Georgia Looks to Rebound Against Missouri

Tuesday, January 28

Columbia, Mo.

8:30 PM

University of Georgia

Missouri

January 27, 2020 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (11-8, 1-5 SEC) vs. Missouri (9-10, 1-5 SEC)
Tuesday, January 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Mizzou Arena (15,061) in Columbia, Mo.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network Flagship: WSB AM 750 Atlanta. (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, producer) | Affiliates
TV: SEC Network (Tom Hart, play-by-play; Jon Sundvold, analyst)
Video Stream: SECN+
Satellite: XM: 387; Internet: 977.
Series Record: Series tied, 7-7
Last Meeting: MU, 71-61, on 3/13/19

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Tom Crean
22-29 in 2nd season at UGA
378-260 in 20th season overall
0	Donnell Gresham Jr.	6.3	5.1
6-3; 195; R-Sr.-Grad.; St. Paul, Minn.
5	Anthony Edwards	18.6	4.4
6-5; 225; Fr.; Atlanta, Ga.
10	Toumani Camara	6.2	4.3
6-8; 220; Fr.; Brussels, Belgium
15	Sahvir Wheeler	7.6	2.4
5-10; 180; Fr.; Houston, Texas
20	Rayshaun Hammonds	13.4	8.1
6-9; 235; Jr.; Norcross, Ga.

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Missouri Tigers
Coach: Quonzo Martin
44-40 in 3rd season at Mizzou
230-61in 12th season overall
4	Javon Pickett	6.9	3.9
6-5; 220; Soph.; Belleview, Ill.
5	Michell Smith	4.4	4.2
6-10; 221; R-Jr.; Van Buren, Ark.
12	Dru Smith	11.6	4.5
6-3; 203; R-Jr.; Evansville, Ind.
13	Mark Smith	11.4	4.4
6-5; 220; Jr.; Edwardsville, Ill.
14	Reed Nikko	3.1	2.6
6-10; 240; Sr.; Maple Grove, Minn.

TEAM COMPARISON

2019-20 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	MISSOURI
Points Per Game	76.7	66.3
Opp. Point Per Game	74.8	62.3
Scoring Margin	+1.9	+4.0
Field Goal Pct.	.450	.412
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.451	.396
3-Point Pct.	.300	.305
3-Pointers Per Game	6.8	7.2
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.325	.298
Free Throw Pct.	.677	.774
Free Throws Per Game	14.1	14.1
Rebounds Per Game	39.1	34.5
Opp. Rebound Per Game	36.9	33.5
Rebound Margin	+2.2	+1.1
Assists Per Game	14.3	11.7
Turnovers Per Game	14.7	14.4
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.97	0.81
Turnover Margin	-0.6	+0.4
Steals Per Game	7.7	2.9
Blocks Per Game	3.4	2.6

The Starting 5...

Anthony Edwards is the nation's top-scoring freshman at 18.6 ppg...and one of only five first-year players currently ranked among the top-100 scorers in D-I.
Over the last 13 games, Toumani Camara is UGA's second leading rebounder (5.1 rpg) and third on the team in scoring (7.4 ppg) and minutes played (26.6 mpg).
UGA's win at No. 9 Memphis was just its second road victory ever over a ranked, non-conference foe...and the first since Dec. 28, 1977 at No. 7 Louisville.
Six of nine SEC games at Stegeman Coliseum are now sellouts – Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas and Florida.
Georgia's celebrated freshman class – ranked among the top-10 groups nationally by every recruiting service – features five of the nation's top-100 prospects.

The Opening Tip

Georgia travels to Missouri for a Tuesday evening matchup with the Tigers at Mizzou Arena in an SEC Network-televised outing.

The Bulldogs are 11-8 overall and 1-4 on the road this season, but that road victory was perhaps the most impressive one in the SEC this season. Georgia topped No. 9 Memphis on Jan. 4, one of two non-conference road victories by any league team this season...South Carolina's upset at No. 9 Virginia being the other.

