Georgia Basketball: Bulldogs could look to transfer portal to fill roster
College basketball season came to an unexpected end this season, which has led to an early start for transfers to enter their name into the portal, as well as high school prospects to pick the school of choice.
The Georgia Bulldogs 2020 recruiting class currently sits at 25th nationally, which is good enough for 6th best in the SEC. At the moment, Georgia holds signatures from two, in-state 4-stars in K.D Johnson and Josh Taylor, as well as two of the nation's top JUCO transfers in Mikal Starks and Jonathan Ned.
Even with four commitments, the Bulldogs will still need to add talent to this roster. As mentioned before, there is a possibility that Georgia could reach into the 2021 class and snag Jonathan Kuminga and/or Mike Foster, with both pondering the idea of reclassifying.
With Georgia still in the rebuilding phase at the moment, the coaching staff may decide to look to add a player that's capable of providing immediate impact, which is why the Bulldogs have been active in pursuing transfers so far.
Today, we'll look at the list of graduate transfers that Georgia has stuck their name in the hat this far.
E.J. Anosike will announce his new home on Friday.
E.J. Anosike: Sacred Heart
-Guard
-6'6 245 lbs.
When you hear about a player with a 6'6 245-pound frame, "guard" probably isn't the first thing that pops into your head.
Anosike would provide a huge boost of size and physicality into Georgia's backcourt, especially with the loss of Donnell Gresham Jr., who stood his own in the rebound game. Anosike's 11.6 RPG puts in perspective just how much of a stand out rebounder he is, outside of the fact that he's a guard.
Anosike is a physical finisher around the rim, often times scoring around in the paint. He also has decent post moves, which allows him to score on bigger defenders. His outside shot is inconsistent at times, yet he's still a threat from deep, if given the space. Though the Northeast Conference is non-comparable to the defenses in the SEC, his 15.7 PPG is still impressive.
Nate Johnson helped Gardner-Webb reach their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019.
Nate Johnson: Gardner-Webb
-Guard
-6'3 180 lbs.
Johnson has the ability to fill a huge void in the Bulldogs' roster with the loss of Anthony Edwards and Tyree Crump: shooting. Shooting 41% from three-point land this past season, expect Johnson to be one of the most coveted options on the transfer market.
Johnson has a rapid release, making it extremely hard to contest his shots. He's more of a "catch-and-shoot" type of player, but can also create his own shot opportunities when needed. Johnson also creates turnovers from time to time, and does a good job of jumping out to start fastbreaks. He also has a serious amount of touch and finesse that allows him to finish when driving in.
Darius Banks drives-in on Florida's Kevarrius Hayes.
Darius Banks: James Madison
-Guard
-6'5 220 lbs.
Banks has the long and powerful frame for a guard that is similar to that of Anthony Edwards. While he doesn't have the same skill set as Edwards, his size and potential is the reason as to why he's receiving looks from many programs, even if he isn't one of the biggest names on the market.
Banks knows how to attack the basket. It's as simple as that. He knows how to use his size and skill to his advantage, which led to his 12.1 PPG this season. Banks emerged as an efficient three point shooter in 18'-19', shooting 49.3% on 75 attempts. The increased amount of three-pointers this season brought down Banks' shooting percentage to 33.3%, but the three-point shooting continues to become more of a weapon for him as he progresses.
Alterique Gilbert takes on Houston in American Conference play.
Alterique Gilbert: UConn
-Guard
-6'0 180 lbs.
What a great story it would be for the Georgia Bulldogs to bring a former McDonald's All-American and former Top-40 recruit back home. The Bulldogs could do just that, if they were to land Alterique Gilbert, who averaged 8.5 PPG this season at UConn.
Sure, Gilbert's stats don't necessarily pop out at you, but the hype he had around him coming out of high school along with the potential he has shown at UConn has made him one of the biggest transfers on the market. A change of scenery may be just what Gilbert needs to help him reach the next step of his career.
Gilbert is undersized at guard, and is comparable to the frames of Sahvir Wheeler, K.D. Johnson and Mikal Starks. While Georgia may decide to choose a more sized guard if they do choose to add to the backcourt, Gilbert's shooting off of the pass and craftiness around the basket is what's got Georgia interested.
Darius Perry gets a shot attempt against Clemson.
Darius Perry: Louisville
-Guard
-6'2 195 lbs.
If Georgia is looking to to bring another former Top-100 recruit back to the state of Georgia, Darius Perry may also be another solid option. Coming out of Marietta, Georgia, Perry never truly made the impact he is capable of making, but like Alterique Gilbert, a change of scenery may also help Perry in many ways.
Averaging just 5.2 PPG and 2.5 APG, Perry has shown since he was at the high school level that he is talented combo guard. Whether he's bringing the ball up the court and shooting off the dribble or catching and shooting, Perry has a nice three ball, shooting 38.9% this season. Perry may not be the best finisher on this list, but he still has the finesse to finish around the basket. He's also a very talented defender who can turn steals into points at any time.
Jonah Antonio is now looking to transfer for the second time in his career.
Jonah Antonio: UNLV
-Guard
-6'5 180 lbs.
Jonah Antonio isn't receiving the same love that someone like Darius Perry or E.J. Anosike is receiving. He's still a potential diamond in the rough in the transfer portal. Antonio started 31 games at Mount St. Mary's his freshman season, averaging 11.3 PPG and 1.3 steals. After sitting his sophomore year, Antonio started 13 games this season at UNLV, averaging 6.9 PPG.
From a career standpoint, Antonio is shooting just above 30% from deep, but from watching his film, his percentage doesn't tell the whole story. Antonio has a very pure shot, that doesn't have a whole lot of extra movements. While he can shoot off the dribble and off the pass, Antonio also has the ability to shoot from behind the arc as well. Antonio's shooting abilities are second nature to him, and aren't found that often in college basketball.
Needing to find replacement to the shooting of Anthony Edwards' and Tyree Crump's, Antonio could very-well have a Crump-like senior season. Heading into this season, Crump had shown signs of being an every game, knockdown shooter, but had turned off many because of his inconsistency. As this season went on, Crump became a lot more consistent, and turned into one of Georgia's biggest threats down the final stretch of the season. If Antonio is capable of having a senior year like Crump's, he's worth taking.
