MBB Game Notes: Balanced Bulldogs Host Auburn On Wednesday

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (7-3, 0-3 SEC) vs. Auburn (6-6, 0-4 SEC)
Wednesday, January 13, 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; Adam Gillespie, producer) | Affiliates
TV: SEC Network (Roy Philpott, play-by-play; Mark Wise, analyst)
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: XM: 190; Internet: 961
History: AU leads, 96-95 (Full History)
Last Meeting: UGA, 65-55, on Feb. 19, 2020

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Tom Crean
34-40 in 3rd season at UGA
390-271 in 21st season overall
2	Sahvir Wheeler	13.7	3.8
5-10; 180; Soph.; Houston, Texas
5	Justin Kier	11.8	4.4
6-6; 215; Soph.; Hopkins, S.C.
10	Toumani Camara	14.3	7.9
6-8; 220; Soph.; Brussels, Belgium
14	Tye Fagan	10.2	5.5
6-3; 195; Jr.; Logtown, Ga.
24	P.J. Horne	10.5	4.3
6-6; 230; Gr.; Tifton, Ga.

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

AAuburn Tigers
Coach: Bruce Pearl
131-84 in 7th season at Auburn
593-229 in 26th season overall
1	Jamal Johnson	10.7	2.2
6-5; 195; Jr.; Birmingham, Ala.
2	Sharife Cooper	26.0	4.0
6-1; 180; Fr.; Powder Springs, Ga.
10	JT Thor	8.3	3.8
6-10; 205; Fr.; Anchorage, Alaska
22	Allen Flanigan	14.0	5.2
6-6; 215; Soph.; Little Rock, Ark.
23	Jaylin Williams	10.8	4.4
6-8; 230; Soph; Nahunta, Ga.

TEAM COMPARISON

2020-21 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	Auburn
Points Per Game	80.2	75.7
Opp. Point Per Game	72.9	73.7
Scoring Margin	+7.3	+2.0
Field Goal Pct.	.465	.446
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.424	.434
3-Point Pct.	.305	.340
3-Pointers Per Game	6.4	10.1
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.327	.301
Free Throw Pct.	.704	.647
Free Throws Per Game	14.0	13.6
Rebounds Per Game	42.1	38.4
Opp. Rebound Per Game	34.7	34.3
Rebound Margin	+7.4	+4.1
Assists Per Game	15.9	15.4
Turnovers Per Game	18.1	12.8
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.88	0.90
Turnover Margin	-0.3	-2.5
Steals Per Game	8.7	6.9
Blocks Per Game	2.5	4.9

The Starting 5...

Georgia is the only Division I MBB team – of the 345 that have played games this season – with six players currently sporting double-figure scoring averages.
Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler enter the week tied for the SEC lead with four double-doubles. Camara's are point-board. Wheeler's are point-assist.
Sahvir Wheeler's four point-assist double-doubles in the first nine games equaled the second-best single-season total by any SEC player in the 2000s.
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.
Seven different Bulldogs have scored in double figures this season, combining to produce 41 double-digit performances in just 10 games.

The Opening Tip

The Georgia Bulldogs – America's most balanced offensive Division I basketball team – return to action on Wednesday evening when they host Auburn at Stegeman Coliseum. The Bulldogs enter this week as the only D-I men's hoops program with six players sporting double-figure scoring averages. Through Sunday, 345 men's basketball teams had played games during the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs are 7-3 overall. Georgia began the 2020-21 campaign with a 7-0 start that was the program's best beginning in 38 years...since Georgia's 1982-83 Final Four season.

Keeping An Eye On . . . Entering Tonight's Game:

Justin Kier is...
• 5 assists from 250 for his career
• 12 rebounds from 600 for his career

Andrew Garcia is...
• 110 points from 1,000 for his career
• 37 rebounds for 500 for his career

Series History With Auburn

Following last season's double-digit upset over Auburn before a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum, Georgia possesses a 62-27 advantage in all-time meetings with the Tigers in Athens. AU owns a slim 96-95 lead in overall series between the interstate rivals on the hardwood.

In last season's matchup on Feb. 19, Georgia grabbed the lead late in the first half and led the entire second stanza en route to a 65-55 upset over No. 13/12 Auburn.

