Latest news with #KylerFilewich
Global News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Winnipeg Sea Bears sign Kyler Filewich after March Madness appearance
Winnipeg's Kyler Filewich is turning pro with his hometown team. The Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League announced the signing of the Winnipeg-born, six-foot-nine-inch centre on Monday. The former Vincent Massey Trojan took the Wofford Terriers to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament last month where they were knocked out in the first round in his final year of university eligibility. 'I'm truly blessed and honored to sign with the Sea Bears for this upcoming CEBL season,' Filewich said in a media release. 'The opportunity to play at home, in front of my family, friends, and the incredible fans of our city means the world to me. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I'm excited to get to work with this team and give everything I have for the best fanbase and a basketball community that continues to grow and inspire.' Story continues below advertisement Filewich started all 35 games for the Terriers this past season where he averaged 11.7 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game to lead the team. 'Winnipeg's own Kyler Filewich starting his pro career as a Sea Bear is a great story,' said Sea Bears general manager and head coach Mike Taylor in a media release. 'Fresh from leading Wofford to a Southern Conference championship and NCAA tournament run, Kyler brings physicality and skill to our front court.' Kyler's sister, Keylyn Filewich, also plays professionally for the VFL Astrostars in Germany. Filewich is the third centre on the Sea Bears roster that currently has 11 players. Centres Solomon Young and Simi Shittu are also signed for the upcoming campaign. The Sea Bears play their home opener in just a little over two weeks time with their first game on May 16 against the Edmonton Stingers at the Canada Life Centre.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Homecoming for Filewich
On March 20, Kyler Filewich walked off the court in Lexington, Ky., confident but uncertain about his future in basketball. The fifth-year senior had just played in what was concurrently the biggest and last game of his collegiate career, as Wofford College was ousted by the University of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Division 1 men's basketball championship tournament (also known as March Madness). Now, all the Winnipeg product could do was wait for his phone to ring with an opportunity to play somewhere professionally. BRYNN ANDERSON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Kyler Filewich (14) is excited to join his hometown Winnipeg Sea Bears this season. 'I was pretty confident I'd get a chance (to go pro), but you never know in those situations,' said Filewich. 'It could be your last game, like there's no guarantee. So I felt a little bit of that going into all our conference tournament games and then March Madness, as well. Leave it all out there, because I'm not sure what's going to happen next, even though I was pretty confident. But I'm super glad now that I do have the opportunity to keep playing.' On Monday, Filewich signed his first professional contract with the Winnipeg Sea Bears in a deal that returns the 6-9, 250-pound centre to the city where it all started. It's a moment that has crossed his mind, but something he never seriously considered until the Sea Bears joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) in 2023. 'I followed the CEBL the first couple of years before the Sea Bears got in, and it was super cool. I was kind of waiting for a team to come to Winnipeg and, once that happened, I knew it was something that one day I'd want to be a part of, and I'm super glad it worked out,' he said. Filewich's return to Winnipeg has been in the works dating back to last summer when he met head coach and GM Mike Taylor and practised with the Sea Bears. The two sides stayed in touch, and Taylor reached out shortly after Wofford's season ended, with serious intentions of bringing Filewich back home. 'Super exciting. It's such a great community, great fans around here in Winnipeg,' Filewich said. 