Tech lands Ole Miss transfer guard Amaree Abram
Damon Stoudamire landed another big piece for his first time with the commitment of Ole Miss guard Amaree Abram on Wednesday. Abram was a strong freshman for the Rebels last season averaging 8 points per game in 21 minutes per game in 33 games of action including 22 starts.
Stoudamire worked quickly to get involved with Abram as soon as he was in the NCAA Portal and turned up the heat recently to land the talented transfer.
"Coach hit me up as soon as I was in the portal," Abram told JOL. "It was a little bit dry for a bit and then he hit me up and the end and we just connected from there. I then took a visit and I was really interested in what saying and stuff."
Having a plan on how to develop Abram on and off the court was a big selling point for Georgia Tech and Stoudamire that helped land the versatile guard.
"He has a plan for how he wants to develop me as a basketball player and as a person," Abram said of Stoudamire's recruiting pitch. "The mentorship part is the more important piece he said he could help me with. He can help me stay focused and elevate my game."
Like many kids his age, Abram knew Stoudamire the coach more than anything about his storied NBA career. Once the relationship began Abram did a little reconnaissance on his future coach.
"I never really knew who he was," Abram said. "I knew him as the coach for the Celtics and then they told me he was a lefty too so I had to do a little research on him and he was nice."
Abram models his game after modern-era players like Sacramento King's star De'Aaron Fox who is also left-handed like Abram and Stoudamire and Laker's guard D'Angelo Russell. Both are bigger guards who can play with and without the ball and score while being a playmaker for teammates.
"I like D'Lo (Russell) and De'Aaron Fox," he said when asked who he models his game after. "That are the two I like. Growing up in Texas I used to go to De'Aaron Fox's games. He is on a good run this year, but he has that injury."
The visit to Tech was a quick one for Abram who also visited other programs including UGA and LSU recently.
"I wasn't there for very long so we didn't get to do too much, I was only there for a day," he said. "I went to a couple of spots and went out to eat with the coaches and saw the facilities. It wasn't anything crazy. It was more about the conversations. I was really close to staying in the SEC, but I see myself fitting in with the guys they recruited and have on the team. I see us having a great team and fitting in with the team. I think the basketball piece is the best fit and him being a very experienced coach and sitting and watching film with him during my visit, analyzing my game, and looking at my mistakes was big."
Stoudamire's plans for Abram are big.
"He wants me to help run the show and put guys in spots and be a leader on the floor," Abram's said of how he will be used. "Both as a leader and as a point guard. I'm going to be a little of both (shooting guard and point guard), he said I'm going to play off the ball too. I'm definitely a combo guard. I think I can get downhill and make everyone around me better. I know I can shoot and I am a good scorer. I put the ball in the hoop."
Abram was a top 100 player in the 2022 class and a four-star player who left the Ole Miss program following a coaching change in Oxford. He will enroll this summer and he moves in next month.
Abram locks in the ninth spot on Stoudamire's roster with a possible tenth spot in limbo as the Jackets await Miles Kelly's NBA decision. He plans to major in business at Tech.