Stoudamire, Ga. Tech add Abram to portal haul

Former Ole Miss guard Amaree Abram has committed to play at Georgia Tech next season, he told ESPN on Wednesday.

Abram picked Georgia Tech and coach Damon Stoudamire over offers from the likes of Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Ohio State and others.

“His read on my game was unique,” Abram said of Stoudamire. “He made it clear how he planned to utilize my strengths, as well as how he planned to help me improve in some of the areas I need to work on. He was honest and transparent with my family, and I, and I could tell that he genuinely cares about me and wants to help me reach my ultimate goal of playing in the NBA.

“The more I learned about his vision for the program and for my development as a player and young man, the more I realized that Georgia Tech is the place for me.”

Abram, a four-star recruit coming out of high school, averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21 minutes per game as a freshman, shooting 36% from 3-point range. He elected to transfer after the head coach who recruited him, Kermit Davis, was fired in late February.

“I appreciate everything that Coach Davis and his staff did for me, but after the season ended, and given the fact that he was let go, I met with my family and decided that it would be best for me to enter the transfer portal and see what my options were,” Abram said.

One of the youngest players in the portal, Abram, who turns 19 in late May, was considered among the most promising freshman guards in the SEC thanks to his positional size for a point guard, live-dribble passing ability, explosive scoring prowess in the open court, dynamic shot-making and the high-level intensity he brings defensively.

Abram says the opportunity to play for a former NBA point guard in Stoudamire, who brings significant experience running a team as well as coaching at the highest levels of college and professional basketball, played a major role in his decision.

“Being a point guard at Arizona, Coach Stoudamire knows what it’s like to be in my shoes,” Abram said. “His coaching and playing experience had a huge impact on my decision. Being a point guard in the NBA for 13 years, he also knows what it’s like to be in the shoes that I one day hope to fill. We’re both left-handed as well.

“I value the fact that he’s coached in the NBA and helped develop some of the guards whose games I study now. I’ve learned so much already through our conversations during my recruitment process, and I’m looking forward to all that I’ll continue to learn from him and his staff after I arrive on campus.”

Stoudamire, who was an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics when he was hired several weeks ago, has been busy rebuilding Georgia Tech’s roster in large part from the transfer portal, adding four frontcourt players thus far: wings Kowacie Reeves (Florida) and Tafara Gapare (UMass) and big men Tyzhaun Claude (Western Carolina) and Ebenezer Dowuona (NC State). The status of last season’s leading scorer, sophomore Miles Kelly, who is testing the NBA draft waters, will play a big role in what next season’s roster looks like.

Abram says he was invited to try out for USA Basketball’s FIBA U19 World Cup squad that will be headed to Debrecen, Hungary, in late June.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.