Photo by: Jesse Scheve
Devin Kirby Showing Mental Toughness, Growth in Third Year at Montana State
1/28/2019 11:25:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Bobcat redshirt sophomore has made big strides since arriving in Bozeman, but the work began before he ever stepped foot on the Montana State University campus
Montana State redshirt sophomore Devin Kirby has withstood more than his fair share of trials and tribulations. The Chandler, Ariz., native was named the top basketball prospect for his class in the state of Arizona after his sophomore year of high school, by media outlet Arizona Preps.
Fifteen games into his junior prep season, Kirby experienced a catastrophic injury. Kirby landed wrong after going up for a lob, breaking both of his tibias. Kirby used the injury as a learning experience.
"One big thing I learned is that I'm stronger mentally than I would give myself credit for," said Kirby. "It takes a lot of mental strength, as well as physical strength, to rehab and get back. The process of hard work and nothing coming easy. You have to earn everything, nothing's given to you."
The injury took roughly a year for Kirby to recover from. The mobile big underwent extensive rehab to get himself back on the court for his senior year of high school basketball. His teammates at Basha High School named him the team's Comeback Player of the Year.
Kirby's road to recovery was aided by his older brother Maurice, a collegiate basketball player originally attending Loyola University Chicago before finishing at IUPUI. Kirby ,having an older brother playing at the college level, helped by supporting him during his rehab.
"Being a big brother, he's always been supportive," said Kirby. "When I had my injury, I was going into my senior year of high school. So, for him being in college, he would tell me for rehabbing what I would have to do to be effective at the college level. He's my role model, I love him to death and he's my best friend."
Kirby's inspirational journey eventually led him to Montana State. After Kirby's injury, a few of the schools recruiting him ended up shying away. Montana State head coach Brian Fish and his staff stuck around Kirby, leaving a lasting impact. Kirby cited the loyalty the staff and the school showed him as a major reason he wanted to attend school and play at MSU. Kirby's studying business finance at the Jake Jabs School of Business.
"Through my AAU circuit, the MSU assistant coaches reached out to me," said Kirby. "I always had contact, texting back and forth with MSU coaches, we built our relationship. When I met them in person and came out to Bozeman, I fell in love with it. MSU was a great fit."
When Kirby first arrived in Bozeman, he hadn't yet met his roommate. His roommate, Harald Frey from Oslo, Norway, and Kirby had only communicated over the phone.
Every college freshman is nervous about their living situation. Moving across the country to live with someone you hardly know can be a stressful experience. Despite coming from opposite ends of the world, the two quickly connected. Kirby refers to Frey as his best friend and the two have been roommates all three of their years in Bozeman.
"I love the camaraderie," said Kirby of being part of the Bobcat basketball program. "These guys are some of the biggest blessings I've received in my life. The friendships and bonds we're building right now will be everlasting. Meeting my roommate, (Frey), that's my best friend. When we met each other we just clicked. That's the great thing about sports, building those relationships with people that you'll never forget."
Finding a home was only the beginning of the 6-foot-11 center's journey. The last game of his freshman year at MSU, Kirby came off the bench against Southern Utah and had a season-high seven rebounds, four of them offensive, in just 11 minutes.
The game and overall end to his season had Kirby poised for a breakout sophomore campaign. The then freshman ended up having to wait a year to get back into competitive games.
The coaching staff and Kirby decided the best thing for him would be to redshirt during the 2017-18 campaign. Kirby was initially disappointed by the decision, like any competitor he wanted to be out there helping his teammates. He ultimately came around and used the time to improve as a player.
"Looking back on that redshirt year, that was the best decision I've made for my basketball career," said Kirby. "Getting better and getting stronger, (that) was something that I needed. It's paying off right now with my confidence. I know what I can bring to this team."
The redshirt season paid off for Kirby. The center has started all 19 of MSU's games this year and has played strong on the court. Kirby's tied for the team high in average rebounds with 5.6 a game and has upped his scoring average to 7.7, while shooting 53 percent.
Kirby's learned a lot over the last few years. He's proved his mental toughness time and time again. He's built everlasting relationships with his teammates, he excels in the classroom and has been finding his place in the Bobcat frontcourt.
