The Georgia Tech season has ended and now the fun part begins for Damon Stoudamire and his staff. Stoudamire will be evaluating every aspect of his program and taking the things he has learned in his first year coaching in the ACC and then trying to fill in the holes.
I would not be shocked to see him make a change on his five-man bench as he promoted BJ Elder from the off the court once Terry Parker left in November. Also, Pershin Williams's name is being mentioned for so low-major jobs in the A-Sun and other places. I'm curious how the two non-traditional assistants Nate Babcock and Bonzi Wells felt about life in CBB. Both have a lot of NBA experience so I have no idea if they love it or not or whatever, not a negative thought just more of a curiosity thing. Babcock did a ton of in-game coaching. Karl Hobbs seems very happy in his role.
Staff shuffle a fair bit in CBB so it will be interesting to see what Damon's approach is and if guys get other opportunities or not.
On to recruiting,
Everyone wants to know about him. Right now I would say I expect him to sign with FSU unless someone comes in and outbids FSU. The Noles put up a sizeable offer according to my sources and I think Stoudamire and company love the kid, but the kid isn't running his recruitment or making the decision which is crazy, but not unusual. Davis would like to come to GT, but his people seem to want him at FSU regardless of whether Leonard Hamilton is coaching next year or not. I've not really seen something like this, so it is a wow from me. This whole saga has been crazy so things could change, but that is where it stands less than two weeks from his decision.
I expect Pippen to take an OV within the next two weeks to GT and my sources indicate if GT wants, he will commit. Since his season is over, they can work him out on the visit as well and that could help be a determining factor in the decision whether to take Pippen or go into the portal for a more seasoned option. The upside with Pippen and looking at his family history of developing in college also makes him a really exciting potential take for the staff per my sources.
I expect Doryan will also be back on campus within the next two weeks for another visit to reconnect with GT and they will try to close that one. He did his OV back in September before committing to Colorado at the time. TCU and GT seem to be the main players for him still. TCU should be in the NCAAT, but with him being in Dallas it is easy for him to visit there as well unofficially again before he makes a decision.
On the commit side everything looks good with the three HS signees,
Cole is a guy I get asked about and he could end up following in the footsteps of Ibrahim Souare and being a first-year redshirt to gain weight and strength as well as developing his game. Souare has benefitted from that and Damon isn't going to play 13 guys so he is fine using a redshirt on a big guy or an injured guy like Lance Terry if it is what is best for the player.
-----------TEAM-------------------
As I said before they are leaning hard into keeping the core of Baye Ndongo and Naithan George together. Souare and George are very close so that helps there. Ndongo will get a very nice NIL package and he told me he is excited about next year and ready to come back to GT in the locker room yesterday.
I really have no clue what will happen with Miles Kelly. He would be smart to come back and embrace being a catch-and-shoot guy in a more functional version of Stoudamire's offense. They would like him back but he will have to work within the NIL budget.
I expect Lance Terry, Kowacie Reeves and Tafara Gapare all to come back.
I think Ebenezer Dowuona bounces down a level. That just hasn't worked out at all.
I think Deebo Coleman and Amaree Abram hit the portal. Abram wasn't dressed and had to be told to get rid of his cell phone on the bench yesterday.
Ibrahima Sacko is an interesting one. He is limited but a nice bench piece, I really don't know what the plan is there.
So if you have the core six Terry, Ndongo, George, Reeves, Gapare and Souare back plus the three commits that puts you at nine. You have X-factor guys like Kelly or Sacko. So that leaves Stoudamire with a few spots to use in the portal.
A big man is a must in the portal, doesn't have to be an All-American, just a functional center who can block shots and rebound and score in the paint however I'm sure they'll aim higher than that.
The other good thing would be a guard who can beat someone off the dribble and get to the rim. That would be a potential upgrade from Kelly for example if he were to go pro or transfer. That is something to keep an eye on.
Stoudamire really likes the core of his team and the way the guys came together and played hard for him and didn't give up despite a lot of obstacles this season. You can see the sparks of something bigger and better if he can get the right mix of guys who want to play hard for 40 minutes every night.
