MBB Notes: Bulldogs Wrap Up Non-Conference Play By Hosting Northeastern

Tuesday, December 22

Athens, Ga.

7:00 PM

University of Georgia

Northeastern

MBB Notes: Bulldogs Wrap Up Non-Conference Play By Hosting Northeastern

December 21, 2020 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (6-0) vs. Northeastern (1-3)
Tuesday, December 22, at 7:00 p.m. ET
Stegeman Coliseum (1,638) in Athens, Ga.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network Flagship: WSB AM 750 Atlanta. (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, producer) | Affiliates
TV: None
Video Stream: SEC Network+ (Jeff Dantzler, play-by-play; Mark Slonaker, analyst)
Satellite: XM: 192; Internet: 963
History: UGA leads, 1-0 (Full History)
Last Meeting: UGA, 79-66, on Dec. 12, 1981

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Tom Crean
33-37 in 3rd season at UGA
389-268 in 21st season overall
2	Sahvir Wheeler	14.3	4.0
5-10; 180; Soph.; Houston, Texas
5	Justin Kier	13.0	4.4
6-6; 215; Soph.; Hopkins, S.C.
10	Toumani Camara	15.2	8.4
6-8; 220; Soph.; Brussels, Belgium
14	Tye Fagan	11.5	6.3
6-3; 195; Jr.; Logtown, Ga.
24	P.J. Horne	8.7	3.8
6-6; 230; Gr.; Tifton, Ga.

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Northeastern Huskies
Coach: Bill Coen
242-216 in 15th season at NU
242-216 in 15th season overall
0	Jason Strong	10.8	4.5
6-8; 210; R-Jr.; Coconut Creek, Fla.
2	Tyson Walker	16.5	2.5
6-0; 175; Soph.; Westbury, N.Y.
10	Greg Eboigbodin	4.8	5.8
6-9; 240; R-Jr.; Benin City, Nigeria
15	Coleman Stucke	6.8	1.5
6-7; 215; Fr.; Oakville, Ontario
24	Shaquille Walters	9.8	7.3
6-6; 200; R-Jr.; London, England

TEAM COMPARISON

2020-21 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	NORTHEASTERN
Points Per Game	82.0	68.8
Opp. Point Per Game	65.8	74.3
Scoring Margin	+16.2	-5.5
Field Goal Pct.	.473	.437
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.407	.438
3-Point Pct.	.280	.326
3-Pointers Per Game	5.5	7.0
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.243	.316
Free Throw Pct.	.714	.772
Free Throws Per Game	15.8	15.3
Rebounds Per Game	44.3	33.8
Opp. Rebound Per Game	32.5	34.0
Rebound Margin	+11.8	-0.2
Assists Per Game	16.5	14.0
Turnovers Per Game	18.2	15.5
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.91	0.90
Turnover Margin	+1.2	-3.5
Steals Per Game	9.5	6.8
Blocks Per Game	2.5	1.0

The Starting 5...

At 6-0, UGA is off to its best start since the Bulldogs opened the 1982-83 season – which culminated with a trip to the Final Four – with a 9-0 record.
GA's seven-game winning streak, which dates back to last season, equals the seventh-best string of success in school history and is the longest since 2011-12.
UGA has won the opening tip in each game this season and is 15-2 when doing so since the beginning of last season. UGA was 7-14 when losing the tip in 2019-20.
Sahvir Wheeler's three double-digit assist outings in the first three games of the season were as many as any SEC player posted in all of 2019-20.
UGA's roster features eight newcomers with representative in every class – two freshmen, a sophomore, two juniors and a trio of graduate transfers.

The Opening Tip

Georgia wraps up both its pre-holiday and non-conference schedules on Tuesday evening when the Bulldogs host Northeastern at Stegeman Coliseum. The contest is the second half of a day-night Georgia Basketball doubleheader which also features the undefeated Georgia Lady Bulldogs hosting Appalachian State at noon.

Georgia is 6-0, the Bulldogs' best beginning to a season since they opened their 1982-83 Final Four campaign with a 9-0 mark.

Adding in Georgia's victory over Ole Miss in last season's SEC Tournament gives the Bulldogs an active seven-game winning streak. That's Georgia's longest stretch of success – game wise – since securing nine consecutive Ws during the 2010-11 camapign. Calendar-wise, the Bulldogs' winning streak now spans 286 days and isthe second-longest in Georgia's 116 seasons. The program record for number of wins and calendar span are the same – a 16-game stretch covering 399 days over the 1912-13 and 1913-14 seasons.

