Armein Kirkland

VISITED ON SEPT 21ST
VERBALLED ON OCT 2, 2001
SIGNED ON NOV 14TH, 2001

03/12/04: "Huggins has said Kirkland has the most potential of any player he has had in more than 20 years as a head coach." - CincyPost.com

12/23/03: "Late in a game earlier this month, Armein Kirkland showed his promise and his problem all at once. The University of Cincinnati had a 14-point lead when Valparaiso called a timeout with 1:38 remaining in the Bearcats' Dec. 2 road game. Burning seconds off the clock was the key to preserving the victory -- especially in a road game -- and the UC coaches specifically instructed the players to try to score only if they had an opportunity to shoot free throws or a layup. But after UC forward Jason Maxiell made a free throw out of the timeout and the visiting team regained possession with 1:27 left, the Bearcats burned just 13 seconds off the clock because Kirkland fired up, of all shots, a three-pointer. He did swish it. But associate head coach Dan Peters was furious, and he turned to head coach Bob Huggins as the ball fell through the net and yelled: "Get him out of there, Bob!" And he did.

Promise: It is nice to have a 6-foot-8 guy who is versatile enough to drain three-pointers.

Problem: Kirkland did not listen to instructions.

No player's potential excites Huggins and his staff more than Kirkland's. After improving his jump shot and increasing his bench press maximum to more than 300 pounds during the offseason, the athletic sophomore can now "legitimately" play every position, Huggins said. But no player frustrates Huggins and his staff more than Kirkland, who has been starting at small forward. "He could be a special player, but he has to do a better job of taking advantage of his abilities," said Huggins, whose 14th-ranked and unbeaten Bearcats face 23rd-ranked and unbeaten Dayton tonight at Shoemaker Center. "He's going to have to conform and do what he's asked to do. Armein has just got to become more like a sponge -- he's got to soak up everything."

Learning to conform to the team concept, Huggins said, starts with learning to listen. It is the main reason why Kirkland has not yet gotten going consistently this season, averaging seven points and 2.2 rebounds, the latter of which frustrates Huggins because he says it is about effort, not ability.

But Huggins keeps working with Kirkland, and the coach believes that the player is making some progress. Huggins spent 20 minutes talking with Kirkland on a side court following Monday's practice, two days after Kirkland scored a season-high 12 points in the win against Middle Tennessee State. Kirkland said that, among some playing tips, Huggins talked to him about the importance of consistently working hard and listening to instructions. "He's paying attention more than he ever did," Huggins said a few minutes after his discussion with Kirkland.

Huggins said there is no doubt that Kirkland has made dramatic improvements from last season. The perfect example of Kirkland not conforming occurred in the locker room before UC's game at Saint Louis in January. Peters was going over the scouting report one last time, writing information on a chalkboard. When Peters turned around, he noticed that every player was paying attention. Well, except one. Kirkland was sitting off to the side, clipping his fingernails.

Peters asked Kirkland to put his grooming on hold. "I wasn't really paying attention," Kirkland said. "I was listening to him, but I was just cutting my fingernails. It was my freshman year. I didn't know what they expected me to do and what not to do. It was a learning process. Now I know what's appropriate and what's not."

Kirkland also now knows that it is ill-advised to fire up a three-pointer when his team is trying to protect a late-game lead. He learned a lesson at Valpo. "I didn't even know that (Peters) said, 'Don't shoot the ball,' " said Kirkland, who was wide open when he took the shot. "I just shot the ball like everybody would, and he took me out. I was like, 'Why did you take me out?' I wasn't trying to be defiant or anything. I just didn't hear him."

When Kirkland starts listening all of the time, the coaches say, they will be able to turn him loose. "He can play every phase of the game," Peters said. "He's just got to put it all together."

