Georgia fans aren’t the only ones excited by Wednesday’s signings of Anthony Edwards and Christian Brown.
So too, is future teammate Toumani Camara, who came on board with Georgia during the early signing period back in November.
“I can’t wait to play with these guys,” Camara said in a telephone interview Wednesday night with UGASports. “It’s going to be an exciting year.”
It’s certainly shaping up to be. If the Georgia basketball program is indeed going to make a move up the SEC standings to become a perennial challenger for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, Wednesday was a pivotal first step.
The signing of Edwards and Brown is what head coach Tom Crean hopes is just the starting point for what he and others hope are greater days to come.
“We’ve all got a lot of trust in Coach Crean,” Camara said. “Not only do I think he’s going to get me better, but I like the way he organizes the team and the way they play. With all of us together, I think we’re going to be great.”
Getting Edwards—the nation’s No. 2 player, according to Rivals—is no small feat.
A 6-4, 210-pound guard, who played at Holy Spirit Prep School in Atlanta, Edwards starred in last month’s McDonald’s All-American Game where he scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, dished out three assists, and blocked a shot for the East team in its 115-110 victory. In high school, Edwards averaged 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists for Holy Spirit Prep during the 2018-19 season, leading the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Class 3A state championship in 2018 and a runner-up finish in 2019.
He's obviously expected to make a huge impact with the Bulldogs.
“It’s going to be perfect. (Tom Crean) wants me coming off screens, off the ball some, on the ball, isolations, getting guys the ball, and making everybody better,” Edwards said back in February. "He just wants me to come in and do what I do.”
Getting Brown is also a huge deal.
A 6-6, 200-pound wing originally from Columbia, S.C., averaged 12.4 points, 4.4 boards and 1.4 steals for Oak Hill as a senior. He is listed as the nation’s No. 62 prospect according to Rivals.
Brown averaged 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists per game as a junior at Lower Richland High School before transferring to Oak Hill.
The two join early signees Jaykwon Walton and Camara who signed with the Bulldogs back in November. Wednesday’s additions of Edwards and Brown give Georgia the nation’s 10th-ranked class for 2019 according to Rivals.
All four players are expected to arrive in Athens, beginning late next month and early June.
Georgia isn’t done yet.
With Teshaun Hightower, JoJo Toppin, and Ignas Sarguinas each placing their names in the NCAA’s transfer portal, Crean will be able to add three more players, likely with transfers from other schools.
Although it’s unclear what other players could soon call Athens home, I’m told that Crean is being aggressive when it comes to filling out his roster.
That should come as no surprise.
Crean’s enthusiasm has been infectious ever since he stepped off the plane at Ben Epps Airport here in Athens, with crowds showing up in record numbers, despite the team’s 11-21 campaign. With Edwards and company all signed up, look for tickets to be in even greater demand once the season gets underway.
For long-suffering fans of the Bulldog basketball program, it’s about time.
Crean promised he’d leave no stone unturned when it came to recruiting, and based on who is coming in with his first full class, he seems to be proven correct.
The next step will be taking that talent and molding it into a team that can compete with the best in the SEC and ultimately make waves in the NCAAs.
While it may be too early to make any predictions about next year, Crean’s signing class certainly has the Bulldogs on the right track.