Anthony Edwards, a pre- and mid-season All-American and leading National Freshman of the Year candidate, is the nation's top-scoring freshman at 18.6 ppg. Rayshaun Hammonds is ranked among SEC leaders in rebounding (No. 5), scoring (No. 18) and FG percentage (No. 5).

Series History

The Bulldogs and Tigers have split their 14 all-time meetings on the hardwood, with Mizzou owning a 3-2 edge in games in Columbia.

After the Missouri won first four matchups, including three before the Tigers joined the SEC, Georgia reeled off six consecutive victories.

The last contest was in the opening round of last season's SEC Tournament in Nashville. Despite a career-high 26 points from Jordan Harris, the Tigers topped Georgia, 71-61.

Following a 43-43 tie at the 12:47 mark, the Tigers used a 6-0 surge to gain the lead for good. Missouri eventually extended its advantage to 60-50 and never allowed the Bulldogs closer than eight points thereafter.

In the Bulldogs' last trip to Columbia on Jan. 10, 2018, Missouri rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Georgia, 68-56.

The Bulldogs led for much of first 20 minutes and by as much as seven points on three occasions, lastly at 23-16 with 1:23 remaining.

The Tigers scored the final four points of the first half and then opened the second period with an additional 18-4 surge to build a double-digit advantage at 38-27.

The Bulldogs answered quickly, however, and used a 13-5 run of their own to close the gap to a single bucket. Kassius Robertson thwarted the comeback with back-to-back big plays, a 3-pointer followed by a steal and a breakaway layup to put Missouri back up 47-40.

Keeping An Eye On . . . Entering Today's Game Among UGA's career Leaders

Tyree Crump is...
• 14 3FGs from No. 10 Jody Patton
• 16 3FGAs from No. 8 G.G. Smith

Among UGA's Freshman Leaders - Anthony Edwards is...
• 14 points from No. 8 Terry Fair
• 27 points from No. 7 D.A. Layne

Scouting The Missouri

Missouri opened the season with an 8-4 start before the New Year, but the Tigers are just 1-6 in January. Mizzou is 1-5 in SEC play, with a 91-75 victory over Florida.

The Tigers' fortunes turned with a stress fracture to Jeremiah Tilmon. He started the first 11 games of the season and was averaging 9.0 ppg but has played only eight minutes of the Kentucky game during 2020.

Dru Smith and Mark Smith are the Tigers' leading scorers, averaging 11.6 ppg and 11.4 ppg, respectively.

Last Time Out...

Jordan Harris notched season-high efforts of 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks but Georgia still dropped a 70-60 decision to Ole Miss last Saturday evening before a sell-out crowd at Stegeman Coliseum.

After leading 35-29 at halftime, the Rebels quickly stretched their advantage to 11 points.

The Bulldogs countered with a 14-2 run and went up 43-42 on an Anthony Edwards 3-pointer with 12:31 left.

Ole Miss regained the lead just 27 seconds later and never relinquished that edge the rest of the evening.

Dogs End Brutal Stretch

The Ole Miss contest completed Georgia's grueling stretch to open SEC play.

The Bulldogs began league action by facing six straight 2019 NCAA Tournament teams – Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Kentucky (again) and Ole Miss.

Edwards Ascends Into UGA's Top-10 Freshmen Scoring Tallies

Just past the midway point of the season Anthony Edwards joined Georgia's all-time top-10 season scoring efforts by a freshman.

Edwards' 16 points at No. 15 Kentucky on Jan. 21 pushed him past the previous No. 10 freshman effort in Georgia history by Eric Marbury as outlined below.

Edwards' current scoring average of 18.6 ppg would be second best among all players on the top-10 ledger, trailing only Jacky Dorsey. At his current pace, Edwards would wrap up the Bulldogs' 31-game regular-season slate with 578 points.

