MBB Game Notes: Bulldogs Look To Extend Winning Ways

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (9-4, 2-4 SEC) vs. Florida (7-4, 4-3 SEC)
Saturday, January 23, at 2:00 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: ESPN2 (Jon Sciambi, play-by-play; Dan Dakich, analyst)
Video Stream: SECN+
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: XM: 191; Internet: 962
History: UF leads, 116-105 (Full History)
Last Meeting: UF, 68-54, on 3/4/20

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Tom Crean
36-41 in 3rd season at UGA
392-272 in 21st season overall
2	Sahvir Wheeler	14.2	3.4
5-10; 180; Soph.; Houston, Texas
5	Justin Kier	10.5	3.9
6-6; 215; Soph.; Hopkins, S.C.
10	Toumani Camara	13.3	7.4
6-8; 220; Soph.; Brussels, Belgium
14	Tye Fagan	9.9	4.9
6-3; 195; Jr.; Logtown, Ga.
24	P.J. Horne	9.5	3.8
6-6; 230; Gr.; Tifton, Ga.

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Florida Gators
Coach: Mike White
115-69 in 6th season at UF
216-109 in 10th season overall
1	Tre Mann	13.8	5.3
6-5; 190; Soph.; Gainesville, Ga.
4	Anthony Duruji	6.1	3.9
6-7; 220; Jr.; Germantown, Md.
5	Omar Payne	3.9	3.4
6-10; 230; Soph.; Kissimmee, Fla.
10	Noah Locke	10.1	2.2
6-3; 203; Jr.; Baltimore, Md.
22	Tyree Appleby	10.0	2.9
6-1; 170; Jr.; Jacksonville, Ark.

TEAM COMPARISON

2020-21 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	FLORIDA
Points Per Game	78.5	76.5
Opp. Point Per Game	73.8	69.0
Scoring Margin	+4.6	+7.5
Field Goal Pct.	.462	.467
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.441	.413
3-Point Pct.	.323	.370
3-Pointers Per Game	6.2	7.0
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.310	.348
Free Throw Pct.	.691	.741
Free Throws Per Game	13.8	14.8
Rebounds Per Game	39.9	36.0
Opp. Rebound Per Game	35.5	34.5
Rebound Margin	+4.5	+1.5
Assists Per Game	15.2	12.4
Turnovers Per Game	17.4	14.1
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.87	0.88
Turnover Margin	+0.4	+1.6
Steals Per Game	9.0	7.5
Blocks Per Game	2.4	6.1

The Starting 5...

K.D. Johnson was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday, UGA's third SEC award winner this season following POTW Tye Fagan and Toumani Camara.
Sahvir leads the SEC in assists at 7.4 apg. His career average of 5.34 apg is better than any SEC player is averaging this season. Scotty Pippen Jr. is second in the SEC at 5.30 apg.
UGA is No. 18 nationally in steals at 9.0 spg, and three Dogs are among the SEC's top-10 leaders – No. 1 Justin Kier, No. 6 Sahvir Wheeler and No. 7 Toumani Camara.
Eight different Bulldogs have scored in double figures during the 2020-21 season, combining to produce 51 double-digit performances in UGA's 13 games.
UGA's roster features eight newcomers with representative in every class – two freshmen, a sophomore, two juniors and a trio of senior graduate transfers.

The Opening Tip

Following last-minute and last-second wins over Ole Miss and Kentucky, respectively, the Georgia Bulldogs return to action on Saturday when they host Florida in a matinee matchup.

Georgia is currently 9-4 overall and 2-4 in the SEC. The Bulldogs started the season 7-0, their best beginning in 38 years...since an eventual Final Four team opened the 1982-83 season 9-0.

At Ole Miss last Saturday afternoon, Georgia posted season-high shooting percentages from everywhere on the floor – overall (.587), 3-point range (.600) and the free throw line (.882) – en route to a 78-74 victory over the Rebels.

P.J. Horne's layup with 1.3 seconds left secured a 63-62 win over the Wildcats on Wednesday, supplying Georgia's first win over Kentucky since 2013 and snapping a 14-game losing streak to UK.

