Georgia men’s basketball head coach Tom Crean has landed his third graduate transfer in 2020 with the addition of Virginia Tech power forward P.J. Horne. According to Corry Black ofJUCO Report, Brown committed to Georgia after entering the transfer portal just a couple of days ago.
Horne is a 6-foot-6, 230 pound and played the entire season in the Hokies’ front court. His decision to enter the transfer portal came as a surprise because he is coming off his best year as a Hokie during the 2019-20 season. This past season, Horne averaged 28 minutes per game as he scored 7.6 points and pulled down 4.2 rebounds per contest.
“Transferring was what he felt was best for him,” Young told the Roanoke Times. “I don’t think it had anything to do with him being unhappy at Virginia Tech. His experience at Virginia Tech was by all accounts a very positive one. His reasons for leaving, those are conversations that we had and will stay here.”
The Tifton, Ga, native was the No. 208 overall prospect and the No, 53 power forward in the class of 2017 according to the industry-generated 247 Sports Composite. He was the No. 15 overall prospect in Georgia when he chose to sign with Virginia Tech out of high school. He was recruited by former Hokies’ head coach Buzz Williams, who is now holding the same position at Texas A&M.
Last week, UGA landed Stony Brook guard Andrew Garcia as a graduate transfer. At 6-foot-5, 218 pounds, he led the Seawolves in rebounds in 2019-20 with 6.7 per game and averaged 13.4 points per contest. The Bulldogs signed another guard in George Mason graduate transfer Justin Kier late in April. Kier averaged 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and two assists per game during the 2019-2020 season.
From this past season’s roster, Georgia loses talented freshman and leading scorer Anthony Edwards and the team’s second leading scorer in Rayshaun Hammonds to the NBA Draft. Hammonds originally entered the NBA Draft while leaving open the possibility of returning to school, but he has since announced earlier this month that he would be staying in the draft and leaving the program. Tyree Crump, Jordan Harris and Donnell Gresham Jr. all have exhausted their eligibility and graduated. Big man Rodney Howard has has transferred to Georgia Tech and Amanze Ngumezi left the team earlier this season.
Crean has signed four prospects in the 2020 recruiting class and has one more committed. A pair of those are JUCO prospects from Eastern Florida State College in Jonathan Ned and Mikal Starks. The Bulldogs have also landed four-star point guard K.D. Johnson and three-star power forward Josh Taylor. JUCO power forward Tyron McMillan is committed but hasn’t yet signed his letter on intent.
If McMillian is to sign, the Bulldogs will be one over the scholarship limit.