Star center Somto Cyril has withdrawn his name from the 2024 NBA Draft. Instead, he will play for the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2024-25 season, per CBS Sports Jon Rothstein.
A native of Nigeria, Somto Cyril came to the United States in 2021. He then went on to play high school basketball in the state of Tennessee. He then joined Overtime Elite, which is a basketball league for athletes between 16 and 20 years old who are hoping to have NBA futures.
Somto Cyril was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 45th-ranked player nationally in that class and the eighth-ranked center in the class. On top of that, he’s a key member of Georgia’s recruiting class that is ninth in the country for the 2024 cycle with two players committed. It’s just him and Asa Newell, a five-star recruit in his own right.
Prior to committing to Georgia, Somto Cyril had been committed to go to Kentucky. His decision to change his commitment came after the coaching change in Kentucky and he was open about the process shortly following his decision.
“It was an interesting last few weeks,” Cyril said. “A lot can happen in a very short amount of time. This fast (snaps). I was thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got time,’ and then when I got released, it was a lot.”
Somto Cyril added to that, explaining that he was very impressed with what Georgia was able to offer him during his visit to the school.
“I feel like it’s just me and the way I go about things, the way I handle everything. When I went on the visit, the way I operate, it’s about the feel and the facts that I see. My spirit felt like that was the place. I knew at that moment I was going to be going down there,” Cyril said.
“I’ve known Coach [Mike] White since my freshman year. I’ve known him since he was at Florida. He offered me my freshman year. One of the guys, my brother from Nigeria, Jason Jitoboh, he played at Florida. I went to some of the games to support. I’ve known him [White] for a minute. Good guy. Good peoples. Good vibes. I have nothing but respect for Coach [John Calipari]. Anybody that’s been close to him has respect for him because of his all around everything. At the end of the day, it’s about what’s best for you, putting yourself in the best position. I feel like UGA was the place for me.”
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