Georgia added a fourth member to its 2011 recruiting class Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s late signing period for basketball.
Nemanja Djurisic, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward from South Kent (Conn.) School, signed with Georgia.
“We’ve very excited to have added ‘Nemi’ to the program for next year,” Georgia coach Mark Fox said in a statement. “He’s a terrific shooter with good size and a great feel for the game.”
Djurisic, a native of Montenegro, averaged 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for South Kent this past season.
Georgia signed three players in November’s early period, led by five-star recruit Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of Greenville High. The Bulldogs could sign at least one more player after the early departures of Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie for the NBA.
Georgia is one of many colleges that have expressed interest in Rockdale County’s Kevin Ware, who was granted a release from his Tennessee scholarship after the firing of coach Bruce Pearl.
Louisville, South Carolina, Central Florida, Alabama, UCLA and Georgetown also have made inquiries about the 6-4 guard, his stepfather said Wednesday. Ware averaged 19 points and nine assists while leading Rockdale County to its first appearance in the state championship since 1987.
Ware may take as many as four official visits before the May 18 end of the signing period.
Meanwhile, the Georgia women will get some instant help after signing a pair of junior-college standouts, Danielle Bennett and Marisela Rodriquez. The 5-10 Bennett plays wing and averaged 16.2 points at Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College, while the 6-4 Rodriquez plays forward and averaged 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds at Garden City (Kan.) CC.
Here are some of the other top signings from the metro area Wednesday:
-- North Gwinnett’s Ryon Riggins signed with Tennessee Tech over Wofford and Gardner-Webb. The 6-9 power forward averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds. Said coach Zach Smith: “Tennessee Tech is getting a raw player who is determined to improve his game. He is a gifted athlete and runs the floor exceptionally well.”
-- Josh Swan, one of the more decorated players in Pace Academy’s history, signed with Southern Illinois. The 6-3 guard averaged 33 points during his team’s playoff run to the state quarterfinals. At Pace, Swan had 1,987 points, 450 assists and more than 700 rebounds. He was two-time Region 5-A basketball player of the year.
-- Fayette County’s Bria Venson signed with Grambling State, becoming the fifth senior on the reigning Class AAAA state champions to land a basketball scholarship. The 6-1 center averaged 4.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. “A strong inside presence ... with a strong left hand,” Fayette County coach John Strickland said. The other four seniors who signed early were Brianna Banks (UConn), Elem Ibiam (South Carolina), Kyra King (Brewton-Parker) and Taybreanna Couch (Clayton State).
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