BREAKING: Georgia Basketball Lands Commitment from R.J. Melendez
Georgia head basketball coach Mike White entered the offseason with six scholarships at his disposal as he set about the process of once again rebuilding the program's roster. On Monday, the Bulldogs dipped into the NCAA transfer portal to secure the first piece of that puzzle with the commitment of former Illinois wing R.J. Melendez whose commitment comes on the heels of a visit to Athens last weekend. Melendez - who has two years of eligibility left - chose Georgia over offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Kansas State, and DePaul among others.
In an interview with Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 Media Network, Melendez stated it was his relationship with White and Georgia assistant coach Erik Pastrana that put the Bulldogs in position to land his commitment.
"Coach Mike White and Coach Erik Pastrana were my first two offers coming out of high school, Coach White was from UF and Coach Pastrana was from OSU. Still having that connection with them, them reaching out right after I got in the portal and staying consistent with me, it was a big deal for me, you know? Seeing that they still had that trust in me and they still see that player from high school and all that and not mattering what happened the past two years. Seeing them having that trust in me, it was great."
The 6-foot-7, 205-pound wing also made it clear that Georgia’s 10-win improvement in White’s first year leading the program served as evidence that the program has NCAA Tournament potential in the near future.
“Coach White has done a great job, you know, bringing the team from 1-17 [in conference play] from the past coach to 16-16. That's a great job, and he's doing an amazing job right now recruiting. Right now the goal is to have a better record, make the tournament, and, you know, make a run."
As for White’s recruiting pitch, Melendez revealed the Georgia head coach has high expectations for him when he joins the program later this summer.
“"He just wants me to come in, make an impact, be a high-level usage guy, being able to help the team.”
For his part, Melendez expressed eagerness to join his new team and begin working towards the goal of earning the program’s first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2010.
“I’m really excited to be at Georgia. I’m ready to get to Athens already and start work. I’m ready to make a run at Georgia, get to the tournament, just excited.”
A former top-100 recruit out of Kissimmee, Florida, Melendez played in 22 games with one start as a freshman during the 2021-22 season, averaging 3.8 points on 57% shooting and 1.7 rebounds per game. Plagued by a shoulder injury that affected his shooting for much of his sophomore season, Melendez still managed to start 18 games and play in 32 of Illinois’ 33 games during the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
After the Bulldogs leaned heavily on the transfer portal to build out the roster in White’s first season, Melendez becomes Georgia’s first addition from the transfer portal this offseason. However, given Georgia’s five remaining scholarships and the program’s need for a rapid infusion of talent, the Bulldogs will likely land additional players from the transfer portal in the coming weeks and months.
