Men's basketball forward Collin Kuhl was destined to be a Division I basketball player.

Not only did his dad, Jimmy, play four years at Stetson from 1985-88, but his uncles also played at the DI level. His uncle Ed played at Penn from 1976-79 and another uncle, Don, played at Florida State from 1976-81.
 

Kuhl didn't pick up basketball until seventh grade, but his dad's basketball and coaching background allowed for an easy adjustment once Collin got his feet under him.

Having his dad, who averaged 8.5 points and grabbed over 500 rebounds during his time with the Hatters, and his uncles sharing the basketball history, it was easy for Collin to turn to them to learn about the sport.

"I played soccer and swam in middle school, but once I grew and realized my dad and uncles played college basketball, the decision to play was easy," Kuhl said. "It was almost destiny. I learned all the fundamentals, and when he coached the middle school team near me, I would be around those games and practices in the gym. I was always around basketball growing up."
 

Standing at just six feet tall as a freshman, a growth spurt to 6'8 allowed Kuhl to use his size to his advantage. He took off at Holly Springs High School, averaging 18 and 12 as a junior and 20.2 and 11 as a senior en route to several honors, including SWAC Player of the Year.

"That [growth spurt] took my game to a whole different level," he said. "It opened my eyes and made me realize that I'm fit for this game. As long as I worked hard, I knew I could go far in basketball. That was my turning point with the sport."

Collin may not even be the most athletic amongst the Kuhl children, as his sister, Quinn, would likely argue for her case as a member of the Clemson gymnastics team, which began competing in its first season in 2023-24.

According to him, life was pretty crazy in his household growing up.

"Growing up, it was always competitive. [Quinn and I] were always trying to win and be better than each other," he said. "We pushed each other a lot. It was always about competition, and our house had a lot of competitive spirit."

As he moved on from the high school level, he committed to Georgia Southern under the previous coaching regime. However, he stuck to his commitment through the transition to Charlie Henry as the two were in contact throughout the process, in addition to remaining in contact with Chris Shumate.

"The whole transition was kind of crazy, but Coach Shumate sticking around was a big part of me staying," he said. "He recruited me, and I liked the thought of working with him. I connected with Coach Charlie a lot over the phone as well, and I loved the vision that he had for me, and what he had in mind for the team going forward."

Kuhl was thrown into the fire at the college level right away. Against in-state ACC opponent Georgia Tech in the season opener, Kuhl played 19 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing five rebounds, going 2-2 from the line and 2-3 from the field.

The young forward had some nerves going into that first game on a big stage, but getting in there right away and exchanging minutes with fellow freshman Avantae Parker allowed Kuhl to settle in.

"There were always going to be jitters in that first game going from playing in a small high school gym to downtown Atlanta," Kuhl said. "It took me a while to settle in, but once I got out there, I got comfortable. It was an awesome experience."

Some strong efforts off the bench followed, as the forward scored at least four points and grabbed at least three rebounds in each of his first four college games, which reinforced the work he put in.

Efforts such as his career-high of seven points at Jacksonville (Nov. 14) or his first-career start against Northeastern in front of family at East Carolina (Nov. 21) allowed him to gain more confidence in his abilities.

From being such a dominant player in high school as a forward, the transition to the speed of the game is always going to be tough, and Kuhl found that to be true early on.

"The game is ten times faster, and the size of the players is ten times bigger," he said. "I'm not able to go out there and play bully ball like [I did in high school]. I have to use my footwork, my skill, and all my other abilities to be successful out there."

Kuhl has had a stop-and-start season at times, dealing with both a back injury and a concussion that sidelined him for a combined five games, including national stages at Michigan State and Tennessee. However, those experiences allowed him to take in the game from the sidelines.

The Kuhl family has found themselves pretty busy lately with Collin playing down the stretch for the Eagles and Quinn amid her gymnastics campaign, which Collin hopes to go check out once the season completes.
 

"It's crazy right now, and my parents have found themselves busy this month," he said. "Quinn and I always talk before games, always wish each other luck, and I hope to go see one of her meets this season."

The forward has strung together a pair of good performances in a row on the road, scoring six points in back-to-back games at Coastal Carolina and James Madison. He also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds against the Chanticleers in front of his family.

While foul trouble has kept him from extending his performances any further, he's found the preparation that goes into these games to be the biggest lesson learned throughout this year. 

"You have to be ready three days in advance [for these games]," he said. "Taking care of your body is important, which is something I learned after I got back from my injuries. I got banged up early in the season, and these last few games have taught me how to take care of my body."

As the season pulls into its final four games, Kuhl is going to leave it all out there, much like his family members before him, as the team looks to use the four-game homestand to build some momentum heading into the conference tournament.