The Bulldogs took the lead for good on an Anthony Edwards 3-pointer that put them up 25-23 with 3:55 left in the first half.

Georgia pushed that advantage to double digits at the 14:55 mark of the second half and never allowed Auburn closer than three points the rest of the evening, lastly at 43-40 with 10:12 remaining.

Toumani Camara hit several clutch free throws down the stretch. He entered the contest shooting 56.1 percent from the line on the season but was 10-of-12 against the Tigers.

Scouting The Tigers

Auburn arrives in Athens with a 6-6 overall record and an 0-4 mark in SEC play, most recently dropping a 94-90 home decision to Alabama last Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers opened the season with an overtime victory against Saint Joseph's before back-to-back setbacks to Gonzaga and UCF. Following a five-game winning streak, Auburn has come up short in each of its first four league outings by an average of 7.3 ppg.

Sharife Cooper played his first game of the season against the Tide and sports a one-outing, team-best average of 26.0 ppg. Jamal Johnson (15.5 ppg), Allen Flanigan (14.5 ppg) and Jaylin Williams (11.0 ppg) also are scoring at a double-digit. Flanigan is Auburn's top performer on the glass, averaging 6.8 rpg.

Last Time out

Arkansas broke open a close game early in the second half and scored 56 second-half points in a 99-69 win over Georgia at Bud Walton Arena last Saturday.

Toumani Camara and Andrew Garcia paced a quartet of double-figure scorers for the Bulldogs with 15 points apiece. Garcia added a game- and season-high 11 rebounds to notch his first double-double for the Bulldogs.

Camara was plagued by foul trouble. After scoring eight points in the opening 2:25, he stopped the clock with his second foul with 15:36 remaining in the first period.

Camara was whistled three more times in 6:58 of playing time in the second half, fouling out with 10:02 left in the game.

America's Most Balanced Offense

Georgia is the only Division I basketball team in the nation with six players averaging double figures entering this week. Through Sunday, 345 D-I teams had begun their 2020-21 campaign.

Bulldogs Toumani Camara, Sahvir Wheeler, Justin Kier, Andrew Garcia, P.J. Horne and Tye Fagan represented the only sextet of teammates contributing 10 or more points to their team's offensive production.

All told, seven different Bulldogs – add Christian Brown to the ledger above – have combined to notch 41 double-digit scoring outputs during Georgia's first 10 games.

Following the Bulldogs, there were 24 teams with five double-digit scorers as of Monday morning, including Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky from

A Really, Really Close Rivalry

Wednesday's game will be the 192nd between the Bulldogs and the Tigers, with Auburn owning a 96-95 advantage.

With a victory this evening, Georgia would knot the series for the sixth time in the 2000s. Auburn claimed an 81-80 lead entering this century by winning consecutive games in 1998 and 1999 and then won the first date in the 2000s as well.

The Bulldogs knotted the series at 84-84 in 2005 and again at 85-85 in 2007. After Georgia surged ahead, the Tigers' win in 2010 brought the record to 87-87.

Following consecutive wins by the Bulldogs, Auburn scratched the series mark to 90-90 in 2015. Georgia won three of the next four matchups to secure a 94-91 lead through the 2017 campaign.

The Tigers then put together five consecutive wins – their third-longest sting of success against Georgia – to go up 96-94 before the Bulldogs' 65-55 upset last Feb. 19.

While the overall series is close, the location of the game has had a dramatic difference in success. Georgia owns a 62-27 edge in Athens, while the Tigers are 62-25 against UGA on The Plains. The Bulldogs possess an 8-7 lead in neutral site affairs.

New Faces In New Places

There are no less than 14 first-year players in Wednesday's game. Georgia has eight new Bulldogs, while Auburn brings six first-year Tigers to Stegeman Coliseum.

Of note, this is the Bulldogs' fourth straight SEC game where neither roster included a true senior.

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. The half-dozen Tiger newcomers for the 2020-21 season are all freshmen.

A New Face To SEE the Court

Freshman K.D. Johnson, a consensus top-100 prospect in the Class of 2020, became immediately eligible play this season it was announced on Monday (Jan. 11).