Series History With Huskies

Georgia won its only previous meeting with Northeastern, defeating the Huskies, 79-66, on Dec. 18, 1981 in the opening round of the Cotton States Classic at The Omni.

Double-doubles from Dominique Wilkins and James Banks led the Bulldogs to victory. Wilkins' game-high tallies of 23 points and 12 rebounds paced Georgia, while Banks added 14 points and 10 boards in his hometown.

Perry Moss scored 21 points to lead the Huskies, who were then coached by Jim Calhoun.

Georgia opened up a 44-37 halftime lead and then cruised the win.

The Bulldogs then upset No. 16 UAB, 76-72, in the Cotton States championhsip outing behind a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds from Terry Fair.

Scouting Northeastern

Northeastern arrives in Athens with a deceptive 1-3 record to date. The Huskies split games with UMass to open the year before dropping tight road decisions to Syracuse and Old Dominion.

Northeastern's schedule has been altered greatly by COVID-19. In fact, Georgia is the first game on Northeastern's original schedule that has survived throughout those changes.

Five games on the Huskies' original schedule have been canceled due to the pandemic – three at the Paradise Jam and additional outings versus UMass-Lowell and Bryant.

Tyson Walker leads the Huskies on the offensive end, averaging 16.5 ppg and a team-best 5.5 assists per contest as well. Jahmyl Teifort and Jason Strong also are scoring at double-digit paces of 13.3 ppg and 10.8 ppg, respectively, while Shaquille Walters is a single point shy of doing so at 9.8 ppg. Walters is Northeastern's top rebounder, averaging 7.3 rpg.

Camara Named SEC POTW

Toumani Camara was tabbed the SEC's Player of the Week by the league office in Birmingham on Monday after his 19-point, 10-rebound performance against Cincinnati last Saturday.

Camara equaled his career-best scoring output (19 points) for the third time this season en route to his second double-double. He approached the double-double mark in the first half alone, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the period.

The sophomore from Brussels, Belgium, keyed a 15-0 run late in the first half that broke the game wide open and extended an eight-point lead to a 23-point cushion. Camara scored eight points and collected four boards in that surge.

Camara is the 29th different Bulldog to be named SEC Player of the Week a combined 39 times since the award's inception in 1985. That list includes teammate Tye Fagan, who was the league's first POTW this season after his double-double of 21 points (on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor) and 10 rebounds in the season opener versus Florida A&M.

New Faces In New Places

Georgia's roster features eight first-year Bulldogs, while Northeastern brings six new Huskies to Athens. Of note, neither team's roster includes a true senior who has been in the program four seasons.

Georgia's octet newcomers features a representative of every class – freshmen K.D. Johnson and Josh Taylor, sophomore Tyron McMillan, juniors Jonathan Ned and Mikal Starks; and graduate transfer seniors Andrew Garcia, P.J. Horne and Justin Kier. Northeastern's sextet of first-year players includes five freshmen – four first-year players and a redshirt – and redshirt sophomore Chris Doherty, a transfer from Notre Dame.

Bulldogs Doing Work On Boards

Georgia enters this week ranked No. 20 nationally in rebound margin at +11.8.

The Bulldogs' work on the glass has been solid on both ends of the floor as Georgia ranks No. 22 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (14.3) and No. 38 in defensive boards (38.0 rpg).

In addition, UGA is No. 13 in 3-point defense (.243) and No. 24 in steals (9.5 spg).

Gresham Provides UGA-NU Tie

Last season, Donnell Gresham Jr. became the first graduate transfer in Georgia Basketball history when he joined the Bulldogs after a standout career at Northeastern.

A native of St. Paul, Minn., Gresham started 69 of 90 games played for the Huskies from 2015-19. After averaging 3.7 ppg as a freshman, Gresham redshirted during the 2016-17 season due to a hand injury.

He returned to help the Huskies compile a 46-21 overall record and a 28-8 mark in CAA competition during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, culminating with a bid to the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Gresham left Boston ranked No. 2 in career 3-point shooting percentage for Northeastern, making 41.3 percent of his shots behind the arc.

Last season, Gresham started 20 of 32 games and averaged 5.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg for the Bulldogs. He posted four double-figure scoring outputs, most notably with 13 points against arch-rival Georgia Tech and 12 in Georgia's road upset of No. 9 Memphis.