Huggins said of Kirkland: "He could be the most versatile guy we've ever had here. I've never had anybody who could do everything that this guy can do. -- You know, (former UC All-America big man) Kenyon Martin couldn't play every position, but Kenyon knew every position. And that's part of what made Kenyon so great, because he knew what everybody was doing on the floor at all times, even though he was never going to be a point (guard), a (shooting guard) or probably a (small forward). "Well, Armein can (play all of those positions), but Armein has no idea what everybody else does." - Cincy Post


07/08/03: "As the summer buzz around the University of Cincinnati basketball team remains focused on its promising recruiting class, Armein Kirkland keeps plugging away - with 200 shots a day - at creating his own noise next year. The current talk is how transfers James White, Robert Whaley and Nick Williams - rated in the top 10 in the nation - will piece together last year's 17-12 Bearcats. But Kirkland, who came off the bench for the Bearcats last year, talks about where he'll fit into this year's team.

A starting spot? "Yeah, definitely. I see myself filling (Leonard) Stokes' role at small forward," said Kirkland. "I think I'll contribute a lot more this year." Stokes was the Bearcats' leading scorer last year as a senior.

As a freshman, Kirkland averaged 3.4 points and two rebounds in 9.2 minutes off the bench. He ended the season with 18 points in UC's last home game, and grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots in the NCAA West Regional against Gonzaga.

He's working to improve those marks by perfecting his jump shot both in and outside of the Deveroes Summer League at Oak Hills High School. "I'm just a real streaky shooter, so I have to get more consistent," Kirkland said.

He didn't get much practice at Tuesday's Deveroes game. Kirkland, a sophomore from Tyler, Texas, seemed to be taking it easy, but still scored in double digits for Harmon, Davis & Associates (3-3). Kirkland's teammates included Xavier's Will Caudle and Keith Jackson. The team lost 92-84 to Mike Albert Leasing (3-3), which was led by Dayton's Ramod Marshall and D.J. Stelly.

Kirkland wasn't concerned by his lack of offensive output at Oak Hills. He uses the games for defensive practice. "Offensively, we'll never have a flow because we don't practice with each other. We never see each other; but on defense, all you need is one man," Kirkland said. "It's just you and your man, so that's what I focus on, becoming a better on-the-ball defender.

"I come up here and try to get the shots off, but it's hard to . . . It's hard to get into any kind of rhythm because you might touch the ball twice in a row, but then not touch it again the next five or six times down the floor."

That's where his 200 shots and two-hour practices every day at UC come in. He's also in the weight room, trying to add muscle mass to his 6-foot-8, 195-pound frame. Despite eating hamburgers, french fries and chips four times a day, gaining weight is a challenge for Kirkland.The meals, workouts and jump shots happen all in the name of a starting position - the same position White could have his eyes on. White, a transfer from Florida, averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds off the Gators bench in 2001-02. "(White's) really a good, athletic player," said junior Jason Maxiell, who returns as the Bearcats' starting power forward. "(The recruits) are a very talented team, but they need some work."

White, at 6-foot-7, and Kirkland are both perimeter players and could fight for the small-forward position or see time together if Cincinnati opts for a bigger lineup. White did not play in Tuesday's game, but Kirkland and other UC players have seen him work at practices. "He's just another force that we'll have," Kirkland said.

Kirkland and White are slated to face each other when Harmon, Davis & Associates takes on the Slats (1-5) at 6:30 p.m. today at Oak Hills." - Enquirer.com


12/11/02: "Armein Kirkland likes to control things.
The University of Cincinnati freshman loves to operate remote-controlled cars, and he walked out of Shoemaker Center's doors on Tuesday evening operating a mini-dune buggy. He also loves to play point guard.

If Kirkland keeps busting his tail and improving, he'll have a lot of control over his playing time, because head coach Bob Huggins is searching for someone to step up. Right now, the 6-foot-8 guard is the leading candidate to do that after giving the Bearcats (3-2) a second-half spark in last Saturday's six-point loss to Xavier.

"If there was a ray of hope," Huggins said, "I think he was a ray of hope."

Kirk-land particularly shined on offense, where UC has been stuck in the dark. Kirkland only shot 2-of-9 from the field, but he did some things that have the coaches excited about the Bearcats' chances of turning away from their woeful offensive start. (They are scoring just 64.6 points per game and shooting 38.3 percent from the field.)

