ATHENS – The Georgia men’s basketball team’s recruiting class doesn’t have the star power of last year, but the Bulldogs are hoping they made progress in two areas:
Perimeter play, and in-state recruiting.

Charles Mann, Kenny Gaines and Brandon Morris are all from Georgia, and all regarded as wing players. The trio signed with the Bulldogs on Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period.

“We’re gonna have a big perimeter, a long perimeter, and I think all these guys are gonna be three good players for us,” head coach mark Fox said.

Mann, from Alpharetta, is 6-foot-6 but was recruited as a point guard. He may have a chance to start next year with the impending graduation of Gerald Robinson and Dustin Ware.

“Charles Mann is a big point guard. He’s strong, athletic kid who’s got a very natural instinct to pass and make players better. I love that about him. I love the size.”

Gaines is a 6-4 wing from Mableton. Like the other two players who signed, he is rated as a three-star prospect. Fox called him “an extremely quick and athletic scoring guard who I think is very versatile in the backcourt.”

Morris is a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Lithonia who is regarded as a more all-court talent rather than a post player.

“Brandon’s a very versatile, long small forward who knows how to win, does a lot of things well on the basketball court,” Fox said.

Georgia has one scholarship left, and Fox said frontscoring was “a focal point.”

Georgia is still believed to be involved with Robert Carter, a 6-8 forward from Snellville who is the nation’s 28th-ranked overall prospect, according to Rivals.com.

Another major target had been center Tony Parker from Lithonia, rated 33rd nationally by Rivals. But Parker appears to have eliminated the Bulldogs from consideration.

Getting in-state talent has been a focus for the Bulldogs, who scored big last year with McDonalds All-American Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.