Bulldogs Tussle With Grizzles Tuesday Night

Tuesday, December 18

Athens, Ga.

7:00

University of Georgia

Oakland

Tickets

December 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (5-4) vs. Oakland (4-7)
Tuesday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
Listen: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network Flagship: WSB AM 750 Atlanta; XM: 386; Internet: 977. (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, producer)
TV: None
Video: SEC Network + (Jeff Dantzler, play-by-play; Dean Keener, analyst)

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Tom Crean
5-4 in 1st season at UGA
361-235 in 19th season overall
G	0	William Jackson	2.9	1.4
6-4; 185; Sr.; Athens, Ga.
G	1	Teshaun Hightower	7.0	2.6
6-5; 180; So.; Lithonia, Ga.
F	20	Rayshaun Hammonds	14.9	6.3
6-8; 235; So.; Norcross, Ga.
F	33	Nicolas Claxton	12.1	9.4
6-11; 220; So.; Greenville, S.C.
F	34	Derek Ogbeide	9.7	6.0
6-9; 250; Sr.; Atlanta, Ga

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Coach: Greg Kampe
606-444 in 35th season at OU
606-444 in 35th season overall
G	1	Braden Norris	8.9	2.0
6-0; 180; Fr.; Hilliard, Ohio
G	21	Jaevin Cumberland	16.5	1.9
6-4; 200; R-Jr.; Wilmington, Ohio
G	13	Karmari Newman	9.4	1.7
6-4; 170; R-Soph.; Detroit, Mich.
F	22	James Beck	6.8	4.8
6-8; 210; Soph.; Grand Rapids, Mich.
F	14	Xavier Hill-Mais	22.9	6.2
6-7; 248; R-Jr.; Greensboro, N.C.

TEAM COMPARISON

STATISTIC	GEORGIA	OAKLAND
Points Per Game	78.7	78.7
Opp. Point Per Game	71.8	78.9
Scoring Margin	+6.9	-0.2
Field Goal Pct.	.482	.478
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.383	.509
3-Point Pct.	.345	.423
3-Pointers Per Game	6.6	11.0
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.308	.381
Free Throw Pct.	.712	.745
Free Throws Per Game	17.0	14.1
Rebounds Per Game	43.0	27.6
Opp. Rebound Per Game	35.9	34.5
Rebound Margin	+7.1	-6.9
Assists Per Game	15.6	19.4
Turnovers Per Game	17.1	10.9
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.91	1.78
Turnover Margin	-5.0	+0.9
Steals Per Game	5.8	6.0
Blocks Per Game	6.2	3.4

The Starting 5...

Georgia has already sold out 5 games this season, the most sellouts for the Bulldogs since they had 8 during the 2002-03 season.
Nicolas Claxton is the only SEC player to lead his team in points, boards, assists, blocks & steals this season. He did so vs. Kennesaw State.
Derek Ogbeide enters the Arizona State game 10 rebounds shy of catching No. 13 Sundiata Gaines among UGA's career leaders.
The crowd of 9,018 against Savannah State was UGA's largest for a home opener since Dominique Wilkins' sopho-more year in Athens.
UGA's coaching staff sports a combined 80 seasons of D-I experience (Crean-28, Scott-27, Dollar-23, Abdur-Rahim-12) with 38 postseason bids

The Opening Tip

Georgia returns to action for the second time in 72 hours on Tuesday evening when the Bulldogs host Oakland at Stegeman Coliseum.

The Bulldogs slipped to 5-4 on the year with Saturday's 76-74 heartbreaking setback to No. 20 Arizona State. Georgia led for 35:19 of the contest before falling to the Sun Devils.

The Grizzlies arrive in Athens with a 4-7 record and are coming off an 87-82 loss at Hartford on Sunday afternoon.

Series History

Georgia and Oakland split the first two games in the series, with each team winning on its home floors.

The Bulldogs secured an 86-82 win on Dec. 1, 2015. Oakland avenged that setback with an 86-79 victory in Rochester on Dec. 23, 2016.

