Dogs Travel To Gainesville For Rematch With Gators

Wednesday, February 14

Gainesville, Fla.

9:00 PM

University of Georgia

Florida

February 13, 2018 | Men's Basketball

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Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (13-11, 4-8) vs. Florida (17-8, 8-4)
Wednesday, February 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET
Exastech Arena at the O'Connell Center (10,133) in Gainesville, Fla.
Listen: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network. (Flagship: WSB AM 750 Atlanta; Satellite: Sirius 183, XM 191; Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, Producer
TV: SEC Network (Mike Morgan, play-by-play; Pat Bradley, analyst)
Video: SECN+

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Mark Fox
158-129 in 9th season at UGA
281-172 in 14th season overall
G	0	William Jackson II	9.1	2.4
6-4; 185; Jr.; Athens, Ga.
G	3	Juwan Parker	8.7	3.4
6-4; 205; R-Sr.; Tulsa, Okla.
F	20	Rayshaun Hammonds	6.1	4.9
6-8; 227; Fr.; Norcross, Ga.
F	1	Yante Maten	19.4	8.7
6-8; 243; Sr.; Pontiac, Mich.
F	33	Nicolas Claxton	3.9	3.4
6-11; 215; Fr.; Greenville, S.C.

Pos	No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Florida Gators
Coach: Mike White
65-32 (4th season at UF)
166-72 (7th season overall)
G	11	Chris Chiozza	11.9	4.3
6-0; 175; Sr.; Memphis, Tenn.
G	3	Jalen Hudson	15.7	4.1
6-6; 192; Jr.; Richmond, Va.
G	4	Egor Koulechov	14.0	6.9
6-5; 205; Gr.; Volgograd, Russia
F	25	Keith Stone	8.2	3.9
6-3; 225; Jr.; Stanley, N.C.
F	13	Kevarrius Hayes	5.3	5.1
6-9; 225; Jr.; Live Oak, Fla.

TEAM COMPARISON

GEORGIA		FLORIDA
68.4	Points per game	77.7
+1.3	Scoring margin	+7.6
42.8	FG pct.	43.6
40.2	FG defense	43.1
31.8	3FG pct.	37.5
32.4	3FG defense	35.9
6.0	3FGs per game	9.1
71.6	FT pct.	74.8
15.5	FTs per game	15.4
+5.1	Rebound Margin	-0.8
12.8	Assists per game	13.0
0.97	Assists-to-TOs	1.26
4.5	Blocks per game	4.9
4.1	Steals per game	7.1

The Starting 5...

UGA defeated then-No. 23 UF, 72-60, 15 days ago in Athens behind 20 points from Yante Maten.
At Vandy, Yante Maten passed Dominique Wilkins at No. 4 among UGA's scoring leaders.
Juwan Parker, the only DI MBB player with a master's, is now 2nd on UGA's career FT pct. leaders list.
Yante Maten is the only player in the SEC's top 10 in scoring, rebounding, FG pct. & FT pct.
Nicolas Claxton started at Vandy, becoming the 9th current Bulldog to start as a freshman.

Dogs Travel To Gainesville For Rematch With Gators

The Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators will square off for the second time in 15 days on Wednesday evening when they meet in a Valentine's Day date in Gainesville.

On Jan. 30 at Stegeman Coliseum, Georgia converted on 12-of-12 trips to the line in the final 95 seconds to push a seven-point lead to a 12-point margin of victory over the No. 23-ranked Gators.

Georgia is currently 13-11 overall and 4-8 in SEC play to date.

Yante Maten, who last week was named a top-10 candidate for both the Senior CLASS and Karl Malone Awards, continues to lead the SEC in scoring by more than a half-point per game at 19.4 ppg (Arkansas' Jaylen Barford is second at 18.7 ppg). Maten is the only player ranked among the SEC's top-10 in scoring, rebounding (No. 3), field goal percentage (No. 5) and free throw percentage (No. 6)...and also is No. 2 in minutes played.

Maten has been a picture of consistency for the Bulldogs.

In 24 games this season, he has 23 double-figure outings, with nine double-doubles and 13 20-point performances.

Over 87 games since the start of his sophomore year, Maten has 79 double-digit scoring performances, with 35 20-point and five 30-point outings, and 24 double-doubles.

"Turtle" Jackson is the Dogs' second-leading scorer at 9.1 ppg, with 12 double-figure games. Juwan Parker is UGA's second-best point producer in SEC action at 9.8 ppg, a considerable jump from the 7.4 ppg he averaged prior to league play.

Florida is 17-8 overall and 8-4 in the SEC.

Jalen Hudson averages a team-high 15.7 points per game. Three more Gators score at a double-digit pace - Egor Koulechov at 14.0 ppg, Chris Chiozza at 11.9 ppg and KeVaughn Allen at 11.0 ppg.