Facing XU's David West, Kirkland went right at the 6-9 national player of the year candidate soon after entering the game. He took West, a power forward, off the dribble and drained a 15-foot jumper only seconds after entering. He was active without the ball, too, swooping in to tally two offensive rebounds, one of which he put back for a layup.

Then, a few minutes later, Kirkland showed off yet another one of his skills -- passing. He lofted a perfectly placed alley-oop pass that Jason Maxiell dunked. It was one of Kirkland's team-high three assists.

To do all that in just 13 minutes -- a career high -- lends some understanding as to why the coaches have been speaking highly of Kirkland ever since he was able to start practicing in early November after suffering a broken jaw in October. How highly?

"He could be one of the all-time best players here with his size," associate head coach Dan Peters said.

Kirkland had worked some at point guard during preseason practices. It is what he claims is his "natural" position, having played point guard his last two seasons at Robert E. Lee High in Tyler, Texas. But, for now, the coaches want to keep Kirkland on the wing.

Huggins sees the Bearcats being able to do so much offensively with Kirkland out there. Against Xavier, UC basically had a four-guard lineup when Kirkland was playing. Huggins said that if Kirkland, who is a solid perimeter shooter, could have made a couple more of his shots, XU likely would have had to make changes.

"It forces them to substitute," Huggins said. "(It would) make them smaller. It changes the game a bunch.

"He just gives us another dimension because he can lay it on the deck and he can shoot it."

And rebound it. And block shots. By the way, Kirkland also snatched five rebounds and had his team's only block against Xavier. That was big, too, because it was one of West's shots. And West picked up his third personal foul as he scrapped with Maxiell for the loose ball. (West had to go to the bench for a while.)

That helped put the UC coaches somewhat at ease, because defense is among the few concerns they have when Kirkland is in the game. For all the headaches he creates for a defense, the downside is the other side of the floor.

"At the other end," Peters said, "you're going to have matchup problems."

Since Kirkland, who weighs around 190 pounds, is an aberration at this level, he could have difficulty defending a conventional college player of his height. That is one of the reasons why Huggins decided the Bearcats needed to be in a 2-3 zone, because Kirkland likely would have struggled in a man-to-man vs. West.

On the other hand, Kirkland could struggle against, say, a smaller, quicker guard. But Huggins indicated that he is willing to adjust to keep Kirkland on the floor for offense.

Kirkland is fine with that. He just wants to help UC climb out of the offensive doldrums. "I'm not trying to be the leading scorer," he said. "We need confidence within ourselves more than anything. Everybody knows we can (play), but our chemistry needs to come together." - CincyPost.com

11/9/02: "Arrash Kirkland was pleased to hear that the University of Cincinnati basketball coaches are considering his younger brother at point guard. "Golly," Kirkland said, "all that dribbling paid off." That was pretty much the extent of Armein Kirkland's game growing up in Tyler, Texas. He'd just go out to the driveway court and "dribble, dribble, dribble," his brother said, all but ignoring the hoop hanging overhead. Armein would go with Arrash and his buddies to play at a local rec center. All he'd mostly do was dribble, dribble, dribble.

Armein was groomed as a football player — what Texas kid isn't? — and pitcher on the youth teams. He didn't play on a basketball team until he was in eighth grade. Nowadays, that's usually pretty late if you plan to be any good. But Kirkland reflects on that as being crucial to helping him to be where he is now. See, Kirkland is 6 feet 8, about six to eight inches taller than most of the point-guard population. And having not been tainted by some ill-advised youth coach, he got to play on the perimeter throughout high school, the point his last two years at Robert E. Lee High.