Up Next: Hatred Before Holidays

Georgia will trek to Georgia Tech on Saturday for a noon showdown in the hardcourt version of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

The Bulldogs will then enjoy a six-day break surrounding Christmas before wrapping up their pre-SEC slate against Massachusetts on Dec. 30.

Dogs' Sellout Count Climbs To 5

The Tom Crean regime established some attendance records before the season began, selling out three regular-season games at Stegeman Coliseum.

On Oct. 24, Georgia announced sellouts for both the Florida and Kentucky games. That represented the earliest sellout in UGA Basketball history. Two days later, the Bulldogs' matchup with Texas also became a sellout.

Prior to this year, Georgia had never sold out more than one home game prior to the opener.

Last week, games against LSU and South Carolina also sold out, lining up the Bulldogs to have their most capacity crowds since the 2002-03 campaign. The last time the Bulldogs had five sellouts was during 2002-03 when they hosted eight capacity crowds.

It should be noted that the 2,000 seats reserved for UGA students (admission is free) must be filled for those games for capacity crowds of 10,523 to be in attendance at the Bulldogs' five "sellouts."

The Dogs Are Drawing

A combined 37,989 members of the Bulldog Nation have attended Georgia's first five home dates of the 2018-19 campaign.

That is the second-largest tally for the initial quintet of outings at Stegeman Coliseum during the 2000s.

In 2002-03, Georgia welcomed a total of 43,962 spectators for the first five home dates that season.

A Historic Opener

Georgia christened both the 2018-19 campaign and the Tom Crean era on Nov. 9 with an impressive evening on and off the court.

The Bulldogs secured a 110-76 victory over Savannah State, Georgia's most points in a game in the 2000s.

The last time the Bulldogs scored more than 110 points was in a 113-74 victory over Grambling on Nov. 27, 1999, at the Great Alaska Shootout.

A crowd of 9,018 fans turned out at Stegeman Coliseum for the opener. That represented the most fans for a home opener since the Stegeman Coliseum's capacity became 10,523 in 1994.

The last time the Bulldogs drew a larger crowd for their initial home outing was in 37 years ago in 1981, which was Dominique Wilkins' sophomore year. A then-capacity crowd of 11,200 saw Georgia defeat Georgia Tech, 62-61, on Dec. 5, 1981.

"First things first, I want to say 'thank you' to everybody who was here," Crean said. "This is largest crowd on an opening night since they redid Stegeman Coliseum, and it was fun. It was fun to see the enthusiasm that people have had turn into bodies and live energy and loud fans. That was tremendous."

Also on the scoreboard front, Georgia's 59 first-half points were the Bulldogs' most in a half since putting up 60 in the second period against Jacksonville State 11 years earlier to the day...on Nov. 9, 2007. That group of Bulldogs went on to win the SEC Tourney.

Bulldogs Begin With Busy Stretch

Georgia played six games in the first 13 days of the 2018-19 campaign.

The season began with the Nov. 9 opener against Savannah State, a trip to Temple on Nov. 13 and a matchup with Sam Houston State on Nov. 16.

The Bulldogs then played three games in as many days on Nov. 19-21 in the Cayman Islands Classic.

The Bulldogs Who Are Back

Georgia returns three starters – seniors William "Turtle" Jackson and Derek Ogbeide and sophomore Rayshaun Hammonds – and 11 total letterwinners from last season's team.

Of those 11 returnees, nine have starting experience within SEC play.

Georgia's Four Puppies

The Bulldogs' 15-player roster features a quartet of freshmen.

Three of those are Peach State prep products – Tye Fagan from Thomaston, Amanze Ngumezi from Savannah and JoJo Toppin from Norcross. The fourth, Ignas Sargiunas, hails from Kaunas, Lithuania.

Devils Were Dogs' Second Top-25 Foe

Arizona State represented the second ranked opponent for Georgia this season.

The Bulldogs also faced No. 16 Clemson in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic.

