Dogs Entertain Texas At Sold-Out Stegeman

January 27, 2017 | Men's Basketball

Jan. 27, 2017

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

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Game & Broadcast Info

Opponent: Texas Longhorns
Records: Georgia (12-7, 4-3 SEC), Texas (8-12, 2-6 Big 12)
Rankings: Georgia NR, Texas NR
Tipoff: Saturday, January 28 at 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
TV: ESPNU (Joe Tessitore, pbp; Sean Farnham, analyst)
Video Stream: WatchESPN.com
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG (Scott Howard, PBP; Chuck Dowdle, Color; Tony Schiavone, Producer)
Flagship: WSB AM 750 | Affiliates | Sirius: 127; XM: 191
Audio Stream: Georgiadogs.com | Mobile
Live Stats:

Georgia Bulldogs

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Texas Longhorns

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Complete Game Notes

The Starting Five

UGA leads the all-time series with UT, 6-5 overall and 2-0 in Athens. This is the first meeting since the 2002-03 season opener.
Juwan Parker has reached double digits in the scoring column in nine of the last 12 games and in seven of eight SEC dates...after he did so once in his first 58 games played at UGA prior to that.
J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten are the nation's seventh-best inside-outside scoring combination among teams with two of the top-250 scorers in country...and the only duo from a Power 5 conference.
Among active SEC players, J.J. Frazier is No. 2 in points (1,300), No. 2 in assists (367), No. 4 in steals (142) and No. 10 in rebounds (380).
UGA has hit the 20-win plateau the past three years, just the second time in 111 seasons of basketball the Bulldogs have done so. Mark Fox is the first coach to lead UGA to three-straight 20-win efforts.

Dogs Set To Host Tide At Stegeman

Bulldogs Entertain Longhorns At Sold-Out Stegeman Coliseum The Georgia Bulldogs - and nine other members of the Southeastern Conference - step out of league play on Saturday afternoon to host the Texas Longhorns as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge at 4:00 p.m. A capacity crowd of 10,523 is on tap. The game was announced as a sellout in early January.

In fact, Georgia's remaining weekend games against Kentucky and LSU also have been sold out for weeks. Those sellouts were aided by a record number of season tickets sold for the 2016-17 season.

The Bulldogs are 12-8 overall and 4-4 in SEC play and looking to snap their first two-game losing skid of the 2016-17 campaign. Last Saturday, Georgia suffered a one-point setback at Texas A&M when a clock malfunction prevented Yante Maten from attempting potential game-winning free throws. The Bulldogs then fell to Alabama on Wednesday.

Maten leads Georgia in both scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg). Among SEC leaders, he is second in scoring and third in rebounding. Maten also ranks second in the league in double-doubles with five.

J.J. Frazier is contributing 15.6 ppg (No. 7 in the SEC). His team-best averages of 2.1 steals and 4.3 assists rank second and fifth in the SEC. Nationally, Frazier is No. 30 in free throw percentage (.888) and No. 31 in steals.

Maten, a junior forward, and Frazier, a senior guard, are one of the nation's most potent inside-outside offensive tandems. Their combined average of 35.5 ppg ranks No. 6 nationally among guard-forward scoring duos with both players ranked among the nation's top-250 scorers. They are the only teammates in the top-10 from a Power 5 conference.

In statistics for conference games only, Maten and Frazier currently rank No. 3 and No. 4 in the SEC in scoring at 19.5 ppg and 16.4 ppg, respectively.

Juwan Parker, who has been Georgia's third-leading scorer for the majority of the season, is on a tear of late. Parker averaged 8.0 ppg in non-conference play but is contributing 12.1 ppg in league action. That has upped his season average to 9.7 ppg.

Texas sports records of 8-12 overall and 2-6 in Big 12 play. The Longhorns are coming off a dramatic 84-83 win over Oklahoma on Monday night.

Among active players, Jarrett Allen leads Texas in scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). Andrew Jones is contributing 10.9 ppg. Kerwin Roach Jr. adds 10.6 ppg and paces UT with averages of 3.7 apg and 1.5 spg.