Now, UC coaches envision the freshman potentially pushing for the starting point guard job when his broken jaw completely heals and he's able to go all-out in what they hope will be a few weeks. Taron Barker is slotted as Steve Logan's replacement at point, but how the senior will handle the job is among the numerous questions facing the Bearcats as they open the season tonight in an exhibition vs. Northern Kentucky at Shoemaker Center. "I think that's one of the reasons why I have good ball-handling skills and I am a guard, because I didn't play at a young age on a team," said Kirkland, who was always the tallest kid in his class and was 6-5 by his freshman year in high school. "(Because) they would've been like, `Well, you're tall, so you go to the post.' "

Maybe they'll tell him to do that at UC. But not as a full-time frontcourt player, rather to post-up, say, one of those 6-foot point guards. Oh, the headaches that a 6-8 point guard could cause defenses. "I can't be trapped like shorter guards, because I can see out of it," Kirkland said. "Rather than restricting myself to bounce passes, I can throw over people. I can post-up shorter guards. That creates a lot of match-up problems." Said Larry Jones, Kirkland's coach at Lee: "He's got the best of both worlds."

Kirkland is the best ball-handler on the UC team, said assistant coach Keith LeGree, one of those conventional, 6-1 point guards during his playing days. The UC players have taken to calling Kirkland "Magic," referring to Magic Johnson, who at 6-9 ran the point right into the Hall of Fame. Right now, senior swingman Leonard Stokes said, the Magic reference is only to joke with their classy new teammate. After all, for all the potential, Kirkland really just started to practice a lot during the past 1½ weeks.

He suffered the broken jaw while playing and had it surgically wired shut about a week before practice officially started Oct. 12. On Monday, he started, "for the most part — getting involved in everything," trainer Jayd Grossman said. "It's possible" Kirkland will play against NKU, Grossman said. "He hasn't had any problems this week."

Kirkland was able to remove the rubber bands that kept his mouth clamped almost completely shut on Monday. It was the first day he could eat solid food since suffering the injury. Restricted to consuming mostly milkshakes, protein shakes and blended fruit caused him to lose 11 pounds, he said. He's gained almost all of it back and weighs about 190.

Still, Kirkland came here in July weighing 178 pounds, said basketball strength coach Scott Greenawalt, adding that he'd like to see Kirkland's playing weight at 200 pounds. Greenawalt is impressed by how Kirkland has continued to get stronger "every time he comes in" the weight room. Strength is what the coaches say is one of Kirkland's few weaknesses. (He got a late start in the weight room, too, not visiting one until he transferred across his east Texas hometown to Lee before his junior season, Jones said.)

The toughness Kirkland has shown through the injury has impressed the coaches, including hard-to-impress head coach Bob Huggins. "To go through a three-hour practice here and the weight-training and all the day-to-day rigors of being a Bearcat is hard enough," assistant coach Andy Kennedy said. "Think about doing that as a freshman and not having eaten solid food in five weeks. So, by him coming out and doing the things that he's done in the past 10 days, it's opened all of our eyes. He's obviously made sacrifices, and we need some help in certain areas and we think he can give it to us."

While Kirkland had to do a lot of sitting out, the coaches asked him to study Stokes at the swing position and Tony Bobbitt and Field Williams at shooting guard. Kirkland said he has watched tape on those positions from last year's games. Although UC still is hoping Kirkland can provide help at those positions, he's been getting a chance the past week to play what he calls his "true" position — the point.

Kirkland said Huggins told him in a practice last week to start running the point more. "He saw me pushing the ball up the court, getting assists," said Kirkland, who as a senior averaged 20.6 points, eight rebounds and 6.8 assists en route to being tabbed the 99th-best prospect for 2002 by ESPN.com. "He was like, `You see people pretty well. You can dribble pretty well, so you need to run point.'
"I'm all for it."


Much of Armein Kirkland's family background is in the University of Cincinnati freshman basketball player's first name. Armein was one of the great Persian kings, and the name is quite common in Iran, which is where Kirkland's mother, Farah, is from. Farah, who is Persian, left Iran in the late 1970s at the urging of her parents. That was when the Shah was being pushed out of leadership, and Islamic militant Ayatollah Khomeini was coming in. Hundreds of Shah supporters were being executed. Farah's family is of the Baha'i faith, which arose from Islam. "She wanted to escape religious persecution," said Arrash Kirkland, 21, Armein's older brother.

