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PROVO — Lauren Gustin had a decision about her final year of college basketball.
The 6-foot-1 power forward from Salem announced Friday night that she will use her final year of eligibility to return to BYU and "finish what I started" after initially entering her name into the transfer portal as a graduate transfer.
"I'm grateful to all the schools that expressed interest in me since entering the transfer portal last week," she wrote on Instagram. "This experience has taught me a lot. After evaluating my options and a lot of contemplation, I have decided to use my final year of eligibility to finish what I started at BYU. I'm here to stay."
Considered one of the top transfer prospects in the portal when she entered her name over the weekend, Gustin averaged 16.1 points and a nation-high 16.7 rebounds per game last year under first-year head coach Amber Whiting. The reigning West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year who broke Tina Gunn's single-season rebounding record at BYU was the backbone of a young team that lost five seniors and leading scorer Shaylee Gonzales following the retirement of former coach Jeff Judkins.
Whiting leaned on Gustin, who will graduate in April, in playing her 38.3 minutes per night of a 16-17 season that ended with a first-round loss to Rice in the Women's NIT.
After that loss, Gustin said she was "planning to" come back for her final year of college basketball, but entered the portal last week while announcing her decision to take a look around and explore what options were in front of her.
Whiting also explored options — of keeping Gustin in Provo, even providing a public pitch for her services in an appearance earlier this week on BYUtv's Sports Nation.
"It's hard, because I know what she means to me," Whiting said. "But I hope she does go explore those looks, and I hope she remembers what we're building here and she remembers the relationship we have, and she remembers what she means to us here. That will hopefully keep her, because I really want her back and I want her with us.
"She was the one who was so excited to get in the Big 12 and to do this, so I really hope she remembers that and she comes back."
But in the end, whatever visits and conversations she had with other programs brought her back to the beginning, where she'll team up with a monster recruiting class that includes four-star guard Amari Whiting, two-time Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year Ali'a Matavao, and one of the best recruiting classes in the recent history of BYU women's basketball.
"BYU has a special place in my heart and I'm excited to go to battle with my teammates and coaches as we enter the Big 12 next season," Gustin said. "Forever and always ... Go Cougs!"
