The news just keeps getting better for SEC basketball programs.
After declaring for the NBA draft without hiring an agent, Georgia forward Yante Maten has announced that he’ll be returning to school for his senior season.
Yante Maten announces he will be back at Georgia next season. pic.twitter.com/nCoWqsKim2
— Jason Butt (@JasonHButt) May 24, 2017
Maten finished fourth in the SEC in scoring last season in averaging 18.2 points per game (on 52% shooting from the floor).
He finished ninth in the league with 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Lovell’s Analysis:
If you read my work last season, you know my thoughts on Maten.
He entered the year as one of the most underrated players in the entire country, but by seasons’s end, his play on the court spoke for itself.
The combination of Maten and J.J. Frazier was one of the best in the nation, yet it still didn’t result in Georgia making the NCAA Tournament.
So, it’s easy to understand why Maten’s return is such a major development.
People were questioning Mark Fox’s job security before last season, and after missing the tournament, many wondered what it meant for his future in Athens.
Yes, Fox needs a big season ahead. That’s why getting Maten back and not having to figure out how to replace 37 points per game has to be a huge relief.
Of course, replacing Frazier will be impossible. The Bulldogs don’t have a player on the current roster that can impact the game the way that Frazier did, but at least Maten gives Georgia one superstar on the floor.
How players like Juwan Parker and Derek Ogbeide progress will go a long way towards determining this team’s ceiling.
Either way, Maten is back and ready to take his game to an even higher level.
Something tells me he won’t be sneaking up on anyone this season.