Burn The Horse has confirmed that sophomore to be point
guard John Gillon has asked for and received his release from UALR.
Gillon averaged 10.6 points and 2.4 assists in 27 games last
season as a freshman. It’s not yet known where he will transfer to. UALR has
not officially confirmed Gillon’s departure.
Gillon’s career started off with a bang when he came off the
bench to score 22 points in the season opening victory over Tennessee-Martin.
It was believed to be the highest total ever by a UALR freshman in his first
game. An injury midway through the season stalled his progress a bit but he
still managed to be one of only two Trojans to surpass 10 points per game.
He shot 39 percent from three-point range and a team-best 81.7 percent from the free throw line.
How it impacts UALR remains to be seen. If Gillon had
stayed, he likely would have had to compete for minutes at the shooting guard
position. UALR returns sophomore point guard Josh Hagins, who started 19 games
last year and averaged 8.1 points and 3.1 assists. UALR also signed junior
college point guard Devonte Smith, who as a freshman helped South Plains
College to an undefeated national championship.
Competition at the shooting guard spot figures to be fierce.
Senior Leroy Isler (7.4 ppg) played there much of last season. Other returnees
include sophomore Kemy Osse (4.7 ppg), who also saw time at point guard last
season, and junior Ben Dillard (6.4 ppg). Freshman Mareik Isom sat out
last season after preseason surgery. He might be the most intriguing option because he can play both
the 2 and 3 spots, is reported to be a very good shooter, and is 6-7.
Gillon and Hagins committed to UALR on the same day and
figured to compete for point guard minutes. The hope was that both would be
able to co-exist and develop into a formidable point guard tandem for four
years. They were effective as freshmen, even more so when paired together in
the UALR lineup.