Farah met Armein's and Arrash's father, Dennis, who is black, while studying at now-defunct Phillips University in Enid, Okla. Armein said his mom has made certain that her sons have learned about her homeland. Armein has been to Iran — where his grandmother, two aunts and an uncle live — twice, most recently in 1995. "It's not a good place to live," Kirkland said. He said he doesn't think too much about what is going on in the Middle East, mainly because Iran's border state and partner in the President Bush-dubbed "axis of evil," Iraq, is at the center of the current turmoil. "So," said Kirkland, who has a tattoo on his right arm that is in Persian markings, "my family over there is not really in danger." - CincyPost.com

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7/10/02: Moved to inactive - Mike Ryan

7/7/02: "Armein Kirkland, a 6-7 guard from Tyler, Texas, is No. 96 according to ESPN.com and No. 122 by PrepStars." - UCBearcats.com

5/19/02: Listed as the 122nd best player in his class. - PrepStars

4/10: Kirkland is now listed as the 96th best player in his class by Recruiting USA / ESPN (Carmelo Anthony is #1, Chadd Moore - 61, Rob Hite -62, Eric Hicks - 88)

Feb 2002: Rated #136 by All Star Report

2/9/02: Armein Kirkland scored 31 points in a loss to Lufkin.

1/30/02: Kirkland had 23 points and 9 rebs in a win against Marshall.

1/26: Armein Kirkland had 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a loss to Tyler.

1/12: Kirkland had 23 pts and 6 reb's and 4 assists in a loss to Marshall.

1/12: "Guard Armein Kirkland leads the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game, plus 34 3-pointers. But he's the only player averaging double figures. Jones knows the Raiders' possibility of success in 12-5A, where they didn't win a game last year, is intrinsically tied to Kirkland, the 6-8 Cincinnati signee. But then, so does everyone else in 12-5A. That's why (Coach) Jones actually sees Kirkland's scoring average dropping in 12-5A play, because most teams will empty the kitchen sink to try to stop Kirkland. That means the Raiders will need Kirkland's ability to create opportunities for his teammates. "Some people look at points, and if (Kirkland) doesn't score more than 20, then he didn't have a good game, and that's not always the case," said Jones. "He's contributed rebounds, assists and steals, and that's what he has to do. He has the ability to make others better, and he'll have to do that." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

1/8: "Armein Kirkland rebounded from an unimpressive two-point first half to net 11 in the second half and grab nine rebounds. Kirkland finished the game with 13 points, eight assists and four steals. "(Kirkland) did not have a good shooting night," Jones said. "But, he's the type of player that can pick it up in all other areas. He is capable of doing so many things to help those around him play better." The Raiders rode Kirkland and some timely shooting from Jasper to add up 23 in the final frame and win by a cushy 66-39 margin." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

1/6: "Senior Armein Kirkland (13 points) hit a 3-pointer to cut the Lee deficit to one. With Pine Tree stalling with 1:30 left and Lee pressuring and trapping the ball, Kirkland made a steal and a layup and was fouled. He converted the free throw to put Lee up by two points. Kirkland had 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

1/4/02: "Robert E. Lee put together a near-perfect fourth quarter of shooting to pull away from scrappy Jacksonville, 56-40, in a Friday matinee at Indian Gymnasium. The Raiders (12-7) struggled most of the game for any consistency shooting the ball. Armein Kirkland was the only Raider in double figures with 13 points." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

1/1/02: "Armein Kirkland had 17 points, 6 steals and 4 assists in Robert E. Lee High School's latest win." - Lance McAlister on Jax' board

12/29: "Armein Kirkland, the 6-8 guard at Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Texas, was averaging 20.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.5 blocks heading into the weekend. Kirkland's season-high was 41 points." - Enquirer.com

12/22: "Robert E. Lee won its fourth game in a row Friday night, led by Armein Kirkland's 17 points, as the Red Raiders finished off Pine Tree 73-54 in front of 312 at the Lee Varsity Gym. The Raiders are now 10-5. Not only did Lee get 17 points from Kirkland, along with 15 points from Montrel Hunter, but the Raiders also got a balanced rebounding effort. Kirkland also pitched in game-highs in steals (six) and assists (four)." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

