Georgia basketball adds guard via transfer portal

Mike White was announced as the Georgia men’s basketball coach at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Photo by Tony Walsh)

Credit: Tony Walsh/UGAAA

Credit: Tony Walsh/UGAAA

Mike White was announced as the Georgia men’s basketball coach at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (Photo by Tony Walsh)

ATHENS – Mike White’s rebuild of the Georgia basketball team officially has begun.

Justin Hill, a rising junior from Longwood University, committed to play for the Bulldogs next season. Hill is a 6-foot, 185-pound guard who led the Lancers in scoring (14.2 ppp) and assists (4.2 pg) last season. Longwood is a Big South program in Virginia that went 26-7 before bowing out to Tennessee (88-56) in the NCAA Tournament last month.

In the immediate, Hill looks to be a possible replacement at Georgia for Kario Oquendo. Oquendo, who transferred to Georgia from Florida SouthWestern College last year, became the Bulldogs’ leading scorer last season (15.2 ppg). He reportedly has entered the NCAA transfer portal, though a destination has not been determined.

Also reported to be on his way out is Dalen Ridgnal. Ridgnal, a 6-7 forward, came to Georgia as a high-scoring junior college All-American from Cowley College. But he averaged only 2.7 points in 28 games with the Bulldogs last season.

White is expecting center Braelen Bridges (12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), forward Jailyn Ingram (10.7, 6.0) and guard Noah Baumann (8.1, 3.5) to return next season. All three players transferred into UGA last year and would be super seniors next season.

If everybody else remains, that would give Georgia eight returners from this season’s team.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are in the hunt for 5-star prospect Malik Reneau of Hialeah Gardens, Fla. The 6-8, 215-pound power forward signed with Florida in November but was released from his letter-of-intent after White left Florida to accept the Georgia job in mid-March. Reneau, as expected, is attracting numerous suitors.

White succeeded Tom Crean as Georgia’s men’s basketball coach March 13. He will be accepted a six-year contract that will pay him $3.4 million per season. He since has hired two assistant coaches. According to records obtained by the AJC on Thursday, Erik Pastrana will earn $345,000 a year and Akeem Miskdeen $275,000 to assist White. White is seeking a third assistant coach, as well as numerous support-staff positions.