PEMBROKE — After spending 2 1/2 years at NC State, Shaun Kirk is in a place now he said feels like home.
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke men’s basketball team officially announced last week that the 6-foot-7 forward had transferred from Raleigh and enrolled at UNCP, leaving his last season of eligibility open to play for the Braves in 2018-19. With that, Kirk joins his younger brother Tyrell at a place that’s small size appeals to him.
“This is a whole lot smaller. When it is this small, family is more important. It’s more like a brotherhood thing and it’s closely-knitted,” Kirk said. “State was very big with a lot of people so I’m feeling like this is my home for real. I came from a small town and now being back in a small town, it feels likes high school all over again.”
Kirk played in 33 games for the Wolfpack over the last three seasons, including 14 in each of his first two seasons in Raleigh. For his career, he scored 46 points in 33 appearances.
After playing a small part for the Wolfpack the past three seasons, the choice to come to UNCP was something he had been contemplating this season. He said next season that he can be a bigger part for the Braves as they look to continue their recent run of success in the region and the Peach Belt Conference.
“I’m getting real close to all of them, getting used to playing with all of them and it’s all falling into place,” he said. “(Transferring) was something that just came up and it was a great situation for me, and a great idea so I took it.
The Kirk brothers will join forces on the same court next season for the first time since March 2015, when both helped Whiteville High School reach the third round of the state championships, before Shaun graduated and went to NC State. Despite the long time apart, the duo said the chemistry has and always will be there.
“That chemistry will never change. It’s the same,” Shaun said. “I’m excited and ready to see how much he has grown as a player and as a person. It’s going to be fun to play here and see how much he has matured.”
“We had good chemistry in high school and now just working out with him is just all coming together,” Tyrell said.
Shaun’s decision to come to UNCP was something that took Tyrell by surprise.
“He was stunned and he was happy,” Shaun said. “At first he didn’t believe me, and after a while the story came out and he was like, ‘you’re really coming.’ He was just excited more than anything.”
While being able to play close to home with his brother, the rest of the family and the Kirks’ support in Whiteville was a major draw in Shaun’s decision to come to UNCP.
“It means so much, but not just to me and him, but our parents and all the people that we grew up with that was our supporters. That was very important to me,” he said. “It’s close to home and my family is able to get here to watch me play.”
Being a transfer, Shaun must sit out, but his still available to practice with the team. With the likes of Shaun, and the players sitting out this season for their redshirt year, coach Ben Miller says his starters and regular rotation don’t see easy practices going up against a formidable scout team.
“It’s been really good for our scout team when you’ve got him and Carson (Mounce), Cam (Hamilton), Giovanni (Mack) and Jay (Hicks),” Miller said. “It’s been good for us in preparations. …Right away he just fit in with the guys because he’s just a good person. He came in right away and was working hard and is sharing the ball.”
With his team sitting in first in the Peach Belt Conference with a 14-3 record, Miller is not quick to look ahead to next year, but knows that his team will get a versatile athlete that can play both inside and out in the future. With senior leaders Brandon Watts and Nigel Grant not returning next year, the addition of Shaun and others coming off redshirt years will ease the adjustment period.
“Obviously, we’re losing two all-conference seniors in Brandon and Nigel. It can be a challenge, but we’ve got some really good players that are redshirting,” he said. “Shaun’s a veteran. He’s an older guy, and we are losing two older guys, but having a guy that has been through three years of high-level basketball and practices can add a lot to our experience right off the bat.”
Miller also noted how Shaun was unlike some that transfer down from Division I to Division II that struggled to put their ego aside. For Shaun, it’s about enjoying his last year of college basketball in hopes to make the Braves better.
“I just want to help this team in any way possible and better myself along with my teammates,” he said. “I want to bring lots of energy and leadership to the team and help us strive to win as many games as possible.”
