As coaches waited for a decision from high-profile prospect Marcus Watson of Buford High, Georgia Tech received an under-the-radar commitment Sunday. Forward David Didenko, a freshman forward at a community college in Lake Worth, Fla., accepted coach Josh Pastner's scholarship offer to join the team, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Didenko, listed at 6-foot-8, can enroll next summer after a season at Palm Beach State College, will have three years of eligibility and can play immediately. Didenko was not rated by recruiting services such as 247 Sports or Rivals during his high-school career at Boca Raton (Fla.) High. The recruiting website Prep Hoops wrote of Didenko in August that he has a "smooth stroke from beyond the (3-point) arc)," had an impressive summer and that he gained attention with his unique size and strength.
Highlight videos portray a perimeter player who can bring the ball upcourt, handles the ball well, has good passing vision and can hit the 3-pointer, although he enjoyed a height advantage in most clips. His strength and quickness are more difficult to discern.
Should he enroll, it’s believed that Didenko would be Tech’s first junior-college transfer since Fred Vinson in 1991. Coach Bobby Cremins used the junior-college market routinely during his tenure.
Tech has three scholarship slots available for the 2019-20 team.
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