A day after an upset loss to Miami (Ohio) in its season opener, Georgia Tech likewise was fruitless on the first day of the early signing period.
Coach Josh Pastner and his staff did not expect to have any signings Wednesday or for the remainder of the signing period. In his first five seasons, Pastner signed at least one prospect in each early signing period, often more than one.
Pastner has been more selective in recruiting high-school prospects in this cycle because of his plans to be more active in the transfer portal in the spring. Tech brought in three high-school seniors for official visits in August and September, all of whom committed elsewhere – guard Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) and forwards Ven-Allen Lubin (Notre Dame) and Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State), all from Orlando, Fla.
“I think to really round out the team next season, we’re still recruiting some high-school kids, but we are really locked in on the portal for the 2022 recruiting class,” Pastner said Monday.
Pastner is scheduled to have four available scholarships for this recruiting cycle, though he does not plan to reach the 13-scholarship maximum. As Pastner tends to keep his rotation short, he doesn’t feel the need to use all of the available scholarships.
His rationale for putting more weight into the portal is that because Michael Devoe, Khalid Moore, Bubba Parham and Jordan Usher all are finishing their careers this season (although Moore could return and use his extra COVID-19 season of eligibility), he would want to replace that experience.
The transfer market has been valuable for Pastner, delivering several in-state players who’ve returned home to contribute for the Jackets, notably James Banks, Kyle Sturdivant, Usher, and Parham. Deivon Smith is the latest.
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