Gresham ended up as a "double dog" of sorts, with degrees as a Huskie and Bulldog. He secured a bachelor's in Business Management from NU and a master's in Sport Management and Policy from UGA.

Wheeler Off To Historic Start

Quick...when was the last time a 5-10 player led the SEC in double-doubles? The answer: That would be Monday.

Sahvir Wheeler, Emmanuel Miller from Texas A&M and Tolu Smith from Mississippi State enter the final week before SEC play tied for the league lead with three double-double efforts. In fact, that trio plus Toumani Camara and Alabama's Herbert Jones are the only SEC players with multiple double-doubles this season.

Quick...when was the last time an SEC player had three straight point-assist double-doubles? The answer: not in 20 seasons.

With some assistance from Craig Pinkerton on Saturday, Dec. 5, it was determined that no SEC player has recorded a trio of consecutive point-assist double-doubles through the 2000-01 season. In fact, only two league players – Florida's Chris Chiozza and Kentucky's Tyler Ulis – have recorded back-to-back point-assist double-doubles in the last five seasons.

Quick...when was the last time a Bulldog recorded double-figure assist tallies in consecutive games? The answer: probably never.

Box scores dating back through the 1969-70 did not find anyone who had done so. There were a couple of close calls, most notably Gino Gianfrancesco in a three-game span covering the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons.

Wheeler's 12 assists against FAMU equaled the fourth-best single-game assist tally in 116 seasons of Georgia Basketball. It also was the most by a Bulldog in more than two decades...since G.G. Smith also had a dozen assists against Vanderbilt on Jan. 3, 1999.

Camara's Production Increases

Toumani Camara's efforts in the scoring and rebounding columns have increased dramatically from last season.

The sophomore from Brussels' scoring average is up 130 percent from a year ago – from 6.6 to 15.2 ppg – while his rebounding count is up 95 percent – from 4.3 to 8.4 rpg.

Camara's increased offensive production can be traced to the second half of last season. After scoring in double figures once in the Bulldogs' first 16 games, he did so seven times in the final 16 outings. With four more double-digit tallies this season, Camara has now scored 10 or more points in 11 of his last 21 outings at Georgia.

A Balanaced Offensive Attack

Seven different Bulldogs have combined to notch 25 double-digit scoring performances during Georgia's first six games.

Georgia actually entered the Cincinnati as one of only three teams in the nation with six players averaging double figures in the scoring column.

That balance is displayed by each Bulldogs' individual number of double-digit outings. Sahvir Wheeler has five games scoring 10 or more points, while Toumani Camara, Tye Fagan, P.J. Horne and Justin Kier all have four each and Andrew Garcia has three.

Wheeler Among NCAA Leaders

Entering this week, Sahvir Wheeler led the SEC and ranked No. 7 nationally in assists per game at 8.3 apg.

Wheeler owned a massive gap of 3.5 assists per game over anyone else in the SEC.

Dogs Getting To Line & Converting

Georgia is shooting a solid 71.4 percent from the line, including a season-best 84.0 percent (21-of-25) against Cincinnati.

In what is usually a good indicator of things going well, the Bulldogs have made more free throws (95) than their opponents have attempted (94) this season.

Crean Familiar With Bearcats

Tom Crean improved to 7-7 all-time against Cincinnati with Saturday's win. All of the previous matchups coming during his tenure at Marquette from 1999-08.

"This game brings back tremendous intensity for me," Crean said early last week. "When I was growing up as a coach, every day it started with 'What's going on at Cincinnati?' and 'What's going on at Louisville?' My coaching career began with those two programs as a measuring stick. Every day was about how do we compete with Cincinnati."

Marquette and Cincinnati were conference rivals throughout Crean's time in Milwaukee, competing in Conference USA from 1999-05 before both moved to the Big East. They also were relatively regular NCAA participants, combining for 11 bids to "March Madness."

Of Big Plays and "+/-" numbers

Georgia's Dec. 12 win over Samford wasn't decided until the game's final seconds.

The Bulldogs took their first lead when Jaxon Etter scored with 1:17 left. Georgia was up 76-73 with 13 ticks on the clock when P.J. Horne's putback of a missed free throw pushed the margin to five.

While those plays drew attention, examining the box score revealed that Etter and Horne also were two of Georgia's most efficient players on the evening.

Etter played just shy of four minutes but the Bulldogs were "+8" with him on the floor. The sophomore from Woodstock helped Georgia thwart Samford's first-half momentum. In just 2:30 of action, Etter recorded a +/- of "+6", the best effort of any Bulldog in the period

Horne's 34 minutes of PT – his most of the season to date – provided the Bulldogs with a "+13" margin with him in the court.

