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After winning last year’s University of Georgia Co-Rec intramural basketball championship in February 2024, the Savage Ballerz have high hopes for this season. They return this year with many of the same players and are ready to go back-to-back.

 

“It was already a crazy experience that I had last year, and it’s definitely one I’ll never forget, so getting back to the big stage is definitely our main goal and hopefully winning that as well,” Robert Terry, a returning starter from last year’s season, said.

 

Most players on the team are from the Gainesville, Georgia area and have all played either with or against each other in sports since high school. Most went to Chestatee High School or North Hall High school in Gainesville, with a few also from Macon, according to Bowen Corley, a returning player from last year’s season. When they came to UGA, they reconnected and formed their team.

“Those boys crafted us a team, and I just knew it’d be so much fun,” Corley said.

 

The Savage Ballerz attribute their successes to their team chemistry, as they all go to the same church together and are longtime friends. Because they have all known each other for a long time, they also know one another’s skill sets.

 

“We know what they can and can’t do,” Terry said. “We put it together just for fun, but we definitely do get serious once we start playing in the actual games.”

 

Another contributor to their success is their power of having experienced women athletes on the team, according to Corley. She said a lot of the mismatches are not between the guys on the court, but rather the girls.

I think we capitalize on the mismatches with girls a pretty good bit,” Corley said.

The Savage Ballerz continue to carry this advantage into the next season, once again boasting many skilled women players. Corley said their team remains strong on the women’s side again this year, as all of them also played high school basketball together.

 

The Savage Ballerz don’t rely solely on the starting lineup. They have a deep bench and like to rotate players in and out, Corley said. Last season, when Terry was not able to make it to their semifinal game due to illness, the team rallied and advanced to the championship after winning on a last-second shot.

 

“We could have a different leading scorer in any game,” Terry said. “Nobody is selfish whenever we’re playing.”

 

Although they lost their point guard from last year, the Savage Ballerz are getting some major help back. Team captain Cole Ellis is returning to play after suffering an ACL tear at the start of last season.

 

This season, the Savage Ballerz have had a decent start to the regular season, with a record of 3-1. They rounded it out with a 72 point win against Team Kiki and 23 point win over Team chetGPT. The team has high hopes for a return to Stegeman Coliseum and a championship title, as they have their roster back.

The Savage Ballerz will take the court again this week on Sunday February 2 at 10 p.m. against “Tenacious D” at the Ramsey Student Center, continuing in the second round o

f playoffs.

 

recruiting class on Thursday. Four-star safety Zech Fort announced his commitment to the Bulldogs, choosing Georgia over Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida State.

 

The Long Beach, California native and IMG Academy standout is the No. 104 overall prospect, No. 8 safety and No. 17 recruit in Florida in the class of 2026 on the 247Sports Composite. He has the highest rating of the five commits in the Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class.

 

“Coach Smart, with what he’s done with the program,” Fort told 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn earlier this month on why Georgia was high on his list. “It’s a winning program. He played safety at Georgia, so him being a safety, why not have him teach me how to play the position because he played it?”

Fort was the only freshman in IMG Academy history to be named a team captain, and he has continued in that role as a sophomore and junior. He recorded 36 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one pass breakup in his junior season.

 

His speed, instinct and explosiveness jump out in his tape, meaning he will likely play as an “enforcer” in the Georgia defense — a role that has been manned by the likes of Dan Jackson and Lewis Cine in past years.

 

His commitment adds to a long list of IMG Academy players that have committed to Georgia. Some of the most notable from that pipeline in recent years include Nolan Smith Jr., Warren Brinson and Daylen Everette.

 

Georgia co-defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson and defensive backs coach Donte Williams built a relationship with Fort over the past several years leading up to his commitment. Robinson and Williams have caught fire on the recruiting trail, as Fort is now part of a group of eight defensive back commits in the 2025 and 2026 classes, including six four-stars.

Fort most recently visited Georgia last fall when the Bulldogs beat Tennessee 31-17 on Nov. 16. He named a top six list of schools earlier this month before ultimately choosing Athens as his next destination