'The opportunity to play in front of friends and family is something I'm super excited for, especially this being a year where Winnipeg is hosting the playoffs, it's going to be a super exciting season. I'm looking forward to it, and I can't wait to get back and get to work with the rest of the team.' Filewich, a graduate of Vincent Massey Collegiate, was the top-ranked high school player in the province in 2018 and 2019 before being recruited south for college. He played his first two years at Southern Illinois, where he was named to the Missouri Valley Conference all-freshman team in his first season. In 2022, he transferred to Wofford (South Carolina), where he would become the team's unquestioned leader while helping the Terriers to their first appearance in the national tournament since 2019 after an MVP-calibre performance in the Southern Conference championship tournament this season. Filewich averaged 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds while starting all 35 contests in his final year. The 23-year-old's hard-nosed style fits what Taylor wants his team to be this summer: a bigger and more physically imposing squad in the paint. Winnipeg has also notably signed Simi Shittu, Jaylin Williams and Solomon Young in the frontcourt. 'Just doing what I can, really, as being a physical player, and somebody who can play with a lot of IQ, move the ball, be a screener, facilitator on offence. That's something I definitely love to do,' Filewich said of what he wants to add to the team. 'Just bring that physicality and toughness on both sides, and as well on the boards, some things I've done for a while now, and I'm just hoping those are going to help the team a lot this summer.' Sea Bears fans will have the pleasure of watching the most original element of Filewich's game if he heads to the free-throw line: his free-throw shot. Filewich went viral on social media in February when he broke out an underhanded lob (known as a granny-style shot) from the charity stripe during a game. BEN MCKEOWN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Kyler Filewich (14) spent the latter part of his college career with the Terriers at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The unconventional shot is something he's worked on this year with NBA legend Rick Barry this year after struggling at the line, and he's seen an improvement. Filewich hit 33.9 per cent of his free throws to end the season, up from the 29.6 per cent clip he was hitting for most of the year. 'It's good. It's good. I've been working on it. It's obviously still something pretty new. I know it's somewhere I have to get better so I've been working on it really hard,' said Filewich, adding he knew that it was possible his shot would bring some attention. As for the trash talk he's received on the court? 'To be honest, not as bad as I thought. I definitely thought it was going to be (bad), but it might still be in the future. That's just how it goes,' he said. 'There would be guys that would be waiting on a miss because they knew they couldn't trash-talk after a make.' Filewich understands there will be external pressure that he must deal with, such as playing in front of hostile crowds and following in the footsteps of Simon Hildebrandt and the late Chad Posthumus, fellow big men who bore the weight of being big-name hometown players to play for the Sea Bears. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Both are things he's embracing and feels equipped to handle. There's an extra sense of comfort being back home. 'It's super inspirational to see that. Chad's a guy I met with a few times last year at some practices and stuff, and he kind of just set the way, being a local guy. It kind of gives guys like me, and hopefully some others in the future, some inspiration,' Filewich said. 'It was super cool to see him play for the Sea Bears, and he meant a lot to a lot of people. He left his mark, and I'm hoping to do what I can around here to kind of make a name for myself as well.' The Sea Bears open training camp on May 8. Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sea Bears sign homegrown product Filewich
Kyler Filewich is coming home. After a five-year collegiate career that included stops at the University of Southern Illinois and Wofford College (South Carolina), where he led the Terriers to a Southern Conference (SoCon) championship and appearance in the March Madness tournament this spring, the 6-9, 250-pound centre will begin his pro career with his hometown Winnipeg Sea Bears this season. Filewich, a graduate of Vincent Massey Collegiate, was the top-ranked high school player in the province in 2018 and 2019 before being recruited to play NCAA Division 1 hoops. He earned Missouri Valley Conference (MVA) all-freshman team honours in his debut season at Southern Illinois. In his final season at Wofford, Filewich averaged 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds while starting all 35 contests. His collegiate career ended with a bang after being named the SoCon championship MVP and leading the Terriers to the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019. Filewich will speak with media this morning.
