Prospect Highlight: Jack Kayil, 2006, GER, Vechta
Jack Kayil made a bold move this off-season leaving ALBA Berlin for RASTA Vechta. The main reason was to play with professionals, and the guard is holding his own in a great situation.
Jack Kayil seemed to be set up in a good situation in terms of advancing to the top ranks of German basketball, having gone through the youth ranks of ALBA Berlin. The club in the German capital has been well known to give its youngsters a chance to play with the pro team when they are ready. But the 2006-born point guard talent decided this summer that it was time to move elsewhere and chose to take his next steps of development at RASTA Vechta. And Kayil has excelled in the second division ProA and even been included four times in the pro team roster.
The 6’2” (1.89m) point guard Kayil came up in the Neukölln district of Berlin and played for TuS Neukölln and advanced to Higherlevel Berlin during the 2020-21 U16 JBBL season, during which he averaged 11.2 points 7.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.2 steals. Kayil eventually joined the ALBA youth program in 2021 as for those in Berlin wanting top notch training at the beginning levels, the ALBA system is one of the best addresses in Germany.
Kayil played predominantly in the U16 JBBL in 2021-22 and averaged 15 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 5.3 steals as ALBA reached in the JBBL Final Four but lost to ratiopharm ulm in the Semi-Finals. Kayil also appeared in one game in the U19 NBBL during the 2021-22 season.
The summer of 2022 was a big one for Kayil as he helped Germany take a big step in their development as a national team program. Playing alongside the likes of Ivan Kharchenkov, Christian Anderson, Declan Duru. Roy Krupnikas and Eric Reibe, Kayil averaged 7.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals as Germany won the FIBA U16 European Championship 2022, Division B. That allowed the country to get back to Division A for the first time since 2019. This past summer, Germany finished fifth in the FIBA U16 European Championship to qualify for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup for the first time (Germany hosted the first U17 World Cup in 2010).
Back in Germany, Kayil graduated to the U19 NBBL for the 2022-23 season and more than held his own despite being two years younger than most of the competition as a 16-year-old who turned 17 during the season.
Kayil averaged 10.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.8 steals in 17 games for the season. That performance earned him the NBBL Rookie of the Year. He also helped ALBA Berlin win the NBBL title for the third time in four editions - 2018, 2022 and 2023. After picking up 3 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal in the NBBL Final Four Semi-Finals win over FC Bayern Munich, Kayil contributed 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals as ALBA knocked off Young Rasta Dragons 78-75 in the Final.
On top of that, Kayil was outstanding for Berlin in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Munich, where he was named to the All-Star Five thanks as he collected 18.5 points - hitting 53 percent on three-pointers - 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals. His top game in the January 2023 tournament came against ratiopharm ulm as he tallied 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Kayil also joined the mega basketball agency BeoBasket in January 2023 just days after the ANGT Munich.
Kayil’s 2022-23 season was followed by another historic showing with Germany at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2023. He averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals.
Kayil scored 15 points to go with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals in the Semi-Finals loss to Serbia but then produced 14 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals as Germany knocked off France 67-59 to take third place. It was the first time that Germany had claimed a medal at the U18 European Championship. The previous bests were fourth place in 1986 and 2016.
Kayil had decided just days before the U18 European tournament that he was leaving Berlin to join Vechta.
“Alba Berlin is a super program. There really was no reason why I had to leave. The whole experience was super fun,” Kayil said in an interview with German Hoops. “The most important reason was so I could get experience playing with and against pro players.”
Kayil was joining a club that also offered him an intriguing perspective in terms of playing time. In addition to the U19 NBBL team, the club won promotion last season from both the ProA to easyCredit BBL and from ProB third division to the second division ProA. Meaning Kayil could play U19 and second division and even get some minutes eventually in the first league.
The club’s NBBL team Young Rasta Dragons - a collaboration with Artland Dragons - lost to Berlin and Kayil in the 2023 final. Kayil is teaming up this season with fellow German U18 European bronze medalist Linus Trettin, Karl Bühner, Noah Koch and Epke Kruthaupt as well as the long-time injured Joshua Bonga.
Kayil has only played four games in the NBBL - and none since November 5 - and he collected 18.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.5 steals.
“I think that we have a very strong team. I will give my all so we can win the title. This could be the year,” Kayil said in the German Hoops interview.
His main playing time is with the ProA team RASTA Vechta II, which is currently 3-8 in the league. Kayli is averaging 11.7 points - hitting 36 percent from long range, 1.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.5 turnovers in nearly 21 minutes.
Kayil exploded for 31 points with 4 three-pointers - hitting 9-of-21 shots, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes in an 88-84 loss at Giants Düsseldorf on November 25.
Kayil said playing for Vechta’s coach Hendrik Gruhn has helped him develop.
“Everything is pretty laid back. He is known for giving his players freedom. I need freedom in my game. It will be an adjustment playing against men. I want to show that I can keep up physically against them while continuing to develop as a player,” Kayil said ahead of the season in the German Hoops interview.
Kayil has four times been included in the pro team’s game roster: at home against Telekom Baskets Bonn in Round 2 and at Würzburg Baskets in Round 10 of the league as well as at BG Göttingen in the Round of 16 of the German Cup and at home versus Bamberg Baskets in the German Cup Quarter-Finals. But he has yet to make his BBL debut.
Basketball scouts have seen Kayil a number of times already. In addition to the FIBA U16 European Championship 2022, Division B and FIBA U18 European Championship 2023, Kayil also participated in the Basketball Without Borders European camp in Wroclaw, Poland in August 2023, being named one of the camp’s All-Stars. That came after Kayil played for the Next Gen team at the 2023 Adidas Eurocamp in June along with current Vechta star talent Johann Grünloh.
Here is a selection of some scouting sites’ opinions of Kayil and his game:
Kayil himself says he enjoys watching both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jordan Poole from the NBA.
And as far as his game, Kayil told German Hoops: “My biggest strength is my versatility. I see myself as being a good defender that can also lead my team on the defensive end. But I’m also able to take responsibility on offense scoring, but also finding my teammates.”
And about what he is working on he said: I want to become a more physical defender. I want to be able to keep up my guy in front of me and be better while switching.”
He continued in the German Hoops interview: “Currently I’m working on all aspects of my game. But especially I’m working on my finishing with pull ups and floaters.”
Kayil still has plenty of time to develop as he will not turn 18 until January 27. And he is in a great situation with Vechta.
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