Through the tumultuous times, Kirby's resiliency has led him to always end up stronger.
The Bobcats' next game takes place in Worthington Arena on Saturday, Feb. 2, as Montana State will host Montana with tipoff at 7 p.m.
Fifteen games into his junior prep season, Kirby experienced a catastrophic injury. Kirby landed wrong after going up for a lob, breaking both of his tibias. Kirby used the injury as a learning experience.
"One big thing I learned is that I'm stronger mentally than I would give myself credit for," said Kirby. "It takes a lot of mental strength, as well as physical strength, to rehab and get back. The process of hard work and nothing coming easy. You have to earn everything, nothing's given to you."
The injury took roughly a year for Kirby to recover from. The mobile big underwent extensive rehab to get himself back on the court for his senior year of high school basketball. His teammates at Basha High School named him the team's Comeback Player of the Year.
Kirby's road to recovery was aided by his older brother Maurice, a collegiate basketball player originally attending Loyola University Chicago before finishing at IUPUI. Kirby ,having an older brother playing at the college level, helped by supporting him during his rehab.
"Being a big brother, he's always been supportive," said Kirby. "When I had my injury, I was going into my senior year of high school. So, for him being in college, he would tell me for rehabbing what I would have to do to be effective at the college level. He's my role model, I love him to death and he's my best friend."
Kirby's inspirational journey eventually led him to Montana State. After Kirby's injury, a few of the schools recruiting him ended up shying away. Montana State head coach Brian Fish and his staff stuck around Kirby, leaving a lasting impact. Kirby cited the loyalty the staff and the school showed him as a major reason he wanted to attend school and play at MSU. Kirby's studying business finance at the Jake Jabs School of Business.
"Through my AAU circuit, the MSU assistant coaches reached out to me," said Kirby. "I always had contact, texting back and forth with MSU coaches, we built our relationship. When I met them in person and came out to Bozeman, I fell in love with it. MSU was a great fit."
When Kirby first arrived in Bozeman, he hadn't yet met his roommate. His roommate, Harald Frey from Oslo, Norway, and Kirby had only communicated over the phone.
Every college freshman is nervous about their living situation. Moving across the country to live with someone you hardly know can be a stressful experience. Despite coming from opposite ends of the world, the two quickly connected. Kirby refers to Frey as his best friend and the two have been roommates all three of their years in Bozeman.
"I love the camaraderie," said Kirby of being part of the Bobcat basketball program. "These guys are some of the biggest blessings I've received in my life. The friendships and bonds we're building right now will be everlasting. Meeting my roommate, (Frey), that's my best friend. When we met each other we just clicked. That's the great thing about sports, building those relationships with people that you'll never forget."
Finding a home was only the beginning of the 6-foot-11 center's journey. The last game of his freshman year at MSU, Kirby came off the bench against Southern Utah and had a season-high seven rebounds, four of them offensive, in just 11 minutes.
The game and overall end to his season had Kirby poised for a breakout sophomore campaign. The then freshman ended up having to wait a year to get back into competitive games.
The coaching staff and Kirby decided the best thing for him would be to redshirt during the 2017-18 campaign. Kirby was initially disappointed by the decision, like any competitor he wanted to be out there helping his teammates. He ultimately came around and used the time to improve as a player.
"Looking back on that redshirt year, that was the best decision I've made for my basketball career," said Kirby. "Getting better and getting stronger, (that) was something that I needed. It's paying off right now with my confidence. I know what I can bring to this team."
The redshirt season paid off for Kirby. The center has started all 19 of MSU's games this year and has played strong on the court. Kirby's tied for the team high in average rebounds with 5.6 a game and has upped his scoring average to 7.7, while shooting 53 percent.
Kirby's learned a lot over the last few years. He's proved his mental toughness time and time again. He's built everlasting relationships with his teammates, he excels in the classroom and has been finding his place in the Bobcat frontcourt.
Through the tumultuous times, Kirby's resiliency has led him to always end up stronger.
The Bobcats' next game takes place in Worthington Arena on Saturday, Feb. 2, as Montana State will host Montana with tipoff at 7 p.m.
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