I would not be shocked to see him make a change on his five-man bench as he promoted BJ Elder from the off the court once Terry Parker left in November. Also, Pershin Williams's name is being mentioned for so low-major jobs in the A-Sun and other places. I'm curious how the two non-traditional assistants Nate Babcock and Bonzi Wells felt about life in CBB. Both have a lot of NBA experience so I have no idea if they love it or not or whatever, not a negative thought just more of a curiosity thing. Babcock did a ton of in-game coaching. Karl Hobbs seems very happy in his role.
Staff shuffle a fair bit in CBB so it will be interesting to see what Damon's approach is and if guys get other opportunities or not.
On to recruiting,
Everyone wants to know about him. Right now I would say I expect him to sign with FSU unless someone comes in and outbids FSU. The Noles put up a sizeable offer according to my sources and I think Stoudamire and company love the kid, but the kid isn't running his recruitment or making the decision which is crazy, but not unusual. Davis would like to come to GT, but his people seem to want him at FSU regardless of whether Leonard Hamilton is coaching next year or not. I've not really seen something like this, so it is a wow from me. This whole saga has been crazy so things could change, but that is where it stands less than two weeks from his decision.
I expect Pippen to take an OV within the next two weeks to GT and my sources indicate if GT wants, he will commit. Since his season is over, they can work him out on the visit as well and that could help be a determining factor in the decision whether to take Pippen or go into the portal for a more seasoned option. The upside with Pippen and looking at his family history of developing in college also makes him a really exciting potential take for the staff per my sources.
I expect Doryan will also be back on campus within the next two weeks for another visit to reconnect with GT and they will try to close that one. He did his OV back in September before committing to Colorado at the time. TCU and GT seem to be the main players for him still. TCU should be in the NCAAT, but with him being in Dallas it is easy for him to visit there as well unofficially again before he makes a decision.
On the commit side everything looks good with the three HS signees,
Cole is a guy I get asked about and he could end up following in the footsteps of Ibrahim Souare and being a first-year redshirt to gain weight and strength as well as developing his game. Souare has benefitted from that and Damon isn't going to play 13 guys so he is fine using a redshirt on a big guy or an injured guy like Lance Terry if it is what is best for the player.
-----------TEAM-------------------
As I said before they are leaning hard into keeping the core of Baye Ndongo and Naithan George together. Souare and George are very close so that helps there. Ndongo will get a very nice NIL package and he told me he is excited about next year and ready to come back to GT in the locker room yesterday.
I really have no clue what will happen with Miles Kelly. He would be smart to come back and embrace being a catch-and-shoot guy in a more functional version of Stoudamire's offense. They would like him back but he will have to work within the NIL budget.
I expect Lance Terry, Kowacie Reeves and Tafara Gapare all to come back.
I think Ebenezer Dowuona bounces down a level. That just hasn't worked out at all.
I think Deebo Coleman and Amaree Abram hit the portal. Abram wasn't dressed and had to be told to get rid of his cell phone on the bench yesterday.
Ibrahima Sacko is an interesting one. He is limited but a nice bench piece, I really don't know what the plan is there.
So if you have the core six Terry, Ndongo, George, Reeves, Gapare and Souare back plus the three commits that puts you at nine. You have X-factor guys like Kelly or Sacko. So that leaves Stoudamire with a few spots to use in the portal.
A big man is a must in the portal, doesn't have to be an All-American, just a functional center who can block shots and rebound and score in the paint however I'm sure they'll aim higher than that.
The other good thing would be a guard who can beat someone off the dribble and get to the rim. That would be a potential upgrade from Kelly for example if he were to go pro or transfer. That is something to keep an eye on.
Stoudamire really likes the core of his team and the way the guys came together and played hard for him and didn't give up despite a lot of obstacles this season. You can see the sparks of something bigger and better if he can get the right mix of guys who want to play hard for 40 minutes every night.