Georgia remains one of the nation's most balanced offensive teams, with no less than seven players averaging 9.5 ppg or more.

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

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

Andrew Garcia is...
• 86 points from 1,000 for his career
• 25 rebounds for 500 for his career

Series History With Florida

Despite a 63-41 edge for the Bulldogs in games played in Athens, Florida enters Saturday's game with a 116-105 advantage in the series between UGA and UF.

Florida is Georgia's most frequent foe on the hardwood. Trailing the Gators on the list of most matchups for Georgia are two more of the Bulldogs' biggest rivals – Georgia Tech with 196 contests and Auburn with 192.

Florida won both ends of the home-and-home series during the 2019-20 campaign. The Gators earned an 81-75 victory in Gainesville on Feb. 5 and then also won the rematch in Athens on March 4, 68-54.

Georgia and Florida were scheduled to play a third time in the second round of last season's SEC Tournament before that event was abruptly canceled on March 12 approximately three hours before tipoff.

In the most recent meeting, Georgia raced to an early 19-6 lead but could not sustain that momentum before a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum on "Senior Night" for the Bulldogs.

Rayshaun Hammonds scored eight points Georgia opened up a 13-point lead over the first five minutes of the contest.

Florida tied the game on three occasions, twice in the first half and again at 40-40 with 13:14 left, before the Gators grabbed their first lead on a pair of free throws at the 11:47 mark.

After the Bulldogs went back up on a Tye Fagan layup with 7:53 remaining, Florida embarked on a 15-4 surge to gain control.

Scouting The Gators

Florida enters Saturday's game with a 7-4 overall record and a 4-3 mark in SEC play. The Gators are coming off a 75-49 thumping of No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday.

Florida defeated the Vols shorthanded, playing without three Gators who started every game they've seen action in this season. Keyontae Johnson, the preseason SEC Player of the Year, has been out of action since early December; Scottie Lewis missed this third straight outing for "health and safety" reasons; and Colin Castleton was held out due to an ankle injury.

Tre Mann is the Gators' top active scorer, putting up 13.8 ppg. Castleton and Lewis are chipping in 12.6 ppg and 11.0 ppg, respectively. Noah Locke (10.1 ppg) and Tyree Appleby (10.0 ppg) also are producing points as a double-digit clip for Florida.

Dogs Snap Losing Streak To Cats With Buzzer-Beater By Horne

Georgia outscored Kentucky 7-0 over the final 109 seconds to secure a 63-62 victory over the Wildcats on Wednesday night. The victory snapped a 14-game losing streak to Kentucky. The Bulldogs' last win over UK prior to this week was on March 7, 2013.

Graduate transfer P.J. Horne scored on a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining to give Georgia the win.

While Horne hit the winning bucket, fellow graduate transfers Andrew Garcia and Justin Kier made plenty of winning plays against the Wildcats. Garcia finished with a team-high 16 points while connecting on 8-of-12 shots from the floor. Kier contributed his usually thorough linescore – seven points, five boards, a season-high five steals, three assists and a career-most two blocks.

Things That Make You Go HMMMM?

Georgia defeated Kentucky despite shooting a season-low 38.8 percent from the floor and matching the Bulldogs fewest points on the season, 63. Georgia also scored 63 points in a win over Montana on Dec. 8.

Of Gifts And Takeaways

Georgia ranks second in the SEC in both assists and steals.

Led by league-leading Sahvir Wheeler, the Bulldogs' average of 15.2 apg also is No. 84 in the nation. The sophomore from Houston's average of 7.4 apg is an eye-catching 2.1 apg more than any other SEC player. In fact, Wheeler's current career average of 5.34 apg would lead the league's season leaders entering this weekend.

Georgia's average 9.0 steals per game ranks No. 18 nationally. Three Bulldogs are among the SEC's top-10 leaders in takeaways – Justin Kier (No. 1 at 2.3 spg), Sahvir Wheeler (No. 7 at 1.6 spg) and Toumani Camara (No. 8 also at 1.6 spg).

