Mississippi State at Georgia
WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum
WHEN: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Georgia 10-15, 1-11; Mississippi State 18-7, 6-6
TV/RADIO: SEC Network (Roy Pilpott, Daymeon Fishback); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Tony Schiavone); XM: (381)
Finding players with the required versatility and skill will always be part of Tom Crean’s plan, when it comes to recruiting athletes he feels will be the correct fit for his Georgia basketball program.
However, that’s not all.
During Tuesday’s get-together with beat writers to preview Wednesday’s game against Mississippi State (6:30, SEC Network), Crean talked about other not-so-obvious areas he wants to be able identify in a recruit.
“The big thing I’ve always thought about in recruiting is getting year-round winners, people that not only win in high school, but they win in the AAU, and vice versa,” Crean said. “If they didn’t win in a certain environment, why? And really look at that. It’s the same thing with multiple-sport players, people who have an interest in multiple sports or played multiple sports—did they win? You want players who bring that competitive nature into it. I just think that’s such a huge thing.”
NCAA rules prohibit Crean from speaking publicly about five-star commit Anthony Edwards, but in signees Toumani Camara and Jaywkon Walton, he believes the Bulldogs definitely hit the mark.
“I think we did that with our first two signees. We really, really wanted to address upside. What is the upside?” Crean said. “Not only where are they today, but where are they going to be? And we’re going to keep looking as much as we can for the people who not only have a high-level of competitiveness, but awareness, and at the same time want to be great.”
Crean said future Bulldogs will also be expected to carry that desire for greatness.
The reasons are many.
“If you want to be great, then we’re not going to have trouble with you making sure you’re getting to class on time, or if you’re getting your work done in study hall. Because we know you’re putting your best effort into the class,” Crean said. “We’re not going to have to worry about your social life, because if you want to be great, you’re going to get over the distractions that can get inside of you really quick.”
For those wondering, Georgia currently has one more scholarship to give for the class of 2019.
“We want people who really understand: If I want to be good in basketball and I’ve got this passion for it, I’ve got to be really strong in every area of my life,” Crean said. “That’s what we’re trying to judge, work on, and learn about and get a real feeling for in our recruiting.”
