Shot-blocking specialist Justin Abson recaps UGA visit

A quick look at the stats and it’s easy to see why Georgia coach Mike White covets former Appalachian State transfer target Justin Abson.

At 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, Abson was one of the premier shot blockers in the entire country last season.

Check out these numbers.

As a team, the Bulldogs blocked 121 shots in their 37 games. Abson, the Sunbelt Conference Defensive Player of the Year, blocked 96 all by himself.

He spent two days in Athens over the weekend visiting the Bulldogs, and said Georgia’s issues defending the rim were a popular topic of conversation.

“I forgot the exact stat, but the two-point defensive percentage was one of the worst in the league, so they said I would have a big impact,” Abson said in a telephone interview Wednesday with UGASports.

Abson certainly seems as if he could help.

Not only did his 2.8 blocks per game rank third nationally, but he also averaged 7.1 rebounds and 7.9 points.

The Bulldogs, who hosted Abson Friday and Saturday, aren’t the only ones in pursuit.

A native of Pompano Beach, Fla., Abson has already visited Miami and has trips planned to Xavier (Friday) and Michigan (Saturday)

“I’m just trying to find the best opportunity, the program that will give me the best opportunity to be a pro; better resource,” said Abson, who came away impressed with what Georgia had to offer.

“The facilities were amazing,” he said. “The resources, how big the weight room is, how the strength coach (Collin Crane) is focused on the basketball aspect, and things like that.”

Abson was also impressed with how involved the "bigs" are in Georgia’s offense.

Bulldog freshman Dylan James was a familiar face that Abson was able to reconnect with after they played against each other in high school.

“It was a refresher,” Abson said. “It was good to see another kid from Florida to relate with.”

During his two-day trip to Georgia, Abson dined at DePalma’s and Porterhouse, the latter after attending Georgia’s G-Day game.

The visit also included a lot of film work with White and his assistants, who obviously hope to add Abson’s defensive ability into the mix next season.

It’s an area of his game that Abson takes extremely seriously.

“That just stems from high school (North Broward Prep). My coach, Casey Wohlleb, played pro ball and I go to him for a lot of stuff, asking what else I can do,” Abson said. “My shot-blocking abilities are what’s going to get me on the court, so whatever I can do to stand out is what I’m going to do.”