Jabri Abdur-Rahim to enter transfer portal, test NBA Draft
Georgia forward Jabri Abur-Rahim is going to pursue using his final year of eligibility, but he’ll do so elsewhere than Athens. On3’s Joe Tipton reports that after spending three seasons in the UGA program, Abdur-Rahim has entered the transfer portal while also planning to test the NBA Draft waters.
It’s Abdur-Rahim’s second time transferring, arriving at Georgia by way for Virginia in 2021, however, with new rules that no longer prevent playing right away, the South Orange, N.J. native will be able to suit up next season at his new school.
In 93 career contests for the Bulldogs, Abdur-Rahim averaged 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. His best season came this year as a starter of 27 outings as he knocked down 62 3-pointers on 35.6% shooting. In doing so, Abdur-Rahim averaged 12.2 points per game, good enough to lead UGA well into the season. Against Kentucky, he scored 34 points with seven makes from deep, both representing career-highs.
“His overall approach, he’s just provided more maturity. His responses to a missed shot or two, or blown defensive assignment, we’re all going to make mistakes, but he’s understanding the part of basketball that’s inches and milliseconds and being able to respond to the last mistake, or made shot, can I stay in the moment and move on? He accepts responsibility, and I think he’s grown a lot in that regard,” Georgia head coach Mike White said about Abdur-Rahim. “He puts pressure on himself, as are a lot of young men who are as talented as he is. He’s one of the best shooters in our league. He’s tried to get out of himself a little more, too. I think the more he is communicating with his teammates and leading, helps him stay in that moment.”
“I’ve said it all year, no one is committed to the game and their development and their progress more so than Jabri in our program,” White added on a separate occasion.
Abdur-Rahim’s impact was also felt off the court as he was named to the SEC’s Community Service Team in back to back seasons while also being selected as the male student athlete representative to the UGA Athletics Association’s Board of Directors.
Abdur-Rahim was the last remaining player from the Tom Crean era in Athens, playing significant minutes for teams led by both Crean and White.
Abdur-Raim becomes the fourth player from the 2023-24 roster in the last two days to enter the transfer portal. Jalen DeLoach, Justin Hill and M.A. Moncrieffe did so on Monday, leaving six players currently slated to return.
