USC Transfer Bryon Wesley Seriously Considering Gonzaga
By Josh Horton
December 15, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Byron Wesley (22) moves the ball against the defense of Cal. State – Bakersfield Roadrunners guard Brandon Barnes (32) during the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Fans of the Gonzaga basketball program have been screaming for an athletic wing who can score and rebound the basketball at a high rate.
Well Gonzaga faithful, Mark Few and the Gonzaga coaching staff might have the answer to your requests in USC transfer Byron Wesley.
Wesley is a highly coveted transfer among some of the elite programs in the country. According to Wesley’s AAU coach, Cincinnati, Baylor, Indiana, Providence, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and of course Goznaga are the schools hot on his tail.
Moments ago, Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo sports released a column talking about Wesley’s recruitment. One school was considered a favorite in the eyes of Wesley’s father, Byron Wesley Sr. That school is Gonzaga.
While the former USC Trojan said he has no favorites in the article, his father listed Gonzaga as the early favorite due to fact the Bulldogs have a great amount of seniors returning and that the coaches have expressed a need for a player with a skill set like Wesley’s.
Pittsburgh and Michigan State were also mentioned as two schools with situations that Wesley’s father found appealing.
The 6’5”, 210 pound guard listed the following aspects as his priorities when searching for his next school:
"“My main focus is finding a program that has a culture of winning first of all and second of all is still going to let me come in and be a big part of the team.”"
A great deal of secondary stories could then emerge from this report.
One could speculate that Few and the GU coaching staff is unsure about elevating Kyle Dranginis into a starting role. The fact that they are in hot pursuit of a small forward type like Wesley definitely gives that some legs.
With Gonzaga out of available scholarships next season, the addition of Wesley would force a player out of their scholarship. It could already be determined that a Gonzaga player is on their way out, but it is just unknown to the public. Gerard Coleman is someone to keep an eye on regarding that.
Speculation aside, Wesley would be a huge acquisition for the Bulldogs. He is set to graduate, and be eligible to compete right away. As a junior, the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. product averaged 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds for a below average USC squad.
Since it is ultimately his decision where he wants to attend school next season, GU fans should take his fathers word with cautious optimism. However, it appears that Gonzaga will be a significant player for Wesley’s services down the road.