Samson George officially enters NCAA transfer portal

It was already made clear that Pitt forward Samson George would not be back at Pitt next season, as he was given a ceremonial send-off on Senior Night despite his status as a junior. However, what was not known was whether or not he would continue his college basketball career elsewhere, and that was clarified on Friday, as he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

George was recruited by Kevin Stallings out of First Love Christian Academy in nearby Washington, Pennsylvania, during the 2017 recruiting cycle. At the time, he was considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports and held at least 10 offers. His most notable alternatives were Duquesne, Rutgers, USC and VCU.

However, despite possessing size and ability that piqued the interest of programs across the country, the 6’8”, 220-pound forward was unable to secure significant playing time at Pitt, as that was primarily divvied up between Kene Chukwuka and Terrell Brown early on. Last season, frontcourt minutes were apportioned to Abdoul Karim Coulibaly and Eric Hamilton as well, with George rarely seeing the court. That trend would have undoubtedly continued with John Hugley’s arrival next season.

George saw action in just 26 games during his three seasons in Pittsburgh, as he played in 13 games as a freshman, six as a sophomore and seven as a junior. The lone start of his career came on Senior Night on Feb. 26, when Pitt hosted Syracuse at the Petersen Events Center and suffered a 72-49 loss. During his three-year run, he averaged 0.9 points and 1.0 rebounds over a span of 3.7 minutes per game.

It is currently unclear where George plans to transfer, but a low-major or mid-major program could offer him more minutes. In addition to the offers he received from high majors, the First Love product also drew interest from Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Fordham, Iona, Monmouth and Quinnipiac.

George will move on as a graduate transfer, so he will be able to play immediately at his next school. He has one year of eligibility remaining.