12/18: "With the contest tied 32-32 midway through the second quarter, the Raiders went on a 14-4 run to end the first half, keyed by seven points from Armein Kirkland and five points from Ty Wright. The Raiders carried a 46-36 lead into intermission. In the third quarter, the Raiders poured it on, outscoring Sabine 16-4 in the first four minutes of the third quarter to take a 62-40 lead. During that stretch, the 6-8 Kirkland, who finished with 22 points and a team-high six rebounds, knifed through the Sabine defense for a thunderous dunk at the 4:58 mark." - Tyler Daily News

12/7: "Armein Kirkland knocked down 19 points to lead Robert E. Lee past the Russian Junior National Team 82-53 Thursday in the Hoop Magic Tournament at Quinlan Ford High School." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

11/18: Kirkland hit for 30 points on Saturday after dropping 40 in his first game of the year. He also had hit six three-pointers and grabbed 13 rebounds in his first game.

11/16: "In 23 years as a head basketball, Larry Jones has registered many special wins, but none were sweeter than Thursday night's. Jones recorded his 500th victory as Robert E. Lee, behind Armein Kirkland's 40 points, downed Chapel Hill, 85-66, at the Lee Varsity Gymnasium. Kirkland, the 6-8 senior guard who signed with Cincinnati on Wednesday, hit six three-pointers and grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with his 40 points." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

11/15: "It's becoming a busy first week of the basketball season for Robert E. Lee's Armein Kirkland, and Wednesday's signing with the University of Cincinnati was only the beginning. Kirkland, a 6-8 senior guard, signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for the Bearcats Wednesday, with his mother, Farah, present, along with REL head coach Larry Jones. Kirkland orally committed to Bob Huggins' program more than a month ago, after considering Houston, Tennessee, Virginia and Southern Methodist. It was a process, Kirkland says, he didn't want to draw out past Wednesday, the first day recruits could sign early in sports other than football. "I really didn't want to focus on (recruiting) during the season," he said. "I didn't want to be getting calls from coaches. I wanted to concentrate on the season." Kirkland says the atmosphere at Cincinnati is what drew him to the program, despite it being located out of state. Among the former graduates are hall of famer Oscar Robertson and current Golden State Warrior Danny Fortson. "(Cincinnati) has a real good program, and I like their style of play," said Kirkland. "I think it benefits me. The games are always sold out, so they really like the game there." As for this week, Kirkland and the Raiders tip off the season Thursday, as they host Chapel Hill in the season opener at 7pm On Friday, Kirkland will watch his future team play Oklahoma State on ESPN. Then, on Saturday, Kirkland hits the floor with the Raiders at 11am, as they host Corsicana. It's a busy week, to be sure, but Kirkland is looking forward to it, especially Thursday's home opener. "I can't wait until tomorrow," said Kirkland. "It'll be the first game of the season for us, and we have a lot of transfers. We have a lot of new players and a new attitude." As a junior last year, Kirkland averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds. Jones admits he's looking forward to watching Kirkland continue to develop his senior year. "As a coach, it's a rare opportunity to coach a player with his size and talent," said Jones. "Players like that don't come along every season. You feel very fortunate to coach a player with his talent." Jones believes Kirkland has the talent to make an impact at the next level. "I think he can contribute immediately at Cincinnati," said Jones. "He will have to work hard to get stronger. But his versatility will put him at a tremendous advantage." - Tyler Morning Telegraph

11/14: "The University of Cincinnati signed a pair of high school swing players in the first day of the men's basketball signing period. The new Bearcats are:
- Eric Hicks, a 6-6, 220-pound senior at Greensboro, N.C. Dudley High School. Hicks averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds last season. He has been rated No. 70 by BlueChipHoops.com and is a top 100 selection by PrepStars and ESPN.com.
- Armein Kirkland, a 6-8, 190-pound senior at Tyler, Texas Lee High School. Kirkland (first name pronounced are-MEAN) averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks during his junior season. He is rated No. 55 by ESPN.com. Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins stated that the two signees are the start of a promising recruiting class for the Bearcats. "Eric is capable of coming in and making an immediate impact," Huggins noted. "He is a great athlete, a Jason Maxiell-type of athlete. He shoots very well. He's gong to be an impact player in Conference USA. "Armein is out of the Leonard Stokes mold," Huggins explained. "He's very long. He just needs to gain strength. He has tremendous ball skills. He has the ability to be an outstanding player as he matures physically." Huggins projects Hicks to be a small forward and Kirkland as a shooting guard." - UC Bearcats.com

