Georgia is looking to take the next step under head coach Mike White after losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a few months ago, and on Wednesday the Bulldogs got a big-time boost in trying to do just that next season.
Hakeem Weems, an athletic 6-foot-10 forward who starred in the post-grad program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., told League Ready that he has committed to play for White in Athens next season. Weems spent his senior season of high school at Montverde Academy in Florida before transferring to IMG Academy, and now he’ll be trying to boost Georgia‘s chances in the SEC and beyond during the 2026-27 season.
White lured Weems to Athens despite the major talent being showered with interest from many other programs, including Cincinnati and South Florida. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, the 3-star Weems is currently the 250th-ranked player overall in the Class of 2026. Those Composite rankings also have Weems designated as a center, not a forward, and they rank him as the 36th-best center in the class as well as the 35th-ranked player from the state of Florida.
Weems is just the latest big man that Georgia has lured to Athens since the end of last season. With the Dawgs losing Somto Cyril to the transfer portal and with Justin Abson out of eligibility, there was a big-time hole in the middle in Georgia’s roster.
But in addition to Weems, the Bulldogs have now infused that roster with big men like David Ugonna Ike out of NBA Academy Africa, Andrew Osasuyi by way of St. Bonaventure and James Scott from SEC rival Ole Miss.
White has lost 9 players from last season’s roster, but with the addition of Weems the Bulldogs have now added 8 players to that roster for next season.
Georgia dipped its toes into the NCAA Tournament waters this past season, but the Bulldogs want a lot more. This is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about those top teams that it believes will have the best chance to win it all in 2027:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