Entering Today's Game Among UGA's Career Leaders

Yante Maten is...

62 points from No. 3 Vern Fleming
73 points from No. 2 Alec Kessler
396 points from No. 1 Litterial Green
24 rebounds from No. 6 Lavon Mercer
12 FGs from No. 6 Alec Kessler
3 FGAs from No. 5 Sundiata Gaines
81 FTs from No. 3 Litterial Green
106 FTAs from No. 3 Alec Kessler
67 blocks from No. 2 Charles Claxton

Series History With The Gators

Florida enters tonight's game sporting a 113-103 advantage in the all-time series, including a 65-37 edge in Gainesville.

On Jan. 30 in Athens, Yante Maten posted his 11th 20-point performance of the season - and fifth in SEC play - to lead Georgia in a 72-60 upset over No. 23 Florida.

The Bulldogs led 37-32 at halftime before Florida opened the second period on a 12-2 run. Turtle Jackson thwarted the surge with a 3-pointer, and Juwan Parker canned a jumper to pull Georgia within 44-43.

The Bulldogs eventually took the lead at 52-51 on a Derek Ogbeide hook shot with 10:00 left. That was the second bucket in a 9-0 run that gave Georgia the lead for good.

The Bulldogs gradually expanded that margin to 60-53 with 1:35 remaining and then knocked down 12-consecutive free throws the rest of the way, including both ends of three one-and-ones.

In the Bulldogs' last trip to Gainesville on Jan. 14 last season, Georgia fell 80-76 to No. 23 Florida in a back-and-forth game that spilled into overtime in the Exactech Arena.

The Bulldogs led for the majority of regulation and 35:11 of the game's 45 minutes overall but could not pull off the upset.

With just less than five minutes left in regulation, J.J. Frazier intercepted a Gator pass and converted it into a breakaway layup to give Georgia a five-point advantage at 64-59. The Gators tied it up at 65-65 moments later.

The Bulldogs went in front again 67-65 with 1:09 left. Florida's Kasey Hill went to the line with 24 seconds remaining and made one of two, but the Gators grabbed the offensive rebound. In the closing seconds, Hill again drew a foul and made only one free throw, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

Florida took the early advantage in the extra session with two free throws, but Frazier responded with a 3-pointer to take the lead at 70-69. The lead would be the last for the Bulldogs as they were unable to gain the upper hand down the stretch.

Last Time out

No. 8 Auburn topped Georgia 78-61 at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum last Saturday.

Yante Maten posted 20 points to lead the Bulldogs on the offensive end, while Rayshaun Hammonds and Juwan Parker chipped in 14 points apiece.

The Tigers built a 40-31 halftime lead and handled every Georgia rally following the intermission. Hammonds and Maten keyed a 6-0 run that pulled the Bulldogs within 43-39 with 14:07 remaining.

Georgia gained possession with a chance to pull closer but missed a 3-pointer and Auburn pushed its advantage back to double figures just over two minutes later.

Claxton Joins Freshman Starters

Nicolas Claxton earned his first career start at Vanderbilt on Feb. 7.

Claxton, the son of former Bulldog and All-SEC center Charles Claxton, became the ninth of Georgia's 13 scholarship players on the 2017-18 roster to start at least one game as a freshman.

Claxton joined seniors Yante Maten and Juwan Parker, juniors Mike Edwards and Derek Ogbeide, sophomores Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris and freshmen Rayshaun Hammonds and Teshaun Hightower as the Bulldogs' freshman starters.

Maten Tabbed to Top-10 Lists

Yante Maten was named a top-10 candidate for both the Senior CLASS Award and the Karl Malone Award on Feb. 8.

The Senior CLASS Award is given to a student-athlete who makes a positive impact as a community leader. The Karl Malone Award honors the top power forward in the nation.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders. The recipient will be announced during the Final Four.

The other finalists are: Shawn Anderson, Navy; Vladimir Brodziansky, TCU; Jevon Carter, W. Virginia; Angel Delgado, Seton Hall; Rob Gray, Houston; A.J. Jacobson, North Dakota St.; Justin Johnson, WKU; Luke Morrison, Army; and Johnathan Williams, Gonzaga.

The Karl Malone Award, named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, is one of five position player of the year honors administered by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The winner will be honored at ESPN's College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles on April 6.

Joining Maten in the top 10 leading candidates for the Malone Award are: DeAndre Ayton, Arizona; Gary Clark Jr., Cincinnati; Marvin Bailey III, Duke; Wendell Carter Jr., Duke; Nick King, MTSU; Jordan Murphy, Minnesota; Luke Maye, N. Carolina; Mike Daum, South Dakota St.; and Robert Williams, Texas A&M.