The last time Georgia played two ranked teams prior to the start of SEC play was during 2011-12. That season, the Bulldogs faced No. 1 Indiana (coached by guess who?) and No. 11 UCLA in back-to-back contests of the Progressive Legends Classic in Brooklyn on Nov. 19-20.

Bulldogs, Grizzlies Meet In Final Date Of Three-Game Series

Georgia hosts Oakland at Stegeman Coliseum on Tuesday to round out a three-game, two-for-one contract between the Bulldogs and the Grizzlies.

The series began three seasons ago when Georgia notched an 86-82 victory at Stegeman Coliseum on Dec. 1, 2015.

The following year, the Grizzlies secured an 86-79 win over the Bulldogs in the rematch in Rochester, Michigan.

Georgia and Oakland were slated to wrap up the series last season, but the Grizzlies requested a one-year delay on the second game in Athens due to other scheduling issues.

The Bulldogs are looking to bounce back from Saturday's 76-74 setback to No. 20 Arizona State, a contest Georgia led for more than 35 minutes.

Sophomores Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton lead Georgia in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.9 ppg and an SEC-best 9.4 rpg, respectively.

Junior Tyree Crump has raised his scoring average three points per game in the last two outings, from 8.6 to 10.6 with a career-high 25 points against Texas Southern and then to 11.6 with a 19-point production versus the Sun Devils.

Oakland slipped to 4-7 on the season with an 87-82 loss at Hartford on Sunday.

The Grizzlies are led by Xavier Hill-Mais, whowas ranked No. 8 nationally in scoring through games of Dec. 15.

Series History With the Grizzlies

Georgia and Oakland split the first two meetings between the Bulldogs and Grizzlies, with the home team winning each outing. The series began on Dec. 1, 2015, when Georgia notched an 86-82 victory at Stegeman Coliseum.

J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten scored 23 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Bulldogs. Then-freshman Mike Edwards added a career-high 14 points off the bench by connecting on 7-of-8 shots from the floor.

Maten broke an 82-82 tie with a pair of free throws with 36.1 seconds remaining before Oakland's 3-point attempt to take the lead with 15 ticks on the clock was off the mark. Frazier then iced the win with another pair of free throws.

The Grizzlies won the rematch 86-79 in Rochester, Mich., the next season on Dec. 23. That spoiled the homecoming of Michiganders Yante Maten and Mike Edwards, who grew up within driving distance of OU's O'Rena in Pontiac and Westland, respectively.

Georgia raced to a 19-6 lead just over five minutes into the game before Oakland cut that margin to 45-38 at the intermission. The Grizzlies took their first lead at the 16:00 mark of the second half and pushed that advantage to seven points just 41 seconds later.

The Bulldogs made it a one-possession contest with 2:01 left but could get no closer.

Last Time Out...

Georgia dropped a heartbreaking 76-74 decision to No. 20 Arizona State at Stegeman Coliseum last Saturday night.

The Bulldogs led for 35:19 of the contest, including an 18-point edge late in the first half; however, the Sun Devils rallied to thwart Georgia's upset attempt.

Tyree Crump and Rayshaun Hammonds paced the Bulldogs with 19 points apiece, while Nicolas Claxton grabbed 13 rebounds.

Georgia seized control with a 20-3 run late in the first half. Crump scored 11 points during that span, including 4-of-5 at the line after being fouled on a 3-point attempt and a subsequent technical foul on the Arizona State bench.

The Sun Devils ended the first half and began the second on a combined 9-0 surge to pull within single digits. Georgia remained ahead until a Remy Martin jumper at the 2:43 mark. ASU led 73-70 with 1:37 left before a Claxton dunk and a Tye Fagan reverse layup made it 74-73 with 25 ticks on the clock.

Luguentz Dort scored the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining. After Arizona State added a free throw, Claxton's potential game-tying shot fell short as time expired.

OU Sports A High-Scoring Bear

Just like their last trip to Athens, the Grizzlies have one of the nation's top scorers.

