UGA MBB
Dasher Rivals.com: Key questions remain for Georgia basketball team
“In the portal era, when you have individual meetings with all these guys. It’s a two-way street. What’s your expectation, what are you looking for? What are your other options? Staffs have options, players have options … it just is what it is,” White said. “You re-recruit to a certain extent, but you also want guys who want to be where they are, and you want guys to really be a part of your program. So, we’ll figure it out.”
https://uga.rivals.com/news/key-questions-remain-for-georgia-basketball-team
More Mike White:
“From what I understand, a lot of young people in college basketball will have tough decisions to make this spring and will have the opportunity to go elsewhere. It's re-recruitment and then it's also recruitment, you know, from other universities and schools in terms of guys being in the portal, and that's what it is. Guys who want to be here, we'll have those conversations and we'll re-recruit them, right? But ultimately if a guy wants to be somewhere else really badly, then that's what I want for them.
You know, you want to build this thing with people that really want to be here, and we're going to have really good players this spring — some that are here, some that are at other schools, some that are coming from high school that want to be here — and we're going to have success with them.”
“You recruit to a certain extent, but you also want guys that really want to be where they are,” White said. “You want guys who really want to be a part of your program. We’ll figure that out.”
As to freshmen:
“You never know these days with the climate of college basketball. You can't look ahead to the following year as early as you used to be able to do, right? Who knows what our roster will look like next year? I certainly like those three guys a lot as people, as players. All three of them have had really good freshman years, especially considering how good our league is and the lack of freshmen impacting this league at the level that used to happen.”
Support:
“Yeah, you know, our administration has been fantastic. We've got all the support that we need. We've just got to get better, We've got to continue to develop the guys we've got. We've got to continue to be really strong with recruiting. This spring will be very important for us as it will be for most of our league. But, yeah, we're optimistic about the future of Georgia basketball for sure.”
Silas Demary Jr.
“After the season, guys will have to look into what they want to do,” said Demary, who led the Bulldogs with 14 points Thursday night. “Obviously, me, Dylan and Blue, Mari, we talk about it here and there. But everybody has their own decision to make. I’ll just get with my family, and we’ll just look at what’s best for me.
“Obviously, I love it here. I feel like all the guys do. We’re just going to take our time and not rush anything.”
“I feel like we’ve got some big-time Quad-1 wins, wins over some teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. So, I feel like we deserve to be in the NIT,” Demary said. “A win tonight would have stamped us into it, but I feel like we’ve done well enough to be in that conversation.
Noah Thomasson
“For me, this is it,” said Thomasson, Georgia’s leading scorer with 13 points per game. “Hopefully, Sunday we will hear our name called so we can play again. If not, I’m forever thankful for this opportunity. I thank coach White for the chance to play in the SEC, which is a dream come true for a guy who had zero opportunities coming out of high school and went to junior college. I’m forever thankful for this opportunity, and I’m glad to be able to say I’m forever a Georgia Bulldog.”
Weiszer ABH: How an SEC program boosted the NIT chances of Georgia basketball without playing a game
The chances for Georgia basketball to extend their season in the NIT got better Friday afternoon. It's thanks to another SEC program.
www.onlineathens.com
Steve Shockley: A few notes about @UGABasketball in the NIT:
- Georgia last played in the NIT in 2017, a 1st rd loss to Belmont
- the last time Georgia won a game in the NIT was 2016 vs Belmont
- Georgia lost to Louisiana Tech in 2014, who was coached by Mike White
- Georgia’s all time record in the NIT is 13-14.
- this is Mike Whites 5th trip to the NIT in his head coaching career
High School Recruiting
2024
Michigan Commitment Khani Rooths
“I need to see who the new head coach will be, the players that are leaving, staying, who I’ll be there with, and the way the coach sees me. I need to start from the ground up with Michigan since it’s a whole new staff.”
2025
Joson Sanon has eliminated UGA from his list of schools. Arizona, Boston College, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, and Overtime Elite are what remains.
Portal
Cheat sheet
C/PF Ezra Ausar East Carolina
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PF William Kyle South Dakota State (Social Media)
“Kyle, the second-year standout from Bellevue, Nebraska, got the building on its feet with an alley-oop dunk off a pass from teammate Charlie Easley in the opening 75 seconds of the game. Later in the game, he capped a fastbreak with a huge leap and slam and he showed more athleticism with a standing dunk from under the basket.
