Elias King and Ashton Hagans were seen as the future of Georgia basketball — the type of dynamic duo who could potentially vault the Bulldogs toward the top of the SEC. But now both players are gone, having de-committed from the program.

First it was Hagans reneging on his pledge in late February. And now King has joined him, making his de-commitment public to Rivals.com on Tuesday night.

Though King is not quite on Hagans’ level as a prospect — Hagans is seen as a potential one-and-done, lottery-pick type of talent — it is nevertheless a big loss for the Bulldogs. Unsurprisingly, Mark Fox’s departure from the program was the primary reason behind his decision, as he told Rivals.com, ‘The reason I’m opening up is because Coach [Mark] Fox got fired and that was one of the reasons I picked Georgia.’

The 55th-ranked prospect in the class of 2019 according to the 247Sports composite, King originally committed to Georgia in late December. A 6-foot-t 7 small forward, King played for Shiloh High School in Snellville, Ga. before transferring to Lincoln Prep Academy in Gwinnett County.

At just 185 pounds, he likely will need some time in a college weight program before he is able to maximize his potential, but his length and athleticism should allow him to find a role from Day 1 as a freshman.

While this news is certainly disappointing for UGA fans, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that the Georgia native re-commits to the Bulldogs at some point down the road.

First, however, the university must hire a new head coach to replace Fox — all signs point to former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta — who can then make the re-recruitment of King and others a top priority upon signing a contract.