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Former Garces player now starring overseas

Q & A after first pro basketball season in Finland

The Bakersfield Californian | Monday, Jul 7 2008 11:19 PM

Last Updated: Tuesday, Jul 8 2008 7:29 AM

Kyle Shiloh has certainly taken care of business. Following successful four-year basketball careers at Garces High School and the University of Nevada, Shiloh returned to Bakersfield recently having completed his first year of pro ball in Finland.

He was a four-year varsity player for Garces during a period of basketball success that was unprecedented at the school, capped by a senior season in which the Rams advanced to the state semifinals.

Following his stellar senior high school career, Shiloh embarked on a solid four-year career with the highly successful Nevada program. During his time in Reno, the Wolf Pack were 106-27.

Shiloh averaged nearly 10 points per game as a Nevada senior in 2006-07, helping the Wolfpack go 2-1 in NCAA tournament play.

Shiloh also took care of business in the classroom, earning a degree in communications, as well as a minor in health ecology.

The Californian caught up with Shiloh recently for a Q and A:

How did you wind up playing pro ball in, of all places, Finland?

My agent ended up getting me the job in Finland through one of his European contacts. I had other jobs and possibilities but this seemed like the best opportunity for what I wanted to do for my first year.

My (Finland) coach and general managers obviously scouted me (watched game tape, made phone calls, etc.) and brought me out there for a workout, all expenses paid. After that, we started contract negotiations and they signed me for the year.

The team name was Korihait and there are about 12 teams in that particular Finnish league.

Tell us about your first visit to Finland.

My first visit to Finland was in the capital, Helsinki. It's about a 3-hour drive from the town that I was playing in but me and my coach stayed the night in Helsinki when I landed for a press conference.

If I could compare Helsinki to any city in the states I would compare it to a big city such as Los Angeles or Atlanta. Plenty of stuff to do and things to see. The next morning we drove to the city I was playing in, Uusikaupunki; it was much different and much smaller.

The one thing that struck me about the place was how accepting the people there were. I didn't expect them to be so welcoming but I guess you can say they are used to Americans coming and going. I got there in August, so for the first two months I was there the weather was fairly warm. And pretty much for the rest of my time there after September, I was wearing coats and layers of clothes because of how cold it was.

How would you compare the level of basketball there to NCAA Division I?

The level of basketball compared to NCAA Division I was much more intense because of the fact that I was playing with much older, stronger and more experienced men.

I think one of the reasons why it was more intense is because guys were playing to keep a job rather than to get a job. I was one of the youngest Americans playing in that country by far. In terms of talent concerning basketball in different countries, Finland would be what a mid-major college is to NCAA basketball much like what Nevada was when I got there.

Tell us how you did in your first year of pro ball.

Last year in Finland I ended up averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. My best game was 36 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. But the reason it was such a good game for me was because I only had 9 points toward the end of the third quarter because of foul trouble and (then) ended with that.

What are the Finnish crowds like? Are they passionate about their basketball? How many go to the games?

The Finnish crowds were very hostile most of the time. And the bad thing about that for Americans is that most young Finnish people speak good English, so it was easy for them to heckle me and I understood everything.

But considering the fact that basketball is not the No. 1 sport in Finland, they are (still) extremely passionate about it. They don't get crowds like I was getting at Nevada, which can be looked at as a good and bad thing, because at times it felt like the (NCAA) fans were right on top of you during the games.

Were you recognized away from the basketball court?

I was always recognized. This (would be the case) even if I didn't play basketball because it's so easy to pick out an American in Europe. It got a lot worse when me and one of my teammates had a big article in a popular Finnish paper during the beginning of the season because at that time we were two of the top players in the country.

Any hopes/dreams of the NBA? Is the L.A. Summer league a possibility? What are your plans this summer?

Every professional player wants to play in the NBA at one time in their career but if it doesn't happen, then I would be fine with making my money overseas. Of course my career wouldn't be as long if I stayed in Europe but the chances of getting on a team will get better every year.

My agent is talking to different teams about the possibility of playing for their summer league teams but that all comes down to playing time and other things.

Care to tell us how much a basketball player in Finland makes?

I made good money in Finland but the thing that's so attractive about Europe and keeps guys going back is that all that money is tax free, unlike the money made in the NBA here in the states.

What did you do in your spare time there?

I spent a lot of time on the computer talking to family back home, hanging out with other Americans and working out during my spare time. During the weekends I would say that it's pretty much the same as in the states as far as clubs, bars, etc. but I would also say that it's a lot more wild than what we see in the states.

Where did you live during the season and what was that like?

I was living in a apartment that the team gave me for the year. The living conditions weren't too bad but I wouldn't go as far to say it was a "luxury" apartment. The town size usually has a lot to do with the quality of living in Europe.

How about food — can you get good stuff in Finland? What were some new things you tried and liked — and also didn't like?

The food in Finland was actually pretty good. They pretty much had substitutes for things we have here like In-N-Out. They had McDonald's in pretty much every city and pizza parlors were very common also. All the food was similar to what we have here but cooked and seasoned different.

The meat they use was what I could not get used to because they use a lot of lamb and different types of meat for a lot of stuff. So I didn't eat too much my first month there. Because of that I started to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, which I still do now.

How big and strong are you now?

(6-foot-3, 200 pounds) There's not that much of a difference in my weight from when I was in college. I might have put on about 5 pounds since my senior year. But my strength has improved a lot. I've noticed it getting a lot better as I get older.

Who was the best player you ever guarded in college?

The best player I ever played in college was Ben Gordon when we played UConn in the pre-season NIT -- hands down. Even though I was a freshman, I guarded him for the majority of the game and he dropped over 30 points on me with a good percent of his shots contested. The crowd even started chanting his name. Gave me a perspective on things.

Have you seen (All-Area player of the year) Stephon Carter play for Garces? Any thoughts?

I have seen Stephon Carter play but I haven't seen him play while he's been at Garces. I'm planning to go to one of his summer league games though.

My thoughts on him are that he's very mature for his age and stage in his life, more mature than I was at that age. For example, he already weighs around 190 and is about as tall as I am right now.

When I was in high school, I was only about 6-1, 165 pounds. I'm 6-3, 200 pounds now. So I think he has a very promising future if he continues to work on his game and strength.