Georgia Basketball Recruiting Update and Breakdown 1/16

Nov 22, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox reacts to play during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Sprint Center. Kansas won 65-54. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox reacts to play during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Sprint Center. Kansas won 65-54. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball: CBE Hall of Fame Classic
NCAA Basketball: CBE Hall of Fame Classic /

Georgia football’s recruiting class has gotten most of the publicity, but Mark Fox is putting together a great class of his own for Georgia basketball.

Related Story: Teshaun Hightower commits to Georgia basketball

The Facts:

Georgia Basketball currently has 2 signees and 1 commit for this upcoming basketball recruiting class. But they are losing 4 seniors this season. So they should have room to sign at least 1 more players in this class. Georgia is believed to be in it with 2 more players.

The Commits:

Georgia has received commitments from 3 players. Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton have both signed to Georgia already. Teshaun Hightower is a commit as of 1/16/2017.

Rayshaun Hammonds:  Hammonds is an outstanding athlete, he plays power forward right now in high school basketball. Coming in at 6’7 190lbs, he may not stay at power forward in college. I think he will move to small forward full-time with the Dawgs. He has good handles and is at his best when attacking the paint. He will need to work more on his handles, and keeping his eyes up while crossing over or doing other dribble moves. Hammonds is a spot up shooter right now, he will need to improve on moving and shooting, but he is able to drain shots from behind the arc. I think he will be a great addition to the quality big men we have on campus already. And he will add some much-needed athleticism to the 3 spot for Georgia.

Nicolas Claxton: Claxton is another versatile athlete Georgia will be bringing into it’s back court. Coming in at 6’9 195lbs, he will need to add some weight, but he already has a good array of post moves. Claxton has really good handles for such a long athlete, he looks comfortable while dribbling. He also keeps his head up looking to pass and set his teammates up to score. He’ll bring defensive prowess to the paint. Claxton is a good spot up shooter, able to hit down corner 3’s with ease. I believe he will play power forward for Georgia in the future, and won’t be asked to be much more than a spot up shooter. If he gets chased off his spot he can dribble well enough to attack the paint. He should be a post scorer for Georgia and good rebounder/defender.

Teshaun Hightower: Hightower is a 6’4 180lb combo guard coming out of Mt. Zion Prep in Baltimore, Maryland. Originally playing for Collin Hills in Suwanee, Georgia. Hightower is a complete scorer, able to sink shots from way beyond the arc. He can also dribble into and attack the paint, and create his own jump shots with dribble moves. He would bring an immediate scoring threat to Georgia, he is at a crowded position so he will add quality depth on the bench. 

The Prospects:

More from Dawn of the Dawg

Georgia is reportedly in on 2 prospects to fill the last spot they should have in this class. I will give a breakdown on the players they are looking at.

Derrick Walker: Walker is a 6’8 220lb power forward coming out of Sunrise Christian in Wichita, Kansas. Georgia has a plethora of guards on the team at this moment,  they have 3 scholarship forwards on the roster at this moment. Not including the two new forward signees reported above. Walker could add great depth to the back court, and help shore up the defensive side. I do not believe Walker will be the first choice for this class due to the amount of forwards already taken in this class.

Luis Hurtado: Hurtado is a 6’5 175lbs point guard coming out of The Sagemont School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hurtado appears to be a true pass first point guard from watching his film. He has an outstanding height for the position and should be able to keep most guards in check, and block smaller guards shots. I think Hurtado will be a top choice to add into this class due to the position he will play in college.