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kyler Filewich free throw: Why Wofford C shoots free throws underhand in March Madness
Kyler Filewich free throw: Why Wofford C shoots free throws underhand in March Madness Show Caption Hide Caption NBA draft prospects to watch in the March Madness tournament USAT's Mackenzie Salmon gives you four players to keep your eye on in March Madness that will most likely be heading to the NBA next year. Sports Pulse For anyone who has watched college basketball for any amount of time, the scene is a familiar one. In the waning seconds of a tight game in the NCAA Tournament, a player steps to the free-throw line to either ice a win or pull their trailing team closer. For a handful of seconds, the eyeballs of millions are fixed on a college-aged student trying to get one step closer to their dreams. If the Wofford men's basketball team finds itself in that position sometime over the next week, perhaps beginning with its first-round matchup today with No. 2 seed Tennessee, it's possible that one of its players walks into that pressurized situation in a way that few do. REQUIRED READING: Men's March Madness games today: Breaking down Thursday's NCAA Tournament matchups Terriers center Kyler Filewich is a rarity among not only college basketball players, but basketball players at any level — he shoots his free throws under-handed or, as it's more commonly known, 'granny style.' Filewich's technique attracted nationwide attention last week in Wofford's victory against Furman in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game, when a video of him missing an underhand free throw with about 15 minutes remaining in regulation made the rounds on social media. We've got Granny Style free throws on national TV, courtesy of Wofford's Kyler Filewich. The BEAUTY of Conference Tournament Week. — Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) March 11, 2025 If Wofford makes some kind of run in the NCAA Tournament, and if Filewich plays any role in that success, he could be the next person in a long and proud line of March Madness cult heroes. Here's a closer look at Filewich and his approach to free throws: REQUIRED READING: Men's March Madness upset picks: Predicting NCAA Tournament first-round surprises Wofford basketball underhand free throws Filewich has been an integral player on a Wofford team that's making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. The 6-foot-9 Winnipeg, Manitoba native has started in all 34 of his team's games this season and is averaging 11.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The latter figure ranks him among the top 20 players nationally and his 318 rebounds this season are a program single-season record. Like some big men, though, Filewich struggles when it comes to consistently knocking down free throws. Across his five seasons of college basketball, the first two of which were spent at Southern Illinois, Filewich has made just 37% of his free throws. He has never shot better than 50% in a season, which came as a sophomore at Southern Illinois on a career-low 34 attempts. In each of the past two seasons, he is shooting below 32% from the charity stripe. As he and his coaches saw it, something had to change. A potential fix was soon identified: his form. In early February, shortly after he missed all eight of his free throw attempts in a Jan. 29 loss against VMI, the Terriers' coaching staff approached Filewich to see if he'd be open to changing his mechanics on free throws and if he'd consider going granny style. There were understandable reasons for Filewich to be hesitant. Underhand free throws are incredibly uncommon, particularly at the NBA and college levels. The explanation for it isn't particularly complex — granny style free throws are awkward-looking and an easy subject for ridicule and jokes, something that high-level athletes with a good deal of personal pride aren't enthusiastic to sign up for. Because of that, there have been precious few examples of Division I or professional basketball players employing the technique. Most famously, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry shot free throws that way and did so quite well, making 89.3% of his free throws over the course of his decorated NBA career. Barry's son, Canyon, who played at College of Charleston and Florida, followed in his father's footsteps and shot free throws underhand, as well. Beyond the Barry family, though, there have been precious few examples, with former Houston Rockets and Louisville big man Chinanu Onuaku perhaps the most notable acolyte. If Filewich needed any further convincing, Wofford had a wrinkle to its pitch — it would bring in Barry to the school's Spartanburg, South Carolina campus to help him through the nuances of the underhand free throw. 'It actually doesn't happen very much, which is crazy when you think about it,' Barry said to The Athletic. 'This is scientifically proven to be the best method! It's such a soft shot. When they called, my first question was, is (Kyler) serious? Because I'm not going to waste my time.' Filewich was serious and quickly took to the new form. Though his improvement hasn't been drastic, the big man has been converting on his free-throw attempts at a higher clip. When he made the switch ahead of a Feb. 5 game against Chattanooga, Filewich had made just 24 of his 79 free-throw attempts (30.4%). Since then, he has knocked down 18 of his 51 attempts (35.3%), raising his season average almost two percentage points. In two games since going underhand, he has made at least 60% of his free throws in two games. In the Southern Conference championship game that sent Wofford to the NCAA Tournament, he made two critical free throws that extended the Terriers' lead from three to five with about six minutes remaining. REQUIRED READING: March Madness bold predictions: 10 unexpected forecasts for 2025 NCAA Tournament Kyler Filewich free throw percentage Filewich is making 31.8% of his free throws this season, the second-lowest mark of his career. Here's a look at Filewich's year-by-year free-throw percentage:
