MBB Game Notes: Bulldogs To Host Bama In Regular-Season Finale

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (14-10, 7-10 SEC) vs. No. 8/5 Alabama (20-6, 15-2 SEC)
Saturday, March 6, 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: CBS (Brad Nessler, play-by-play; Pete Gillen, analyst)
Video Stream: CBSSports.com
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: XM: 386; Internet: 976
History: UA leads, 97-52 (Full History)
Last Meeting: UA, 115-82, on Feb. 13, 2021

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Tom Crean
41-47 in 3rd season at UGA
397-278 in 21st season overall
2	Sahvir Wheeler	13.8	4.0
5-10; 180; Soph.; Houston, Texas
5	Justin Kier	9.6	3.7
6-6; 215; Soph.; Hopkins, S.C.
10	Toumani Camara	12.7	7.7
6-8; 220; Soph.; Brussels, Belgium
14	Tye Fagan	9.4	4.5
6-3; 195; Jr.; Logtown, Ga.
24	P.J. Horne	8.6	3.4
6-6; 230; Gr.; Tifton, Ga.

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Alabama Crimson Tide
Coach: Nate Oats
36-21 in 2nd season at UA
132-64 in 6th season overall
1	Herbert Jones	11.0	6.1
6-8; 210; Sr,; Greensboro, Ala.
2	Jordan Bruner	7.1	4.9
6-9; 205; Gr.; Columbia, S.C.
5	Jaden Shackelford	14.5	3.9
6-3; 200; Soph.; Hesperia, Calif.
11	Joshua Primo	8.0	3.3
6-6; 190; Fr., Toronton, Ontario
23	John Petty Jr.	12.8	5.0
6-5; 184; Sr.; Huntsville, Ala.

TEAM COMPARISON

2020-21 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	ALABAMA
Points Per Game	77.0	79.2
Opp. Point Per Game	77.0	70.0
Scoring Margin	+0.0	+9.3
Field Goal Pct.	.458	.428
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.457	.406
3-Point Pct.	.314	.352
3-Pointers Per Game	6.2	10.7
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.335	.286
Free Throw Pct.	.695	.717
Free Throws Per Game	14.9	13.8
Rebounds Per Game	37.5	40.1O
pp. Rebound Per Game	35.8	38.9
Rebound Margin	+1.8	+1.2
Assists Per Game	14.8	14.1
Turnovers Per Game	16.7	14.0
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.89	1.00
Turnover Margin	-0.1	+1.9
Steals Per Game	8.5	8.6
Blocks Per Game	2.5	4.0

The Starting 5...

Sahvir Wheeler's 170 assists is not only Georgia's single-season record that tally ranks No. 2 nationally among all D-I players during the 2020-21 season.
Of 347 Division I teams, Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler are of only six sets of teammates with six or more double-doubles this season.
From Feb. 10-23, when UGA played five-straight probable NCAA Tournament teams, the Dogs' NCAA strength of schedule climbed from No. 99 to No. 46 nationally.
P.J. Horne, who generally guards the opposing team's post player a significant amount, leads UGA with 38 3-pointers made this season.
Eight different Bulldogs have scored in double figures during the 2020-21 season, combining to produce 94 double-digit performances in UGA's 24 games.

The Opening Tip

Georgia wraps up its regular-season campaign on Saturday when the Bulldogs host No. 8/5 Alabama at historic Stegeman Coliseum in a CBS nationally televised matinee matchup.

That Georgia is facing Alabama, which clinched the SEC title a week ago – and that the game was announced just nine days before occurring – falls in line with just about everything else associated with the past 12 months.

The Bulldogs have probably played as challenging a slate as anyone in the nation over the past three and a half weeks. Alabama represents the sixth probable NCAA Tournament opponent in Georgia's last seven games.

The Bulldogs endured a "February Frenzy" that will rival anything "March Madness" has to offer. Between Feb. 10-23, Georgia faced five consecutive teams likely to receive NCAA bids and compiled a 2-3 mark in those contests. The home team won each outing, a trend we would gladly welcome continuing against the Crimson Tide.

