ATHENS — Georgia coach Tom Crean said the Bulldogs’ shooting had to get better, and he’s helping to see to that by adding yet another strong 3-point specialist.
Noah Baumann, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound graduate transfer from Southern Cal is transferring to UGA where he’s expected to make an immediate impact.
Baumann is two years removed from prolific outside shooting runs in San Jose State school history, burying 45.5 percent of his shots beyond the arc in 2019 and a school-record 46 percent in 2018.
The former Phoenix Desert Vista star averaged just 3.6 points last season, playing in all 31 games but starting just one. He was 25-of-71 (35.2 percent_ shooting from three for the Trojans.
After sitting out the 2019-20 season due to transfer rules, Baumann showed what he could do in the only game he started at USC, scoring 18 points in a victory over UC Irvine.
Baumann was 5-of-9 shooting in that game with three assists and no turnovers.
“It’s very important [to get Noah going] because he’s been struggling,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said after the victory, per a 247Sports report. “He started out the year 2 for 9 from the three-point line. He’s an elite shooter, and he’s much better than that.”
Crean is famous for his ability to free up shooters for open looks, and he has an eye for sharpshooting talent.
The Georgia coach once recruited little-known Nick Zeisloft to play at Indiana before 2014-15 season, and Zeisloft went on to make 128 3-points for the Hooisers the next two seasons at 43.2-percent. This, after averaging just 6.9 points per game at Illinois State.
The Bulldogs ranked 11th in the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage and 233rd in the nation last season, making treys at a 32.42 clip.
UGA has added four transfers this offseason, including the addition of hot-shooting wings Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Virginia) and Jaylin Ingram (Florida Atlantic).
Georgia’s other offseason transfer addition is 6-foot-10 Illinois-Chicago transfer Braylin Bridges.
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UGA also lost four contributors to transfers, Toumani Camara, Tye Fagan, Mikal Starks and Christian Brown. Brown announced on Monday that he’s headed to Tennessee State.
Jaykwon Walton was another player who transferred, appearing in just two games last season and seven the year before.
It’s clear Crean’s additions are an effort to improve what has been a dreadful shooting team. The 3-point shooting and free-throw shooting of the four players who transferred out was:
Camara 15-57 (.263) from three, 64-103 (.621) free-throw line
Fagan 10-37 (.270) from three, 20-36, (.556) free-throw line
Brown 6-17 (.353) from three, 20-30 (.667) free-throw line
Starks 0-0 (0.00) from three, 0-0 (.000) free-throw line
