Bearcats Q&A: UC Guard Chase Kirkwood

The final player on the 2022-23 UC men's basketball roster is ready to help the team win anyway he can.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Aug 25, 2022 10:43 AM EDT

CINCINNATI — UC completed its roster recently with walk-on addition Chase Kirkwood. The manager turned player sat down with All Bearcats to discuss his journey to UC, how the team is looking this summer, and much more.

On his journey:

Yeah so it started in high school and stuff I got injured. I tore three ligaments in my ankle really bad and didn’t realize I needed surgery until six months later. So it got pushed off for a long time. So I kind of lost all the opportunities I had to play in college at that point except for Arkansas.

They had previously offered me for a walk-on spot, and they were like, “well you can come here and be a manager and when you’re healthy we can see what happens.” I went and took that up and then (with) the COVID regulations I wasn’t really able to stay on as a manager for too long there.

Just throughout the year, my injury just wasn’t getting that much better, and stuff, it took a really long road for that. Just didn’t really seem like it was working out and then that summer, out of the blue Cincinnati hit me up. Chris Lepore texted my prep coaches and we got in contact. And I know they were looking for a walk-on at that point.

Everything looked good and I thought I could be a walk-on last year but I sent in the surgery report and they were like, “yeah, it’s not going to work out.”

It was a really serious surgery and to be honest, I was kind of lying to them, like yeah I’m healthy. I definitely was not ready and would not have been able to make it through the year so it was probably best that they sidelined me.

So then I asked is there any way I could come on as a manager you know when I’m healthy and they said, “yeah, see what happens and we’ll figure it out.” So that’s kind of what was going on last year. I was a manager all year. Obviously, I would help out with stuff in practice and stuff like that, but that’s the long rundown for you.

On choosing to be a walk-on instead of playing somewhere:

That was one of the reasons I wanted to come here in the first place, because I know Wes (Miller), he used to be a walk-on at UNC. So I know he understands it.

Also seeing last year with him just being a manager, I was like, “yeah, I really want to be a part of this.” Like they are really building something special, and I just want to be able to contribute any way I can.

On players he’s bonded with:

Yeah, yeah I’ve gotten really close with Jarrett (Hensley) and Ody (Oguama). They’re both my roommates they are really good dudes. Obviously, I’m close with all the guys and stuff. Definitely really close with them.

Really all the guys, Dave (Dejulius), John (Newman III). We play ones when we can so stuff like that. It was nice being a manager for a year just getting to know everyone. So coming into this I already had a good relationship with everyone so it’s been good

On the best one-on-one player on the team:

I don’t know if I can answer that. Everyone’s going to be coming after me in the locker room. I can’t not put myself on this list. But no definitely Dave is a really good one-on-one player.

Check out our full conversation below.

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