There are eight new faces on Georgia’s basketball team, but unlike last season, head coach Tom Crean is hoping the fact a trio of those newcomers have already played three years of college ball will make a difference when it comes to picking up the system.

“I can’t equate how important it is,” Crean said during a Zoom press conference with reporters Thursday. “I think it’s different for them, the pace we’re trying to play. But they talk a lot to the coaches and the other players on the team about the level of intensity for the duration of a practice, which is different for them, but they have handled that extremely well.”

The three graduate students, P.J. Horne (Virginia Tech), Justin Kier (George Mason), and Andrew Garcia (Stony Brook), are each being counted on to play integral roles for Georgia. The Bulldogs tip off their season Nov. 25 against Columbus State.

“They come in, there’s maturity, they’re knowledgeable, they pick things up fast, they want to help their teammates, they know the pace of college basketball,” Crean said. “Obviously, it’s different for everybody, but these guys have handled it well. They’ve handled the ramp up to practice well, they’ve handled everything well.”

Of the three, Horne is already opening eyes.

A graduate of Tift County High, Horne (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) started 30 of 32 games for the Hokies last year.

“He made one three as a sophomore at Virginia Tech, made 45 as a junior, graduated in three years. Our guys get excited every time he touches the ball, and I know I do,” Crean said. “What we want to do is get him fouled more, he’s driving the ball more than I think he has done since high school. We’re putting him in a lot of different situations. Yesterday I had to remind him that it is ok to take more than one or two dribbles in a single space, he can actually drive and attack and play with great freedom. He works hard, he picks things up fast.”

Georgia released its non-conference schedule today but there was no Georgia Tech to be found.

According to Crean, there were several reasons why.

“Both schools tried to find a way, but due to changes in the conference scheduling, the existing non-conference scheduling that was there after Nov. 25, and the exam schedules being different, there were a lot of things that just didn’t make it work out,” said Crean, who added he expects the rivalry to resume next year.

According to Georgia records, it will mark the first time since the 1923-1924 season when the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets failed to meet on the court.

“Like with football, it’s disappointing when two schools that have that kind of rivalry and the fans look forward to it can’t play,” Crean said. “But it’s situations beyond our control and we look forward to resuming it again next season.”

Although he would not offer specifics, Crean confirmed that Covid-19 cases among his staff and players was “significant.”

“I’m not going to comment on that. I think we’ve tried to stay really true to that as a University and the SEC, at least I think,” he said. “But we’ve had significant (cases) when it comes to players and coaches throughout the summer and fall and knowing it could happen again. I’ll leave it at that.”

Crean did confirm that the cases, which included both positive tests and contact tracing, occurred during the summer and early in the fall.

Crean said graduate transfer Justin Kier continues to go through the discipline process following his arrest last month on a quartet of traffic violations.

“We’re going through the discipline process. We have not only handled that situation internally but also how you would deal with it within the university athletic association and we have stayed in procedures."

"We’ve stayed on top of it,” Crean said. “There’s no question it was disappointing, and we’ve taken steps from that day on, which continue to be ongoing.”

Crean would not say whether or not the former George Mason player would have to miss any games.

“I don’t have anywhere to comment on that right now, it’s all internal,” he said.

Crean did not sound like he expected to sign any new players during the current NCAA early signing period which runs through Wednesday (Nov. 18).

“We could, but we also may not. Some of the kids we are recruiting right now may not sign in this period and that’s part of it,” Crean said. “Again, you’ve got to have that flexibility. I keep telling these guys, it’s much more important about who than it is about when.”

Four-star Bryce McGowens was down between Georgia and Nebraska but is expected to sign with the Cornhuskers.

“Frankly, I was hoping there would not be an early signing period because we haven’t been out to see people,” Crean said. “We can talk about Zooms, Facetime and texting and all that different stuff, which is great, but it never ever replaces the face to face of them seeing you in our environment or you seeing them in their environment. We’re continuing to recruit, obviously, but we’ve got to be extremely diligent.”