Kyle Matthew Kuric (born August 25, 1989) is an American-Slovak professional basketball player from Evansville, Indiana. A standout at Reitz Memorial High School and the University of Louisville, Kuric has gone on to a lengthy professional career in Europe, including five seasons with FC Barcelona.
Evansville and Reitz Memorial High School
Kuric grew up in Evansville and attended Reitz Memorial High School, where he became one of the city’s top high school basketball players.
As a senior in 2007–08, Kuric averaged 20.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, along with 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. He helped lead Memorial to its first sectional championship in 12 years, with the Tigers spending part of the season ranked No. 1 in Indiana Class 3A.
Kuric was named the 2008 Evansville Courier & Press All-Metro Player of the Year, earned Second-Team Associated Press All-State honors and was selected to the Indiana All-Star team.
He graduated from Memorial in 2008 and continued his basketball career at the University of Louisville.
University of Louisville
Kuric played for coach Rick Pitino at Louisville from 2008 to 2012.
He became a fan favorite during his sophomore season when he came off the bench in the final game ever played by Louisville at historic Freedom Hall. Against No. 1-ranked Syracuse, Kuric scored 22 points in the second half to help Louisville pull off the upset.
Kuric developed into a starter and team captain and helped Louisville win the 2012 Big East Tournament championship. The Cardinals advanced to the 2012 NCAA Final Four, where they lost to eventual national champion Kentucky.
He finished his Louisville career with more than 1,000 points and became particularly known for his three-point shooting and athletic dunks.
Professional Career
After graduating from Louisville in 2012, Kuric began his professional career in Spain with Estudiantes Madrid.
He later played for Gran Canaria, where he established himself as one of the top shooters in European basketball. Kuric helped Gran Canaria reach the EuroCup Finals and earned multiple All-EuroCup honors during his European career.
He joined Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2017 before signing with European powerhouse FC Barcelona in 2018.
Kuric spent five seasons with Barcelona from 2018 to 2023. During that period, Barcelona won the Spanish League championship twice and multiple Spanish Cups, while also competing regularly for the EuroLeague championship.
Kuric became one of Europe’s most accurate three-point shooters. During the 2020–21 EuroLeague season, he shot 56.2 percent from three-point range and 96.1 percent from the free-throw line.
After leaving Barcelona, Kuric returned to Zenit Saint Petersburg before returning to Spain to play for MoraBanc Andorra.
As of the 2025–26 season, Kuric remains an active professional player with Andorra in Spain’s Liga ACB.
Health Scare and Comeback
Kuric’s career nearly ended in 2015 when doctors discovered a brain tumor while he was playing for Gran Canaria.
He underwent surgery to remove the tumor and required additional operations after developing complications and swelling in his brain.
Kuric eventually recovered and made a remarkable return to professional basketball. He later resumed his career at the highest levels of European basketball, eventually joining Barcelona and competing in the EuroLeague.
His recovery and return to professional basketball became one of the defining stories of his career.
Legacy
From Reitz Memorial High School to Louisville and some of Europe’s biggest basketball clubs, Kuric has built one of the most accomplished international basketball careers of any player from Evansville.
He has won championships in Spain, earned multiple All-EuroCup selections and played hundreds of games in Spain’s top professional league.
Kuric’s combination of his Evansville roots, success at Memorial, NCAA Final Four appearance, recovery from brain surgery and lengthy European career places him among the more accomplished basketball players produced by the Evansville area.