Georgia among possible destinations for Ohio State transfer Daniel Giddens?

Among Georgia basketball’s primary objectives for the offseason will be figuring out how to replace a couple of veteran backcourt contributors in Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann.

But that doesn’t mean Mark Fox isn’t looking to bolster his young frontcourt, too. Ohio State center Daniel Giddens looks set to transfer from the Buckeyes, and CBS Sports reports have Georgia among the schools rumored to be on the 6’10, 230 pound freshman’s list of possible destinations. Giddens averaged only 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 2015-2016, but he played in 33 games and started 7 for the Buckeyes. He was a national top 50 recruit who claimed offers from the likes of Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, and Florida out of Cobb County basketball power Wheeler High.

But, as with a lot of national top 50 recruits from the Peach State over the past few years, he never seriously considered the home state Bulldogs. While some Georgia fans might disagree, objectively speaking Mark Fox has now built a consistently good basketball team that may only be a couple of players away from being back in the Big Dance. That’s likely an appealing option if Giddens wants to be closer to home. It’s important to take these kind of early lists of transfer destinations with a monster grain of salt. But if Giddens is looking to transfer to a school where he could play as soon as he’s eligible against good competition, Georgia would make for a pretty good landing spot.

Giddens would be the fourth Buckeye basketball transfer in recent months, following recent exits Austin Grandstaff, A.J. Harris, and Mickey Mitchell. Giddens could sit this season and have 3 years to play, but one expects that he’s looking for a place to play either one or two seasons to prove himself for the NBA. Giddens has the length and quickness to be a force on the defensive end, but spent a lot of time in foul trouble this season. I could see him developing under Mark Fox’s tutelage in a manner similar to what we saw from Trey Thompkins, a guy with similar size and build. Cross your fingers, Bulldog fans.