With the news that PJ Horne is returning, Crean appears to be done back-filling the roster. So let's try and deduce what Georges Seurat picture has emerged. Of course this is not a hard and fast position alignment, but general idea from a positional breakdown standpoint. Clearly Crean will mix and match with different line-ups.

Point Guard

I have no other deduction than KD Johnson is taking over here. H.S. signed Christian Wright provides back-up.

SG/2 Guard

Guessing Noah Baumann is the shooter here. H.S. signee Cameron Mitchell provides back-up.

Addendum: adding transfer Kario Oquendo.

Swing/3 guard - Small Forward

Guessing transfer Jahri Abdur-Rahim is more of a 3G, and grad transfer Jailyn Ingram and JUCO Dalen Rignal are smaller forwards.

Power Forward

Guessing Tyron McMillan leads an underwhelming group of returnees here including Jonathan Ned and Josh Taylor.

Post

Does PJ Horne hold this spot, or does grad transfer Braelen Bridges get the post call, with H.S. signee Tyrone Baker as back-up.

That is 14, right? Someone on that list is not coming or is still leaving.

Ostensibly PJ Horne will not count against the 13.

I know seniors are extended an extra year of eligibility but I haven't read that schools are also able to exceed the overall scholarship limit as a result, I.e. their return would be subject to scholarship availability. My impression was that, if Horne and others returned, we would have to fit them under our allotted 13 spots.

Crean is not done yet with the roster moves. We may sign another couple of guys. I would think a transfer PG certainly and maybe a post. Oh, and isn't it Camron McDowell?

One thing is sure - Crean will have a lot of options next season.

A lot of options to fail...

I'm certainly willing to entertain the thought that maybe the portal IS the answer for UGA. Just as there are plenty of H.S. 5 and four stars who don't pan out, there are undoubtedly many non-Power 5 kids, mid-major kids, and below mid-major kids who develop out after a year or two. If UGA is going to struggle to sign the blue chips out of H.S., maybe the portal is the path. It's downside is roster turnover killing consistency and the three grad transfers we got last time weren't difference makers.

Let's see what we got come Fall. And see what Crean actually does with it. Playing defense, lowering turnovers, and hitting a few outside shots are low level goals you'd think are obtainable.

Solid points about the portal. The argument in the past about Crean losing was for us to wait until he gets his players in...well, they were here, we sucked and they left. Now a new group of transfers coming in...who knows how they will pan out. Crean's big claim to fame is turning programs around, well at this point the Titanic maneuvered better than Crean has so far. Right now this program is so bad that not even the bad players are sticking around. From a PR stand point this looks really bad for the program. They aren't going to fire him now but they start tanking around conference play...what say you?

Now, let's think about one of the things you said. I paraphrase - Right now things are so bad even the bad players are leaving. You think that's because we are not playing well or because Crean wants them to leave? I suspect he met with these guys after the season and indicated they needed to move on. He felt he could do better in the portal. Gotta give the guy some credit - he's really worked the portal. Remains to be seen how good the new players are and how well they gel as a team.

I'm not sure I would completely call last year's team "Crean's team". Yes, he recruited the vast majority of them. But most of them were from out of state, so they had no loyalty to UGA, and most played far below their rankings. I suspect we put together that class that was highly rated on paper, but perhaps was not as well evaluated as they could have, in an effort to make a big splash. They didn't work out. So, we move on.

I don't think there's any question that Crean is under pressure to win and win now. We have shown some steady improvement each year, but there will be no continuity connection with last year's team. It will basically be a whole new bunch. They have a lot of work to do this summer to develop as a team. It will be interesting to see. Crean has to know he's under the gun, but I like this roster so far, and I don't think we're done.

It could be that Crean is forcing them out. But what about the guys that were going to see major minutes next year?

If Crean is forcing these players to hit the road he is rolling the dice and admitting his recruiting did pan out and needs to start fresh. It could work out and he really doesn't have much to lose...he's already gonna be on the hot seat this year.

And lastly about the recruitment for in-state, can't use that as an excuse; that falls directly on the coaching staff.

Nostradawgus said:

---

With the news that PJ Horne is returning, Crean appears to be done back-filling the roster. So let's try and deduce what Georges Seurat picture has emerged. Of course this is not a hard and fast position alignment, but general idea from a positional breakdown standpoint. Clearly Crean will mix and match with different line-ups.

Point Guard

I have no other deduction than KD Johnson is taking over here. H.S. signed Christian Wright provides back-up.

SG/2 Guard

Guessing Noah Baumann is the shooter here. H.S. signee Cameron Mitchell provides back-up.

Addendum: adding transfer Kario Oquendo.

Swing/3 guard - Small Forward

Guessing transfer Jahri Abdur-Rahim is more of a 3G, and grad transfer Jailyn Ingram and JUCO Dalen Rignal are smaller forwards.

Power Forward

Guessing Tyron McMillan leads an underwhelming group of returnees here including Jonathan Ned and Josh Taylor.

Post

Does PJ Horne hold this spot, or does grad transfer Braelen Bridges get the post call, with H.S. signee Tyrone Baker as back-up.

