Busting Brackets
Fansided

Gonzaga Basketball: 3 takeaways from Efton Reid’s transfer to the Bulldogs

By Tuck Clarry

Feb 12, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers center Efton Reid (15) celebrates with the student section after defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2022; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers center Efton Reid (15) celebrates with the student section after defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next
Gonzaga Basketball Efton Reid LSU Tigers (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Gonzaga Basketball Efton Reid LSU Tigers (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Freshman transfer Efton Reid announced on Saturday that he is transferring to Gonzaga for his sophomore season. The LSU big man is one of 13 scholarship athletes to leave LSU this offseason following Will Wade’s firing and the completion of their investigation into improper benefits.

Reid is a former five-star recruit rated as a consensus top 30 player in his class last season. The 7-foot center averaged 19.6 minutes per game last year, playing behind future lottery pick Tari Eason and senior Darius Days, who also has announced his entry into the NBA draft. In those minutes, Reid had a usage rating of 17.8% and was stymied by poor spacing when playing alongside either of those previously mentioned bigs that played in front of him.

The number one issue for the Tigers all of last season was the lack of consistent and high major level point guard play to allow that offense to do darn near anything. Xavier Pinson was the team’s best distributor on the season but injuries and an ability to create and score for himself limited his ability to create great opportunities for the frontcourt. Those limited opportunities created a clogged paint and numbers that don’t necessarily jump out at you from a team ranked 89th in offensive efficiency margin on KenPom.

https://twitter.com/tobias_bass/status/1520869486886363136

The big averaged 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds last season averaging .8 blocks as well. While the basic stat line information doesn’t necessarily jump out as the most jaw-dropping potential transfer in a loaded portal, traditional numbers aren’t everything when it comes to player fit and potential.

Here is how Reid joining the Zags affects not only his trajectory as a college player and professional prospect but also how he can keep Gonzaga in the national conversation whether or not All-American Drew Timme returns.