Michael Foster Now a Must for Tom Crean

Tom Crean is on the hot seat. His Bulldogs are going into a prove-it season, and it appears there is only one player that can save his job.

Georgia Bulldogs head basketball coach Tom Crean is on the hot seat at the moment. He needs to have immediate success in order to keep his job, but that is becoming increasingly difficult.

The Bulldogs have lost six players to the transfer portal this offseason. There are only four returning players from the 2020 roster: KD Johnson, Tyron McMillan, Jonathon Ned and Josh Taylor.

To his credit, Crean has also picked up multiple transfers this offseason. This includes Jabri Abdur-Rahim, who was a freshman last year for Virginia. Abdur-Rahim projects to be an impact scorer for the Bulldogs, a talent they just didn't have on the roster a year ago.

Despite it all, Crean needs to win now and doesn't have a superstar on the roster. The Bulldogs have one opportunity left to add an All-America talent this offseason: Michael Foster.

Foster is a current high-school senior. He has taken his time with his recruitment and has narrowed his list down to three options: Georgia, Florida State or the NBA G-League.

At the moment, experts believe Foster will opt for the professional level. 

A large part of the team's success next year hinges on Foster's recruitment. He is the total package and would make Georgia an immediate contender in the SEC.

He has a high motor and plays extremely hard. Foster is 6-foot-9 and weighs 220 pounds, making him a tweener. He is big enough to play small-ball center, but could also develop into a wing.

Foster's ceiling is dependent on how his game on the perimeter evolves. If he is able to develop a perimeter jumper and switch onto guards on the defensive end, he could be the best player in the country next year.

Simply put, Foster is the type of recruit that Georgia can't miss on. Pairing his skillset with Abdur-Rahim could make for the most lethal tandem in the SEC.

SEC Basketball has never been more open. Kentucky missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in ages, Arkansas lost a number of players to the NBA Draft and Auburn is in the process of reloading.

Crean will get the opportunity to coach in 2021. His buyout clause is $7 million, meaning that the athletic department will give him one more season to prove that he can win.

Foster would change the dynamic of power in the SEC. With him, the Bulldogs have an outside shot of winning the conference. Without him, the Bulldogs will likely be starting a search for a new basketball coach.