Silas Demary Jr. had several reasons for choosing Georgia after asking Southern Cal to release him from his scholarship on April 15.

Being familiar with Bulldog coach Mike White and his staff certainly did not hurt.

“The relationship was already there,” Demary Jr. said in a telephone interview with UGASports. “It was just about building it and making it stronger.”

Georgia announced his signing Monday afternoon.

After visiting with coaches, both at his home in Lincolnton, N.C., and in Athens during his official visit, Demary Jr. knew where he wanted to be. He announced on Monday that Athens was going to be his destination.

Georgia’s message was a simple one.

“Just that I have the opportunity to come in and compete for minutes as a freshman,” Demary Jr. said. “They’re trying to turn it around, become a winning program there, not just football, but basketball as well. They went 16-16 last year. If I can come in with the winning mentality I have, we can keep winning and keep building.”

Demary Jr., who helped lead Millbrook High to a state title in 2021, isn’t the only new Bulldog winning in his blood.

Fellow freshmen Dylan James and Mari Jordan also come from winning programs and have considerable success on the AAU scene, while new transfers RJ Melendez and Jalen DeLoach come from programs—Illinois and VCU, respectively—that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last March.

Demary Jr. said having players who know what it’s like to have success can go a long way for a program like Georgia, which is trying to get the program to a higher level in the college basketball world.

“It helps a lot, because guys are coming in with winning mentalities, winning strategies,” Demary Jr. said. “Everyone wants to win, so if everyone comes together, I think we really can succeed.”

Demary Jr. knows DeLoach well and says Georgia fans have a lot to look forward to.

“He’s a very athletic 4-5,” Demary Jr. said. “He’s got a very nice post game. He can run the floor and also defend well.”

In Demary Jr., the Bulldogs are getting a 6-foot-5 combo guard capable of bringing a lot of versatility to the court.

“They’re getting a leader, man. An all-around leader,” he said. “I’m someone who is going to do everything he can to win. He’s going to make winning plays, definitely going to work hard on and off the court. I’m a community guy, I’m going to love getting out in the community and seeing everybody. Georgia is getting a great person in Silas Demary Jr.”

From what he can tell of Athens, Demary Jr. cannot wait to get started.

His recent official visit marked the first time he’d been to Athens, but it did not take him long to feel this was a place he could ultimately thrive.

“It’s a college town. Everybody knows everybody and it’s a pretty nice city,” he said. “I loved it as soon as I got there.”

Demary Jr. also had complimentary words for Georgia’s basketball facilities, including Stegeman Coliseum, which is currently undergoing significant repair and renovation.

“I’m really impressed. They’re building a new scoreboard, one of the biggest scoreboards,” Demary Jr. said. “They’re getting a new weight room; just knowing the President (Jere Morehead) is invested, that he’s invested in all sports, it shows me a lot that he cares.”

With his hometown of Lincolnton, N.C. just up the interstate, along with having family in Atlanta, Georgia—these factors made an ideal fit.

“Yeah, real big. Everybody is close in our family,” he said. “With family in Atlanta as well; it’s good to know they’ll be able to come to my games.”