ATHENS -- The Georgia Bulldogs have landed the big man they so desperately need for next season.
Braelen Bridges, 6-foot-10, 235-pound junior at the University of Illinois-Chicago, plans to transfer to UGA this summer and play for the Bulldogs the next two seasons. A McDonough resident who attended Union Grove High, Bridges made the announcement via his Twitter account Friday.
“Home was always a thought for me,” Bridges said via text message Friday. “It felt like it was time to come home and play in front of my family. My coach that I built a strong bond with is there also.”
Current UGA assistant coach Steve McClain was Bridges’ coach at Illinois-Chicago in 2019-20. Bridges said he doesn’t personally know any of Georgia’s other players.
Bridges averaged 9.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while playing 52 games for the Flames the past two seasons. He signed with Northwest Florida Junior College out of high school. After playing 24 games as a freshman, he redshirted his second season. But because the 2019-20 season was a free year per NCAA eligibility, Bridges will have two seasons to play for the Bulldogs.
At Georgia, Bridges immediately will become the team’s tallest player. That distinction previously went to freshman Josh Taylor and sophomore Tyron McMillan, who played sparingly this season. Toumani Camara, a 6-8 sophomore, started every game for the Bulldogs and handled most of their frontcourt duties.
Expect Georgia to continue to work the transfer portal and the recruiting trail for immediate contributors. The Bulldogs were 14-12 in coach Tom Crean’s third season and have lost three players to the portal this year.
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