Considered one of the nation’s top high school seniors in 2012, evidenced by his four-star ranking on Rivals.com, Gabe York decided to take his talents to Tucson, Ariz. and play for Sean Miller. Unlike most four-star freshman talents, though, York hardly enjoyed his first season at Arizona.
Why? Probably because he only averaged a meager 5.8 minutes per game, a number usually only reserved for walk-ons. Instead of transfering to greener pastures, York rededicated himself to the game, and sought out a role he could fit in Miller’s system.
Two seasons later, York plays more than 22 minutes per game while being one of the key reserves–though he has started at times this season–on a top 10 team.
For much of the last two years, York has been considered little more than a three-point specialist, able to run off of Arizona’s patented off-ball screens and pop open beyond the arc. The same was being said this season, before York went into a deep slump for nearly a month before hosting UCLA on February 21, a stretch that never saw him hit more than two in a game, a number he only hit one time (at Washington, where he shot 2-for-8).
But as the season comes to a close and the Wildcats hopes of a Final Four run heat up, so has York. Against the Bruins, Colorado and Utah, he’s averaged 13 points per game, while hitting eight three-pointers.
When York plays well, he’s the extra offensive option off of the bench that Arizona so desperately needs. Without him playing well, the Wildcats cannot afford off nights from the likes of Stanley Johnson if they hope to make a big time run in March.
