George Kiernan came into the Navy men's basketball team with the ability to make perimeter jump shots. However, the freshman forward quickly realized that was not the only skill needed to earn playing time at the Division I level.
Kiernan arrived in Annapolis for plebe summer weighing around 200 pounds and was not very strong. The Illinois native needed considerable work on the defensive end and had to become a better ballhandler.
Head coach Ed DeChellis saw considerable potential in Kiernan and believed he would benefit from playing for what has been dubbed the "Navy Basketball Development Team.