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Alex Kirk gets a lot of questions about how he’s holding up. If his numbers are any indication, he’s doing just fine.
The 7-foot sophomore center for the No. 25 New Mexico men’s basketball team returned to the lineup this season after missing the 2011-12 season. He redshirted that season after a herniated disk in his back led to surgery. He dealt with a long, grueling rehabilitation in order to play this season.
He came back with a force in UNM’s quest to repeat as Mountain West Conference champions.
“It’s one of those things where I’ve continued to just keep improving with it,” Kirk said Dec. 27. “It’s an injury that takes a while to keep rehabbing. I’ve increased my core strength a lot, and flexibility’s been a big thing for me, but our trainer has been working with me from the day I was first injured and I’ve continued to get better.”
Kirk has developed into one of UNM’s most consistent players night in and night out. His 12.5 points per game average is the second best on the team, and he’s been the team’s top scorer in six games this season. He shoots a team-best 51.7 percent from the field. On the glass, Kirk pulls down 7.9 rebounds per game.
With his strong play, Kirk has helped lead the Lobos (15-2, 2-0) to the top of the Mountain West Conference standings. Among conference teams, he ranks 13th in scoring and sixth in rebounding. His 1.4 blocks per game — 23 total — puts him in a tie for fourth in that category.
“Alex just continues to prove he’s one of the better centers out west,” UNM head coach Steve Alford said. “I believed that in the beginning of the season, and he’s done nothing but solidify those thoughts. He’s a go-to guy, he’s a great defender.”
Kirk’s best game of the year, and one of the best in his collegiate career, was Wednesday’s Mountain West Conference opener. He scored 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds against UNLV, who is expected to be a contender for the conference title along with UNM and San Diego State.
His 23 points was eight shy of his career best. He had 31 points against Cal State Bakersfield as a freshman.
The Runnin’ Rebels boast a high-tempo offense that relies on running up and down the floor instead of slowing things down in the half court. UNM kept up with that pace, containing UNLV’s top player freshman forward Anthony Bennett and capturing a 65-60 victory.
“I felt good,” Kirk said after the win. “The first couple times were tough because (UNLV forward) Khem Birch is pretty fast, but after that I got my feet under me and got help getting back a couple times, and I think I was in pretty good shape.”
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Kirk followed that performance up with a 19-point effort Saturday night against MWC newcomer Fresno State. He also pulled down 14 rebounds, a career high, for his fourth double-double of the season.
Over the last four games, Kirk has scored 70 points and 38 rebounds. He averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds during that stretch.
At the beginning of the season, Kirk said he’s worked hard on developing his post moves to make himself a better center. That work has paid off. He’s gone toe-to-toe with other 7-footers like USC’s 7-0 Dewayne Dedmon and NMSU’s 7-5 Sim Bhullar.
But don’t think Kirk’s a one-trick pony on the offensive end. He’s capable of mid-range shots from 15 feet away and beyond. He’s made eight 3-pointers and shoots .348 from beyond the arc.
As a center, Kirk’s primary role is in the low post near the basket, and he said that’s his focus in practice. He does, from time to time, work on his long-range game as well, he said.
“I can’t really say how much time I spend on it; it’s just something I’ve always done, even in high school. So it comes naturally.” Kirk said. “It’s part of my game and coach (Craig) Neal and Alford know that, but they want me to get down low a little bit more.”