UGA's Top-10 Freshman Scorers
	Player	Pts.	Year	G	Avg.
1.	Jacky Dorsey	646	1975	25	25.8
2.	Jumaine Jones	515	1998	35	14.7
3.	Litterial Green	481	1989	31	15.5
4.	Cedric Henderson	433	1985	28	15.5
5.	K. Caldwell-Pope	422	2012	32	13.2
6.	Walter Daniels	404	1976	27	15.0
7.	D.A. Layne	381	1999	30	12.7
8.	Terry Fair	368	1980	27	13.6
9.	Trey Thompkins	354	2009	28	12.6
10.	Eric Marbury	330	1979	27	12.2
	Anthony Edwards	354	2020	19	18.6

Dogs Drawing At Record Pace

Georgia's current attendance average of 9,528 would be the second-best effort in school history (trailing only 9,857 in 2002-03). Considering four of the Bulldogs' six remaining home dates already are sellouts, Georgia could approach a school-record mark by season's end. Tickets only remain for mid-week games against South Carolina and Auburn.

The Bulldogs are well on their way to shattering their all-time total attendance record for the second consecutive season. A year ago, Georgia's tally of 148,700 fans broke the previous program record by more than 9,000.

This year, 104,812 spectators have attended Georgia's 11 home dates so far. That is 43,888 shy of the mark with six games left, meaning an average of 7,315 would top the existing record.

Tom Crean has credited fan support as an integral part of the home success, most notably following a double-overtime win over SMU on Dec. 20.

"We don't win this game without this crowd," Crean said bluntly in his postgame press conference. "We do not win this game without this incredible, passionate, stick-with-us, not let us drop crowd. I reminded the players a few times that we're sitting here in basically a sold-out game, and these fans are not giving up on you, so don't give up on yourself. I'm extremely proud of how we found a way to win, and I'm unbelievably thankful for our fans."

When He's Hot, He's Really Hot

Tye Fagan scored 14 points at No. 15 Kentucky on Jan. 21 by connecting on all six of his shots from the field (including a 3-pointer) and his one attempt at the free throw line.

Fagan has now scored in double figures three times this season and has done so in an extremely efficient fashion. In that trio of contests, Fagan has connected on 81.0 percent (17-of-21) of his shots from the floor.

Fagan recorded his first double-digit scoring output as a Bulldog with 11 points against Dayton on Nov. 25 in the opening round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. He connected on 5-of-5 shots from the field, including his only 3-point attempt, against the Flyers.

The sophomore from Logtown paced Georgia with a career-most 15 points at Arizona State on Dec. 14. Fagan did most of his damage in the second half in Tempe with 11 points in 10 minutes of PT.

Before that, Fagan's top offensive performances as a Bulldog were early last season. He notched eight points in three of the first four games of his freshman year – against Temple, Sam Houston State and Illinois State.

A Trio Of Freshman Starters

Freshmen Toumani Camara, Anthony Edwards and Sahvir Wheeler all started for the Bulldogs at No. 5 Auburn on Jan. 11. That marked the first time Georgia started a trio of freshmen in a decade and 11 days.

To find the last contest when three first-year Bulldogs got the nod you have to venture back to a date with Kennesaw State on New Year's Eve in 2008 when Travis Leslie, Trey Thompkins and Dustin Ware all started.

All told, four members of the Bulldogs' top-10 recruiting class have now started at some point this season. Rodney Howard did so against N.C. Central and Arizona State.

UGA Equals 2018-19 Win Total

With their decisive 80-63 win over Tennessee on Jan. 15, the Bulldogs' matched their total number of victories during the entire 2018-19 campaign.

Anthony Edwards (26 points) and Rayshaun Hammonds (21) paced Georgia with a pair of 20-point performances versus the Vols.

Georgia seized control midway through the first half. An Edwards 3-pointer at the 13:14 mark sparked a 26-7 surge that put the Bulldogs up 34-19 with 7:31 remaining in the half.

Georgia pushed its advantage to 20 points with just under a minute left before intermission and never allowed the Vols closer than 16 points in the second stanza.

