Tulsa World: Kirkland yet to break out

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Kirkland yet to break out
OSU's 6-foot-8 juco transfer is still adjusting.

OSU's Malcoln Kirkland jams the ball during the game against Langston. Kirkland, a transfer from Arkansas-Fort Smith, scored 14 points in that game but hasn't had a breakout game yet for the Cowboys. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World

By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 12/14/2008 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 12/14/2008 3:15 AM

Desperate to snag frontcourt help during the offseason, Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford and his staff sweet-talked Malcoln Kirkland into leaving junior college a year early.

Ford said it wasn't a hard sell.

"When he's not doing what I want, I tell him he could be back riding vans and not having any training table," the coach said.

"You've got life pretty good right here," Ford reminds Kirkland. "You need to work a little harder and remember where you came from."

The 6-foot-8 sophomore came from Madison, Miss., and Arkansas-Fort Smith, where he averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds as a juco rookie last season. He could have been among UA-Fort Smith's primary contributors this season and elevated his recruiting stock.

But OSU dangled a scholarship offer in June and Kirkland couldn't refuse.

"That was basically it," he said. "It was a Big 12 school and I really didn't want to pass up on an opportunity like this, as far as them really needing a big man and stuff."

News of Kirkland committing broke after OSU announced Martavius Adams had left the program. Now that starting post player Ibrahima Thomas has followed Adams out the door, Ford has more reason than ever to be glad Kirkland came aboard.

"Malcoln can do some things to help our basketball team," Ford said before indicating that Kirkland needs a personality tweak.

Ford said Kirkland is a great, "laid-back" kid who needs to be more assertive and aggressive.

Kirkland had a 14-point, 5-rebound performance in an exhibition finale, but hasn't had a breakout regular season game yet. Ford said Kirkland is getting better.

Said the coach, "I have always thought it was a harder adjustment a lot of times from junior college to this level than it is high school to this level to a certain extent, probably because when you come out of junior college, you are expected to play right away. High school kids aren't expected to play a whole lot right away.

"It takes a while. He is adjusting. He knows his role has been upped quite a bit and we are going to need him to play well and be more productive and give us more than he is giving us."

Kirkland plays 8.2 minutes per game. Because of Thomas' exit, Kirkland and other frontcourt players are expected to get a bigger workload.

"One big man can't just carry the team, so everybody has got to step up," Kirkland said.

Up next: OSU plays its final nonleague road game Sunday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Islanders are 3-0 at home and 5-4 overall, including a 66-43 loss to Tulsa.

Possible debut: Ford said he would like to get Teeng Akol, a 6-11 freshman center from Sudan, into the game. Akol was declared eligible prior to a game at Washington last week, but did not play.

Asked if Akol deals with a language barrier, Ford said, "When he wants to, he understands everything. But when he doesn't want to hear you, he doesn't understand anything. When he is tired, he doesn't understand English very well."

Jimmie Tramel 581-8389
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer

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