GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro alumnus Kyle Hines has put the NBA on hold – for now. Hines signed a contract with Prima Veroli of the Italian second division on Wednesday.
Hines had worked out with the Charlotte Bobcats at the Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month. But as camp wrapped up, there were no guarantees for Hines if he wanted to go to camp with the Bobcats. So, he took an offer to go overseas.
Located in the town of Veroli, Prima Veroli is located about an hour outside of Rome, where Hines made a brief appearance with his Spartan teammates last summer on a tour of Italy. The team has been around since 1967, but the 2007-08 season was its first playing in a division as high as Serie A2. They finished 11-19 and in 12th place in the 16-team league. Prima Veroli is slated to open the 2008-2009 season on October 5 at Carmatic PT.
Hines, a 6-6 forward from Sicklerville, NJ, worked out for the Bobcats' front office staff and head coach Larry Brown immediately following June's NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, FL. Hines dominated as a big man at the Portsmouth Invitational a month before that, setting a record for field goal percentage at the 56 year-old tournament.
At the PIT, Hines finished the three-day tournament shooting 22-of-28 from the floor for 78.6 percent, the best shooting percentage in the history of the 56-year tournament. He eclipsed the previous mark of 76.5 percent in 2004 by Xavier's Justin Cage (13-for-17). Hines' 17.3 ppg scoring average was best on his team and fourth overall among the 64 players at the PIT. His 10 blocked shots was tied for the most at the tournament this season, equaling the total of Drexel's Frank Elegar, and just one shy of the tournament record. He also averaged 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals, which was tied for third-best during the three days.
Hines, who earned his third straight USBWA All-District selection this season, set career records at UNCG with 2,187 points, 1,047 rebounds and 349 blocks. He is one of 97 players in college basketball history to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds and one of just six to also have 300 career blocks joining Alonzo Mourning, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Pervis Ellison and Derrick Coleman. This past season, he averaged 19.2 ppg, second in the Southern Conference behind Stephen Curry. He also led the conference in blocks with 95 and in rebounding at 9.1 per contest. His 56 steals also ranked among the conference's leaders. He became just the fourth player in the Southern Conference's 62-years of all-conference selections to become a four-time first-team selection and the first in 20 years.
Hines scored in double figures in each of his last 81 games, the longest active streak in the nation. He finished in the Top 5 among active players in career points, career rebounds, career blocked shots and career double-doubles (45).
- UNCG -