Edwards, Wheeler Included Among NCAA's Freshman Leaders

Through games of Sunday, Jan. 26, Anthony Edwards and Sahvir Wheeler were ranked among the nation's top freshmen statistically in scoring and assists, respectively, as outlined below.

Edwards was the top scorer among all Division-I freshmen and was one of five included among the nation's top-100 scoring leaders.

Wheeler sported the seventh-best average assists tally by a freshman...and the 16th-best assist-to-TO ratio among first-year players.

Top Freshman Scoring Averages
Rk.	Player, school	GP	Avg.
56.	Anthony Edwards, Georgia	19	18.6
72.	Isaiah Stewart, Washington	21	18.2
81.	Landers Nolley, Va. Tech	20	17.9
85.	Jordyn Adams, Austin Peay	21	17.6
96.	Onyeka Okongwu, USC	19	17.3
Top Freshman Assist Averages
Rk.	Player, school	GP	Avg.
30.	Nico Mannion, Arizona	19	5.8
32.	Ellis Magnuson, E. Wash.	18	5.7
33.	Yuri Collins, Saint Louis	20	5.7
59.	Rylan Jones, Utah	18	4.9
63.	Ethan Anderson, USC	20	4.9
67.	Sean East, UMass	20	4.8
102.	Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia	19	4.4

Camara's Contributions Climbing

Toumani Camara, who moved into the starting lineup in the 10th game of the season against SMU and has remained there since, has seen a dramatic up-tick in his production over the last 13 outings as outlined below.

Over the 13-game span, Camara has been the Bulldogs' second-leading rebounder and third-best on the roster in scoring and minutes played. Those contests also career highs of 16 points vs. Georgia Southern, nine rebounds vs. Austin Peay and 34 minutes of playing time vs. SMU.

Camara's Increased Efforts
Stat	First 6	Last 13
Points per game	4.0	7.2
Rebounds per game	2.5	5.1
Minutes per game	13.2	26.6

Significance of the Memphis Win

While most of the SEC opened league play on Saturday, Jan. 4, Georgia was earning a historic road win at No. 9 Memphis.

That was: 1) just the second road victory over a ranked non-conference foe in 115 seasons of Georgia Basketball; and 2) just the second road win over a ranked foe by any SEC team this season...South Carolina's upset of No. 9 Virginia on Dec. 22 being the other.

The victory also represented UGA's first:

• win over a top-10 foe since defeating No. 10 Kentucky, 77-70, on Jan. 8, 2011.
• road win over a top-10 opponent since beating No. 5 Kentucky, 65-57, at Rupp Arena on Jan. 17, 2004.
• road win over a ranked, non-conference foe since topping No. 7 Louisville, 73-70 in overtime, on Dec. 29, 1977.

Bulldogs Reversing Fortunes

With its 65-62 win at No. 9 Memphis on Jan. 4, Georgia improved to 4-0 in games decided by four points or less this season. That's a dramatic difference from a year ago when the Bulldogs were 0-6 in such outings, with all six being to NCAA tourney teams.

Georgia's non-conference effort in 2018-19 featured four- and two-point setbacks to Temple and Arizona State, respectively.

In SEC play, the Bulldogs dropped four consecutive extremely excruciating losses by a combined nine points between Feb. 16-27 – to LSU (83-79), Mississippi State (68-67), Ole Miss (72-71) and Auburn (78-75).

Feel Free To Call Him "Ty-3"

Tyree Crump continued a familiar theme to his scoring this season, with 31 of his 45 made field goals (68.8 percent) coming from behind the 3-point arc.

More than two-thirds of Crump's made shots from the floor at UGA have come on 3-pointers. Crump has 158 3s as a Bulldog, 68.7 percent of his 230 made field goals.

Crump Joins, Approaches UGA Top 10s For 3-Point Takes, Makes

Tyree Crump ascended into Georgia's all-time top-10 career leaders in 3-point attempts at Arizona State on Dec. 14 and is closing in on the top 10 for successful shots behind the arc as outlined below.