A Busy Bunch Of Bulldogs

Georgia opened the 2020-21 season by playing five games in 14 days.

That came following a 263-day gap between March 11 – when Georgia played its final game of the 2019-20 season at the SEC Tournament – and Nov. 29 – when the Bulldogs opened their 2020-21 campaign versus Florida A&M.

Bulldogs Supplying The Digits

Georgia is averaging 82.0 points per game over its first five outings.

That continues the Bulldogs' trend of increased point production under Tom Crean.

Georgia scored 98 points against Jacksonville – the 12th time UGA reached the 90-point plateau in Crean's 67 games at UGA. By comparison, Georgia scored 90 or more points just 12 times in the 393 games before Crean's arrival, a span of 11-plus seasons.

Last year, the Bulldogs averaged 75.9 ppg, their highest effort in more than 15 years. The last time Georgia produced a higher points per game clip than that mark was in 2002-03 when the Bulldogs averaged 79.2.

Camara, Brown Dunks On Dolphins Catch ESPN's Eye

Toumani Camara and Christian Brown delivered two ESPN attention-getting dunks against Jacksonville on Dec. 4.

During the first half, Justin Kier dove for a deflected ball near midcourt and pitched it ahead to Camara who, with space, put down a windmill effort that immediately drew the attention of the network. @SportsCenter tweeted "We score that a 10 for Toumani Camara!" followed by a "head blown" emoji.

In the second half, Brown prevented a deflected ball from going out of bounds and passed to Tyron McMillan, who quickly moved the ball to Sahvir Wheeler. Wheeler drove toward the basket before floating a pass that Brown handled with his left hand and slammed through the basket. @ESPN tweeted "The save ... and the finish!" and added a "hammer" emoji for good measure.

Camara's effort ended up at No. 4 on SportsCenter's top-10 plays for Friday.

Fagan Named SEC's First POTW

Tye Fagan was named the SEC Player of the Week on Nov. 30 by the league office in Birmingham, Ala., a day after the best outing of his collegiate career against Florida A&M.

Fagan posted career-high tallies of 21 points and 10 rebounds en route to his first career double-double. He connected on 9-of-10 shots from the field against the Rattlers and played a major role in creating distance on the scoreboard. Fagan scored eight points in a span of 76 seconds as Georgia expanded a two-point lead (49-47) to 10 (59-49).

"I don't take credit for that," Fagan said after the game. "A lot of that has to do with Sahvir (Wheeler). He is a great ball-handler, and he finds guys. I'm pretty sure he had 12 assists, so that is what I mean how he found guys. I give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaches to put me in the right places."

The Nomination Wasn't Automatic

The decision to nominate Fagan for SEC Player of the Week required some thought.

Graduate transfer Andrew Garcia also had an outstanding – and efficient – game against the Rattlers. The Bergenfield, N.J., native scored a game-high 22 points in just 23 minutes of action in his Bulldog debut.

Garcia connected on 6-of-8 shots from the field and converted on 10-of-11 trips to the free-throw line in his first outing for UGA.

Hoops Scheduling 2020 Style

It took four opponents for Georgia to play its first two games of the season.

As of Monday, Nov. 23, UGA was scheduled to play Gardner-Webb on Nov. 29. The decision was made to cancel that contest that day after consultation with UGA Athletic Association medical personnel due to COVID-19 issues within the GWU roster.

About 24 hours later, Georgia announced it would play Florida A&M on the 29th. On Tuesday, Tom Crean said: "Well in a nut shell, this came up yesterday morning and we already had some ideas of potential replacements for the first couple of weeks so we really started with that. That becomes the most important thing...some were available, most weren't available to be honest with you, but Florida A&M was the one that had the most opportunity to say yes and the best opportunity to say yes, in the shortest amount of time, and the shortest distance involved."

Less than 24 hours after that, Crean's comments seemed prophetic when Wednesday's season opener against Columbus State was canceled just hours before tip off. That outing was scrapped when COVID-19 tests returned positive within the Cougars' traveling party.

On Nov. 30 – about 54-and-a-half hours before tipoff – the Columbus State game was replaced by the Dec. 2 North Georgia contest. The addition of that contest lined up games against Nighthawks, Dolphins and Grizzlies in a span of just less than a week.

