Kanon Catchings Inks With UGA Basketball
ATHENS, Ga. — Kanon Catchings, one of the nation’s top 50 prospects in the Class of 2024 and a standout freshman at Brigham Young last season, has signed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs next season, head coach Mike White announced on Monday.
Catchings, a 6-9, small forward from Brownsburg, Ind., started 15 of 31 games played at BYU during the 2024-25 season. He helped the Cougars reach the “Sweet 16” round of the NCAA Tournament by contributing 7.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 17.4 minutes of action per game. Catchings posted nine double-figure scoring outputs, including a pair of 20-point tallies and a career-high 23 points versus Baylor. He was named the Big 12 Bench Performer of the Week following his showing against Baylor, when he was a perfect 8-of-8 from field, including 3-of-3 on 3-pointers, and 4-of-4 at the free throw line.
Catchings also was a highly rated prep prospect a year ago. A consensus four-star recruit, he was tabbed as high as No. 32 nationally by Rivals.com, as well as No. 37 by ESPN.com, No. 39 in the On3Sports.com composite, No. 41 by 247Sports.com, No. 41 in the 247Sports.com composite and No. 53 by On3Sports.com.
Catchings played his senior season for Cold Hearts at Overtime Elite in Atlanta, where he averaged 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds during regular-season play before upping those averages of 18.6 points and 8.4 boards in the Playoffs. Catchings helped Cold Hearts reach the semifinals of the OTE Playoffs.
Prior to his campaign at OTE, Catchings played at Brownsburg High School and averaged 17.5 points and 4.8 rebounds as a junior. That season, he was named to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Supreme 15 Underclass all-state team after helping Brownsburg’s Bulldogs finish 22-5 and reach the semifinals of the Class 4A state tournament.
Catchings’ family has an impressive basketball history. His mother, Tauja, was a first-team All-Big Ten player at Illinois who was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2000 WNBA Draft. His grandfather, Harvey, played 11 seasons in the NBA with the 76ers, Nets, Bucks and Clippers, compiling 2,335 points, 3,639 rebounds and 1,226 blocks in 725 career games. His aunt, Tamika, is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame who starred at Tennessee before becoming a 10-time WNBA All-Star and earning 2011 WNBA MVP honors with the Indiana Fever. She also is a four-time Olympic Gold Medalist.
Georgia enjoyed its best season in a decade during last winter, culminating with its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015. The Bulldogs won a school-record 15 games at Stegeman Coliseum and improved to 41-13 (.759) in the arena during White’s three seasons at UGA.
Georgia did so while playing a nation-leading eight regular-season games versus top-10 competition, with five of those outings on the road. All told, 20 of the Bulldogs’ 33 games – 60.6 percent – were against other NCAA Tournament teams, and Georgia posted victories over teams ranked No. 1 (Florida), No. 11 (St. John’s) and No. 12 (Kentucky) in the final AP poll.
The Bulldogs are slated to return seven players from last season’s roster – starters Blue Cain and Dylan James as well as Justin Abson, Somto Cyril, Jaden Newell, Brandon Klatsky and Markel Jennings.
Catchings is the sixth newcomer set to join the Bulldogs in the fall.
Previously, White announced transfer portal signees:
• Jeremiah Wilkinson, the 2025 ACC Sixth Man of the Year at Cal.
• Justin Bailey, who helped lead Wofford to the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
In the fall, the Bulldogs signed three high school prospects who are ranked as the No. 18 class in the nation by 247Sports.com, as well as No. 20 by ESPN.com. The trio featured:
• Jackson McVey, a 7-1 center from Ellijay, Ga., who played at Overtime Elite as a senior and is ranked No. 194 in the On3Sports.com industry comparison.
• Kareem Stagg, a 6-8 power forward from Chesapeake, Va., who played for IMG Academy as a junior and senior and is ranked as high as No. 68 nationally by 247Sports.com.
• Jacob Wilkins, a 6-9 small forward from Loganville, Ga., and Grayson High School ranked as high as the No. 35 prospecting the Class of 2025 by Rivals.com, who is the won of Georgia legend and Naismith Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins.