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| Photo Credit: miprepzone.com |
Previously: Juwan Parker
Previously: Nemanja Djurisic
Previously: J.J. Frazier
Previously: Osahen Iduwe
Previously: Cameron Forte
Previously: Kenny Paul Geno
Previously: Houston Kessler
Previously: Dusan Langura
Previously: Brandon Young
Yante Maten
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 230
Position: PF
Year: Freshman
Role: Quick Study
Overview: Last season did not end on a high note. Georgia was run out of their own building and thrust early into an offseason that saw a team losing an effective-but-not-spectacular center and gaining nothing. Literally, nothing.
As of April 4th, there were 0 high school basketball players committed to play their college ball at the University of Georgia.
I remember looking for something...anything to give me some hope when I stumbled across the Scout.com profile of Yante Maten. A 3* power forward interested in Georgia? The Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan interested in Georgia? The ever-hopeful side of me thought maybe, just maybe he'll sign, but the realist in me knew it would never happen.
And then it did.
He must not have had any good offers, right? Only Indiana and Michigan State. He was only the Class A player of the year, right? Unlike in Georgia, that's the highest classification in Michigan. So he has character issues? Hardly. This guy looks about as well put together as a high school senior can be, and he comes with a supportive family too (check the comments...and not just here...check them anywhere Maten gets a mention). Seriously, if you're not excited about this kid, I can't help you.
Maten and Iduwe signing when they did gave the program a huge shot in the arm. Less than three months from now, Yante will be stepping on the court for the first time as a Bulldog. Can he help keep the program rolling?
Expectations: I originally had Maten as the 7th or 8th most impactful guy on the team for 2014-15. Then Brandon Morris did his thing, and suddenly there were some additional points and rebounds to go around, and no one looked to be in a better position to grab them than Yante. The reality is, Georgia is thin in the post (a broken record around these parts), and he will be thrown into the fire. We will know pretty quickly if he is ready to play with the big boys.
Will there be growing pains? Sure. Is the Mark Fox offense easy to master? No. But me? I believe in Yante Maten. A rotation of Thornton, Maten, Iduwe, and Djurisic at the 4 and 5 doesn't scare me at all. Much of the success of this team will ride on Marcus Thornton's wide shoulders, but I think Maten is more than up to the challenge of bearing some of that burden.
What I'll Be Looking For: I want to see if Maten can play center at the college level. 6'8" might not sound like much, but not many college teams have the luxury of trotting out 7 footers. It's possible to be that tall and defend/rebound/score big - think Marcus Thornton or Jeremy Price. Is that who Yante is? We'll find out soon enough.
2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About: 6.1/5.3/.1 points/rebounds/assists per game.
Let's go Yante, and let's go Dawgs!
Let's go Dawgs!
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