clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Georgia transfer Justin Kier commits to Arizona

By Ryan Kelapire
Georgia v Arkansas Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Georgia transfer Justin Kier announced his commitment to the Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-4 guard started 25 games for the Bulldogs this season, averaging 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per contest. The Virginia native shot 39.4 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from 3 and 75 percent from the free throw line.

The soon-to-be-sixth-year-senior was also considering Marquette, Oklahoma, Penn State and Utah.

“We loved coaching [Kier],” UGA coach Tom Crean tweeted when Kier entered the portal. “Absolutely loved it. We never anticipated him coming back but the door was always open. We hoped he would reach his professional dreams but they are still a year away. Playing his last year near his family is his goal and we totally support him.”

Kier spent the first four seasons of his career at George Mason. His career averages were 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from 3. His best season came in 2018-19 when he led George Mason in scoring (14.5) and was the Patriots’ second-leading rebounder (6.5) while posting seven double-doubles.

Kier will have one year of eligibility at Arizona and should be able to play immediately. He becomes the 11th scholarship player under new head coach Tommy Lloyd and adds much-needed guard depth.

Per KenPom, Kier spent most of his minutes at the 2 and the 3 at Georgia, but also a small percentage at the 1.

Some background on Kier from his Georgia bio: “Has an extremely close relationship with his grandmother. His mother suffered a heart attack when Justin was seven. She is paralyzed from the neck down and cannot speak; She lives with Justin and his grandmother.”

Here’s how Arizona’s updated scholarship count breaks down:

  1. Kerr Kriisa, G (Estonia)
  2. Bennedict Mathurin, G (Canada)
  3. Azuolas Tubelis, F (Lithuania)
  4. Dalen Terry, G/F (USA)
  5. Christian Koloko, C (Cameroon)
  6. Tautvilas Tubelis, F (Lithuania)
  7. Oumar Ballo, C (Mali)
  8. Shane Nowell, G (USA)
  9. Pelle Larsson, G (Sweden)
  10. Adama Bal, G (France)
  11. Justin Kier, G (USA)

Here are some extended highlights from Kier’s time at George Mason:

More From Arizona Desert Swarm