UGA Hoops Next

For the last 20+ years, top 10 bball recruits used to visit UGA once in a blue moon — two in the last month ain’t a bad stretch! This is what UGA bball could/should have had if we didn’t get sanctioned in ‘03 😤

Earlier this month, @UGAAthletics honored me on the same football field where my dad once played alongside Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. In fact, my dad was a two-sport athlete at Georgia (catch me sporting his Track letterman jacket below). While I didn’t follow in those footsteps, I’ve been fortunate to build a career in sports and entertainment, from consulting with the @ATLHawks to founding @PrizePicks and, most recently, launching @TheSpellOff. Being back at Sanford Stadium with him was a full-circle moment. It also reinforced why I wanted to give back. College sports are becoming professionalized, and the schools who get ahead of that shift will have a real advantage. Building a winning program now requires many of the same capabilities as running a professional sports organization: talent evaluation, analytics, roster strategy, disciplined investment and commercial thinking. Georgia has the history, the fanbase and the ambition to excel in this era. We need the infrastructure to match. That’s the thinking behind my $10 million commitment to @UGAbasketball: endowing positions that help build the program’s front office capabilities and bring a more data-driven, thoughtful approach to how resources are invested. The commitment starts with basketball, but my hope is what we build can benefit all of Georgia Athletics over time. There has never been a more important time for the alumni network and broader fanbase to make an impact. My dad helped shape my love for the Dawgs. Helping Georgia build for its next chapter is one way I can carry that forward. Go Dawgs.

As a four-year letterman at @RICSAthletics and 3x gold medal winner at @MaccabiUSA, basketball was always a huge part of my life. After finishing my own playing career, I was preparing for college and was excited to cheer on a strong @UGABasketball program that had been led by future NBA lottery pick @jarvishayes24. Unfortunately,@UGAAthletics basketball program was hit with major sanctions in the Spring of 2003 and struggled to find sustained momentum for much of the next two decades. Over the past few years though, you could feel something changing. Under @CoachWhiteUGA, there’s been a real shift around the program, not just in recruiting and performance, but in culture, energy, and belief. Around that same time, I found myself reflecting on my own journey as a career-long entrepreneur and inside of the sports industry for the last decade. Ahead of the @ATLHawks record-breaking 2014-2015 season, new CEO @SteveKoonin brought me in to help think through digital strategy and fan engagement. That same year, I entered the sports industry as an entrepreneur and eventually built @PrizePicks into a high-growth organization with more than 600 team members spread across North America & (basketball-obsessed) Philippines. Through those experiences, I gained a firsthand look at what separates good organizations from great ones. The best organizations invest deeply in infrastructure, people, culture, and long-term vision. As I spent more time around UGA Basketball, one thing became clear: college athletics has fundamentally changed in recent memory. The programs that will thrive in this new era are the ones willing to invest at the highest level, both on and off the court. That’s why making this $10M donation to Georgia Basketball felt deeply personal to me. This isn’t just about supporting a team. It’s about helping build a program which can become one of the most exciting teams in the country, a program players want to be part of and one the fanbase can rally behind. I’m grateful to AD @Brooks_UGA, Coach White and everyone at UGA for the trust and partnership. Excited for what’s ahead. Go Dawgs! P.S. Thanks to @DavidPurdum for last week's story: espn.com/espn/betting/story/…