"It's not optimal, but for this year, it's very probable," Tom Crean said following the North Georgia contest. "I told the guys, we may get to a situation where we don't have three games in three weeks, let alone three games in one week. Who knows what way this season is going to go. Anything you do is getting you ready for what's coming. It just so happens that this is the way it's going to be."

Bulldogs In Season Openers

Georgia has compiled an 83-33 record in opening contests, including a 3-0 mark under Tom Crean. That includes an even more impressive 37-6 mark at Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia's most significant win in an opener at the Coliseum also was its first. In the initial opener in the current arena on Dec. 3 1964, UGA bested No. 13 North Carolina, 64-61.

Latest Opener In A While

Last season, the Bulldogs christened their season on Nov. 5, the earliest opening contest ever in Georgia's 115 seasons. The previous date for an initial outing was when UGA began the 2013-14 campaign on Nov. 8.

With the 2020-21 campaign delayed due to COVID-19, the Bulldogs' Nov. 29 date against Florida A&M was their latest opener in nearly three decades.

Georgia began the 1992-93 season on Dec. 1, with a 76-65 loss to No. 3 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. That contest was the first of a "home-and-home." The quote marks are to emphasize that Kansas' return was not to Athens. The Bulldogs ventured to Lawrence, but the Jayhawks return game in Atlanta for the first-ever basketball event at Georgia Dome, the 1993 Kuppenheimer Classic.

Bulldogs Better In Tight Games

Georgia was 5-3 in contests decided by four points or less last season, with tight wins over Georgia Tech (72-68), Chaminade (80-77), SMU (87-85), No. 9 Memphis (65-62) and Vanderbilt (80-78) and close setbacks against Missouri (72-69), Alabama (105-102) and South Carolina (94-90 in OT).

That was a huge difference from Tom Crean's first season in Athens when UGA was 0-6 in such outings, with all six setbacks to NCAA Tournament teams.

Top-Ranked JUCOs Join Dogs

Each of Georgia's junior college recruits was ranked among the top-15 prospects nationally by 247Sports.com. Mikal Starks was listed at No. 9, Tyron McMillan was No. 11 and Jonathan Ned was No. 15.

Ned and Starks come from dramatically different hometowns but the same junior college – Eastern Florida State. Ned is from Northern California, while Starks hails from South Florida. They helped EFSC's Titans win 55 games over two seasons and reach the "Elite Eight" round of the 2019 NJCAA Tournament.

McMillan, who played AAU basketball with Sahvir Wheeler, earned All-Region honors in his one season at Kilgore College in Texas.

Edwards Drafted No. 1 Overall

Anthony Edwards was chosen by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft on Nov. 18. Edwards became the Bulldogs' highest draft pick ever, topping Dominique Wilkins, who was selected No. 3 overall in 1982.

"This is an incredibly special night for an incredibly special young man," Tom Crean said. "I know the time and the effort he's put into getting to this point. He's earned it. He works extremely hard. He's dedicated to getting better."

Edwards is the Bulldogs' 39th NBA Draft pick and the eighth first-rounder. He was the first lottery pick since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (No. 8 overall) in 2013.

"This is a big-time moment for this program," Crean said. "When you're trying to build on what others have done here before, you've got to have moments that help establish what you want your program to be. I think this is something that everyone who has ever been a part of Georgia Basketball can be proud of. It also shows that you can come to Georgia, and in Anthony's case come to Georgia and stay close to home, and you can achieve all of your dreams. That's really, really important for us."

Edwards was the nation's top-scoring freshman last season, averaging 19.1 ppg. He scored 610 points, the 10th-most ever by an SEC freshman in a single season.

Edwards was named SEC Freshman of the Year by both league coaches and the Associated Press and was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week a school-record four times.

Edwards became the SEC's sixth all-time overall No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft – and the fifth since 2010. The league's other top picks include Shaquille O'Neal to Orlando in 1992, John Wall to Washington in 2010, Anthony Davis to New Orleans in 2012, Karl Anthony-Towns to Minnesota in 2015 and Ben Simmons to Philadelphia in 2016.

A Good Year for Drafted Dogs

Anthony Edwards' selection in the NBA Draft continued a strong year for Georgia Bulldogs in professional drafts.

Offensive tackle Andrew Thomas was the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Pitcher Emerson Hancock was the No. 6 selection in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners.

With that, Georgia became just the fifth school ever to have top-10 picks in the three major sports drafts in the same year.

And While We're Talking Pros...

