The spring signing period is underway, but Mark Fox won’t get better news than he got at the team’s banquet last night. Sophomore All-SEC star Trey Thompkins will stay at Georgia for his junior season. Fellow sophomore Travis Leslie had previously announced his intention to stay.

Thompkins made the decision to stay ($) even without finding out his likely draft status from the NBA advisory board. “I just want to win,” Thompkins said. “I’ve got a passion for winning and I definitely see it in the future for us.”

Coach Mark Fox was of course thrilled by the announcement. “God bless you, Trey,” Fox exclaimed after Thompkins announced his choice.

Thompkins’ decision means that the core of a promising team returns. Seniors Ricky McPhee and Albert Jackson as well as transfers Demario Mayfield and Drazen Zlovaric will leave the program, but most key contributors return. They’ll be buoyed by a good recruiting class and transfer guard Gerald Robinson, Jr. Recruiting is still ongoing, and the addition of a couple more pieces like Marcus Thornton and/or Dwayne Polee would make the team even deeper and stronger.