Three years ago, Kay Felder entered the contest at Stegeman Coliseum ranked No. 9 in the nation in scoring, averaging 23.6 ppg. He also led Division I by dishing with 10.8 assists per game. Felder scored 23 points and distributed five assists against the Bulldogs.

Through games of Dec. 15, Oakland's Xavier Hill-Mais was listed at No. 8 nationally in scoring average.

Bulldogs Are Shot Swatters

Through games of Dec. 15, Georgia ranked No. 9 nationally in blocked shots, averaging 6.2 rejections per game. Nicolas Claxton ranked No. 10 nationally at 2.8 bpg.

Georgia Among Tops In FG Pct. & 'D'

The Bulldogs are among the nation's most efficient teams on both ends of the floor. Georgia ranks No. 53 in field goal percentage at .482 and No. 29 in FG pct. defense at .383.

Feel Free To Call Him "Ty-3" Crump

Tyree Crump has scored nearly two-thirds of his career points at UGA on shots from 20-feet, 9-inches from the basket...and beyond.

With a 21 3-pointers this season, Crump has now knocked down 84 3s for the Bulldogs, directly accounting for 252 of his 405 (62.2 percent) points at UGA.

Those 84 trifectas also account for 67.2 percent (84-of-125) of Crump's made shots from the floor at Georgia.

The Deflection Objective

The deflection is an extremely key statistic for Georgia. Head coach Tom Crean regularly discusses the deflection and its significance.

"I was told a long time ago – and I don't think you can say it any better – deflections are barometer of active defense. It's any type of activity on the ball. It's a finger tip, a hand, blocked shots, chargers, a steal. That's what we're aiming for. I want our team at a deflection-to-turnover ratio of 3.5-to-1. To me, that is an optimal number."

"You will hear me talk a lot about it," Crean said in his press session following the Sam Houston State game. "Some of you will get tired of it, and some of you will buy into it."

The quote above gives a definition of the stat. The Bulldogs' season totals to date are below. Nicolas Claxton leads the team, including 18 deflections against Sam Houston State.

"I have only coached four other guys, and all four of them played in the NBA, that ever had more than 18 in a game," Crean said.

UGA Deflections
Player	Number
Nicolas Claxton	84
Rayshaun Hammonds	33
Tye Fagan	31
Jordan Harris	29
Tyree Crump	27
E'Torrion Wilridge	24
Derek Ogbeide	22
Turtle Jackson	21
Teshaun Hightower	21
Amanze Ngumezi	8
JoJo Toppin	6
Ignas Sargiūnas	5
Mike Edwards	1

Giving Some Credit Where It's Due

A couple of "specialty statistics" common to box scores track points off turnovers and second-chance points. In those instances, the player putting the digits on the scoreboard is awarded credit.

In an effort to better indicate "hustle stats," the lists in the next column credit the Bulldog who created the opportunity for those points to be scored instead of the player who capitalized on that chance.

For "points off turnovers," the points are awarded to the player whose steal created the subsequent points instead of the person who put the ball in the basket. A large number of those are credited to the team if a steal did not create the TO.

For "second-chance points," the points are awarded to the player who grabbed the offensive rebound that resulted in those points, not the player who ultimately scored them.

Points Off TOs (who stole it)
Player	No.
Nicolas Claxton	18
Tyree Crump	9
Jordan Harris	9
E'Torrion Wilridge	7
Turtle Jackson	6
Teshaun Hightower	5
Tye Fagan	4
Rayshaun Hammonds	3
Mike Edwards	2
Ignas Sargiūnas	2
Team	70

2ND-CHANCE POINTS (who boarded it)
Player	No.
Nicolas Claxton	27
Rayshaun Hammonds	21
Derek Ogbeide	19
Tye Fagan	13
Team Rebounds	11
Amanze Ngumezi	8
Jordan Harris	4
Teshaun Hightower	4
Turtle Jackson	4
Ignas Sargiūnas	4
JoJo Toppin	4
Tyree Crump	3
Connor O'Neill	2

Ogbeide Already Ranks Among Bulldogs' Best Boarders Ever

Derek Ogbeide began his senior season with 614 rebounds and ranked No. 17 among the Georgia's career leaders.