The 2020 year hasn't had very many highlights overall, but three former Georgia Bulldogs certainly have.

Mecole Hardman capped a Pro Bowl rookie season by helping the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV (that's 54 for the commoners).

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had an outstanding run to help Los Angeles capture the NBA Championship. KCP started all 21 games of the Lakers' run through the Playoffs. He averaged 10.7 points per game in the postseason, largely due to connecting on 45 3-pointers. That tally is the second-most ever by a Laker during the Playoffs, trailing only Kobe Bryant's 49 in 2009-10.

Pitcher Alex Wood pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts for the Dodgers in their decisive win over Tampa Bay in game 6 of the World Series. With that, Georgia became the only school in the nation with former players who won NFL, NBA and MLB championship rings during 2020.

A Summer Unlike Any Other

COVID-19 forced the Bulldogs' season to end prematurely on March 12 and began a period where Tom Crean was away from on-court coaching for more than four months.

Georgia returned to workouts on July 20 with and eight newcomers.

"The only guy will a full year of college basketball with us in the program is Tye Fagan," Crean said. "That's really tough because the sophomores didn't get the full spring. And when the three grad transfers and Tyron McMillan got to campus, that was the first time we'd personally met them and talked to them not on phone, FaceTime or zoom. There was nothing normal about this summer. There was nothing even remotely close to normal as to how you would build your team."

Crean Impressed With Teamwork

Tom Crean was impressed his current roster's ability to form a bond. Eight Bulldogs are newcomers – two freshmen, three junior college transfers and three graduate transfers.

"I like their camaraderie," Crean said this summer. "I like their spirit. We've worked very hard. There's guys who are in the gym at different times, whether it's later at night or early in the morning. There are guys who are very, very hungry.

"In addition to all that, they've done a good job in the weight room. They've done a good job when we worked out outside. They've pushed each other. They've competed. There is a spirit about them, and they're improving."

Bulldogs Speak Out On Issues

In addition to the pandemic, social issues dominated the landscape for much of the summer. Several Georgia basketball players, led by Tye Fagan and Sahvir Wheeler, chose to utilize their platform and voice to speak toward needed changes to create a better and more respectful society in general.

Fagan took part in a march in Thomaston, Ga., where he led Upson-Lee High School to back-to-back state titles in 2017 and 2018.

"It's bigger than basketball, it's bigger than me," Fagan said. "A lot of people have lost their lives, a lot of people are upset. A lot of my people are upset and they feel a lot of different ways. I can't blame them because I feel the same way, seeing guys suffer from police brutality or racism or bigotry or whatever you want to call it. Black people have been suffering a lot over the past few months. It's been going on forever but especially over the past few months."

In an interview with DawgNation.com Wheeler stated: "One of the most important things is this is a time when the country has to pivot, and it has put a magnifying glass on our actions, our deeds and our approach with others in relationships in general," Wheeler said. "It has come to question ourselves: What are we willing to tolerate? What is the catalyst of change? How are we looking upon other people from different walks of life, and how we can take a step forward in progression so everyone can be equal?"

Ronnie Hogue To Be Honored

Ronnie Hogue, the first Black men's basketball scholarship student-athlete at the University of Georgia, will be honored with a commemorative sticker on the Stegeman Coliseum basket supports during the 2020-21 season. Hogue passed away in Setpember at the age of 69.

A native of Washington, D.C., Hogue arrived in Athens in the fall of 1969 and became one of the best players of his time, or any other era of Bulldog basketball.

Two years before freshmen became eligible under NCAA rules, Hogue averaged 19.1 points per game on UGA's freshman squad. He burst upon the scene the following year when, playing largely out of position as a forward, he averaged 16.2 points per game and was named to the SEC's All-Sophomore team.

The following year, 1972, was a breakout season for Hogue as he upped his scoring average to 20.5 points per game. In the season's fifth game, on December 20, 1971, he exploded for a career-high 46 points against LSU, the most ever by a Bulldog in Stegeman Coliseum and second-highest single-game tally in school history. Perhaps more impressive than the scoring total was the fact that Hogue connected on 20-of-23 shots from the floor en route to that output. Hogue was named first-team All-SEC by league coaches that season while also garnering second-team honors from the AP and UPI. As a senior, Hogue averaged 16.5 points per game.

Hogue finished his Georgia career with 1,367 points in just three seasons. At the time, that ranked second among UGA's all-time scoring leaders.

Hogue was drafted by the Washington Bullets in the seventh round of the 1973 NBA Draft.