Dylan Windler
August 23, 2024
Kyle Zunic
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 4/3/99
- Place of Birth: Wollongong (NSW)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 188
- Weight (KG): 91
- Junior Assoc: NSW - Illawarra
- College: Winthrop University (2017-2021)
- NBL DEBUT: 3/12/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 22
- LAST NBL GAME: 17/02/24
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Perth 2022-24
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Kyle Zunic was born in Wollongong (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Illawarra basketball program. Zunic received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2016. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2016, 2017).
FAMILY: Kyle’s brother, Edin Zunic also played 6 games in the NBL. His brother, Jordan, is a professional golfer.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Kyle Zunic made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 22 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.
After finishing second with a 25-11 record and being swept by Melbourne in the Grand Final, Perth underwent major changes with five-time championship coach Trevor Gleeson (to Toronto) leaving for the NBA. John Mooney (to Chiba), Will Magnay (to Tasmania), Clint Steindl (to Tasmania), Jarrad Weeks (to Tasmania), Jarred Bairstow (to Tasmania) and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (to Illawarra) also departed. Scott Morrison replaced Gleeson as coach, adding Vic Law (via Brisbane), Michael Frazier II (via Delaware) and Matthew Hodgson (via Brisbane), while Majok Majok returned after missing the previous season with an Achilles injury.
Zunic joined Perth on a two-year development-player deal after completing four years at Winthrop University, where he helped the Eagles reach the NCAA Tournament and led college basketball in charges taken. “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a pro,” Zunic said.
Injuries across Perth’s roster immediately created an opportunity, with Mitch Norton, Todd Blanchfield and Frazier II unavailable for the season opener against Adelaide at RAC Arena on December 3. Zunic (2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists) became the first development player in NBL history to start on debut as Perth defeated the 36ers 85-73, with Law (37 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) setting a Wildcats record for points on debut and Cotton (16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) providing support, while Daniel Johnson (22 points and 6 rebounds) led Adelaide.
Zunic (1.7 points across 16 games) initially received considerable playing time while Perth remained undermanned, starting the first three games of his NBL career before his opportunities decreased as the Wildcats’ regular rotation returned.
Zunic’s best game came against Cairns two days after his debut, where Zunic (13 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) played 21 minutes and helped Perth defeat the Taipans 90-67 at RAC Arena. Cotton (31 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Law (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks) led Perth, while Kouat Noi (17 points and 5 rebounds) was Cairns’ leading scorer as the Wildcats improved to 2-0.
Perth played its first five games at home before Western Australia’s border restrictions forced the Wildcats into 14 consecutive games on the road. Zunic did not miss any games through injury, but was unavailable against Adelaide on January 18 after contracting COVID-19 and not recovering in time. He returned to availability for the following game against Illawarra, although his minutes became increasingly limited as Norton’s return and Perth’s healthier backcourt reduced the opportunities available to its development players.
Zunic was then selected to make his senior Australian Boomers debut during the February FIBA World Cup qualifying window in Okinawa. With the NBL season continuing at the same time, he was unavailable for Perth’s games against South East Melbourne on February 26 and Tasmania on February 28 while starting all three games for Australia and averaging 10.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. His remaining non-appearances were development-player selection or DNP decisions rather than injury absences.
Perth returned to Western Australia sitting second with a 13-6 record and nine games remaining but won only three games during the run home. During that stretch, the Wildcats attempted to replace Frazier II (7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds across 19 games) with John Brown III (via UNICS Kazan), who had left Russia amid humanitarian concerns. Brown arrived in Perth and trained with the Wildcats, but complications involving his former club and the required FIBA clearance prevented him from being registered before the deadline, forcing Perth to return Frazier II to the active roster as Brown returned to the United States.
Cotton (22.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.5 steals across 28 games) and Law (20.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 26 games) led Perth’s offence as the Wildcats averaged a league-best 89.1 points per game, with both selected to the All-NBL First Team. Blanchfield (10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds across 23 games), Norton (9.6 points and 3.8 assists across 18 games), Travers (7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds across 27 games), Hodgson (6.9 points and 4.7 rebounds across 18 games), Wagstaff (6.2 points across 28 games) and Majok (5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds across 28 games) provided further support. Injuries to Norton, Blanchfield, Hodgson and Frazier II affected Perth’s depth during the season before Law suffered a right ankle syndesmosis injury against Cairns on April 16 and was ruled out for the remainder of the year.
