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Georgia Bulldogs

RJ Melendez, Illinois transfer, reportedly commits to SEC program

Keith Farner

By Keith Farner

Published:

RJ Melendez, a transfer from Illinois, has reportedly made plans to play in the SEC.

Melendez chose Georgia over interest from schools like UCF, Notre Dame, Virginia and Kansas State. He shared the news during an interview with Jeff Goodman on The Field of 68. Melendezis a former top 100 recruit, and was a 4-star small forward in the 2021 recruiting class.

He saw limited minutes as a freshman, but this past season, Melendez appeared in 32 games with 18 starts and averaged over 20 minutes per game. But his efficiency dropped while shooting 38% from the floor and 26% from the 3-point range.

Melendez’ final memory with Illinois came against an SEC opponent in Arkansas when he scored 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting in the second half of Illinois’ 73-63 loss to open the NCAA Tournament.

Melendez averaged 6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists this past season for the Illini. For his career, the 6-foot-7 wing has appeared in 54 games (19 starts) with averages of 5.1 points and 2.8 rebounds.

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.

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