 || 1.4 || .1 || .2 || .1 || 4.5 || 3.3

{{S-end}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| align="left" | 2011–12

| align="left" | Kentucky

| 40 || 0 || 11.6 || .438 || .432 || .815 || 1.8 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 0.4 || 5.0

|-

| align="left" | 2012–13

| align="left" | Kentucky

| 33 || 10 || 23.8 || .421 || .367 || .810 || 4.2 || 1.5 || 0.4 || 0.4 || 10.2

|-

| align="left" | 2014–15

| align="left" | Gonzaga

| 38 || 37 || 27.6 || .540 || .466 || .789 || 6.2 || 1.9 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 16.8

|-

| align="left" | 2015–16

| align="left" | Gonzaga

| 36 || 36 || 33.6 || .491 || .437 || .857 || 6.3 || 1.5 || 0.4 || 0.8 || 20.4

|- class="sortbottom"

! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career

! 147 || 83 || 23.8 || .487 || .425 || .814 || 4.6 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 0.6 || 13.0

{{S-end}}

• 2011 McDonald's All-American team selection
• 2011 Jordan Brand Classic High School All-American team selection
• 2011 Nike Hoop Summit World team selection
• 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year – Oregon

• 2012 NCAA National Champion – Kentucky
• 2013 SEC Sixth Man of the Year
• 2015 WCC Newcomer of the year
• 2015 First-Team All-WCC
• 2015 USBWA Second-Team All-American{{cite web|url=http://sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2015/allamerica150316.html|title=USBWA names 2014–15 All-Americans|work=SportsWriters.net|access-date=March 16, 2015}}

Wiltjer's father, Greg, is a former Canadian professional basketball player{{cite web|url=http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kyle_wiltjer_952362.html|title=Kyle Wiltjer Bio|work=GoZags.com|access-date=June 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201010441/http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kyle_wiltjer_952362.html|archive-date=February 1, 2018|url-status=dead}} who was a member of the Canadian national basketball team at the 1984 Summer Olympics.{{cite web | url=https://olympic.ca/team-canada/kyle-wiltjer/ | title=Kyle Wiltjer | date=July 11, 2015 }} His paternal half-sister and Greg's daughter, Jordan Adams, is also a former professional player.{{cite news|url=http://www.golobos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26000&ATCLID=209062349|title=Lobos Center Jordan Adams Selected In 2003 WNBA Draft|website=Golobos.com|publisher=University of New Mexico|date=April 25, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926100248/http://www.golobos.com/news/2003/4/25/209062349.aspx|archive-date=September 26, 2017|url-status=dead}} Both Greg and Adams also represented Canada.{{cite web|url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/lid_38135_cp/1/pid/4543/q/Greg%20Wiltjer/rpp//_//players.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003251/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/lid_38135_cp/1/pid/4543/q/Greg%20Wiltjer/rpp//_//players.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2017|title=Gregory Hilko WILTJER (CAN)|publisher=FIBA}}{{cite news|url=http://www.golobos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26000&ATCLID=209066214|title=Jordan Adams Smith|website=Golobos.com|publisher=University of New Mexico|date=November 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926143145/http://www.golobos.com/news/2012/11/27/209066214.aspx|archive-date=September 26, 2017|url-status=dead}} Through Adams, Wiltjer has two nieces.{{cite interview |last=Adams |first=Eric |interviewer=Desiree Cooper |title=ENMU Graduate Creates New Mexico-Themed Subscription Box |url=https://www.enmu.edu/about/news-and-events/enmu-news/alumni-highlights/2951-enmu-graduate-creates-new-mexico-themed-subscription-box |access-date=April 6, 2022 |publisher=Eastern New Mexico University |date=March 16, 2020 |quote=We have two daughters, Rylee and Alayna.}}

Wiltjer and his former girlfriend Charday Hunt, who was a Sacramento State Hornets player and later a Nike employee, married in Ios, Greece, in 2019.{{cite web |last=Kinsey |first=Joe |title=Meet Charday Hunt – Kyle Wiltjer's Girlfriend |url=https://bustedcoverage.com/2016/03/24/kyle-wiltjer-girlfriend-charday-hunt-photos-instagram-gonzaga/ |website=Busted Coverage |access-date=April 6, 2022 |date=March 24, 2016}}{{cite news |title=Kyle Wiltjer combines message of equality with his love of fashion |url=https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/national-sports/kyle-wiltjer-combines-message-of-equality-with-his-love-of-fashion-2038606 |access-date=April 6, 2022 |work=TownAndCountryToday.com |agency=Canadian Press |date=January 22, 2020 |quote=My wife (the couple was married last summer on the Greek island of Ios) is half white, half African American, and so we're an interracial couple. And we just want to promote a positive message, especially to the youth, that everyone should be equal. This sounds so simple, but that's really where all the ideas came from.}}

{{Portal bar|Sports}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{basketballstats|nba=kyle_wiltjer|bbr=w/wiltjky01}}

• [http://widgets.baskethotel.com/site/esake/player/5606875/ Kyle Wiltjer] at baskethotel.com
• [http://esake.gr/el/action/EsakeplayerView?idteam=00000002&idplayer=BA24E2D3&mode=1 Kyle Wiltjer] at esake.gr {{in lang|el}}
• [http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=008052#!careerstats Kyle Wiltjer] euroleague.net
• [http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kyle-Wiltjer-5959/career/ Kyle Wiltjer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014206/http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Kyle-Wiltjer-5959/career/ |date=November 7, 2017 }} at draftexpress.com
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20171110225310/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/Kyle%20Wiltjer/pid//_//players.html Kyle Wiltjer] at fiba.com
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180201010441/http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kyle_wiltjer_952362.html Gonzaga Bulldogs bio]
• [https://ukathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6940 Kentucky Wildcats bio]
• [http://www.nbadraft.net/players/kyle-wiltjer Kyle Wiltjer] at nbadraft.net

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Category:1992 births

Category:Living people

Category:2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players

Category:21st-century American sportsmen

Category:All-American college men's basketball players

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Category:Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games

Category:NBA players from Canada

Category:Pan American Games medalists in basketball

Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada

Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)

Category:Power forwards

Category:Reyer Venezia players

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Category:Undrafted NBA players

Category:Zhejiang Lions players

Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen

Category:American expatriate basketball people in China