Potential Starters

GEORGIA BULLDOGS
No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown	PPG	RPG
30	J.J. Frazier	G	5-10	155	Sr.	Glennville, Ga.	15.6	3.3
2	Jordan Harris	G	6-4	185	Fr.	Iron City, Ga.	5.5	1.6
3	Juwan Parker	G	6-4	205	Jr.	Tulsa, Okla.	9.7	5.9
1	Yante Maten	F	6-8	240	Jr.	Pontiac, Mich.	19.7	7.8
34	Derek Ogbeide	F	6-8	245	So.	Atlanta, Ga.	7.1	6.6

Head Coach: Mark Fox
Record at Georgia / Years: 138-111 / 8th season
Overall Record/Years: 261-154 / 13th season
Assistant Coaches: Philip Pearson, Jonas Hayes, Yasir Rosemond

TEXAS LONGHORNS
No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown	PPG	RPG
12	Kerwin Roach Jr.	G	6-4	175	So.	Houston, Texas	10.6	3.7
3	Jacob Young	G	6-3	185	Fr.	Houston, Texas	3.7	1.0
10	Eric Davis Jr.	G	6-3	195	So.	Saginaw, Mich.	7.8	2.7
32	Shaquille Cleare	F	6-8	275	Sr.	Andros, Bahamas	8.6	5.1
31	Jarrett Allen	F	6-11	235	Fr.	Round Rock, Texas	12.4	8.6

Head Coach: Shaka Smart
Record at Texas / Years: 28-25 / 2nd season
Overall Record / Years: 191-81 / 8th season

Keeping An Eye On...Entering today's game:

J.J. Frazier is...

24 points from No. 19 Kenny Gaines
48 points from No. 18 Willie Anderson
151 points from No. 10 D.A. Layne
2 3FGs from No. 8 Bernard Davis
11 3FGs from No. 7 G.G. Smith
12 3FGs from No. 6 Dustin Ware
26 3FGAs from No. 6 Dustin Ware
2 FTs from No. 5 Jimmy Pitts
25 FTs from No. 4 Vern Fleming
15 FTAs from No. 14 Jimmy Pitts
5 steals from No. 10 Litterial Green
10 assists from No. 10 Ray Harrison
12 assists from No. 9 Rod Cole

Yante Maten is...

6 blocks from No. 4 Dominque Wilkins
32 blocks from No. 3 Terrell Bell
8 points from co-No. 30s Jerry Eppling and Nemi Djurisic
16 points from No. 29 G.G. Smith
55 points from No. 28 Jerry Waller

Series History With The Horns

Georgia possesses a 6-5 advantage in its series with Texas, including a 2-0 mark in games contested at Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia and Texas met eight times during the 1990s but have not faced off since the 2002-03 campaign.

Most recently, the fourth-ranked Longhorns secured a 77-71 victory over the 16th-ranked Bulldogs in the 2002-03 season opener. That date was part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden.

T.J. Ford scored a career-high 22 points and helped Texas rally from a double-digit second-half deficit. Ezra Williams countered with 20 points to lead Georgia. Current UGA assistant coach Jonas Hayes scored seven points in the contest.

Texas has not visited Athens in nearly two decades. The Longhorns last ventured to the Classic City on Nov. 28, 1997. Georgia notched a 94-76 win in what oddly was the second meeting in a 17-day span between the two teams.

The Bulldogs also faced Texas in the consolation game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in East Rutherford, N.J., on Nov. 12, with Georgia securing an 89-87 victory.

Likely the most memorable matchup was on March 16, 1990, when the Longhorns defeated Georgia's SEC Championship team, 100-88, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind.

Alec Kessler, uncle of current Bulldog Houston Kessler, scored 33 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in his final collegiate game. He was joined in double-digits by Litterial Green, Marshall Wilson and Rod Cole, who chipped in 17, 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Travis Mays notched 44 points to lead the Longhorns. He did much of that damage by going 23-of-27 - yes 23-of-27 - at the free throw line. Those tallies represent the most takes and makes at the charity stripe ever by any Georgia opponent. Mays, who served as an assistant coach for Georgia women's basketball during the 2011-12 season, adamantly guarantees he was fouled that many times during the game.

Last Time Out

Yante Maten scored 20 points as Georgia dropped an 80-60 contest to Alabama Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.

Maten led the way for Georgia with his seventh 20-point output of the season. Juwan Parker added 10, his seventh double-digit performance in eight SEC games on the year.

"I didn't do a good enough job getting our team ready to play," said Mark Fox, who was ejected after receiving two technical fouls near the end of the first half. "I was concerned about our spirit coming into the game because of the last game (at Texas A&M)."

