Ohio State’s Kyle Young announces retirement from basketball
Ohio State forward Kyle Young‘s basketball career has come to an end. Young, who just finished his college career after five years with the Buckeyes after the 2021-22 season, announced on Thursday that he was calling it quits on his playing career and would focus on the next stage of his life.
“The game of basketball has brought so much joy in my life and I’m forever thankful for what it has done for me,” Young tweeted. “I’ve decided the time has come to hang ‘em up and start something new. Excited for a new chapter in my life”
Along with his tweet was a video showing highlights from Young’s playing career from the time he was little to high school to major moments from his Scarlet and Gray career. Young spoke over the top of the video, providing context to his decision to retire.
“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 percent to Ohio State and all of Buckeye Nation,” he said. “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.”
As a freshman in 2017-18, Young played in 25 games for Ohio State but averaged just 8.6 minutes and did not make a start as he was behind Kaleb Wesson, Micah Potter and Andre Wesson. That season, Young averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game on a team that went 25-9 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The next year, Young took on a bigger role, starting 14 of his 31 appearances while scoring six points and grabbing 4.4 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. The Buckeyes went 20-15 but again made it to the second round of the Big Dance.
As a junior, Young started all 25 games he played for the Scarlet and Gray and his minutes per contest jumped to 22.9. The forward recorded 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Due to COVID-19, there was no NCAA Tournament in 2020.
Young has his best statistical season as a senior in 2020-21. He started 26 of the 27 games he played, averaging 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.3 minutes per contest. Ohio State made it to the Big Ten Tournament title game that year, although Young missed the semifinal and final after suffering a concussion. He also missed the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament first-round loss.
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Due to the COVID year, the NCAA granted all players an extra season of eligibility. Young took advantage of this to return for a fifth season in Columbus. In that final year of 2021-22, Young accepted a role coming off the bench again, starting just four of 27 games played. He averaged 8.2 points, five rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while playing 22.7 minutes. The Scarlet and Gray lost in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament but advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Young, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, received his degree in sports industry from Ohio State in 2020 and can now put that to use following his basketball career.
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