Johnson announced on social media platforms: "Thank you to the NCAA for granting me immediate eligibility and allowing me to play basketball this season. I will not comment on the waiver, but look forward to a great rest of the season with my teammates."

Head coach Tom Crean stated: "We're extremely excited to have K.D. eligible. Probably the only people more excited than me are K.D. and his mother, Jada. K.D. has been with us every day in workouts and practices since last summer and has been incredibly patient and mature throughout this process. I would like to thank NCAA for their efforts as we worked to reach this resolution."

Dogs' Double-Double Tandem

Georgia's Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler are the only SEC teammates with four double-doubles each this season.

Camara's double-double efforts are of the point-rebound variety and came versus Montana, Cincinnati, Mississippi State and LSU.

Wheeler opened the campaign with a trio of point-assist efforts against Florida A&M, North Georgia and Jacksonville. He is believed to be the first SEC player with three straight point-assist double-doubles Mississippi State's Chuck Evans in 1993.

Following a scoring review, he picked up a 10th assist – and a fourth double-double – in last week's overtime loss at LSU. Wheeler now has the second-most point-assist double-doubles in a season by any SEC player in the 2000s as outlined below.

SEC Pt.-Ast. Double-Doubles In 2000s
Rk.	No.	Player, School	Season	GP
1.	7	Tyler Ulis, Kentucky	2015-16	35
2.	4	Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia	2020-21	10
	4	Tremont Waters, LSU	2018-19	33
	4	Tremont Waters, LSU	2017-18	33
	4	Phil Pressey, Missouri	2012-13	34
6.	3	Jabril Durham, Arkansas	2015-16	32
	3	Dee Bost, Mississippi St.	2011-12	33
	3	John Wall, Kentucky	2009-10	37
	3	Nick Calathes, Florida	2008-09	36
	3	Torris Bright, LSU	2002-03	32

Bulldogs Supplying The Digits

Georgia is averaging 80.2 points per game this season, continuing the Bulldogs' trend of big-time point production under Tom Crean.

Georgia scored 92 points against LSU last Wednesday – the 13th time UGA reached the 90-point plateau in Crean's 73 games at UGA. By comparison, Georgia scored 90 or more points just 13 times in the 403 games before Crean's arrival, a span of 10-plus seasons dating back to 2008.

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.

Kier, Wheeler Leading SEC

Georgia's Justin Kier and Sahvir Wheeler entered this weekend leading the SEC in steals and assists, respectively.

Kier's average of 2.0 spg is tied atop league leaders with Luis Rodriguez of Ole Miss and Jermaine Cousinard of South Carolina.

Wheeler's production of 7.5 passes-to-points not only placed him atop SEC stats but also put him at No. 6 nationally. His average was 1.6 assists per game better than any other league player entering this week.

It Ain't Just Those Two

Georgia ranks second in the SEC in both assists (15.9) and steals (8.7) per game.

All told, 159 of the Bulldogs' 299 made field goals this season have been assisted buckets, 53.2 percent of every Georgia make.

The Bulldogs entered the week ranked No. 31 nationally in steals per game.

Camara's Production Increases

Toumani Camara's efforts in the scoring and rebounding columns have increased dramatically from last season. Camara's scoring average is up 116 percent from a year ago – from 6.6 to 14.3 ppg – while his rebounding count is up 84 percent – from 4.3 to 7.9 rpg.

In turn, Camara has produced an SEC-high four double-doubles this season, all of those coming in the last seven games.

Camara's increased offense can be traced to 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 eight more double-digit tallies this season, Camara has now scored 10 or more points in 16 of his last 26 outings at Georgia.

"Camara" Throughout SEC Stats

Toumani Camara's name is littered throughout league leader stats.

The sophomore from Brussels is ranked among the best in the SEC in no less than six categories – No. 12 in scoring, No. 4 in rebounding, No. 5 in field goal percentage, No. 8 in steals, No. 3 in offensive rebounding and No. 6 in defensive rebounding.

Latest Road Opener In 77 Seasons

Georgia's trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU on Jan. 6 represented the Bulldogs' latest initial road game in a season calendar wise since 1945.

The Bulldogs opened the "1944-45" campaign by hosting Clemson on Jan. 8 and then traveled to take on Jacksonville NAS (that's Naval Air Station) on Jan. 12.

