March 11, 2016

Ukrainian sports update: college basketball

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James Hoyt/Kansan.com

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk

Mykhailiuk arrives at Kansas

In the course of a week in September 2014, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk went from playing against some of his biggest heroes on the U.S. team at the World Cup to figuring out where his classes were on the campus at Kansas. What a whirlwind experience for the then-17-year-old sharpshooter from Ukraine.

College basketball experts were referring to Mykhailiuk as one of the sport’s most tantalizing enigmas in the 2014-2015 season. The rangy swingman could handle the ball, hit the outside shot and be in a position to jump to the pros in a couple of years. Yet he didn’t merit a blip on the recruiting radar until late in the process, even in an era when top talent is now discovered in grade school.

When he committed in the summer of 2014, he did so after considering Virginia and taking a single visit to both schools. His only other U.S. trip had been the Nike Hoops Summit, meaning his arrival in Kansas was his third trip across the Pacific Ocean.

Kansas coach Bill Self said of his Ukrainian recruit: “His skill level, knowledge and aptitude for the game are way beyond his years. He’s a guy that can play all three positions on the perimeter. At 6-foot-8, he can play the point, play the No. 2 or the No. 3. He allows us to be more versatile and certainly, there would be few people that would shoot it better than him.”

Mykhailiuk rose to prominence on the international circuit, where players often sign with professional teams right out of high school rather than attend college. His dream is to play in the NBA and Mykhailiuk thought playing at Kansas gave him a better chance of realizing it.

He definitely got a taste of the NBA game in Spain at the FIBA World Cup in September 2014. Mykhailiuk played 11 minutes for the Ukrainian team against the U.S.A., hitting a three-pointer and pulling down a couple of rebounds. His team actually led after the first quarter before fading late in the first half of a 95-71 loss to the tournament favorites.

Still, it gave him an opportunity to play against two of his biggest idols, the Bulls’ Derrick Rose and the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving. It was challenging, but fun. He had also played in the under-18 European championships in Bulgaria in the summer of 2014.

Mykhailiuk was the final member of a heralded recruiting class to arrive, joining the likes of five-star forward Cliff Alexander, shooting guard Kelly Oubre and point guard Devonte Graham. Add in returnees Wayne Selden, Perry Ellis and Brannen Greene and Kansas seemed to have enough to make a strong run at the national championship.

That prospect sounded a whole lot better than sticking around Ukraine and all of the nation’s turmoil. Mykhailiuk is from Cherkasy, a city near the middle of the country, so his family was insulated from the war in the southeast.

He arrived at Kansas with a confidence that came across as a bit brash. When asked what he does best, he replied, “Everything.” Yet the young shooter arrived with little fanfare, allowing him to blossom into an intriguing storyline during the 2014-2015 college basketball season.

A path to improvement

Still not 18 years old (he was born June 10, 1997), Mykhailiuk could have been scoring baskets for a prestigious prep school somewhere in the U.S. Instead, the young Ukrainian took on the challenge of playing and learning against older competition at Kansas University with somewhat mixed results. He was a major contributor during non-conference play, but averaged a mere six minutes per game in six conference contests, sitting out seven more.

Might he have gained more by playing with fellow 17-year-olds this past season? Probably not. The consensus is his game improved despite going through a rough time when he wasn’t making many shots and struggling. He got better with time and the expectation is he won’t be in college past the age of 21, so the high school experience would not have been a benefit. Playing against strong competition in practice improved his skill set and allowed him to mature.

Mykhailiuk actually started six of his 13 non-conference games, logging 16.8 minutes per game and averaging 4.4 points off 32.3 percent shooting (12 out of 37 from three-point range). In his first complete college campaign he played in 24 games and averaged three points and 1.3 rebounds. The mission during his first year was to be a good teammate, work hard at practice and help the team any way possible.

There is no doubt he improved a ton from day one since he practiced every day with one of the best college programs in the nation with the best coaches. Guarding Kelly Oubre and Wayne Selden on a daily basis will make you a better player. He practiced on his own a lot, trying to work everyday when possible. The veteran of the Ukrainian Basketball Super League (2012-2014) recognizes the need to be tougher physically and mentally, especially on defense. One must know how to move and where to be in certain situations.

Mykhailiuk was a pleasure on and off the court. He’s loved by his teammates who, along with his coaches, want him to do well. His attitude remained positive even though he didn’t play as much as he hoped. He knows his time is coming and he is happy with his college decision. The expectations are growing and his future looks bright.

In mid-February he welcomed his parents to watch the Jayhawks play three games in person rather than watch his games online in Ukraine.

The commitment to Kansas is for two or three years although Mykhailiuk has the option of playing Russian club ball for a lofty salary starting in 2015-2016.

Coach Self commented on the Ukrainian’s future at Kansas: “Just give him time. It’s not an easy deal for him. From a prospect standpoint, he may be as good a prospect as we have.”

High hopes
in 2015-2016

His 2015-2016 Kansas team was selected No. 2 overall by Sports Illustrated in its annual college basketball preview. Svi Mykhailiuk (as he likes to be called these days) was listed as the Jayhawks’ x-factor for the upcoming campaign: “a deadeye 6’8” sophomore from Ukraine, he added 10 pounds (to reach 205) in hopes of muscling his way into the lineup. ‘With Mykhailiuk you can run bad offense and come away with three points,’” coach Bill Self says.

The above line from the coach explains the sharp-shooting skills from three-point range possessed by the young Ukrainian hoopster. Even a broken-down offensive play has a good chance of resulting in points when Mykhailiuk has the basketball in his hands.

Through the first 29 games this season Mykhailiuk is averaging 14 minutes and 5.8 points while shooting 43 percent from the field and 39 percent from the three-point line. He was a major contributor in a key victory over Kansas State on February 3 scoring 10 points assisting on four other baskets and managing three steals in 23 minutes of significant playing time. He was the main man, hitting all five of his three-point shots, in leading Kansas with 17 points in 23 minutes against Texas Tech on February 27, a 67-58 victory that clinched a 12th consecutive Big12 title for his Jayhawks.

Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].

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