Perth elevated Zunic to its main roster on a new two-year deal following the season after he made 16 appearances as a development player. “It was an amazing opportunity to come over and play as a development player and see my game grow throughout last season,” Zunic said.
With Law sidelined, Zunic was promoted into Perth’s 11-man lineup for the final two games but did not take the court in either. Perth entered its final game against South East Melbourne at RAC Arena on April 24 needing a win to reach the playoffs, with Cotton (28 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists) and Frazier II (22 points and 6 rebounds) leading the Wildcats, while Xavier Munford (24 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) led the Phoenix. South East Melbourne recovered from an eight-point deficit and won 102-100 in overtime, leaving Perth fifth with a 16-12 record and ending the Wildcats’ run of 35 consecutive finals appearances.
2022/23
After missing the playoffs for the first time in 35 years, Perth replaced Scott Morrison with John Rillie and added Corey Webster (free agent), TaShawn Thomas (via France) and Brady Manek (via North Carolina) to a returning group led by Bryce Cotton.
Kyle Zunic was elevated from development player to Perth’s main roster, signing a new two-year contract after making 19 appearances during his first season with the Wildcats.
The reserve guard appeared in the opening game against Brisbane, recording 1 assist and 1 steal in 3:42 as Perth recovered from 24 points behind to win 87-73.
Zunic (1.6 points across 14 games) played limited minutes behind Cotton, Mitchell Norton and Corey Webster, with the midseason addition of Tai Webster further strengthening Perth’s guard rotation. No injury was reported during the season.
His best game came against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on October 10, where Zunic (8 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists) played 10 minutes as Cotton (24 points and 7 rebounds), Todd Blanchfield (17 points) and Norton (16 points and 9 assists) led Perth to a 105-76 victory, while Keanu Pinder (18 points and 15 rebounds) led Cairns.
Zunic’s final appearance came during Perth’s Play-In Game against Cairns, where he played 27 seconds as DJ Hogg (32 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks), Bul Kuol (23 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Sam Waardenburg (15 points and 10 rebounds) led the Taipans to a 91-78 win.
2023/24
Zunic entered the final season of the two-year contract he signed when Perth elevated him from development-player status to the main roster in 2022. With Cotton, Tai Webster, Corey Webster and Michael Harris ahead of him in the backcourt, opportunities were limited.
Perth opened the season with a 101-95 win over Tasmania, although he did not take the court.
Zunic (0.8 points across 10 games) averaged just over two minutes per appearance. His only start came in his hometown of Wollongong against Illawarra on December 8 when Tai Webster was unavailable through illness, with Zunic grabbing 1 rebound in three minutes as the Hawks won 100-82.
His best game came in Perth’s regular-season finale against Tasmania, where Zunic finished with 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in five minutes as the JackJumpers won 86-72. Despite the limited court time, Zunic received Perth’s Coaches’ Award for the second consecutive season before the Wildcats decided not to offer him a contract for NBL25, ending his three-year stint with the club after 40 games.
Kyle Zunic played three seasons the Perth Wildcats. He averaged 1.4 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 40 NBL games.
HIGHLIGHTS:
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 25 | Perth | 17-11 (2) | 10 | 21.1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 20% | 1 | 4 | 25% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 32% | 25% | 5 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | Perth | 15-13 (6) | 14 | 50.5 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 35% | 2 | 9 | 22% | 6 | 9 | 67% | 45% | 40% | 8 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | Perth | 16-12 (5) | 16 | 161.7 | 27 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 35 | 29% | 3 | 23 | 13% | 7 | 12 | 58% | 33% | 33% | 13 | Totals | 40 | 233 | 57 | 28 | 20 | 8 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 65 | 29.2% | 6 | 36 | 16.7% | 16 | 26 | 61.5% | 37% | 34% | 15 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 25 | Perth | 17-11 (2) | 10 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 20% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 25% | 0.3 | 0.5 | 60% | 32% | 25% | 5 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | Perth | 15-13 (6) | 14 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 35% | 0.1 | 0.6 | 22% | 0.4 | 0.6 | 67% | 45% | 40% | 8 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | Perth | 16-12 (5) | 16 | 10.1 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 29% | 0.2 | 1.4 | 13% | 0.4 | 0.8 | 58% | 33% | 33% | 13 | Total | 40 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 29.2% | 0.0 | 16.7% | 0.2 | 0.9 | 61.5% | 37% | 34% | 15 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 15 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- BA CoE (2016-2017), Sunshine Coast (2021), Warwick (2022), Northside (2023), Keilor (2024)
Zunic joined the BA Centre of Excellence for the 2016 SEABL season and began his Australian state league career in Canberra, averaging 8.0 points in his first season before returning in 2017 and lifting that figure to 16.3 points per game across his second SEABL campaign with the Centre of Excellence.
