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Somto Cyril goes by the nickname “Baby Shaq” because of his size, frame and outgoing personality. Oh yeah, he’s also known for shattering a few backboards like Shaquille O'Neal. Originally from Nigeria, Cyril arrived in the United States in 2021, and he immediately felt at home in America. “It’s pretty cool,” Cyril told On3’s Joe Tipton. “It’s almost the same as Nigeria. The difference is just the food. I think we (Nigeria) have the best food in the world. Once you try it, you’re going to love it.” Cyril played his sophomore season at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and he also made a name for himself playing EAB Tennessee on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. Cyril decided to play in the Overtime Elite League for the 2022-2023 season, forgoing a scholarship in order to maintain his college eligibility. “When I first started playing, I didn’t know how to put the ball in the basket,” Cyril told On3. “My coach told me, ‘even if you can’t score, you can still stop the other team from scoring.’ So that’s the mindset I have. I block shots and get rebounds for my teammates. I don’t have to score. I just want to win the game.”

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Overtime Elite

Somto Cyril

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Georgia Bulldogs

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As Hall of Fame college basketball coach Al McGuire once stated, “The best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.”  Earlier this

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On3 Basketball

Second-Year Surge: 14 returning college basketball players primed for a breakout 2025-26 season

Somto Cyril will be one of the familiar names on Georgia's basketball team this season. Cyril returns for his sophomore season with a new role, a new

DawgsHQ Basketball

DawgsHQ

Somto Cyril turns page in growth and trusting Georgia's process

As Somto Cyril approaches his second year with the Georgia basketball team, changes have apparently been made.  At 6-foot-11 and 260 pounds, the

Somto Cyril appears to be making positive steps as a sophomore. 

UGASports

Somto Cyril taking needed steps

Once upon a time, Somto Cyril was set to join the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington this season. The former four-star recruit was one of six signees in

Nov 19, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs center Somto Cyril (6) dunks against the Alabama A&amp;M Bulldogs during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

KSR Basketball

Somto Cyril was once a Cat -- now he's taking on Kentucky

The 2025 NBA Draft has been anticipated for quite some time now, with a talented pool of players available. Now through one month of the college

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On3 NBA Draft

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2025 NBA Draft Board 1.0: Ranking Top 75 prospects, others to watch

Star center Somto Cyril has withdrawn his name from the 2024 NBA Draft. Instead, he will play for the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2024-25 season, per CBS

Somto Cyril Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs Basketball

Somto Cyril withdraws from 2024 NBA Draft, will play for Georgia in 2024-25 season

It's been an interesting few weeks for Somto Cyril, 2024 product of Overtime Elite and one-time member of John Calipari's recruiting class at

DawgsHQ Basketball Recruiting

Somto Cyril shares on commitment to Georgia, declaring for NBA Draft

Kentucky fans will get to watch Somto Cyril play next year after all. The former Wildcat signee was released from his National Letter of Intenet

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KSR Basketball Recruiting

Former Kentucky Signee Somto Cyril Commits to Georgia

Georgia Basketball has a second commitment in the Class of 2024, and its another top-50 player in the country. Four-star center Somto Cyril,

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Georgia adds elite big man, former Kentucky commit Somto Cyril to Class of 2024

Somto Cyril, a four-star center out of Overtime Elite in the 2024 class, has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs.  Cyril was officially released from

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Georgia Bulldogs Basketball Recruiting

Top-50 C Somto Cyril, former Kentucky signee, commits to Georgia

When John Calipari left Kentucky for Arkansas, five of the six class of 2024 commitments he had locked in with the Wildcats opted to reopen their

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Kentucky decommit Somto Cyril reportedly on official visit to Georgia

Somto Cyril, a four-star center in the 2024 class, has officially been released from his National Letter of Intent to Kentucky and will reopen his

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Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Recruiting

Kentucky

Kentucky 4-star C signee Somto Cyril receives NLI release from Wildcats

This summer, John Calipari will once again bring to Lexington one of the best high school recruiting classes in the country. This year's six-man

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Jayden Quaintance hopes to improve Kentucky's defense alongside Somto Cyril

[Ed. Note: This article is from KSR+, KSR’s premium sister site. We’ve unlocked it to give you an idea of the content on KSR+. For more bonus

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KSR+ Basketball Recruiting

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How the Rest of Kentucky Basketball's 2024 Recruiting Class Could Unfold

Indianapolis, Indiana - The Overtime Elite program joined with Adidas to bring the final regular season game of the OTE season to Broad Ripple High

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Rivals Basketball Recruiting

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Top Performers: Day 2 OTE Elite Indianapolis

'An Absolute Monster': Return of Kentucky Signee Somto Cyril Looms Large at OTE

Kentucky almost had all of its commits nominated for the 2024 McDonald's All-American Game. However, one player was not eligible for the game.

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All of Kentucky's Commits Nominated for 2024 McDonald's All-American Game Except for Somto Cyril (Due to Post Grad Status)

To state the obvious, Kentucky commit Somto Cyril is a very large human being. The four-star center is listed at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds. He does not

Somto Cyril is a BEAST (but please don't hurt yourself, big guy)

It's going to be a busy weekend for Kentucky basketball recruits with several prospects playing in high-profile matchups. KSR will have boots on the

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Travis Perry, Somto Cyril and Kentucky's top targets in action on big recruiting weekend

It’s been a monster week in recruiting for Kentucky basketball and football. The early signing period has come and gone in basketball, bringing with

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Recapping a Monster Week for Kentucky Basketball and Football Recruiting 

The Fall Signing Period ended yesterday, and with it, pledges from Kentucky's four commitments became official. This afternoon, Kentucky sent out a

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John Calipari announces Kentucky's 2024 Fall Signing Class

Kentucky's eight-man recruiting class closed as the nation's best this past cycle. And the on-court results have been nothing short of promising,

Jayden Quaintance

Quaintance a 'prodigy,' Fland to have 'keys to the Lamborghini' -- "Very, very, very good group"

Kentucky is off to a hot start in the 2024 recruiting class. Despite a couple of early misses, UK has rebounded in a big way, especially with Jayden

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Best and Worst Case for Kentucky Basketball's 2024 Recruiting Class

Somto Cyril put pen to paper to open the early signing period, making his commitment to Kentucky official. The four-star center out of Nigeria

PIC - National Signing Day - HS -31

Somto Cyril on signing with Kentucky: "It's a feeling I can't really explain."

Not long after Boogie Fland signed his National Letter of Intent with the Kentucky Wildcats, Somto Cyril joined his future teammate by doing the