The Bulldogs defeated No. 20/19 Missouri and LSU at Stegeman Coliseum and dropped decisions at No. 16/15 Tennessee, No. 11/11 Alabama and Florida. Georgia and Kentucky are the only SEC teams to play five straight games versus the league's six consensus teams projected to earn NCAA Tournament bids, Arkansas being the other "March Madness" lock. The Bulldogs played their quintet of contests in 14 days, while the Wildcats did so over an 18-day span.

Though Georgia celebrated "Senior Day" prior to last Saturday's matchup with South Carolina, the Alabama game will serve as the final home outing for three senior Bulldogs – graduate transfers Andrew Garcia, Justin Kier and P.J. Horne.

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

Tom Crean is...
• 3 wins from 400 victories in his career

Sahvir Wheeler is...
• 15 assists from No 15 Shandon Anderson (1993-96) among UGA's best career tallies
• 25 assists from No. 14 Willie Anderson (1985-88) among UGA's best career tallies
• 40 assists from No. 13 Gerald Crosby (1982-85) among UGA's best career tallies

Series History With Alabama

Alabama sports 97-52 lead in the overall series between the Bulldogs and the Tide, including a 33-31 advantage in Athens.

In the most recent matchup at Stegeman Coliseum last Feb. 8, Sahvir Wheeler notched what were then career-high efforts of 24 points and eight assists; however, Georgia dropped a 105-102 overtime decision to Alabama.

After trailing most of the first half, the Bulldogs used a 13-3 run over the opening 2:24 of the second stanza to grab a 54-48 lead.

That margin grew to 65-53 at the 14:44 mark before the Crimson Tide rallied and went up 83-77 with 7:04 left.

Rayshaun Hammonds knotted the score at 92-92 with 21 seconds remaining in regulation to force OT.

The Tide led by four points twice in the extra five-minute session, but the game wasn't decided until Anthony Edwards' 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.

Georgia traveled to Tuscaloosa just three weeks ago when K.D. Johnson poured in 24 points, his second straight career-high scoring output in a road game against a ranked opponent, however Georgia still dropped a 115-82 decision at No. 11/11 Alabama.

Johnson, who scored 22 points at No. 16/15 Tennessee three days earlier, led a quartet of Bulldogs in double figures. Sahvir Wheeler chipped in 16 points, Toumani Camara posted a double-double of 12 points and 13 boards and Tye Fagan notched 11 points.

Georgia trailed by just three, 41-38, at halftime before Alabama began the second period with an 18-9 surge over the first 6:39 of the period to seize control.

A hot-shooting Crimson Tide team connected on 64.3 percent of its shots from the floor and 60.0 percent of its 3-pointers.

Scouting The Crimson Tide

Alabama, which is ranked No. 8 and No. 5 in this week's AP and USA Today polls, respectively, enters Saturday's game at 20-6 overall and 15-2 in league play.

It's probably not a coincidence that Alabama is one of the SEC's most veteran teams, with a seniors Herbert Jones, John Petty Jr., Alex Reese and Tyler Barnes spending their entire careers in Tuscaloosa.

Sophomore Jaden Shackelford paces a quartet of double-figure scorers for the Tide at 14.5 ppg, while Petty is adding 12.8 ppg, Jahvon Quinerly is contributing 12.0 ppg and Jones is chipping in 11.0 ppg.

Last Time Out

Sahvir Wheeler broke Georgia's single-season assist record and Andrew Garcia notched his 1,000th-career point; however, South Carolina defeated Georgia, 91-70, last Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum.

In fact, both milestones occurred on the same play. With 14:20 remaining in the game, Wheeler found Garcia in transition, and he converted the pass into an and-one.

All three of Georgia's graduate transfers reached double figures in the Bulldogs' "Senior Day" contest versus the Gamecocks. P.J. Horne scored a team-high 17 points, while Justin Kier added 16 and Garcia chipped in a total of 10.

A Tough Slate Without Breaks

Georgia has played one of the SEC's most challenging league schedules, and the Bulldogs did so as the only team to play its first 17 games of the conference slate without skipping a scheduled play date.

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, seven teams sport SEC records of .500 or better. Georgia is the only league team that has played four of those teams – Alabama, Florida, LSU and Ole Miss. Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri are the other teams with winning SEC records to date.

