After a strong season on the hardwood with Three Rivers, Keith Kiner will be taking his talents to the Division I level after committing to Niagara University in New York.

"It's amazing getting an offer from a Division I school and I'm committing to them," Kiner said. "It's been a long journey putting in three years of junior college ball and it's paying off.

“I really liked the coaching staff and how the campus felt when I visited with my parents and it felt like home to me."

The 6'6" forward from Sparta, Illinois averaged 15.6 points per game in 28 games during this past season and made the All-Region XVI team.

"Keith had a great year this year and has over 1,000 points if you count his stats from Rend Lake College," Raiders coach Brian Bess said. "Niagara is picking up a very good player."

Kiner ranked 41st in the nation with 50 blocks this season and shot 48% from the field and 75% from the foul line. He finished with 589 points as a Raider, 12.8 per game the past two seasons.

Niagara plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the same conference as Saint Peter’s, the Cinderella story of the NCAA Tournament.

"It's going to be awesome going up against Saint Peter's twice a year," Kiner said. "With them going as deep as they did in the NCAA Tournament, it'll bring a lot of exposure to the MAAC, so it really helps all of the schools in the conference."

In the 2021-22 season, the Purple Eagles went 14-16, ultimately losing in the first round of the MAAC Tournament to Monmouth. A few highlights of their schedule were a couple of early season contests at Xavier and Ohio State and they were able to take Saint Peter's into overtime at home.

"It's going to be amazing playing on a bigger stage and on TV," Kiner said. "Every kid who plays basketball dreams of playing at a Division I school and under the bright lights."

In the classroom, Kiner will continue to work towards his degree in criminal justice.

"The education that I'll receive at Niagara was a big reason why I committed there," Kiner said. "I got to meet with the professors in their criminal justice department and I really feel like I'll be able to achieve my goals in the classroom with them."

Robert Augsdorfer - Daily American Republic