It appears the 2015 Georgia Bulldogs basketball recruiting dream team has finally collapsed, although the dream certainly lasted longer than usual.
Rivals National Writer Dan McDonald reports Rivals 4-star center Doral Moore (6’11” 230) from Locust Grove, GA, (Luella High School) has received his coveted offer from Kentucky.
RT @AtlXpress 7'0 C Doral Moore now holds offer from Kentucky moving into his senior year after having a big summer.
— Dan McDonald (@CoachD_Mac) August 2, 2014
Moore wants to play at Kentucky and for John Calipari, and will visit Kentucky and commit – there is no doubt. There were rumblings that Georgia was becoming a player for the game-changing big man, but with a Big Blue offer, that’s ancient history.
Rivals 5-star Jaylen Brown (6’7” 200) of Marietta, GA (Wheeler HS) – possibly the best player in the country – will visit the UCLA campus this weekend while he is in California for Adidas Nations Los Angeles, per CBSSports. UCLA has emerged as the leading candidate for his service and if Brown reports a good visit at UCLA, it’s probably over for the Bulldogs.
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However, Georgia can get back in the game on Monday if UCLA kicks the Brown visit. If Brown is disappointed in the powder blue experience, Georgia may battle Kentucky down the stretch. While that does not appear to be a fair fight, Georgia would be in the fight.
Georgia has recently offered another big man in the 2015 class, in Derek Ogbeide (6’8”, 230), a Rivals 3-star center who plays at Pebblebrook High in Mableton, Ga. His recruitment is picking up steam and he now has offers from Houston, Ole Miss, Georgia and Virginia Tech.
Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Houston is a serious player as his mother lives in the Houston area. On the other hand, his father lives in the Atlanta area. The Bulldogs do have some advantages they can work in the recruiting of Ogbeide, but mom is often the key to young man’s recruitment.
Betsided
With Moore receiving his Kentucky offer, look for the Bulldogs to become involved in several other post players. One candidate is Rivals 3-star post Shawntrez Davis (6’8” 220) of East Point, GA (Tri Cities HS). A Game Elite teammate of Brown, he has held a Georgia offer since April.
It is common for players to disappoint in their last summer of AAU play. Basketball recruits are evaluated very early in their life and there is a definite ebb and flow to the rankings as each player progresses from one competition level to another. However, the 2015 players recruited by Georgia have played extremely well and raised their ratings.
4-star rivals guard Malik Beasley (6’4” 185) of Alpharetta, GA (St. Francis HS) and Moore have both proven to be better players than they appeared to be when younger. Moore has also played well and performed at a very high level against great competition.
Rivals 4-star forward Tevin Mack (6’6”, 220) of Columbia, SC and Dreher high School is still the superb rangy shooter Georgia desperately needs. Will Jackson (6’4″, 180) of Athens Christian High School in Athens, GA may be the exception. Reports are he has not played as well as anticipated. He is also coming off an injury, so time will tell.
While Brown and Moore seem to be out now, Georgia’s prospects for Beasley and Mack remain very good. A recruiting class that includes Beasley or Mack and a good big man would set Georgia up for future success.