The Bulldogs also are the only SEC team to play five-consecutive games against the league's projected NCAA Tournament teams in a 14-day span.

While Bulldogs did not have a open date, they did have a schedule alteration. Georgia played Tennessee on Feb. 10 after the Dogs' game against Texas A&M and the Vols' outing versus Florida that were scheduled for that day were postponed day due to COVID issues. The SEC announced the matchup between UGA and UT on Feb. 7.

The moving of the Tennessee game did open up the opportunity for a contest to replace Texas A&M on the schedule. That switched the Bulldogs from playing the Aggies, who are 2-7 in SEC games, to Alabama, which is 15-2.

An Animal House Scoring Margin

After 24 games, Georgia has scored 1,865 points, while the Bulldogs' opponents have scored...wait for it...1,865 points.

Entering the regular-season finale, that gives Georgia a Senator John Blutarsky-esque scoring margin of...zero, point, zero!

Youth Served For Bulldogs

Georgia is one of three SEC teams with its three leading scorers being true freshmen or sophomores...Auburn and Vanderbilt being the others.

Sophomore Sahvir Wheeler paces the Bulldogs at 13.8 ppg, followed by freshman K.D. Johnson at 13.4 ppg and sophomore Toumani Camara at 12.7 ppg.

That trio of Bulldogs not only leads Georgia but rank among the SEC's top performers in various statistical categories.

Wheeler is atop SEC stats for assists at 7.1 apg, an eye-catching 2.0 assists per game more than any other league players. He also is No. 3 in both assist-to-turnover margin (1.60) and average minutes (34.7 mpg).

Camara is tied for the league lead with seven double-doubles. Missouri's Jeremiah Tilmon and Mississippi State's Tolu Smith also have seven double-doubles.

Johnson missed the first 10 games of the season while the NCAA reviewed his academic certification and therefore only meets the minimum participation requirement of 75 percent of a team's games for stat leaders for SEC only games. In stats for SEC games only, Johnson is No. 2 in steals at 1.9 spg.

Wheeler Climbs UGA Assist Lists

Sahvir Wheeler broke Georgia's single-season assist during the Bulldogs' Feb. 27 matchup with South Carolina. The sophomore from Houston ascended Georgia's season leaders ledger at a breakneck pace, climbing from No. 13 to No. 1 in just four games.

Wheeler entered the Feb. 16 Missouri game at No. 13 but moved up five spots with ¢60 – as in six dimes – against the Tigers. Four more passes to points at Florida on Feb. 20 pushed him to No. 4, and 13 dishes versus LSU on Feb. 23 put him at No. 2...and within four of the record. Wheeler had five assists against the Gamecocks, his 21st outing with five or more passes-to-points this season.

Wheeler has 170 assists in 24 games, one more than Pertha Robinson's previous Georgia record of 169 in 1994-95.

Wheeler also is making his way up the list of the Bulldogs' career assists leaders. He is currently in the No. 16 spot with 309 as outlined below.

As a point of reference, Wheeler's career average of 5.6 assists per game is 1.5 assists per game more than that of Rashad Wright, the Bulldogs' all-time assists.

UGA Single-Season Assist Leaders
Rk.	No.	Player, Season	GP	Avg.
1.	169	Pertha Robinson, 1994-95	27	6.26
2	165	Sahvir Wheeler, 2020-21	23	7.17
3.	154	Sundiata Gaines, 2006-07	32	4.81
4.	153	Rashad Wright, 2001-02	32	4.78
5.	152	Donald Hartry, 1985-86	30	5.07
6.	151	J.J. Frazier, 2015-16	34	4.44
7.	150	Willie Anderson, 1986-87	30	5.00
8.	149	Rashad Wright, 2002-03	27	5.52
9.	148	G.G. Smith, 1996-97	33	4.48
	148	G.G. Smith, 1997-98	35	4.23
11.	145	Pertha Robinson, 1995-96	30	4.83
12.	144	Gerald Crosby, 1984-85	31	4.65
13.	143	Sundiata Gaines, 2007-08	34	4.21
14.	140	J.J. Frazier, 2016-17	34	4.12
15.	139	Willie Anderson, 1987-88	35	3.97
	139	Sahvir Wheeler, 2019-20	31	4.48