The Bulldogs trailed 41-27 at the break, and Alabama jumped out to 54-34 lead with 14:25 left. Georgia was then able to hold the Tide to just two field goals until under a minute to go, but was unable to cut the lead to less than 10.

The Bulldogs, who had won or tied the rebound count in 15 of 19 games entering the Alabama game, were outboarded 40-27.

"Let's give Alabama credit" Fox said. "They are a good team. We didn't play with physicality on the glass and it showed."

Happy Birthday To UGA

Friday was "Founders Day" at the University of Georgia, celebrating the anniversary UGA's charter being signed on Jan. 27, 1785.

The University of Georgia, which is the birthplace of public higher education in the United States, turned 232 years old. UGA's charter was signed - try to get your head around this - more than four years before George Washington was inaugurated at the nation's first President (on April 30, 1789).

There is some debate as to the nation's oldest public university. Georgia's charter as a public institution was signed first. North Carolina chartered after Georgia but began classes before UGA.

Since semantics matter, it can be stated that "the University of Georgia is the nation's oldest chartered state university. Period."

Georgia's Challenge History

This is the second time that the Bulldogs have participated in the four-year-old SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Last season, Georgia dropped an 83-73 decision at No. 17 Baylor. The Bulldogs led 35-32 at halftime before the Bears rallied.

A Challenging SEC Slate

Georgia's league schedule will no doubt be among the SEC's most challenging. The conference's unbalanced slate has teams facing five schools on a home-and-home basis.

Each member of the Bulldogs' quintet was in the top-100 of the Jan. 26 edition of the NCAA RPI. Three of those were in the top-20 - No. 6 Kentucky, No. 11 Florida, No. 17 South Carolina - as well as No. 76 Alabama and No. 77 Auburn.

Georgia is the only SEC school scheduled to play the Wildcats, Gators and Gamecocks - the three league teams most experts have listed as NCAA Tournament probables for most of the season.

Same Name...No Relation

To answer the question those familiar with UGA Basketball probably had after a glance at the Texas roster - there is no relation.

The Longhorns' James Banks - a freshman from Decatur, Ga. - is not related former Bulldog James Banks - a prominent forward from Atlanta in the early-80s. UGA's Banks was Most Outstanding Player of the 1983 NCAA Regional in Syracuse, N.Y., where Georgia knocked off St. John's and North Carolina to advance to the Final Four in Albuquerque.

`Nique To Be Honored At The Half

Dominque Wilkins, the "Human Highlight Film," will be honored at Texas game to celebrate his induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame last November.

Wilkins was tabbed 1981 SEC Player of the Year as a freshman and was named All-America in both 1981 and 1982. He departed after that season and was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft before enjoying an illustrious career that included being a nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA pick.

Wilkins was joined by Hugh Durham, his coach at UGA, in the Hall of Fame's Class of 2016. They were just the second coach-player duo enshrined together, following LSU's Dale Brown and Shaquille O'Neal.

"Dominique and I have remained close through the years," Durham said. " There's a lot of pride to go in together. He is the foundation and the face of Georgia Basketball.

Durham will be honored for his induction during Georgia's Feb. 25 game versus LSU.

Dogs Among Top Scoring Duos

J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten are one of the nation's top guard-forward scoring combinations. In NCAA stats through games of Jan. 25, they were the seventh-best inside-outside scoring tandem in the nation among teams with two scorers in the top-250 nationally - and the only teammates from a Power 5 Conference in the top-10 as outlined below.

Top Guard-Forward Scoring Combos

Rk.	Inside	Outside	School	Average
1.	P. Aldridge (20.8)	J. Gibbs (22.4)	Davidson	43.2
2.	A. Peters (24.2)	S. Hammink (15.3)	Valparaiso	39.5
3.	E. Kovlechov (19.2)	M. Evans (18.2)	Rice	37.4
4.	R. Thomas (18.9)	E. Amin (17.7)	Texas A&M-CC	36.6
5.	T. Williams (17.8)	E. Brown (18.5)	New Mexico	36.3
6.	S. Taylor (15.6)	J. Williams (20.4)	Toledo	36.0
6.	Y. Maten (19.7)	J. Frazier (15.6)	Georgia	35.3
8.	J. Crumpton (17.3)	K. Robertson (17.9)	Canisius	35.2
	T.J. Cline (18.3)	S. Jones (16.2)	Richmond	34.5
10.	B.J. Johnson (17.4)	J. Price (17.0)	La Salle	34.4

Parker Back, Production Up

Juwan Parker has enjoyed a successful return to action after missing the last season and a half with the Achilles injury.

