Basketball: Georgia adds USC transfer, Noah Baumann
Basketball: Georgia adds USC transfer, Noah Baumann
Baumann becomes the third player to commit to UGA in the last 48 hours
(Photo Courtesy of USC Sports)
Georgia basketball has picked up its third player in the last 48 hours as USC transfer Noah Baumann committed to the program Monday evening.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound sharpshooter is expected to make an immediate impact when he gets on campus.
Baumann announced his decision via his personal Twitter.
During the 2020-21 season, Baumann averaged 3.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game, which isn’t great. Nevertheless, throughout his college career, he’s managed to shoot 43.5 percent from beyond the arc at both USC and San Jose State. The Phoenix, Arizona native has two years left of eligibility. Baumann spent his first two years at San Jose State then transferred to Southern Cal. He sat during the 2019-20 season due to the NCAA’s transfer rules.
During his freshman campaign at San Jose State, he started in 17 of 30 games. He averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per contest. In 2017-18, he was a solid 46 percent shooter from the 3-point line. As a sophomore, Baumann 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while averaging 45.5 from beyond the arc. This past season, he only started one game at USC but made the most of it. He scored 18 points in the Trojans’ win over UC-Irvine.
“It’s very important [to get Noah going because he’s been struggling,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said about Baumann after the win. “He started out the year 2-for-9 from the three-point line. He’s an elite shooter, and he’s much better than that.”
Baumann only scored double-digits for the Trojans one other time last season. He came off the bench against Oregon State and added 11 points.
“I definitely think I can offer a lot more than just shooting,” Baumann said last season. “I don't think I'm just that white dude that can't dribble. I feel like I can dribble. I feel like I'm a big guard. I feel like I offer more than just the stereotypical white dude shooting in the corner. But I feel like I just got to get my confidence and my swagger that can help us win.”
On Sunday, Georgia added Athens area native and FAU transfer Jailyn Ingram to the roster. Ingram is a solid commitment because of his veteran status as a sixth-year player. On Monday, news broke that Virginia transfer Jabri Abdur-Rahim was joining the program. Abdur-Rahim was one of the nation’s top-50 players in the 2019 class and head coach Tom Crean’s second highest-graded commitment behind former Bulldog Anthony Edwards. With the addition of Baumann, Georgia is hoping that veteran leadership and more consistent shot takers will improve the team’s chances of winning.