Zunic joined USC Rip City in June 2021 for the NBL1 North season and in 12 games to finish the year he averaged 12.91 points, 6.33 rebounds, 5.08 assists and 1.16 steals per game. He scored 22 points in his debut for Rip City, was part of the team that advanced through the NBL1 North quarter-finals and into the Grand Final Series, and his season also included the club’s Men’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Zunic joined the Warwick Senators for the 2022 NBL1 West season and in 18 games he averaged 17.78 points, 4.78 rebounds, 4.28 assists and 1.56 steals per game. His year included a 24-point, nine-rebound, four-assist outing, Warwick finished the regular season in fifth place at 14-8, and the Senators reached the preliminary final where he had nine points and four assists in the loss to Rockingham.
Zunic joined the Northside Wizards for the 2023 NBL1 North season and in 14 games he averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.43 steals per game. His best scoring game of the season was 32 points with six assists and four rebounds against Rockhampton, he also produced 14 points, 15 assists, five rebounds and five steals in a win over Ipswich, and Northside advanced to the semi-finals against the eventual champion Gold Coast Rollers.
On 21 March 2024, Zunic signed with Keilor Thunder for the 2024 NBL1 South season and in 18 games he averaged 18.22 points, 6.11 rebounds, 6.11 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He served as team captain, opened the season with 27 points, four rebounds and four assists while going 15-of-16 at the foul line, and later posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals in a win over North West Tasmania.
Zunic’s 2024 Keilor season also featured 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds against Bendigo, 11 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in another win over Bendigo, and a stretch in which Keilor moved into the top-eight finals places late in the NBL1 South season.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Zunic was a part of U19 Australian Emus squad which participated in the 2016 Oceania Qualifiers.
Represented Australia at the junior level and at the World University Games in 2019.
COLLEGE
Kyle Zunic played four NCAA seasons at Winthrop University from 2017–18 to 2020–21, appearing in 113 games with 59 starts and carving out a role as a defence-first guard who consistently impacted winning beyond the box score.
Across his Winthrop career, Zunic averaged 6.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field, and he finished with 73 steals while being credited as the NCAA’s charges-taken leader during his time with the Eagles.
As a freshman in 2017–18, Zunic played 26 games (nine starts) and averaged 6.8 points in 18.8 minutes per game, shooting 37.2% from three as he settled into Winthrop’s perimeter rotation.
He expanded his impact as a sophomore in 2018–19, playing 30 games (18 starts) and posting career-best season averages of 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while continuing to provide secondary playmaking at 1.9 assists per night.
In 2019–20, Zunic was named to the Big South All-Academic Team and produced several defining moments during Winthrop’s conference-tournament run, including a career-high nine assists against UNC Asheville on February 1, then six points and eight rebounds in the Big South title win over Hampton as the Eagles secured the automatic bid.
As a senior in 2020–21, Zunic made a career-high 24 starts in 25 games and helped Winthrop win the Big South tournament again to reach the NCAA Tournament, with the Eagles’ title-game win over Campbell featuring an early made three from Zunic as Winthrop controlled the championship.
Winthrop’s 2021 NCAA Tournament campaign ended in the first round against Villanova, where Zunic logged 19 minutes and scored eight points, closing his college career with a résumé that also included the “42 wins in his last 47 games” note cited in multiple reports during his final stretch at Winthrop.
Related
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