At 7-foot and 285 pounds, Georgia’s basketball team is counting on transfer Russel Tchewa to help the Bulldogs control the glass during the upcoming campaign.

When asked about his role, Tchewa smiled.

“I’m coming—we’re coming,” the Cameroon native said, drawing chuckles from those attending Monday’s interview session at the Georgia Basketball Facility.

There’s nothing funny about what Mike White hopes to get from the South Florida transfer who posted his best numbers last season when he averaged 31.4 minutes, 11.1 points, and 8.6 rebounds, and made 60.6 percent of his shot attempts, improving from 47.1 percent the year before.

“He’s a guy who has rebounded and defended at a high level, in a league that’s pretty comparable. I think the SEC is the best league in the country right now, but he’s done it at a pretty high level,” White said recently. “The way he moves is pretty impressive for a guy his size, and he’s a developing offensive player. He’s only going to get better. He’s gotten better throughout his career.”

With it less than a month away before the Bulldogs open their season in Las Vegas against Oregon, Tchewa said he and his teammates are itching for it to get underway.

He hopes his size gives Georgia an advantage in every game it plays.

“I've been told I’m the biggest guy in the SEC, so I’m not sure yet,” Tchewa said. “So, I’m going to see. But I’ll be ready for anything.”

Freshman teammate Dylan James said he has a good idea of how Tchewe will perform.

“He’s going to be a great example of SEC physicality,” James said. “Playing against him in practice has been huge for me. He’s massive. But he also offers guidance. He’s an older guy, so he offers me a lot of guidance as well.”

White agrees.

“He’s a presence,” White said of Tchewa, who gives the Bulldogs the kind of physical, athletic presence on the inside the program hasn’t had in quite some time.

To find a comparison, a good one might be former Bulldog great Charles Claxton, who was 7-foot and 265 pounds when he played for Georgia 20 years ago.

“He’s really, really strong. He’s probably the strongest person I’ve played with. I’m not going to lie,” new teammate Jabri Abdur-Rahim said. “He’s strong—really, really physical. I think he’s going to give us a huge boost this year as far as toughness and physicality. I’m really looking forward to it.”

During the Bulldogs’ recent trip to Italy, Tchewa served as the team’s unofficial tour guide.

Considering he lived in the country for five years, it’s no wonder.

“It was a good experience, getting to spend time with the team,” Tchewa said. “I think for the growth of the team, we got to see everybody play and get to know each other as teammates.”

Tchewa, who said “it was different” when White offered him the opportunity to play for the Bulldogs, is working hard to make sure he’s ready when the ball is officially tipped off.

Learning the finer points of White’s “drop defense” is Job 1.

“It’s my first time playing it,” Tchewa said. “The way I’m doing it, I like it. I hope I get better.”