UGA CareerAssist Leaders
Rk.	No.	Player, Season	GP	Avg.
1.	493	Rashad Wright, 2000-04	119	4.1
2.	476	Sundiata Gaines, 2004-08	123	3.9
3.	466	Litterial Green, 1989-92	116	4.0
4.	440	G.G. Smith, 1996-99	129	3.4
5.	422	J.J. Frazier, 2014-17	130	3.2
10.	379	Rod Cole, 1988-91	126	3.0
13.	349	Gerald Crosby, 1982-85	115	3.0
14.	334	Willie Anderson, 1985-88	107	3.1
15.	324	Shandon Anderson, 1993-96	118	2.7
16.	309	Shavir Wheeler, 2020-21	55	5.6

Johnson Tops 20 Four Times

Though he's only played in 14 games, freshman K.D. Johnson leads the Bulldogs with four 20-point performances this season.

Johnson christened his collegiate career with 21 points against Auburn on Jan. 13. That represented the third-highest effort ever by a Georgia freshman in his debut, trailing only Dominique Wilkins and Anthony Edwards as outlined below.

Since then, Johnson put up 22 points at No. 16/15 Tennessee on Feb. 10 and topped that with 24 at No. 11/11 Alabama on Feb. 13. The Atlanta native's fourth 20-point outburst was a 21-point showing against LSU on Feb. 23.

Top 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

Bulldogs Supplying The Digits

Georgia is averaging 77.7 points per game this season, continuing the Bulldogs' trend of big-time point production under head coach Tom Crean.

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

Georgia scored 91 points in its Feb. 23 win over LSU – the 15th time UGA reached the 90-point plateau in just 87 games under Crean. For you math geeks out there, that's a pretty healthy 17.2 percent of Crean's total games with the Bulldogs.

By comparison, Georgia scored 90 or more points just 15 times in 387 games before Crean's arrival, or .038 percent of the time in a span that dates back to the 2006-07 season.

Bulldogs Balanced On Offense

Georgia is among the nation's most balanced basketball teams offensively, with seven Bulldogs averaging 8.6-13.8 ppg.

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

All told, eight different Bulldogs have combined to notch 94 double-digit scoring outputs and four or more have scored in double figures in 17 of UGA's 24 outings, including a season-high six against Auburn and Jacksonville.

Georgia's "Pseudo Seniors"

Georgia celebrated its "Senior Day" last Saturday when the Bulldogs welcomed South Carolina to Stegeman Coliseum for a matinee matchup. And like everything else over the past 10-12 months, the festivities varied from what's considered the norm.

Georgia's three "pseudo seniors" – Andrew Garcia, P.J. Horne and Justin Kier – are graduate transfers who were playing at other schools this time last season. That trio arrived in Athens at various times last summer when it wasn't known if there would even be a 2020-21 college basketball season and has played an integral role in the development of an easily spotted chemistry the Bulldogs display this season.

Each has enjoyed significant milestones this season, most notably:

• Garcia scored his 1,000th career point against South Carolina on Feb. 27. He put up 784 points in 77 games at Stony Brook and added the final 216 as a Bulldog.

• P.J. Horne, a native of Tifton, Ga., converted the game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds left against Kentucky on Jan. 20 that snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Wildcats dating back to 2013.

• Justin Kier knocked down his 100th career 3-pointer versus LSU on Feb. 23, making him one of only two active Division I players with career totals of 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 steals and 100 3-pointers...along with Carlik Jones from Louisville.

Fagan, Garcia Get To 10+ Efficiently

Tye Fagan and Andrew Garcia are Georgia's two most efficient scorers. Fagan leads the team with a 58.6 percent conversion rate, followed closely by Garcia's 55.4 percent.

When those two Bulldogs hit double figures, those percentages jump considerably.

In Fagan's 11 double-figure outings, he has connected on 68.6 percent (70-of-102) of his shots from the floor. That includes a 9-of-9 effort at Ole Miss when he became the 11th D-I player this season to have a perfect performance when attempting at least nine shots.

In Garcia's 11 double-digit games, he has made 63.4 percent (59-of-93) of his field goals.