Bulldogs Shot Hot In Oxford

Georgia posted season-best shooting efforts overall (58.7 percent), on 3-pointers (60.0 percent) and at the line (88.2 percent) in last Saturday's win at Ole Miss.

Tye Fagan led the way with a 9-of-9 performance from the field. The junior from Logtown became just the 11th player nationally this season to have a perfect night attempting nine or more shots from the floor.

From a historical perspective, Georgia's field goal percentage effort against the Rebels – which included a 75.0 percent second half – was the Bulldogs' fifth-best in a road outing in the last 25 years as outlined below.

Also, Georgia's tally from 3-point range was the best ever by an opponent in The Pavilion at Ole Miss, now in its sixth season as the home of the Rebels. The previous mark was 56.3 percent by Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 30, 2016, ironically when the Blue Raiders' were coached by Kermit Davis.

Best Road FG Pct. In Last 25 years
Rk.	Pct.	Opponent	FG-FGA	Date
1.	.652	at Marshall	30x46	12/18/99
2.	.635	at Ole Miss	33x52	1/15/11
3.	.633	at Chattanooga	31x49	12/2/14
4.	.596	at Florida	28x47	1/27/10
5.	.587	at Ole Miss	27x46	1/16/21

Fagan Bounces Back

Tye Fagan paced Georgia with 19 points at Ole Miss, including 17 in the second half. The junior from Logtown responded well after a season-low two points against Auburn.

Fagan returned to Georgia's starting lineup after coming off the bench for the first time in 2020-21 versus the Tigers.

"I had a good feeling about him today," Tom Crean said after the victory. "He wasn't real good on Wednesday night. None of us were. He's responded well the past couple of days, and I had a really good feeling to have him in there. He did an even better job than we could have imagined against the zone."

The first question asked of Fagan following the game involved his motivation.

"Not starting the other day wasn't necessarily motivation for me," Fagan stated. "It was the fact that we were 0-4 in conference play. That's the biggest motivation you need. If you claim to be a winner, losing games should motivate you more than anything. Starting or not starting, none of that matters except for winning. Losing games is what motivates me."

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 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.

Wheeler posted a fourth double-double at LSU and 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	13
	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

Johnson Earns SEC Honors

K.D. Johnson was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 18 after averaging 17.5 points in his first two outings as a Bulldog. Johnson poured in 21 points against Auburn on Jan. 13, the third-highest effort ever by a Bulldog in their UGA debut behind only Dominique Wilkins (26 points in 1979) and Anthony Edwards (24 points in 2019). Johnson added seven rebounds, four steals, two assists and two steals versus the Tigers. Three days later, Johnson scored 14 points while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from 3-point range in Georgia's win at Ole Miss. He knocked down a pair of shots from behind the 3-point arc in a 33-second span that pushed the Bulldogs' lead from six points to 12 with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Johnson is Georgia's third SEC weekly award winner this season, following Player of the Week honorees Tye Fagan (Nov. 30) and Toumani Camara (Dec. 21). Johnson is the ninth Bulldog to earn Freshman of the Week recognition since the award's inception in 1988. Those players have combined to win SEC FOTW 13 times.

Bulldogs Balanced On Offense

Georgia began the week of Jan. 11 as the only Division I basketball team in the nation with six players averaging double figures.

Through game of Jan. 10, 345 D-I teams had begun their 2020-21 campaign. 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 of offense.

While only five Bulldogs enter this week with double-figure averages, seven are currently contributing 9.5 ppg or more.

All told, eight different Bulldogs – add K.D. Johnson and Christian Brown to the ledger above – have combined to notch 51 double-digit scoring outputs during Georgia's 13 games. Four or more Bulldogs have reached double figures in nine outings, including a season-high six against Jacksonville.

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 102 percent from a year ago – from 6.6 to 13.3 ppg – while his rebounding count is up 72 percent – from 4.3 to 7.4 rpg.

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 10 more double-digit tallies this season, Camara has now scored 10 or more points in 17 of his last 28 outings at Georgia.

Bulldogs Supplying The Digits

Georgia is averaging 78.5 points per game this season, continuing the Bulldogs' trend of big-time point production under head coach Tom Crean.