11/04/01: Kirkland is listed as a "3" (out of 10) talent wise. - HoopScoop

10/9: Listed as the 109th best player in the country, in his class. - PrepStars

10/3: "During his official recruiting visit to the University of Cincinnati Sept 21-23, wherever Armein Kirkland went, there were Bearcats fans wishing the coaches or players good luck. “The thing that most impressed me was the fan support,” said the 6-foot-8 guard from Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Texas. That helped convince Kirkland that UC was the place for him. He said he orally committed to the Bearcats on Tuesday and will sign a national letter of intent in November. He is the second commitment; Chad Moore, a 6-2 guard from Huntsville, Ala., who is scheduled to take his official visit this weekend, orally committed in August. “I like to win,” Kirkland said. “I want to be part of a winning program. I think (UC) will be the best program to help me get to the next level.” Kirkland, rated No.65 on ESPN.com, thinks he can play point guard, shooting guard or small forward in college. Larry Jones, his high school coach, said Kirkland is already academically eligible to compete as a freshman. “I see myself fitting in real well,” he said. “I need to get stronger. As far as playing, I think I can play with anybody.” He already had visited SMU and last weekend went to Houston. Kirkland said he canceled scheduled visits to Texas Tech and Tennessee." - Enquirer.com

10/2: "Actually, I committed to Cincinnati,” Kirkland said. “The wining tradition they have, I want to be part of it. It’s the best program to help me improve my game and make it to the next level." - Blue Chip Hoops

10/2/01: "Armein Kirkland, a 6-8 small forward from Tyler (TX), gave a verbal commitment to Cincinnati. Kirkland, who averaged 16.5 points, 7 rebounds and 6.5 assists last season, chose the Bearcats over finalist Texas Tech and several other schools." - Big Apple Sports

10/2: "A solid student, Kirkland said he has a 3.0 GPA and has already scored a 1030 on the SAT." - Rivals Hoops

9/27: "I think UC has a shot to get the Hicks thing done this weekend and I know they like their chances with Kirkland." - Dave Telep, Blue Chip Hoops

9/27: In an interview with Russ Blake, Kirkland said he liked that Cincinnati was a "basketball town", without a Pro team. He added: "But it is kind of far away from home."
- http://rivalshoops.alliancesports.com/

9/24: "Armein Kirkland is a hot commodity this fall. The 6-7 WF from Tyler (TX) Lee has the size and athleticism for forward, but actually handles the ball well enough to play guard at the next level. That versatility -- along with a feathery perimeter shooting touch -- is a big reason why some big-time programs have been in touch. And now two schools have taken the lead. "My top two schools are Cincinnati and (Texas) Tech," Kirkland told PrepStars.com. "I'm going to take another visit to Tech for sure, and I might also take a trip to Tennessee, depending on how the visit goes." Bearcats coach Bob Huggins is having an in-home visit with Armein today, and he hopes to lure the talented Texan out of the home state. Kirkland is the nation's No. 107 prep senior." - PrepStars

9/24: "Armein Kirkland, who made an official recruiting visit to the University of Cincinnati this past weekend, told The Enquirer he also has visits scheduled to Houston, Texas Tech and Tennessee. Kirkland, who has visited Southern Methodist, said he would consider making an oral commitment before taking all of his trips. The 6-8 guard from Robert E. Lee High in Tyler, Texas, did not commit to UC before returning home Sunday. Bearcats coach Bob Huggins is scheduled to visit Kirkland's home today." - Enquirer.com