Ogbeide ascended to the No. 15 position during the Kennesaw State victory and to No. 14 versus Texas Southern.

Ogbeide is now six boards shy of the current No. 13 tally of Sundiata Gaines.

Harris Producing Off the Bench

Jordan Harris equaled his career high with 12 points against Georgia State and followed that with 10 points versus Kennesaw State...the first time the junior has produced back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts at UGA.

Hammonds Accomplishes Rare Stat Line against Illinois State

Rayshaun Hammonds poured in a career-high 31 points while not turning the ball over once versus Illinois State.

Hammonds became the first SEC player this season to put up 30 points with no turnovers. Only two SEC players did so last season – Vanderbilt's Jeff Roberson and Terence Davis from Ole Miss.

Hammonds, Yante Maten and Jumaine Jones are the only Bulldogs to do so in the last 20 seasons as outlined below.

30 Points, 0 Turnovers
Player	Pts.	Opponent (date)
R. Hammonds	31	Illinois State (11/19/18)
Y. Maten	30	Charleston Southern (12/17/16)
Y. Maten	30	Kansas (11/22/16)
J. Jones	34	Kentucky (1/26/99)

Inaugural StegMania A Success

Tom Crean arrived in Athens with a distinct vision. One of the first things he wanted to create was an preseason event to display the new energy and enthusiasm surrounding Georgia Basketball.

On Friday, Oct. 5, the first-ever StegMania drew a crowd of more than 5,000. It was, by all measures, a significant success.

UGA students lined up around the Coliseum to receive commemorative "StegMania" t-shirts. A lengthy autograph session with a distinct family feel wrapped up the festivities.

StegMania itself was packed with pyrotechnic player introductions, a high-flying dunk contest, a dance battle with the Georgia Lady Bulldogs, a impromptu performance of the hit song "Rolex" by hip-hop artists Ayo & Teo and a scrimmage with Crean "mic'd up" for the crowd.

"When you're brand new coming into something like this, you really don't have an expectation," said Crean, who donned a "Georgia vs. All Y'all" t-shirt for the evening. "But if I would've had one, it would have exceeded it. When I saw people in line to get into the Coliseum, I got a lump in my throat. It was awesome because you never take it for granted. Hopefully, everyone walks out of here knowing that they matter."

The Leftiest Lads In The Land

The Bulldogs' roster features six – count 'em on two hands – left-handed players. Georgia's southpaws include Nicolas Claxton, Tye Fagan, Rayshaun Hammonds, Jordan Harris, Derek Ogbeide and JoJo Toppin.

We're relatively confident that tally is the most any NCAA Division I basketball team will suit up during 2018-19.

During the summer months, J.D. Hamilton of the NCAA sends out a laundry list of questions to the nation's Division I men's basketball SIDs. The inquiries can range from statistical – what school has the most 2,000-point scorers – to staff – who has the nation's most experienced coaching staff – to roster related – who has the most newcomers.

Round 1 of the email on September 5 including the following offering from Athens: "Georgia has six left-handed players. Does any other team in the country have as many or more players who are left-handed?"

Not that SIDs are bound to answer every request, but that question received no replies. So, the ask was modified for a second email correspondence sent out by Hamilton on September 26 to read: "Georgia has six left-handed players. Does any other team in the country have as four or more players who are left-handed?"

That led to Tennessee (D.J. Burns, John Fulkerson, Jalen Johnson and Yves Pons), Washington (David Crisp, Elijah Hardy, Bryan Penn-Johnson and Nate Roberts) and Winthrop (Adam Pickett, Jermaine Ukaegbu, Kyle Zunic and Raivis Scerbinskis) supplying lists of four.

While nothing is official, Georgia will claim the unofficial title of the leftiest team in America until proven otherwise.

And for full effect, the above headline should be read in a voice immitating Dan Magill, the greatest Bulldog of all time. If you're not familiar with Coach Magill, ask.