Parker has started all but one game - missing the Morehouse to rest his Achilles due to soreness - and is third on the team in scoring (9.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg) and second in assists (2.2 apg). Those are considerably higher than his career averages entering this year of 4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 0.9 apg.

He also has set new career highs for points (17 vs. Florida & Vanderbilt), boards (11 vs. G. Washington), assists (five vs. G. Washington) and minutes (40 vs. Florida).

The Final Exams break seemed to be good for Parker.

In his first 58 games at UGA from his freshman year through a Dec. 4 matchup with Marquette, Parker reached double figures in the scoring column just once.

In 12 games since the Bulldogs returned to competition after Finals, Parker has produced nine double-digit scoring outputs, including eight of Georgia's last nine games. After averaging 8.0 ppg in non-conference play, he is averaging 12.7 ppg in SEC action.

Parker started the first 14 games UGA's 2015 NCAA Tournament team before suffering the injury. He played limited minutes in four contests that season but was out all of last year after surgery in the summer of 2015.

Dogs Getting Defensive...Again

A year ago, Georgia was one of - if not the - best defensive teams in the SEC. The Bulldogs led the SEC in field goal percentage defense in conference play at .385.

Georgia was one of only three teams - along with Kentucky and South Carolina - to hold opponents under 40 percent shooting during 2015-16.

This season, Georgia is No. 2 in the SEC and No. 32 nationally in FG defense at .399. The Bulldogs and the Gamecocks are the only two SEC teams holding their foes to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor.

UGA's Most...SEC...Success...Ever

Georgia has been winning within the SEC at the Bulldogs' best rate ever.

Over the past four seasons, UGA has:

Posted its most SEC wins over two- (23), three- (33) and four-season (42) spans.
Recorded four straight .500 or better league records - the first time in 84 seasons of SEC play UGA has done so;
Notched three-straight double-figure SEC win totals - another UGA first;

Dogs & Cats League Leaders

Georgia and Kentucky are the only two SEC programs to reach the 20-win mark each of the past three seasons.

UGA and UK also are the only league teams to post double-digit SEC win totals during each of the past three campaigns.

In addition, the Bulldogs and the Wildcats are the only teams to advance to the semifinals of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 SEC Tournaments. No other SEC team has reached the semis more than once during that span.

UGA Tops SEC Grad Rate...Again

Georgia received a perfect 100 in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data released in November. UGA posted the highest GSR possible for a second straight year.

Georgia and Alabama are the only two SEC programs - and among 39 DI men's basketball programs nationally - to post GSRs of 100 each of the past two years.

Georgia's GSR has seen dramatic increases during head coach Mark Fox's tenure, advancing from 36 in 2009-10, to 43 in 2010-11, to 50 in 2011-12, to 63 in 2012-13, to 71 in 2013-14 to 100 in both 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The NCAA introduced the GSR in 2004-05 in response to college and university presidents wanting graduation data that more accurately reflected the mobility among all college students today. The GSR accounts for the academic outcomes of student-athletes who transfer from one institution to another and is based on a six-year cohort prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education.

Frazier, Maten Top Millennium Mark

This season, J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten have become the 47th and 48th Bulldogs to reach 1,000 career points.

Frazier reached the milestone with a 3-pointer at the 17:57 mark of the first half against UNC Asheville on Nov. 14. Maten joined him with a successful free throw with 9:41 remaining in the Bulldogs' game against South Carolina on Jan. 4.

Frazier has since upped his career tally to 1,300 points, pushing him to No. 20 on the Bulldogs' career scoring leaders ledger.

Maten now has 1,115 points. In the last five games, Maten has ascended from No. 47 to No. 32 on UGA's career scoring leaders ledger. He is 16 points from reaching No. 29.

Bulldogs have reached the millennium mark at a relatively steady clip over the past several seasons.

Frazier and Maten are the seventh and eighth Bulldogs to top 1,000 career points during Mark Fox's tenure, joining Charles Mann (1,411 points), Trey Thompkins (1,396), Kenny Gaines (1,324), Nemi Djurisic (1,123), Travis Leslie (1,099) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1,013).

Maten Consistent Performer

Yante Maten, the only SEC player on the watch list for the Karl Malone Award as the nation's top power forward, has been a model of consistency since the start of last season.