Crump has 157 3-pointers, leaving him just 14 away from the Bulldogs' current No. 10 tally of Jody Patton.

UGA Career 3FGA Leaders
Rk.	No.	Player	Seasons	3FGAs
1.	683	Levi Stukes	2004-07	261
5.	569	Kenny Gaines	2013-16	213
8.	500	G.G. Smith	1996-99	193
9.	484	Tyree Crump	2016-19	158
UGA Career 3FG Leaders
Rk.	No.	Player	Seasons	3FGs
1.	261	Levi Stukes	2003-07	683
4.	213	Ezra Williams	2000-03	582
	213	Kenny Gaines	2012-16	569
7.	194	Dustin Ware	2008-12	536
8.	193	G.G. Smith	1995-99	500
9.	184	Bernard Davis	1990-94	453
10.	172	Jody Patton	1987-91	387
11.	158	Tyree Crump	2016-19	484

The Collegiate Canine Strikes

Donnell Gresham Jr. – the first graduate transfer in Georgia Basketball history – posted double-digit scoring tallies against Austin Peay and No. 9 Memphis.

The St. Paul, Minn., native has now reached double figures 33 times as a collegiate canine – 29 as a Northeastern Husky and four as a Georgia Bulldog.

Gresham's scoring against the Govs and Tigers was aided by hitting three 3-point baskets in each outing. That was a stark change to Georgia's first 11 games, when he made a total of three shots from behind the arc.

Bulldogs Scored At Rapid Pace In Non-Conference Action

Georgia averaged 80.8 points per game in non-conference play which ranked No. 22 nationally following the Bulldogs' last game SEC league play.

Some additional nuggets within the Bulldogs' production prior to SEC play include:

• UGA had eight 90-point performances in Tom Crean's first 40 games in Athens. The Bulldogs reached the 90-point plateau just eight times in 249 games prior to Crean's arrival.

• UGA has three of SEC's top-10 scoring outputs in non-conference action – the No. 5 mark of 100 points vs. Delaware St. and the co-No. 10 standard of 95 points vs. both The Citadel and North Carolina Central.

• UGA scored 91, 95 and 100 points in its first three games – the first time the Bulldogs scored 90 or more three times in a row since 2006. That season, the Bulldogs defeated Gardner-Webb, 96-67, on Dec. 2; No. 16 Gonzaga, 96-83, on Dec. 16; and Jacksonville, 93-77, on Dec. 19.

Edwards, Wheeler Named SEC FOTW

Anthony Edwards and Sahvir Wheeler were named SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 1 and Dec. 23, respectively.

Edwards was selected by the league – and also was tabbed National Freshman of the Week by CBSsports.com – following the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Most notably, he poured in 37 points against No. 3 Michigan State on Nov. 26, including a 33-point explosion in the second half.

Edwards' effort equaled the No. 11 single-game scoring tally in Georgia's history and represented the most points by a Bulldog freshman since Jacky Dorsey scored 41 versus LSU on Jan. 20, 1975.

Wheeler was honored after he scored layups in the final five seconds of both the first and second overtime periods of UGA's 87-85 double-OT win over SMU. He scored with four seconds remaining in the first OT to tie the score. In the second extra session, Wheeler's layup with 1.9 seconds left supplied Georgia with the victory.

Wheeler flirted with a double-double against the Mustangs, finishing the contest with nine points and eight assists. He equaled his career-high marks for assists (eight) and steals (two) in a career-most 35 minutes of playing time.

Hammonds Hot Early, Often Against Hornets & Jackets

Rayshaun Hammonds poured in 26 points in back-to-back games against Delaware State on Nov. 15 and Georgia Tech on Nov. 20.

Hammonds was hot from the get-go in both outings. He scored 17 first-half points versus the Hornets and followed that with 19 before intermission against the Jackets. All told, Hammonds was a combined 15-of-20 (75.0 percent) from the field in the first halves of those games.