Dogs Take Part in CVC Challenge

The Georgia Bulldogs are teaming up with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society to take part in the Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge over the next month.

During Georgia's last nine regular-season games, every 3-pointer the Bulldogs make will help raise money to beat cancer.

Georgia fans can pledge their donation per 3-pointer made during those games at https://pledgeit.org/cvc18-georgia. Fans have the choice to donate retroactively beginning with the Mississippi State contest on Feb. 3 or just for the remaining games at the time of their donation.

Contributions of $100 or more to any team or to the general fund will earn an exclusive Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge T-shirt. Fans also can earn an exclusive t-shirt by creating a personal fund raiser profile on the Bulldogs' page and collecting 10 pledges ($1+ min pledge).

Ratin' Maten A Popular Task

Preseason recognition was consistent and plentiful for Yante Maten.

Maten was ranked as one of the nation's top-25 players by three different online preseason ledgers. CBSsports.com put him No. 22, ESPN.com listed him No. 23 and NBCsports.com tabbed him No. 24.

Maten was tabbed preseason SEC Player of the Year by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and a panel of SEC and national media. The media named Maten, Texas A&M's Robert Williams and Missouri's Michael Porter, Jr. as co-player of the year.

Maten was included on watch lists for the Wooden Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Naismith Trophy and Senior CLASS Award.

Maten also received a good bit of preseason All-America recognition. Jay Bilas included Maten on his first-team All-America ledger. Among others, Maten also earned All-America props from the Blue Ribbon Yearbook (third team), www.collegesportsmadness.com (fourth team) and NBCsports.com (honorable mention).

Dogs' 'D' In SEC Superlatives

Georgia's defensive performances dominate the "opponent low" information in SEC superlatives for conference games.

Alabama's 46 points are the scond-fewest by any SEC team in league action to date.

Georgia has induced three of the five lowest field goal totals in SEC play - 16 by South Carolina (third fewest) and 17 by both Kentucky and Alabama (fourth fewest).

Georgia also forced the second-lowest field goal percentage in SEC play - a .271 effort by South Carolina.

Bulldogs' Bench Producing

Last season, Georgia's bench outscored its opponents' just nine times in 34 total games.

This season, the Bulldogs' non-starters have produced more points than their counterparts in 16 of 24 outings.

Georgia's bench finished 2016-17 with a -95 scoring margin.

This year, the Bulldogs are +66, a massive swing of 161 points from a year ago.

Diatta A Bright Spot in Starkville

A significant ankle sprain last summer stymied Pape Diatta's senior season. Diatta practiced and played with a brace through the New Year and spent the next month strengthening the ankle.

After seeing action in just six contests and failing to score in Georgia's first 21 games, Diatta jump started his season on Feb. 3 at Mississippi State with 12 points off the bench. He did so in efficient faction, connecting on 4-of-4 attempts from 3-point range.

Hightower Shines In First Start

Freshman Teshaun Hightower certainly made the most of his first career start at LSU on Jan. 16, producing career-high outputs for points (8), rebounds (3), steals (2) and minutes played (27).

Parker Sets Standards High

Juwan Parker has enjoyed an extremely productive five years in Athens.

The redshirt senior from Tulsa is "America's Most Educated college basketball player." He is the only D-I player who has earned a master's degree.

Parker secured his bachelor's degree in two and a half years and received his master's last summer. He is working on a second master's in family financial planning.

Parker produced the best outing of his Georgia career on Jan. 3 against Ole Miss, when career highs of 18 points and 11 boards resulted in his first career double-double.

This Turtle Starting Quickly

William "Turtle" Jackson entered the season with two double-digit scoring performances in 66 games played at Georgia.

He has done so in 12 of 24 outings during the 2017-18 campaign.

Jackson produced a quartet of career-high scoring outputs in the first five games (from 10 points entering the season to 11 to 13 to 16 to 17).

In fact, he reached double figures in the scoring column in the first half alone of the first two games.

Jackson had 11 points - all in the first half - against Bryant. Against USC Upstate, he scored first-half 10 points and added three more following the break.

That mark lasted two games until Jackson put up 16 points versus Cal State Fullerton...and then topped that with 17 points less than 24 hours later against San Diego State.

While his scoring has increased from 2.8 ppg entering the season to 9.3 ppg, Jackson continues to do much of his damage from behind the 3-point arc.

This season, 40 of his 72 field goals (55.6 percent) have been 3-pointers. For his career, 76-of-133 (57.1 percent) of Jackson's makes from the floor have been 3s.

Maten Earns SEC Accolade

Yante Maten was named the SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 26, after leading Georgia to decisive victories over Georgia Tech and Temple. The senior forward from Pontiac, Mich., averaged 27.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while connecting on 56.7 percent of his shots from the floor in those contests.

