The past few weeks have seen three Georgia basketball players enter the transfer portal, all of whom we would have expected to see in an expanded role in the 2019-20 season.

Add the triumvirate of Teshaun Hightower, Ignas Sargiunas, and Jojo Toppin to the six graduating seniors and that makes nine total players leaving the program with potentially more to come.

Toppin was a part of head coach Tom Crean's first recruiting class at Georgia.

Though none of the three have announced where their intended destinations are, the young guys are likely to latch onto teams with more opportunities for playing time and a chance to develop in a high-profile program.

It would be tough for even the best coaches and recruiters to fill that many vacated spots but Tom Crean is doing his best to move swiftly.

The transfers are likely looking to leave due to immense pressure and frustration brewing within the program after a 2-16 SEC record this past year, marking one of Georgia's worst conference finishes.

Coach Crean will be under the microscope next season as there will be no excuse not to improve with the talent being brought in. Georgia now hopes this recruiting class sets a precedent that Athens is a destination for the nation's top basketball prospects.

Rumors have recently emerged of Nicolas Claxton exploring his outside options as well. Claxton was by far the most valuable player for the Bulldogs this past season as most of the offense was run through the big man.

Claxton was also rumored to be weighing his options in regards to the NBA Draft. He was not listed as a top-60 player in the ESPN rankings.

The transfers come after the Bulldogs secure four outstanding recruits for the 2019 recruiting class highlighted by number one overall recruit Anthony Edwards. The freshman will likely all command immediate playing time and significant offensive involvement.

Once the transfer wave is over, the Bulldogs will have to assess who remains in the program and start over from there. The 2018-19 season proved to be a learning experience both for the players that remain and coach Crean himself.

With the high profile players coming in, look for the improved home game attendance numbers to be sustained with better overall team performance.