9/20: "Armein Kirkland from Tyler, Texas, who will make an official recruiting visit to the University of Cincinnati this weekend, is listed by some recruiting sites as a power forward. Larry Jones, Kirkland's coach at Robert E. Lee High School, has a clarification. “He plays point guard for us,” Jones said. “He's a guard. He will play (point) or (shooting guard) in college. He's got to get much stronger, but he has God-given size and the quickness and ball-handling skills to go with it.” Kirkland is 6 feet 8. He averaged 16.5 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists last season and already has qualified academically to compete as a college freshman, Jones said. Kirkland has visited SMU and heard from Texas Tech, Colorado, Tulsa, Baylor, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico State and Boston College. He is ranked No.65 in the country by ESPN.com but is not rated in the top 100 by CNNSI.com, BlueChipHoops.com or Bob Gibbons' All Star Sports Report." - Enquirer.com (changed his position to SF, from PF)

9/19: "Armein Kirkland, a 6-8, 190-pound small forward from Lee High School in Tyler, Texas, has seen Cincinnati pick up the pace with him recently. Kirkland's mom, Sara, told us that Cincinnati has already taken an in home visit. Kirkland might be in the stages of planning an official visit to Cincinnati too." - RivalsHoops

9/6: "I have a top list of Houston, SMU, and Cincinnati," Kirkland said. "I am also interested in Texas Tech, Tulsa, and Texas. I have not ruled out any school." - Rivals Hoops

8/30: "Right now, Kirkland says Cincinnati, Virginia, Oklahoma, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, Baylor and Tulsa are showing interest in him. He already has posted a qualifying score on the SAT ..." - Blue Chip Hoops

8/30: "The two bigmen that will make visits are Armen Kirkland 6'9 from Tyler (Lee) TX. and Keith Butler 6'11 from Winchendon(Prep)." - Michael Duncan, Ohio Preps

8/29: "Kirkland told the Insiders Report late last week that he had been OFFERED scholarships this summer by Virginia, Baylor, Colorado, Texas Tech CINCINNATI, Houston, SMU, Arkansas, Wyoming and Tulsa."- RivalsHoops (2 to 5)

8/29: Pictures:
http://www.coogfans.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000732.html

8/29/01: "He is 6'8-6'9 and handles the ball very well. He can bring it up the court like a true point guard. His outside shot is great and he can distribute the ball very well. I would like too see him dominate the inside more and be more aggressive. With the proper coaching he could be a great player in the future. I have talked with him many times and he is a well spoken young man and he is very underrated, imo. I could go on and on, but I think that you get the point." - Shay Wildeboor, JayHawkSlant.com Recruiting

8/26: "There have been reports that Kansas is making an attempt to bring Armein Kirkand, a combo player from Robert E. Lee (TX), back in the recruiting mix. But that was news to Kirkland. Jayhawk Slant had a chance to speak with Kirkland who just arrived back from an official visit from SMU. "I haven’t talked with the Kansas coaches in a while," he said. "I don’t have an in-home or official visit set up. If they offered me a visit I’d definitely take it." Kirkland was fresh off his first official visit to SMU where he attended with his mother. He has two more official visits he plans on taking to Virginia and CINCINNATI. "I really enjoyed my visit to SMU," he said. "I haven’t set the dates for my other two visits, but I will soon. If I really like one of those schools after I take my visits I could commit." Earlier in the week the Slant got a different side of the story Larry Jones, the head coach at Lee. If the KU coaches have shown an interest in Kirkland is has been through Jones. "I talked to the coaches at Kansas about 10 days ago," Jones said. "They told me they were serious about Armein and he was one of their top combo guard recruits." If the KU coaches have Kirkland on their recruiting chart he doesn’t know it yet. But if they do, he’ll find out real soon." - Jayhawk Slant.com

Spring 01 - "Armein is a bit of a mystery on the national recruiting scene and a possible sleeper. Armein is a versatile wing man who has the ability to handle the ball in a pinch. However, Armein was sidelined last year and not many have actually seen him play. He will play this summer with the Colorado Playaz and can be seen at the Big Time in Vegas and will also be making a summer stop at a KC area tourney (more info to come). Reliable sources tell Phog.net that KU is not particularly serious with Armein (who would likely commit in a heartbeat) at this point but coaches will track his progress to determine if they should become more involved than they already are." - Phog.net