---

How in the world does someone read this list and respond... "I like this roster so far" ?? It's an assemblage of what would be nothing more than an average mid-major team with one good player. We will be picked 13th or 14th and it is highly likely that is where we'll finish. Nostra's list doesn't even include our second (maybe third) best player. It is an alarming sign for a team when a walk-on is better than most everybody on scholly.

Well, perhaps I have a bit more imagination than you, Sid. I see some good players in this group. I see a lot of options for our coach, says this old coach. Sometimes the whole is better than the sum of the parts. And on paper, the parts don't look too bad.

He might not be done. However, as weak as the front court appears to be, I am just not seeing us getting out of the bottom third of the conference. The team is going to be short in experience, established scoring, defense, and rebounding. We might shoot it and move the ball better, but I expected that TOs, poor defense, and lack of rebounding will under cut those gains.

Who are the three conference 1st or 2nd team type impact guys on this team? Who are the guys that we can rely on to deliver each night? I think this a list of guys that can contribute to a winning team but none are the guy or even a top 3-4 type guy on a tournament team. That is a tough hand for Crean to go to battle with under the circumstances. There is a ceiling here (12 to 15 wins) barring some incredible turn of fortune.

Nothing wrong with optimism... Maybe I get too much exposure to UA & AU and their rosters to share in it with you. I'm not being hyperbolic in saying we compare much closer to what Kennedy has coming to UAB next year and I would give The Blazers the edge over us.

Kinda hard to answer those questions without having seen the new guys play. My crystal ball is in the shop. LOL

I've watched film on most of the new guys coming in. They don't look bad to me. Yes, Auburn has 2 stud post players coming in with Smith and Kessler. Remains to be seen what their team will be like. Kessler is going there to showcase his perimeter shooting. Not what I would want from my 7'2" post player to be doing. Smith is a good all around player, but many guys will high rankings fall short of the mark. We shall see.

Bama will have many changes on their roster, too. Just gotta see how it plays out. Nobody thought they would win the SEC last year.

Until I see the Blazers (and us) play, I can't comment on whether they are better or not.

Unless we add a transfer PG here late, my speculation is Crean convinced KD Johnson that if he had any hope for the NBA he was going to have to do it at PG - as there is not much market for 6' shooting guards in the league - and further convinced him to stay by giving him the keys to PG car.

My guess is we are going to live and die by Johnson, Baumann, Abdur-Rahim, and throw in Oquendo, bombing away from the perimeter.

We'll be bigger on perimeter defense for sure. We have size in McMillan, Bridges, Baker to try and defend the paint.

I just don't see any interior scoring on this roster. Period. Horne maybe will contribute.

I suspect Crean is going to double down and try and run people off the court offensively.

Wheeler was our engine, but also our anchor with turnovers and woeful shooting at times.

Hindsight shows us we got very little from the old roster from a perimeter shooting perspective. Camara gave us some interior scoring threat. We have none now that I see.

My guess is we'll successfully Alabama people, or Crean will be packing his office come March 2022.

I am convinced we will get a transfer PG. I agree that we will probably be mostly perimeter-oriented offensively, but I think several of these guys can score inside. Bridges, Ingram, Baker and Ridgnal can probably score inside. Remains to be seen.

Here's where the SEC teams stand in the latest Crystal Ball
T-Rankings for the 2021-22 season.

Six in top 25
6. Alabama
8. Tennessee
14. Kentucky
21. Florida
22. Arkansas
25. Auburn

4 more in top 100
50. LSU
71. Ole Miss
82. Miss St
87. Vandy

3 more in top 150
109. S Carolina
133. Mizzou
147. Tx A&M

Then 94 slots later just above Kennesaw St...
241. Georgia

This cannot end soon enough. We've paid this guy $10 million for three years and he'll get another 7 million (salary+buyout) from us this year. Has there been a bigger bust in a coaching hire anywhere, ever?? Seriously, I'm trying like hell to think of one.... Gillespie at KY is all I can come up with...

Now we know who our starting PG is. Cook will man that spot with Wright as his back-up. I don't know for sure, but I suspect Oquendo will be the starting SG, with Baumann as a designated shooter off the bench. McDowell is a wild card. Gotta see him play. I think Abdur-Rahim starts at the SF, but there will be competition with Ingram perhaps. Assuming he's healthy, I think A-R has the bigger upside. After being in Bennett's restrictive system, Crean's offense will feel like the straitjacket has come off. The PF is going to be the most interesting battle for the start. Horne, Bridges, Ridgnal and Ingram could all start, and we have to see if Taylor and Baker are ready to contribute. Much will depend on how they fit what Crean wants to do. We have a lot of bodies to throw at that position. Surely, 1 or 2 of them will rise to the occasion. The C will likely be our next commitment, I think. Interesting bunch IMHO.

Crean will have a lot of options at the "3" and "4" with this roster.

At the "3" he can go swing guard or traditional small forward.

At "4" he can go small or more traditional PF.

He can even go with a lineup with a traditional type "5."

If we get the rumored Big Man somebody is leaving, but we become even more fluid at "4" and "5."

Now we just got to see can any of them play, and can Crean get them to play.

Yeah, it looks like a pretty versatile roster.