“I do catch myself by surprise all the time. … If I can dunk it, I can dunk it,” Kyle said. “It is my highest-percentage shot when I’m on the floor so every chance I get, I’m going to try to (dunk).”
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Kyle kept dunking in the Summit League Tournament quarterfinals. Let’s rank them!
www.midmajormadness.com
SF/PF Khani Rooths Prep School (Committed to Michigan)
SG Marcus Foster Furman (In portal) (Contact)
SG Dakota Leffew Mount St Mary’s (Social Media)
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SG De’Shayne Montgomery Mount St. Mary’s (Social Media)
“When senior guard Dakota Leffew went down with a lower-body injury on Feb. 18, it created an opportunity for someone else to seize the leadership mantle on the men’s basketball team at Mount St. Mary’s.
Freshman guard De’Shayne Montgomery has seized it, averaging almost 21 points, four assists and three rebounds since Leffew, the team’s leading scorer, primary ball handler and chief distributor, went down.
Earlier this week, Montgomery was named the Rookie of the Week in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the third consecutive week and the fifth time overall, the most of any first-year player in the league.
With the 6-foot-5 Leffew now back in the fold for the past two games — a five-point loss at Canisius last Friday and a 19-point win at Niagara on Sunday — the emergence of the 6-foot-4 Montgomery has given Mount St. Mary’s a dynamic it didn’t have previously as it heads into the most important part of its season.
However, Leffew’s injury did present Montgomery with two immediate hurdles to overcome.
For starters, he had never really spent much time as a primary ball handler in basketball. A soccer player growing up in south Florida, Montgomery didn’t start playing organized basketball until his freshman year of high school.
“He had to learn a new position really fast,” Engelstad said. “I think he embraced that. Now, we have the ability to play him on or off the ball.”
Montgomery was also thrust into a prominent leadership role as a freshman. There were older guys on the team with a lot more playing experience. He was a quieter, lead-by-example type. Was he ready to lead them?
“My dad and I were talking, and he said, ‘Be you. Play how you play.’ And I think I have done that,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery said he also spoke with some of the older players on the team, including Leffew, about being a leader, and they offered encouragement.
“I feel like it’s a big accomplishment so far,” Montgomery said. “People asking me questions, looking to me for advice.”
https://www.fredericknewspost.com/s...cle_eccf9eea-8518-543c-a15e-0085e40c392c.html
CG Justin Pippin Prep School (Uncommitted) (Leaning Georgia Tech?) (Social Media)
PG Ja”Kobi Gillespie Belmont (In portal) (Two assistant coaches following on Social Media)
Belmont guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is entering the transfer portal, per source.
Gillespie has spent both collegiate seasons at Belmont and saw major improvements in every statistical category during his sophomore year.
He averaged 17.2PPG, 4.2APG, 3.8RPG and 2.2SPG this season. Shot 38.7% from deep.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Belmont’s leading scorer and point guard, put his name in the transfer portal Friday.
Gillespie’s sophomore season was sensational at times as he emerged as the Bruins best player in the latter part of the season.
He averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds. He was the team’s best defender and was named to the Missouri Valley Conference all-defensive team. He was also second-team All-MVC.
Gillespie missed eight games during the conference season with a broken wrist but when he returned he played as if nothing had happened.
He’s an outstanding ball handler who can find paths to the basket that few others in the MVC can. His shooting, a liability freshmen year, was highly accurate as he hit 56.1 percent of his shots, 38.7 of his threes and 83 percent of his free throws.
Belmont coach Casey Alexander often described him as a winner, and a player who not only wanted the ball in clutch situations but believed he would make whatever play was needed.
There should be no shortage of offers from major schools for him.”
Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Belmont in scoring at 17.2 points per game. Photo by Landen Secrest Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Belmont’s leading scorer and point guard, put his name in the transfer portal Friday. Gi…
nashvillehoops.blog
PG Bruce Thornton Ohio State
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PG Jordan Ivy-Curry UT SA (In portal)(Social Media)
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UGA Contact
SG Marcus Foster Furman Grad transfer
The 6’4” guard started 24/24 games averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steal.
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Sean Paul: Not surprised Marcus Foster is hearing from high caliber programs. The 6-foot-4 guard from Atlanta is a much better shooter than his 29% indicates. Shot it way better the past two years, and dealt with injuries this year.
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Likely Contact (Two assistant coaches following on Social Media)
PG Ja”Kobi Gillespie Belmont
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