Appearing in just nine games last season due to a foot injury, Justin Kier is hoping to complete his college career on a strong note. The George Mason senior entered his name into the Transfer Portal two weeks and has already become a heavily drawn heavy interest from a number of high-major programs.
A 6-foot-4 scoring guard from the Harrisonburg, Virginia area, Kier has kept his options open but is now narrowing his focus. Arkansas, Georgetown, Georgia, Iowa State, Michigan, Minnesota & NC State all made the 6-foot-4 guard's list of seven top choices.
“I believe I can do everything: lead, score, defend, make my teammates better and win while doing it,” Kier told Rivals.com. “I just want a place that wants me to come in and have an immediate impact and not just be a role player. I want to go to the next level and dominate in every aspect of the game.”
Kier has not settled on a timeline for when he will commit but if it's soon, it's unlikely the Hogs will stay in the mix. Arkansas could potentially have one spot open on next year's roster... but only if Isaiah Joe keeps his name in the 2020 NBA Draft. Joe has kept the door open for a return by not hiring an agent and Eric Musselman explicitly said they will not recruit to fill Joe's spot but will instead "play it by ear."
"Isaiah Joe’s scholarship is clearly in place at Arkansas, so we’re not going to recruit as if he’s not here," Musselman said. "We will recruit as if he is here and then if he decides to go to the NBA we’ll expect our guys on our roster to step up and have an extended role. If Isaiah comes back, then we feel like our team is in good shape. And just having said that, we’re going to continue to try to put forth the best roster that we possibly can.
"I’m in the office today. There’s been new names in the portal today. We’re going to continue to watch film of those guys. We’ll continue to make phone calls. We’ll continue to work. We’ll continue to recruit high school players, JC players and transfers every day until the roster’s set and we’re in school."
Joe has up until 10 days before the draft, slated for June 25, to withdraw his name and return to the program.
Due to the coronavirus, Kier's decision will be made without having the opportunity to take any of the official visits that are usually allotted.
The George Mason standout has started 94 of the 108 games that he has appeared in throughout his college career. He continually improved within practically every major statistical category during his stay in Fairfax.
In his final full year of play during the 2018-2019 season, Kier averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. For his career, he is a 34-percent 3-point shooter.
