More roster turnover has Crean in remodeling mode with all players he recruited – Online Athens

Tom Creans third Georgia mens basketball team will certainly have his fingerprints all over it.

Not a single player will remain from the roster he took over from Mark Fox in March of 2018.

The players Crean will have this coming season will all have been recruited to Georgia by him. That became assured over the weekend after forward Rayshaun Hammonds became the seventh player from this past seasons roster to depart. Hammonds is staying in the NBA draft where he joins Bulldog teammate and possible No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards.

"Im just in the process of building our team on a daily basis," Crean said. "We are certainly in a remodeling phase with all that we are losing this year with the three senior guards and Anthony and Rayshaun. Out staff is working very hard at being flexible and focused on helping our current players finish the semester and understand what they have to do to improve."

College basketballwith underclassmen leaving for the NBA and an active transfer portalhas become a sport where rosters are often in flux from season to season.

The Bulldogs again are in that mode after losing four of their top five scorers and rebounders from a team that went 16-16 overall and 5-13 in the SEC. In addition to losing Edwards and Hammonds, guards Jordan Harris, Tyree Crump and Donnell Gresham completed their eligibility and forwards Rodney Howard (transfer to Georgia Tech) and Amanze Ngumezi (transfer to Jacksonville State after being suspended) are now elsewhere.

Georgia is set to bring in at least six newcomers for the 2020-21 season including four-star recruits in guard K.D. Johnson from Hargrave Military and forward Josh Taylor from Norcross.

Crean indicated that Georgia could be looking for more on the transfer market.

An intriguing name popped up on Sunday: Arizona State big man Romello White, who played at Wheeler High in Marietta, could be a graduate transfer.

"We are actively recruiting and we would like to get older and more experienced," Crean said.

George Mason graduate transfer guard Justin Kier adds an experienced presence to the Bulldogs. He played in just nine games last season due to a foot injury and led his team in scoring in 2018-19 at 14.5 points per game while averaging 6.5 rebounds per game.

"Justin brings shooting, attack off of the drive, spacing, playmaking and unselfishness to the offensive side," Crean said. "Defensively, he rebounds the ball extremely well for a guard and can defend the ball. Hes been extremely well coached. There is no doubt about that."

Hell join a core that includes sophomores that were part of one of the SECs top recruiting classes a year ago: guard Sahvir Wheeler and forwards Toumani Camara and Christian Brown.

Wheeler averaged 9.0 points and a team-high 4.5 assists per game. Camara, who averaged 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and tied for the team-high in blocks with 18, is listed as the No. 30 overall pick for 2021 by NBADraft.net.

The 6-foot-9 Hammonds had an uneven junior season but led the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game and was second in scoring at 12.9.

"Rayshaun improved in many areas," Crean said. "We would have loved to coach him in his senior year but now we will support and help him every step of the way. Rayshaun and his family made the decision that they feel is best for them and his future. My role is to provide information and then support that decision the best I can."

Some highly-sought after targets remain involved with Georgia.

Top 6 pic.twitter.com/snxT8VgPAf

Five-star center Moussa Cisse from Memphis lists the Bulldogs in his final six along with Kentucky, Florida State, Memphis, Georgetown and LSU. Five-star 2021 forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Michael Foster are also considering Georgia. They both could reclassify to 2020, but the G-League is also attracting elite prospects.

"Not having the spring, and in all likelihood not having the summer, is hard for all programs but especially with our youth and lack of scoring returning," Crean said. "We will remain very active."

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More roster turnover has Crean in remodeling mode with all players he recruited - Online Athens