Arsalan Kazemi to Kentucky?

Arsalan Kazemi is a 6’7” power forward that recently decided to part ways with Rice University. He is a senior, and is looking to transfer schools to complete his undergraduate degree. After signing with the Owls, Kazemi became the first Iranian player in the history of Division I basketball. He averaged 12.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for Rice and was expected to be a C-USA Conference Player of the Year candidate as a senior. As captain of the under-19 Iranian team, he lead the team in scoring during the 2009 championships. As a sophomore he logged 18 double-doubles, putting him top-10 in the nation that year. Kazemi plans to petition the NCAA for a hardship waiver, allowing him to play immediately wherever he decides to go. There are no details about the waiver at this time.

Kazemi has Kentucky and Oregon as his early leaders. He was also granted permission to speak with Cincinnati, Florida, Ohio State and Texas. Among the schools that are pursuing the senior transfer, Oregon is the only university on the list that has not yet started classes. Therefore, the Ducks may be the most viable option.

I don’t really know a great deal about this guy. From what I can gather, he is an absolute stat-sheet stuffer. Not only can he score twenty points on any given night, he can pull down ten rebounds and give you a few assists as well. At 6’7”, 220 lbs. he has great size for the SEC, and could be a great addition of depth for the Kentucky Wildcats. Kazemi plans to announce his new college home in the next few days.

The YouTube video below is an ESPN piece from his freshman season. The video gives you a little history of his Iranian past, his struggles away from home, and what’s he’s like on the basketball court.

YouTube Credit goes to RiceOwlsBasketball