Former BYU Star Kyle Collinsworth Is ‘A Hooper’ In Toronto
Oct 3, 2018, 3:59 PM | Updated: Oct 8, 2018, 4:18 pm
Toronto Raptors forward Kyle Collinsworth guards Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell in preseason action Oct. 2 at Vivint SmartHome Arena (Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
(Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On the eve of his 27th birthday, Toronto Raptors forward and former BYU and Provo High star Kyle Collinsworth got the opportunity to start in Tuesday’s preseason contest against the Utah Jazz.
“It’s always great to be home with family,” said Collinsworth before the game. “To see people and friends, especially to play a game in front of people that have seen me work so hard.”
Asked what he wanted to bring to the floor prior to his run against the Jazz, Collinsworth answered that he wanted to “bring energy and play hard.”
While he was held scoreless in 10 minutes of action, he did receive plenty of praise from Raptors head coach Nick Nurse before the game.
“He’s got this versatile game and does a lot of things,” said Nurse. “He passes, he scores, he rebounds, he makes plays at both ends. He’s a hooper.”
Currently on a non-guaranteed contract, it’s likely that Collinsworth will be playing in the NBA G-League for some time this year. He spent two seasons with the Texas Legends of the G-League before making his NBA debut on December 20th last season.
In 32 games with the Dallas Mavericks he averaged 3.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. In his career at BYU he averaged 12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor.