Dogs' Freshmen Among UGA's Best

Georgia's freshman class features five of the top-100 prospects from 2019 and was consistently ranked among the nation's top recruiting classes – No. 5 by ESPN.com, No. 6 by rivals.com and No. 10 by 247Sports.com.

Headlining the quintet is Anthony Edwards. The Atlanta native, who tabbed the nation's best prospect by some, announced his commitment on national television on Feb. 11. He is the Bulldogs' highest rated recruit ever.

Dominique Wilkins was the most hyped recruit in Georgia history in 1979. Individual rankings for that class are believed to be unavailable, but it also featured future stars such as Ralph Sampson, Isiah Thomas, James Worthy, Clark Kellogg and Sam Bowie.

In the internet age, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the highest ranked player in the 247Sports.com composite to enroll at UGA at No. 12 in 2011. Louis Williams signed with the Bulldogs as the No. 6 prospect in the 2005 composite but opted to enter the NBA Draft.

The Bulldogs' highest recruiting class ever was No. 2 in 1992 when UGA inked four top-100 prospects – Shandon Anderson, Terrell Bell, Pertha Robinson and McDonald's All-American Carlos Strong – in the fall and added then added Cleveland Jackson, the National Junior College Player of the Year, in the spring.

Additional top classes at Georgia include those in 1979 and 1980 which featured four McDonald's All-Americans between them – Wilkins and Terry Fair in 1979 and Vern Fleming and James Banks a year later.

UGA's Freshman Class Also Among The Nation's Largest

The Bulldogs' class of nine freshmen ranks as the third-largest in D-I hoops for the 2019-20 season.

Navy, TCU and Utah sport a nation-leading 11 freshmen on their rosters. Air Force has 10 freshmen. In addition to Georgia, Louisville also has nine freshmen.

On this list, "freshman" is defined as a player who is a freshman eligibility wise who is competing at that school for the first time this season...so there are some redshirts.

A Historic String Of Success

The Bulldogs' five-game winning streak over Georgia Tech marks only the fifth time in 196 meetings that Georgia has captured five consecutive victories over the Jackets.

In the first 113 seasons of Georgia Basketball history, only four four-year letterwinners for the Bulldogs finished their careers with a perfect record against Georgia Tech.

That fraternity more than doubled when Mike Edwards, Turtle Jackson, Derek Ogbeide, Connor O'Neill and E'Torrion Wilridge joined the fold last year and added two more in 2019 in Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris.

It should be noted that UGA and GT played two or more times every season from 1924-82. Since then, they have met once per year, making an undefeated run a little less taxing.

Six Double-Digit Bulldogs

A half-dozen Georgia players posted double-figure scoring outputs against The Citadel on Nov. 12 – the first time six Bulldogs scored 10 or more points in just under 17 years. Anthony Edwards had 29 points; Tyree Crump and Donnell Gresham Jr. added 13 apiece; and Rayshaun Hammonds, Amanze Ngumezi and Sahvir Wheeler each chipped in 10.

Prior to that, a 92-62 win over Appalachian State on Dec. 22, 2002 was the last contest with six Bulldogs in double figures.

Edwards, Wheeler Star In Debut

Anthony Edwards and Sahvir Wheeler poured in 24 and 19 points, respectively, in the season opener against Western Carolina on Nov. 5. Those tallies represent the second- and third-most points ever by a freshman in their Bulldog debut as outlined below.

Edwards came within a bucket of Dominique Wilkins' school record against Troy on Nov. 30, 1979.

Since NCAA rules change to allow freshmen to compete in basketball in 1972, 23 Bulldogs have scored in double figures during their first collegiate contest at UGA. Edwards and Wheeler became the fifth set of teammates to do so.

Top Tally Debuts By UGA Freshmen
Year	Player	Points
1979	Dominique Wilkins	26
2019	Anthony Edwards	24
1979	Terry Fair	19
2019	Sahvir Wheeler	19
1998	D.A. Layne	18
2007	Jeremy Price	18
2004	Sundiata Gaines	17
2017	Rayshaun Hammonds	17
2011	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	15