Upson-Lee’s Fagan on Georgia’s radar after receiving offer

Georgia continues to have its eye on an up-and-coming guard for the 2018 class, which has now enhanced after the Bulldogs passed along an offer.

Tye Fagan had just concluded a GHSA Class 4A championship run with Upson-Lee, averaging 21.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on a team that finished the 2016-17 season with a 32-0 record. Shortly after Upson-Lee took home the trophy with a 53-48 win over St. Pius, Georgia associate head coach Phillip Pearson traveled to Thomaston to meet the Knights’ leading scorer.

“This was his first time seeing me,” Fagan said. “He was excited to sit down with me and was impressed with my skill set.”

Georgia is in the process of reloading its backcourt depth with scholarship guards J.J. Frazier and Brandon Young finishing their careers. Currently, the Bulldogs have a 2017 commitment from Teshaun Hightower and significant interest from 2018 Pebblebrook product Drue Drinnon.

Fagan is the latest addition to the guard search as he lands his first offer from a high-major program.

“It feels good to be believed in by a great school like Georgia when you’re in the same state,” Fagan said. “I like Georgia a lot.”

One of Fagan’s first visits to campus came in February when he got to tour some of the basketball facilities but not the entire university. While it was a short trip, there were plenty of positive takeaways from the 6-foot-3 guard.

“What I liked most was the coaches I met; they’re genuine people,” Fagan said. “A couple of players that are there are from Georgia, and that’s a plus. I kept up with (Tyree) Crump and (Jordan) Harris in high school. All in all, the coaches made me feel comfortable, and the facilities were nice.”

In addition to the Bulldogs, Fagan holds an offer from Middle Tennessee — one of the nation’s most successful mid-major programs. The program has appeared in two consecutive NCAA Tournaments and has drawn interest from multiple recruits.

While it’s a start for Fagan, Upson-Lee head coach Darrell Lockhart believes the exposure can increase as Fagan’s career closes.

“Tye should be high on everyone’s list,” he said. “He’s a smart, young man who wants to get better as a basketball player and athletic as heck. The sky is the limit.”

Now that Georgia is guaranteed to be a potential landing spot for Fagan, it is high up on his list. He continued to say that “nobody” has recruited him as hard as the Bulldogs have.

A lot of Fagan’s interest in Georgia has been drawn from the coaching style of head coach Mark Fox as the rising senior pointed out a few aspects of his coaching style that stood out.

“I can tell he puts a lot of trust in his point guards,” Fagan said. “For example, I saw his trust in the decision-making of J.J. Frazier when I went down for my visit. He also has a defensive mindset, and I know that because when a couple of guys may have missed a defensive assignment, he would surely let them know about it.”

While a Power 5 conference program has made its way onto Fagan’s list of offers, Middle Tennessee still have a significant chance to add the Georgia product due to the relationships that have been built by the coaching staff.

“I love (assistant) coach Ronnie Hamilton ;that's my man,” Fagan said. “I like the whole facility and campus. They have so many places you can eat and chill that's for athletes only. They make sure they do certain things to make sure they take care of their players and have a great graduation rate.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Upson-Lee’s Fagan on Georgia’s radar after receiving offer."