Proving he could play on the Division I level was a huge reason for RJ Sunahara – the reigning NABC Division II Player of the Year – placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

He’ll get a chance to do that as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Thursday, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Sunahara announced he would be signing with Georgia, selecting the Bulldogs over Notre Dame.

“Yeah, I definitely want to prove that. I want to prove a lot,” Sunahara told UGASports in a recent interview. “I know I can play on the Division I level. I definitely want to prove to myself that I can do it on the highest level.”

Last year, Sunahara averaged 18.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in leading Nova Southeastern to a perfect 36-0 record and the Division II national championship.

Sunahara has only been in the portal less than a week, but already has almost 20 offers, including ones from West Virginia, Georgia, and Notre Dame.

“Coach (Erik) Pastrana actually texted me, or one of the other assistants sent me a direct message on Instagram,” Sunahara said in that earlier interview with UGASports. “So, I sent him my number and everything, and we just made a connection from there.”

Sunahara becomes the fifth transfer to join the Bulldogs, along with Noah Thomasson (Niagara), VCU transfer Jalen Deloach, Illinois transfer RJ Melendez, and South Florida center Russel Tchewa.

The Bulldogs also added four freshmen, including former Southern Cal commit Silas Demary Jr. (No. 54) from Lincolnton, N.C., and former Georgia Tech signee Blue Cain (No. 94), out of Knoxville, Tenn. Those two, along with 6-9 Dylan James (81) and Mari Jordan, put Georgia's 2023 signing class at No. 14 in the Rivals team rankings for 2023, which is second-best among SEC schools behind No. 1 Kentucky.

“My whole goal, my whole time at Nova was I got to win a national championship. I felt like I owed that to the school. I mean, they, you know, they took a chance on me. They were the ones who recruited me, so I was like I, I got to try to get them one,” he said. “I entered the portal last year but didn't really get what I wanted out of it. And then I was like, you know what, I promised these guys that I'm gonna bring them a national championship because that was a personal goal of mine.”

The 22-year-old Sunahara said Georgia coaches were always serious about bringing him on board.

“It (the Zoom session) was good. They seem like they have a genuine interest in me, not only as a basketball player but as a person,” Sunahara said. “We definitely talked about setting myself up for life after basketball as well. They think I’m a winner, and they like that I’m an older guy who’s kind of been through. Winning a national championship helps, obviously, but that experience does, too.”