Georgia scored 92 points in an overtime loss at LSU on Jan. 6 – the 13th time UGA reached the 90-point plateau in 73 games under Crean. 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.

Georgia's current scoring average would represent the Bulldogs' best tally since putting up 81.7 ppg in 1990-91.

Johnson Wows In His UGA Debut

Freshman K.D. Johnson made quite a splash in his first collegiate outing against Auburn on Jan. 13. The Atlanta native poured in 21 points – the third-most ever by a Bulldog in their first outing for UGA as outlined in the next note.

On Monday, Jan. 11, Johnson announced on social media that he was immediately eligible to play (more on that in the next game note). Two days later, he took the court and produced an extremely impressive linescore. Not only did he score 21 points, Johnson had seven rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks.

Top Tally Debuts By UGA Freshmen
Rk.	Player	Points	Season
1.	Dominique Wilkins	26	1979-80
2.	Anthony Edwards	24	2019-20
3.	K.D. Johnson	21	2020-21
4.	Sahvir Wheeler	19	2019-20
	Terry Fair	19	1979-80
6.	Jeremy Price	18	2007-08
	D.A. Layne	18	1998-99
8.	Sundiata Gaines	17	2004-05
9.	Rayshaun Hammonds	17	2017-18
10.	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	15	2011-12

Wrecking Announcers' Boards

TV and radio announcers working ahead on their prep for the Jan. 13 Auburn game got a surprise on Jan. 11 when K.D. Johnson, a consensus top-100 prospect in the Class of 2020, became immediately eligible play.

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."

Wheeler Tops SEC, 5th Nationally

Sahvir Wheeler led the SEC and ranked in No. 5 nationally in average assists entering this weekend as outlined below.

Wheeler's production of 7.4 passes-to-points per game topped SEC leaders by a wide margin, a whooping 2.1 assists per game better than any other league player.

NCAA Average Assist Leaders
Rk.	Player, School	Assists	Avg.
1.	Chandler Vaudrin, Winthrop	103	7.9
2.	Kendric Davis, SMU	69	7.7
3.	Jalen Moore, Oakland	130	7.6
4.	Colbey Ross, Pepperdine	82	7.5
5.	Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia	96	7.4

Lots of New Faces

Georgia's 2020-21 roster features five returnees and eight newcomers.

The octet of first-year Bulldogs 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.

This One Is Hard To Believe

Saturday's matchup with Florida will be Georgia's seventh SEC outing. It will be the sixth game that does not include a true, fourth-year senior on either team's roster.

Devontae Shuler of Ole Miss was the first true senior in any of those outings.

Not only does Georgia not have a true senior, neither did any of the Bulldogs' five other league foes to date – Mississippi State, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky.

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

Georgia's Tye Fagan and Toumani Camara earned Southeastern Player of the Week accolades for the first and fourth weeks of the season, respectively.

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 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.

In the afternoon, the Lady Bulldogs improved to 8-0 by dispatching Appalachian State, 107-44, their highest scoring output since Dec. 28, 2000.

Later that evening, the Bulldogs defeated Northeastern, 76-58, to improve to 7-0, their best start in 38 years.

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. And a tip of the cap to the Wolverines, who are still undefeated and a combined 21-0 entering this weekend.

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: Bulldogs Look To Extend Winning Ways

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Christian Brown

Toumani Camara

Anthony Edwards

Jaxon Etter

Tye Fagan

Andrew Garcia

Rayshaun Hammonds

P.J. Horne

K.D. Johnson

Justin Kier

Tyron McMillan

Jonathan Ned

Mikal Starks

Josh Taylor

Sahvir Wheeler

University of Georgia Athletics

MBB Game Notes: Bulldogs Look To Extend Winning Ways

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Christian Brown

Toumani Camara

Anthony Edwards

Jaxon Etter

Tye Fagan

Andrew Garcia

Rayshaun Hammonds

P.J. Horne

K.D. Johnson

Justin Kier

Tyron McMillan

Jonathan Ned

Mikal Starks

Josh Taylor

Sahvir Wheeler

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