Those performances had historic implications for Bulldog Basketball.

Maten joined Georgia's top-10 career rebounding leaders in the outing against Tech and then ascended into the Bulldogs' top-10 career scoring leaders versus the Owls. He is one of only four Bulldogs included on both of UGA's career top-10 ledgers.

The performance against Temple represented Maten's third 30-point, 10+ rebound outing of his career. Since 1996-97, Bulldogs have posted six such performances - three by Maten and one each by Trey Thompkins, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jumaine Jones.

The SEC Player of the Week honor was Maten's second, joining his winning on Jan. 2, 2017.

Crump's Career Night Lifts Dogs

Tyree Crump's career-high 17 points against No. 21 Saint Mary's all came during the second half and overtime.

Crump knocked down back-to-back 3s in a 37-second span early in the second half and went on to connect on 6-of-10 shots overall and 4-of-6 3-pointers the rest of the way.

Much like "Turtle" Jackson, Crump has done most of his damage from 3-point range.

This season, 27 of his 38 makes (71.1 percent) have been 3-pointers, and 46-of-71 career field goals (64.8 percent) have come from behind the arc.

Dogs Go Viral...In A Bad Way

Georgia played through a stomach ailment that plagued 11 of 15 players on the Bulldogs' roster during the Wooden Legacy.

The illness originally hit around 2:00 a.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 24 following the win over Cal State Fullerton. About half the team, including multiple starters, were among the original group. Even more became ill after the San Diego State game.

Georgia entered its matchup with Saint Mary's with five unaffected players; however, Turtle Jackson, one of those, became ill in the first half and was forced to the locker room.

Still, the Bulldogs battled to force overtime against the Gaels and eventually win.

"It was a team win," Mark Fox said. "We've had a tough couple of days. We had 10 guys get the stomach flu up until tip time today, and we turn around in the first half and our point guard, who hadn't had it, gets sick. To battle through that the last couple of days and to compete tonight like a unit like we did and beat a very good Saint Mary's team, I'm extremely proud of our players."

Parker Heats Up In Cali

Redshirt senior Juwan Parker put together three solid outings over the Thanksgiving holiday at the Wooden Legacy.

In Georgia's first three games of the season, Parker averaged just 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 12.0 minutes while shooting 20.0 percent from the floor.

In California, Parker averaged 12.0 points, 3.3 boards and 20.3 minutes and connected on 52.6 percent of his field goal attempts.

Hammonds Gets Nod For Opener

Rayshaun Hammonds became the first freshman to start the opener for Georgia since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011-12.

Hammonds was expected to do so after he got the nod for both of the Bulldogs' exhibitions, including a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds versus Valdosta State.

Hammonds also enjoyed an impressive "official" debut versus Bryant, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor.

That was the highest output by a UGA freshman in an opener in a decade and a day - since Jeremy Price scored 18 points against Jacksonville State on Nov. 9, 2007.

FYI, Caldwell-Pope, who signed an $18- million contract to play for the Lakers this season, had 15 points in his debut vs. Wofford.

While Hammonds became the first freshman to start an opener in six years, freshman starters is nothing new under Mark Fox.

Six members of 10 returning letterwinners also started as freshmen - seniors Yante Maten and Juwan Parker; juniors Mike Edwards and Derek Ogbeide; and sophomores Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris.

Foxes Donate Almost $20K

Head coach Mark Fox and his wife Cindy donated $1 to charity for every fan who attended the Bulldogs' three November home games. The amount was split equally between the Boys and Girls Club of Athens and the Clarke County Mentor Program.

The Foxes contributed $18,976 to those groups ($9,488 to each). Georgia drew 7,387 fans for the opener against Bryant - UGA's biggest crowd for a season opener in a decade - as well as 5,369 for the Upstate date and 6,220 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Mark Fox announced their effort in an Oct. 12 tweet.

Cindy Fox is on the board for Clarke Mentors, which recruits community volunteers to mentor children who attend the Clarke County School District. Derrick Floyd, director of operations for the Athens Boys and Girls Club, was a letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1980-83 and today serves as the official scorer for Georgia basketball games and the SEC Tourney.

"Those groups are working to try and make the next generation better and to make society better," Mark Fox said. "If we can give them a little help, that's great."

Bulldogs Are HomeGrown

More than half of Georgia's roster played high school hoops in the Peach State - Tyree Crump (Bainbridge High School), Rayshaun Hammonds (Norcross High School), Jordan Harris (Seminole County High School), Christian Harrison (Woodward Academy), Teshaun Hightower (Collins Hill High School), "Turtle" Jackson (Athens Christian), Connor O'Neill (Blessed Trinity High School) and Derek Ogbeide (Pebblebrook High School).