BYU Basketball: Why the return of Gideon George is huge
By Adam Gibby
Less than a week after reportedly entering the transfer portal, Gideon George will return to Provo.
Sometimes it is the little things that make the biggest difference. That may just end up being the case with BYU Basketball bringing back Gideon George. From an outsiders perspective, it could be viewed almost as a negative thing to have George return. After all, he only has one year left of eligibility and doesn’t have the kind of stat line that will get fans excited. There has also been this sense of building from the ground up to prepare for the 2023 Big 12 season.
But hear me out.
One of the most important and crucial parts of player development is to have time to develop as opposed to being thrown into the fire. Sure, some players are able to handle that, but 90% of the time a player will develop best when they don’t feel the weight of the entire team on their shoulders.
At the same time however, a player can’t develop if there are stars in front of them. This was the case this past season with Hunter Erickson and Trey Stewart. Because Alex Barcello and Te’Jon Lucas were head and shoulders better than anyone else on the court, they took away a lot of minutes.
Gideon George is the perfect for young player development.
First, he brings experience. Instead of having two to three guys in practice at any given time trying to learn the offense, that number may now drop to one to two. In games, George isn’t likely going to be the kind of player that is going to eat up all of Dallin Hall’s minutes, but he will provide support and perhaps allow Hall to come off the bench. George also is skilled enough to provide support for the 2, 3 or 4 position on the court.
In other words, George is exactly the kind of guy to help develop this team as they go forward. He very realistically could play 15 minutes per game next season and play five minutes in three different positions. That support will keep other players healthy and give them the needed support to help them develop into a team that will be respectable in the Big 12.