Marcus Watson praises Fox’s coaching style after unofficial visit to Georgia

When Marcus Watson entered Stegeman Coliseum, it was a familiar sight.

The small forward recently made his name known in the Bulldogs’ arena after a dominant performance in the GHSA 5A basketball championship. In Buford’s 75-61 victory over Cedar Shoals, Watson had 27 points and seven rebounds.

Just days later, Georgia head coach Mark Fox contacted the in-state product to extend a scholarship offer. Watson also received a number of other offers from Power 5 conference programs, but Georgia has emerged as a contender and received a visit from the junior on June 21.

“The visit was great, and I really liked what Georgia has to offer,” Watson said. “The facilities are wonderful, and the facilities are ravishing. I just loved everything about it.”

Fox had one of his best recruiting classes in 2017, landing a top-50 player in Rayshaun Hammonds, along with three-star recruits Nicolas Claxton and Teshaun Hightower. In addition, the Bulldogs are high on the list for two 2018 four-star players, Drue Drinnon and Westside’s Khavon Moore.

The recruiting style by Fox — and Bulldogs’ assistants Jonas Hayes and David Carter — impressed Watson in early conversations with the staff.

“I love the coaches and the way they recruit is amazing,” Watson said. “They really recruit in a way that I (base) my decision of where I want to go to college upon. That’s about a relationship, and they do a great job on trying to build that with me every day.”

Watson transferred from Clemmons, North Carolina, to Buford in 2016 in an effort to play higher-level programs out of the GHSA and enhance his skill set with the AAU’s Georgia Stars. The move paid off for the four-star prospect as he has scholarship offers from Power 5 programs across the Southeast. Despite the move to the Peach State, the 6-foot-6, 195-pounder is hopeful to hear from some of his home-state programs. Watson’s hometown is 11 miles outside of Winston-Salem.

Georgia fell short of an NCAA Tournament bid for the second-consecutive year in 2016-17, yet Watson believes playing for Fox could be beneficial for his game.

“His coaching philosophy really stood out to me,” Watson said. “He really put his coaching style into words, and after seeing him put it into action this past season, he really lived up to his word. My interest in Georgia is very high.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2017 at 8:11 AM with the headline "Marcus Watson praises Fox’s coaching style after unofficial visit to Georgia."