In 54 games during his sophomore and junior years, Maten has 49 double-digit scoring outputs (with 18 20-point and four 30-point games), grabbed double-figure rebounds 16 times and posted 15 double-doubles.

32+34=Solid Production at the "5"

Georgia's tandem No. 32 Mike Edwards and No. 34 Derek Ogbeide is giving the Bulldogs very solid production on the low block.

To date, the classmates are contributing a double-double at 11.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs.

Edwards and Ogbeide are combining to log 38.8 minutes per game, primarily manning the `5' spot together.

Ogbeide is averaging 7.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 21.1 mpg. Edwards is at 4.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 17.7 mpg.

Frazier Grabs UGA Career FT Mark

J.J. Frazier became UGA's career record holder for free throw percentage with his third make in a perfect 4-of-4 performance at the line during the Bulldogs' win at Georgia Tech on Dec. 20.

The senior from Glennville, Ga., opened the season at No. 2 among UGA's career leaders in free throw efficiency at 81.1728 percent. That trailed only Jerry Eppling's effort of 82.1561 percent (221-of-269) from 1968-70.

Frazier has now connected on 79-of-89 (88.8 percent) at the stripe this season, which ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 30 nationally. That has raised his career percentage to 82.8087 (342-of-413).

Harris Starts, Contributions Up

Jordan Harris moved into the Bulldogs' starting five against UL Lafayette on Dec. 14. Harris became the 10th Bulldog to start as a freshman during the last seven seasons.

He joined five current teammates on that list - senior Houston Kessler; juniors Yante Maten and Juwan Parker; and sophomores Mike Edwards and Derek Ogbeide.

Harris' playing time has seen a considerable jump over the past 10 outings. He averaged 11.6 mpg in the first 10 games of the season - with one DNP - but is seeing 25.0 mpg in the last 10 games.

During that span, Harris also has posted career highs for points (12 at Auburn), rebounds (five vs. South Carolina), assists (five at Tech), blocks (two at Ole Miss), steals (three at Ole Miss) and minutes (36 at Florida).

Turtle For 3...almost Exclusively

Sixteen of William "Turtle" Jackson's 25 field goals this season have been 3-pointers.

In fact, Jackson's first 11 made shots from the field came from behind the arc.

Jackson's 3-point heavy tally is not surprising. Last season, 10 of his 13 field goals were 3-pointers and his shooting percentage was better from beyond (33.3 percent) than overall (28.3 percent).

For his career, 26 of Jackson's 38 FGs have come from farther than 20-feet, 9-inches from the basket.

Maten Joins Top-10 UGA Swatters

Yante Maten joined Georgia's top-10 career leaders for blocked shots against Marquette on Dec. 4. The junior from Pontiac, Mich., has since ascended to the No. 5 position and enters the Texas game six swats shy of No. 4 Dominique Wilkins.

Earliest SEC Opener In A While

The SEC opener at Auburn on Dec. 29 marked the first time Georgia played a December league game since the Bulldogs opened defense of their 1990 SEC Championship against Vanderbilt on Dec. 11, 1990.

Historic Win Over Jackets

Georgia's 60-43 win over Georgia Tech on Dec. 20 equaled the Bulldogs' most decisive road win over Tech since a 55-38 decision on Dec. 6, 1980.

To find a larger margin of victory, you have to go back to a 69-13 win on 1/19/09...that being 1909.

Dogs Earn 500th "W" At Stegeman

Georgia's Dec. 17 win over Charleston Southern represented the Bulldogs' 500th all-time victory at Stegeman Coliseum.

Originally named the "Georgia Coliseum," the venue was christened on Feb. 22, 1964, when a standing-room-only crowd of 13,200 witnessed the Bulldogs defeat Georgia Tech, 81-68. The first game in the Coliseum actually was the undercard to that contest, an 86-75 win by UGA's freshman team over its counterparts from Tech.

The Bulldogs went on to finish 3-1 at the Coliseum during the 1963-64 season, posting additional wins over Vanderbilt and Florida State (with a young assistant coach named Hugh Durham on the Seminoles' bench).

Georgia is in its 54th full home campaign in the arena. The "Georgia Coliseum" was renamed "Stegeman Coliseum" on March 2, 1996. The namesake is Herman J. Stegeman, who coached basketball, baseball, football and track & field and also served as AD at UGA during his tenure from 1919-39.

