Arsalan Kazemi averaged 12.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for Rice last season.
Photo: Associated Press
Rice forward Arsalan Kazemi told CBS Sports on Monday night that the school had granted his transfer request and UK is one of six schools he is currently considering.
Texas, Oregon, Ohio State, Florida and Cincinnati are also on the list.
“I’m trying to go to a high-major program for my final season,” Kazemi told CBS. “Those are the schools I’m interested in, but I’ll also consider other schools.”
Rice University later confirmed the transfer in a press release.
Kazemi, a 6-foot-7 senior, averaged 12.1 points and 10.3 rebounds and was one of only 21 Division I players to average a double-double last season. He led Conference USA with 69 steals, and was named a second-team all-league selection for the second straight season.
DraftExpress.com ranks Kazemi as the 18th-best senior in the country and has him projected as the No. 59 overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft.
The native of Iran has averaged 12.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in three seasons with Rice. Kazemi played his senior year of high school for The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., and was ranked by Scout.com as the No. 92 recruit in the class of 2009.
Kazemi likely would not be eligible until the 2013-14 season.
