Lithuanian guard signs with Georgia

After Thad Matta turned down Georgia's offer, the school may turn to Tom Crean. Crean was born March 25, 1966 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Crean's wife, Joani, is the sister of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Georgia reportedly reached out to Crean to gauge his interest in the job soon after it fired Mark Fox. Crean previously coached at Marquette and Indiana. In nine seasons at Marquette, Crean’s record was 190-96, a winning percentage. In nine seasons at Indiana,

A guard from Lithuania became the second player to sign with Georgia since Tom Crean was hired in March.

Ignas Sargiunas, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound freshman combo guard from Kaunas, Lithuania, signed a letter-of-intent, UGA announced Thursday.

“We are very pleased that Ignas will be joining our program,” Crean said in a statement. “As a combo guard, his versatility will help us greatly on both ends of the floor. Watching him play and develop, we have seen that he has great touch as a shooter, he has excellent ball-handling skills, and he provides solid defensive work, not to mention that he plays with poise and can be a vocal leader. His international experience will add a special dynamic to our team.”

Sargiunas played for Lithuanian national teams over the past three years and currently plays for Zalgiris II Kaunas in Lithuania’s NKL.

Sargiunas becomes the fourth member of Georgia’s 2018 signing class. Amanze Ngumezi, a 6-9, 235-pound power forward from Johnson High in Savannah, and JoJo Toppin, a 6-6, 180-pound small forward from Norcross High, signed during the fall signing period. Tye Fagan, a 6-3, 170-pound combo guard from Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, signed earlier this spring.