Prospect Spotlight: Kyle Cabs (2018)
Kyle Cabs doesn’t hesitate when asked about his biggest strength as a basketball player.
“Defense,” Cabs said. “I think I’m a defensive guru. I guard the No. 1 player on every team. My difference is my defense.”
The 6-foot-5 Cabs, ranked No. 35 in the state’s 2018 class by Prep Hoops Colorado, displayed during an impactful junior season at Smoky Hill an innate ability to affect the game defensively. We saw Cabs lock horns with opposing point guards. He was largely responsible for limiting Colbey Ross, the two-time Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year, to 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting in a Smoky Hill win last winter.
Cabs has demonstrated an ability to lock down ball-handlers and chase down shooters. And while he’s quick and swift enough to contain offense on the perimeter, he’s also athletic and strong enough to take assignments against taller forwards, as he did multiple times last season.
In short, if Smoky Hill needed to shut a player down, Cabs was often up to the task.
Now, Cabs is eager to show his skills defensively, as well as an improving offensive arsenal, to college coaches. He’s been a big part of a Colorado Hawks 17U Prospects team that already has won a tournament title (Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off), made it to the title game in another (Adidas Prospect Series) and reached the semifinals in another (Top of the Rockies).
“It’s real fun,” Cabs said. “Everybody can ball and we’re all athletic. It’s kind of new because we all come from different schools. Learning the new aspects of teammates and bringing it all together has been a lot of fun. When we put it all together it’s kind of hard to beat us.”
Cabs said he has been putting in as much work as he has at any time this summer. He’s displayed more touch on his mid- to long-range jump shot, and he’s been more aggressive attacking downhill. The defense, meanwhile, has remained constant. As to his recruiting, Cabs said, “I’ve had a couple of letters from a couple schools, but that’s pretty much it.”
He believes he’s ready to draw more attention.
“I think this is a real big spring and summer for me,” Cabs said. “I’m kind of an underdog in the state. Nobody really knows my name. I’ve just got to go out and make a name for myself. In these tournaments, I’ve got to do everything I can to go out and get a fire started.”