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Struggling with free throws, Wofford's Filewich turns to granny-style — with help from Rick Barry
Struggling with free throws, Wofford's Filewich turns to granny-style — with help from Rick Barry Wofford center Kyler Filewich dunks against Furman during the first half of an college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Wofford center Kyler Filewich celebrates after their win against Furman in a college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Wofford center Kyler Filewich celebrates with head coach Dwight Perry after their win against Furman in a college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Wofford center Kyler Filewich celebrates with head coach Dwight Perry after their win against Furman in a college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Wofford center Kyler Filewich dunks against Furman during the first half of an college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Wofford center Kyler Filewich celebrates after their win against Furman in a college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Wofford center Kyler Filewich celebrates with head coach Dwight Perry after their win against Furman in a college basketball championship game at the Southern Conference tournament, Monday, March 10, 2025, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kyler Filewich doesn't go to the free-throw line looking for style points, just those that count on the scoreboard for Wofford. That's why the 6-foot-9 center from Winnipeg, Manitoba, asked coaches for tips, leading him to switch from the traditional shot attempt to a throwback style. Granny-style. Underhand toss. Or the shot that Basketball Hall of Fame member Rick Barry turned into an art form. Barry even came to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to give Filewich some personal tutoring. While the numbers say Filewich has continued to struggle from the free-throw line, he says his confidence has grown. Advertisement 'I haven't necessarily always had the success that I wanted,' Filewich said Wednesday. 'But I feel like I'm pretty confident in it. When I needed to, (about) five minutes left in the SoCon title ... I was able to step up and make two when it mattered.' Filewich's form will be on display for a national audience Thursday night when Wofford (19-15) of the Southern Conference plays No. 2 seed Tennessee (27-7) in the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Region on Thursday night. Wofford coach Dwight Perry said Filewich asked for help improving his success rate on foul shots, which was 31.6% last season. Assistant Ty Anderson is friends with one of Barry's sons and reached out. 'People don't realize Rick Barry is the best free-throw shooter statistically in NBA history. So to your point, if you're going to learn from somebody, you definitely want to learn from the best,' Perry said. Advertisement Barry came to the school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the kind of teaching session that usually happens in the offseason. 'Rick Barry graciously came and gave his wisdom and kind of gave some pointers,' Perry said. 'We were very fortunate. It was a couple of days in which they did that in the middle of the season.' Filewich switched to granny style around the beginning of February and found a measure of success, going 4 for 6 and 6 for 10 from the line in consecutive games that month. However, he remains the Terriers' worst free-throw shooter at 31.8%. In that conference title game, he went 3 of 7 from the line. He was 1 of 5 before he sank two with 5:32 remaining to give the Terriers a five-point lead. Advertisement Filewich wasn't the only Wofford player to take something away from Barry's visit. Filewich has been the most obvious thanks to social media with his grip and underhand toss to the basket. 'It's obviously something that's atypical in today's day and age,' Perry said. 'But to Kyler's credit, he's been fully bought in, and I think it's allowed him to do what we wanted it to do, was to keep him being confident and aggressive on both sides of the floor.' Filewich's confidence is growing each time he practices shooting like Barry. 'I know I can make 'em,' Filewich said. 'I make them at a high clip in practice. It was great working with Rick Barry. I'm super thankful for him taking his time out to show me how it's done and kind of taking on the mindset of doing whatever it takes to win.' Advertisement ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
