Georgia basketball: It’s raining blue chip athletes in Athens
Not to be outdone by Georgia football, Mark Fox and Georgia Basketball are getting commitments from the some of the top prospects in country.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Georgia football signed likely the best group of prospects in the history of college football. It is certainly the best Athens has ever seen. That success must have rubbed off on the Georgia basketball program who now has the no. 1 recruiting class for 2019.
Just days after Georgia signed multiple prospects in football, Ashton Hagans committed to the Georgia basketball team. Then, just days ago, Elias King joined him. The two of them propelled Georgia to the top of the 2019 class rankings. If they stay, Georgia will likely remain in the top-20.
The highest ranked recruiting class under Mark Fox according to 247 Sports was the 2016 class. 247 Sports ranked them no. 35 nationally. Three times in the Mark Fox era, Georgia’s signed a recruiting class ranked outside the top-100. And the Fox hasn’t signed a five-star out of high school.
If he remains committed, Hagans can become the first five-star prospect signed by Coach Fox. He’s the no. 11 prospect in the country; the no. 2 point guard; no. 1 in the state of Georgia. He plays high school ball for Newton High School. And he just so happens to be the cousin of Tre Thompkins, one of the best players of Fox’s early years at UGA.
King isn’t ranked too far behind Hagans. he’s a four-star from Shiloh High School. 247 Sports has him no. 55 nationally; no. 16 at small forward; no. 3 in the state of Georgia.
Both players are tall and have good size with their height. Hagans is 6’4 and King is 6’7. Both weight 185 pounds. Hagans is definitely a prototypical point guard. A great passer who can also drive the lane and play good on defense. You could see a glimpse of that at the HoopsGiving Tournament last month.
King is a great long-range shooter which is something Georgia will need. That shooting was on display last month against Miller Grove. He puts up good shots regardless of pressure or range. All of his shots seem to have the perfect arch to fall right in the hoop.
There’s still a long time before either can sign with Georgia basketball. But if they both stay, they’ll both be great additions to a team led by veterans Rayshaun Hammonds, Nicolas Claxton, Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris.
As for the 2018 class, it is not as star-studded as 2019 so far. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be a letdown. Four-star Amanze Ngumezi is the best recruit of the class thus far. 247 Sports ranks him as the no. 104 player nationally, the no. 27 power forward and no. 5 in the state of Georgia.
Behind him is three-star JoJo Toppin, the no. 255 player nationally, no. 57 small forward and no. 11 in the state of Georgia. According to 247 Sports, no other top prospects seem to favor Georgia. But Ngumezi alone will be enough for the 2018 class as long as the stars from the 2016 and 2017 classes pan out.
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So far, Hammonds has not been a bust. He’s third on the team with 26.2 minutes played behind veterans Yante Maten and William “Turtle” Jackson. He’s also third with 7.8 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. He came in as a big man in the shadow of Maten and Derek Ogbeide, but now he’s a compliment to them.
Claxton is yet to make a huge impact. But he’s averaging 4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in just 12.8 minutes per game. He has also appeared in every game.
If Fox can manage to stay around through the 2018-19 season, he might have the building blocks for a team that can begin competing in the NCAA Tournament on a yearly basis. That’s something that Georgia basketball fans have wanted for a very long time.