Could Georgia still add one more hoops recruit this year?
DESTIN, Fla. — While no specific player is on the horizon, at least publicly, it does appear the Georgia men’s basketball team could add someone for this upcoming season.
At least that’s what head coach Mark Fox said Tuesday at SEC meetings.
“We’re still actively recruiting,” Fox said. “And I would anticipate that we will continue to do so, try to fill that scholarship. Whether we do or not, I don’t know.”
Georgia has one opening under the NCAA scholarship limit, after the departure of center Osahen Iduwe, who seldom played and had two years of eligibility left. But Iduwe’s transfer came after the one player Georgia was known to be pursuing – Ohio State transfer Daniel Giddens – announced he would join Alabama instead.
There are still several transfers out there, but none so far who have been linked to Georgia. The Bulldogs, while they have a good core of talent returning, could still use at least one more player who could join the rotation. A graduate transfer with immediate eligibility would fit that bill.
Georgia did sign junior college transfer Pape Diatta, who can play both forward spots and is expected to help off the bench, and perhaps contend for a starting spot. He joined guards Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris in the three-man recruiting class.
Meanwhile, a big part of SEC meetings, at least for basketball coaches, is meeting with new consultant Mike Tranghese and discussing ways to improve the conference’s product. That might include scheduling, but in Georgia’s case it already has a fairly loaded lineup: Texas and Marquette have been lined up at home and trips to Georgia Tech and Clemson are scheduled, along with a tournament that could include a matchup with Kansas.
“Nothing’s really going to change for us, because we’ve always scheduled up,” Fox said. “I’m sure there’ll be a new, not a new directive, but maybe a new emphasis for everybody. But I don’t think it’ll impact us.”