Freshman
8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in 2019-20 at Prolific Prep - Napa, CA
With the loss of James Banks, the center position became an immediate area of concern for the Jackets. Tech had not done a great job in surrounding Banks with adequate depth in the last couple of years, typically sliding Moses Wright up from his power forward spot when Banks moved to the bench. Beyond that, there weren’t really any options in the front court. That all changes with the arrival of Saba Gigiberia. Yes you read that correct, he is 7’1” and also boasts a 7’4” wingspan with skill that makes him a player to get very excited about.
Gigiberia was a 4 star recruit who’s services Tech was able to acquire after beating out quality programs in recruiting including Illinois and USC. He played prep basketball in Napa, CA but is a native to the country of Georgia. Hopefully he feels right at home in Atlanta, because there should be some opportunity for playing time right away due to the aforementioned departure of Banks. It remains to be seen what Pastner does with the starting lineup at least at the outset - there’s been talk of sliding Jordan Usher and Moses Wright up to be the starting frontcourt - but Gigiberia should at the very least factor into the rotation. His main source of competition for playing time is likely to be Rodney Howard, a transfer from uga who played sparingly last season.
As far as Saba’s game is concerned, there’s a lot to like just with his size. But it goes beyond that. Like many European players, he looks to be very skilled, even showing the ability to step out at shoot 3s. The potential for a true stretch 5 would likely be a first for Tech. Coach Pastner said the following about Gigiberia:
Like most his size, defending is space is likely to be a challenge and something he will need to work on especially with the ball-screen heavy offenses we are seeing more and more in college basketball. At the very least, Saba Gigiberia is an intriguing player who has as an extremely high ceiling and will get the opportunity to capitalize on it on the Flats. Here’s some highlights of Saba playing for his home country!