The last time Georgia played December games and its first road game this late was the 1940. The Bulldogs played five home dates between Dec. 20, 1939-Jan. 5, 1040 before trekking to Clemson on Jan. 6, 1940.

Bulldogs Collect SEC Honors

Tye Fagan and Toumani Camara earned SEC Player of the Week accolades in the first and fourth weeks of the season.

Fagan won the honor on Nov. 30, a day after posting career-high tallies of 21 points and 10 rebounds en route to his first career double-double in the season opener versus Florida A&M.

Fagan 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).

Camara was tabbed on Dec. 21 after his 19-point, 10-rebound performance against Cincinnati two days earlier. He equaled his career-best scoring output (19 points) for the third time this season en route to his second double-double.

The sophomore from Brussels, Belgium, had 14 points and eight rebounds in the first half and keyed a 15-0 run 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.

Fagan and Camara are the 28th and 29th different Bulldogs who have combined to win SEC Player of the Week recognition 39 times since the award's inception in 1985.

UGA Among Last Unbeatens

With a men's/women's doubleheader sweep on Dec. 22, Georgia became one of only two D-I schools with both hoops programs undefeated on Christmas.

The Lady Bulldogs dispatched Appalachian State, 107-44, in the afternoon, their highest scoring output since Dec. 28, 2000.

Later that evening, the Bulldogs defeated Northeastern, 76-58.

Michigan, with a 7-0 men's team and a 5-0 women's record, was the only other school with unblemished records when Santa Claus circled the globe.

Wheeler Produces Historic Start

Sahvir Wheeler opened the season with a streak three consecutive point-assist double-doubles.

Wheeler has 12 points and 12 assists against Florida A&M, equaling the fourth-best single-game assist tally in 116 seasons of Georgia Basketball. It also was the most assists by a Bulldog in more than two decades...since G.G. Smith also had a dozen against Vanderbilt on Jan. 3, 1999.

The sophomore from Houston followed the FAMU contests with 17 points and 10 assists versus North Georgia and 21 points and 10 assists against Jacksonville.

Wheeler became the first SEC player to record three-straight point-assist double-doubles since at least the 2000-01 season. In fact, only two league players – Florida's Chris Chiozza and Kentucky's Tyler Ulis – recorded back-to-back point-assist double-doubles in the last five seasons. The last instance of three-consecutive point-assist double-doubles found was a stretch by Mississippi State's Chuck Evans during the 1992-93 season.

Wheeler also is believed to be the first Georgia player with back-to-back double-figure assist tallies ever. Box scores dating back through 1969-70 did not find anyone who had done so. There were a couple of close calls, most notably Gino Gianfrancesco – who owns three of the top-four single-game assist efforts in school history – in a three-game span covering the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons.

Crean Familiar With Bearcats

Tom Crean improved to 7-7 all-time against Cincinnati with a Dec. 19 win over the Bearcats. All of the previous matchups coming during his tenure at Marquette from 1999-08.

"This game brings back tremendous intensity for me," Crean said prior to the game. "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 of the evening when Jaxon Etter scored with 1:17 remaining. 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 points and two possessions.

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 this season versus Florida A&M.

Dunks On Dolphins Eyed By ESPN

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.

The Nomination Wasn't Automatic

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

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 playing time. Garcia connected on 6-of-8 shots from the field and converted on 10-of-11 trips to the free-throw line in his debut as a Bulldog.

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."

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.

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 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.

MBB Game Notes: Balanced Bulldogs Host Auburn On Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Christian Brown

Toumani Camara

Anthony Edwards

Jaxon Etter

Tye Fagan

Andrew Garcia

P.J. Horne

K.D. Johnson

Justin Kier

Tyron McMillan

Jonathan Ned

Mikal Starks

Josh Taylor

Sahvir Wheeler

MBB Game Notes: Balanced Bulldogs Host Auburn On Wednesday

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Players Mentioned

Christian Brown

Toumani Camara

Anthony Edwards

Jaxon Etter

Tye Fagan

Andrew Garcia

P.J. Horne

K.D. Johnson

Justin Kier

Tyron McMillan

Jonathan Ned

Mikal Starks

Josh Taylor

Sahvir Wheeler

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