"KPG Light" Lights it Up

Kenny Paul Geno registered a career-best 15 points versus Morehouse on Nov. 30, doing so by making the most field goals (5) and 3-pointers (4) of his career.

Geno was easing back into action after a bout with a stomach ailment. He lost approximately 16 pounds surrounding Georgia's trip to the CBE Hall of Fame Classic during Thanksgiving week.

Against George Washington on Nov. 21, Geno registered his first DNP in 46 games - since a broken wrist forced him to miss 11 outings in 2014-15. He played one minute versus Kansas the following night and eight against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 25 before a season-high 22 MP versus the Maroon Tigers.

Freshmen Hit Highs Vs. Morehouse

Freshmen Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris notched their first double-digit scoring games against Morehouse on Nov. 30 with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

More impressive was the efficiency in which they reached those marks.

Crump was 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 at the line. Harris hit 4-of-5 field goals, including a pair of 3s, and made 1-of-2 shots at the line.

All told, 15-of-17 (88.2 percent) shots from the freshmen found the bottom of the net.

Perspective On Maten's Showing

Yante Maten's 30 points against No. 5 Kansas in the championship game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic were the most by a Bulldog versus a top-10 team since Jarvis Hayes scored 30 in an 88-84 upset of No. 10 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Jan. 9, 2002.

Fox Garners Career Victory 250

Mark Fox notched his 250th win in 13 seasons as a head coach with the Bulldogs' Nov. 14 victory over UNC Asheville.

Fox was 123-43 in five seasons at Nevada. He was 127-104 in his eighth campaign in Athens when he reached the milestone.

All told, Fox has produced nine 20-win teams and advanced to the postseason nine times - including four occasions at Georgia - during his head coaching career.

Frazier, Maten On POY Watch List

J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten were on the Lute Olson Award Preseason Watch List. The award is presented to the nation's top D-I player who has played at least two seasons.

Georgia was the only SEC team and one of only nine nationally to have two players on the list along with Cincinnati, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Oregon, Villanova, Wisconsin and Xavier.

There were five SEC reps on the 50-player ledger, which also featured Kentucky's Isaiah Briscoe, Texas A&M's Tyler Davis and Arkansas' Moses Kingsley.

A Potent Inside-Outside Combo

The tandem of junior forward Yante Maten and senior guard J.J. Frazier provides Georgia with one of the college basketball's most explosive inside-outside combinations.

A year ago, Frazier and Maten averaged 16.9 and 16.5 points, respectively. That made Frazier the leading returning scorer in the SEC this season...and Maten the league's third-leading returning point producer. Their combined 33.4 ppg average during 2015-16 made them the fifth-best returning forward-guard scoring combo in D-I. Frazier and Maten were the most balanced of those the duos.

Bulldogs Travel To Spain

The Bulldogs got an early start on preparations for the 2016-17 campaign with a tour of Spain in August. Georgia won a trio of exhibition outings by an average of 26.0 ppg, with associate head coach Philip Pearson and assistants Jonas Hayes and Yasir Rosemond served as head coaches for one game each.

Pearson led UGA in the first matchup, a 65-48 victory over the Madrid All-Stars. Yante Maten paced Georgia with 19 points, while Derek Ogbeide notched a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards.

Under Rosemond, the Bulldogs raced to a 118-70 win over the Valencia All-Stars. Mike Edwards led the way with 20 points. J.J. Frazier added 18 points, and freshman Jordan Harris chipped in 17.

Georgia wrapped up the trip by beating the Barcelona All-Stars 96-72 under Hayes. Maten again led UGA in scoring with 23 points, while Tyree Crump contributed 20 points and four assists. Ogbeide collected his second double-double in Spain.

A HomeGrown Roster

Nine of the 15 players on Georgia's 2016-17 roster are Peach State prep products.

That list includes eight of the 14 active players on the Bulldogs' roster - seniors J.J. Frazier (Faith Baptist Christian Academy), Houston Kessler (Landmark Christian School) and Brandon Young (Marist School); sophomores William "Turtle" Jackson (Athens Christian School), Connor O'Neill (Blessed Trinity Catholic High) and Derek Ogbeide (Pebblebrook High); and freshmen Tyree Crump (Bainbridge High) and Jordan Harris (Seminole County High).

In addition, Christian Harrison, a walk-on transfer from Troy who is sitting out this season, played at Woodward Academy.