Welcome to Athens

As has been widely covered, two new Dawgs have joined the fold:  Will "Turtle" Jackson and E'Torrion Wilredge.  You should be excited about this.  Why?

Let's start with Turtle Jackson, who was once committed to the reigning national champion UConn Huskies.  Depending on where you look, he's a borderline Top 10 in-state talent (exactly the kind we've been begging Fox to keep in Georgia) and Top 150 national talent.  He's also saying things like this:

“A lot of other schools, when they recruit you, they tell you you’re the greatest player to ever come out, but you know that’s not true,” Jackson said. “Not everybody’s going to start in college, not everybody’s going to be the man. He was real with me and I love that.”

And this:

 “I had to sit back and tell myself, what would be best for my future,” Jackson said. “Going to Connecticut and sitting behind a guy for two years or going to UGA and working for a spot? I want to try to change the program. I want to see the respect for Georgia basketball rise, just like the football team and they want the same thing. I want to make a difference, do something different.”

Stop it, Turtle...you're getting me all riled up here.

So yeah, a kid who's good enough for UConn is staying home to try to change the culture of UGA basketball.  Turtle, glad you're coming to staying in Athens.

Then there's E'Torrion Wilredge, once a consensus Top 100 player who was injured and became something of a sleeper.  This guy fills the major need for the Dawgs next year, which is SF.  In fact, if he decided he wanted to graduate and play after Christmas, they could use him right now (no, this is not happening).  His signing will also soften the blow if Tevin Mack decides to go elsewhere.

Mack, along with PF Derek Ogbeide, are set to make their choices literally any moment now.  VCU and South Carolina are thought to be the leaders for Mack, whereas Ogbeide may very well end up in Athens.

Regardless of what happens, Jackson and Wilredge form the foundation of what can be a very, very good class for Fox.  He could easily turn this into a Top 25 class, which is exactly what the doctor ordered for Georgia basketball (especially if you-know-who were to shock the world and pick UGA).

So leave whatever the season may hold for tomorrow.  Today, let's be excited about some new Dawgs, and hopeful that Fox is well on his way to righting this ship.

Update:

 “One great thing about Turtle is he’s very driven to get better,” Fox said. “Most of the conversations with him were not so much about the recruitment as they were about, how can I get better? His first question would always be, how do you think I played? How can I get better? I love that approach that he has to the game. Very humble kid.”

I need a cold shower.

h/t everyone in the world

The weekend comes

Will he play or won't he?

I'm talking, of course, about E'Torrion Wilridge, the newest member of Georgia's 2015 class and a shoo-in for playing time if he signs on the dotted line.

Instead of worrying about Little Rock, let's spend the weekend watching this video of E'Torrion Wilridge:

One can never be sure when watching highlight videos, but I see a guy with size who knows where the basket is and doesn't fear contact.  Not to mention the little turnaround jumper which, come on, admit it, gets you just a little bit excited, right?

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Another 2015 commitment

I would like to say that I am verbally committed to play basketball at the University of Georgia. 🔴🏀 #GoDawgs #UGA pic.twitter.com/WX8y6tqOfE
— E'Torrion Wilridge (@ToeToe24_) October 11, 2014

In case you missed it over the weekend (and you'd be forgiven for doing so considering everything going on with the football team), Mark Fox picked up another 2015 commitment in E'Torrion Wilridge, a small forward out of Beaumont, Texas.  As soon as he signs on the dotted line, he'll be an immediate number one on Georgia's all-name team, but can he play?

In short, yes.  In fact, many had him as a top 100 recruit before an MCL injury derailed him during his junior year.  A lot of major programs were scared off, but not Georgia, and that seems to have paid dividends.  Small forward is a huge position of need for the Dawgs in 2015, and Wilridge looks like a good one.

He seems to grade out on most sites as a 3* recruit, but keep an eye on him if he is able to come back 100% from the knee injury.

What does this mean for Tevin Mack's recruitment?  I'm confident Fox would still love to have him in Athens (I certainly would), but it's clear he wasn't going to wait around for Mack to commit.  It probably makes a commitment from Mack a little less likely, as there's now some competition for playing time (whereas before he would have walked right into a guaranteed starting role).  However, Fox has been on Mack for a long, long time, so nothing is impossible.

Regardless, let's welcome E'Torrion to the family.  And don't look now, but the latest 247sports.com recruiting rankings have Georgia's 2015 class at number 41, and that's with only 2 players committed.  As Fox rounds out the class, it could easily end up top 25.  Pair that with a top 25 team this season, and things may be looking up for Georgia basketball...

h/t dawnofthedawg.com