Georgia picks up four-star hoops recruit in Hammonds
Four-star basketball recruit Rayshaun Hammonds announced his intention to sign with Georgia in front of friends, family and his peers at Norcross on Wednesday.
Hammonds took the microphone and gave his announcement while he, his family and head coach broke out their Georgia gear. Thus, his teammates and supporters broke out in cheer.
Georgia’s coaching staff was surely elated as Hammonds chose to stay in-state, rather than head elsewhere, which has been the theme amongst prospects in the talent-rich state of Georgia. As a result of Hammonds being near the top of the Bulldogs’ priority list, head coach Mark Fox hopes this latest addition can help Georgia get itself over the proverbial hump and become one of the nation’s top-tier programs in the coming seasons.
Hammonds announced his decision on his birthday, which just became much more special for he and his family. Hammonds picked Georgia over Georgia Tech, Memphis and Texas.
“It was great to know I was going to Georgia,” Hammonds said. “When I saw my mom and how happy she was, that was one of the most special moments.”
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound forward is ranked as the 50th-overall prospect nationally, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. In terms of recruiting rankings, Hammonds is Georgia’s biggest splash on the recruiting trail since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope —the 12th-overall prospect nationally at the time — decided to play in Athens.
Georgia seemed to be in solid position to land Hammonds when significant interest was shown after he took his final official visit to Athens. After taking a trip to each of his final contenders, Hammonds saved his future destination for last and spoke highly of his time spent with Fox and staff.
“I had been up there so many times, but it was about the third visit when I knew that it was the place for me,” Hammonds said. “Mark Fox’s main pitch was academics, not even basketball. When he told me about academic prestige, it’s when it got serious.”
Hammonds will be slated to make a significant impact in his first season with the Bulldogs, and he showed why that will be the case throughout his high school career with Norcross. In his junior season, Hammonds averaged 19 points per game and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils, leading them to a deep playoff run with his teammate Lance Thomas, who signed with Louisville.
Jesse McMillan, Hammonds’ head coach at Norcross, spoke highly of his potential and his strengths as a player. In addition, he believes that he is the first piece of the program taking that next step as other prospects could flock to join Hammonds.
“He’s unselfish and brings different things to the team,” McMillan said. “He’ll play as a freshman definitely, with the potential of being a pro. He has good size for the wing spot and fits the hybrid mold who can play different spots. I would say he needs to work on his strength, which can be improved in a college weight room, and his 3-point shooting.”
The early signing period has just begun, and Georgia hopes to add a few more prospects to its 2017-18 roster. After this season, the Bulldogs will have four seniors on scholarship who will graduate, so there is need to fill vacancies in the frontcourt.
Along with Hammonds, two more prospects intending to sign in the early period show feasible interest within the program. Five-star forward Wendell Carter Jr., the nation’s fourth-overall prospect, and three-star forward Nicolas Claxton are both considering Georgia and are expected to sign with a school before the Nov. 16 early period deadline.
This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Georgia picks up four-star hoops recruit in Hammonds."