Wheeler's Historic Performance

Let's start with some perspective. When the following is fourth-best nugget from what a player did in a game, that's saying something:

• Delivered 13 assists, the third-best single-game assist effort in school history.

For the sake of brevity and convenience, we'll just list the significant achievements associated with Sahvir Wheeler's performance against LSU on Feb. 23 in bullet form.

• Recorded the first triple-double in 116 seasons of Georgia Basketball.
• Became the shortest player in SEC history with a triple-double.
• Moved from No. 4 to No. 2 among UGA's all-time single-season assist leaders.
• Delivered 13 assists, the third-best single-game assist effort in school history.
• Notched his sixth game this season with double figures in both points and assists, the second-most by any SEC player in the 2000s.
• Ascended from No. 18 to No. 16 on UGA's career assist leaders ledger.

We could keep going but will stop there.

Toumani Was Money Too

Somewhat lost in the shuffle with Sahvir Wheeler's performance against LSU was a stellar showing by Toumani Camara.

The sophomore from Brussels poured in a career-high 22 points on a 9-of-12 shooting performance from the floor.

Camara also hauled in 10 boards to record his league-leading seventh double-double of the campaign. He enters this weekend tied with Missouri's Jeremiah Tilmon and Mississippi State's Tolu Smith atop the ledger of SEC double-double leaders.

Wheeler The Dealer

Sahvir Wheeler has led the SEC and ranked among the nation's leaders in assists throughout the 2020-21 campaign.

Wheeler is currently No. 2 nationally in total assists and No. 6 in average assists as outlined below.

In fact, Wheeler's career average (5.62 apg) is better than the second-best season average in the SEC for 2020-21 (5.17 by Vanderbilt's Scotty Pippen Jr.)

NCAA Average Assist Leaders
Rk.	Player, School	Assists	Avg.
1.	Jalen Moore, Oakland	238	8.5
2.	Cam Mack, Prarie View	114	8.1
3.	Kendric Davis, SMU	114	7.6
	Jason Preston, Ohio	114	7.6
4.	Colbey Ross, Pepperdine	165	7.5
5.	Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia	170	7.1

Etter Betters Contributions

The production of walk-on Jaxon Etter has increased dramatically in the past month.

Entering a Feb. 6 outing against Vanderbilt, Etter sported career averages of 0.4 points, 0.4 rebounds and 3.0 minutes in 20 outings as a Bulldog.

In Georgia's last nine games, the sophomore from Woodstock, Ga., is contributing 4.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. He has also drawn eight charges in the last nine games.

Etter's increased production didn't magically blossom on Feb. 6. He has played a part in several victories this season.

Etter logged meaningful minutes in multiple non-conference outings, most prominently against Samford when his layup at the 1:17 mark of the second half gave Georgia its first lead of the night.

After playing eight minutes (with five DNPs) in Georgia's first eight SEC outings, Etter saw first-half action in wins over Ole Miss and Auburn to initiate recent upswing. In five games between Feb. 10-20, he scored more than four times his previous point production and topped his previous rebound and PT numbers as outlined below.

Etter's Better Contributions
Game(s)	Pts.	Rebs.	MP
First 20 Career Games	8	7K	60
Vanderbilt	7	1	15
Tennessee	5	3	19
Alabama	9	2	20
Missouri	9	2	18
Florida	4	1	14
Next 5 Games	34	9	86

Georgia's Double-Double Tandem

There are 347 Division-I basketball teams that have played this season. As of Monday, Georgia was one of six teams with a pair of players with six or more double-doubles.

Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler have done so along with David McCormack and Jalen Wilson of Kansas; Eral Penn and Tryn Flowers of LIU; Jalen Moore and Daniel Oladapo of Oakland; brothers Evan and Isaiah Mobley of Southern Cal; and Neemias Queta and Justin Bean of Utah State.

Don't Sell Him Short

Entering this weekend, 90 D-I players had six or more double-doubles this season. The average height of those players was 6-7.73.

Sahvir Wheeler is the shortest player on that list at 5-10, all but a foot shorter than the other players on the list. He is one of just two players listed under 6-0, along with 5-11 Jalen Moore from Oakland.

Each Wheeler's sextet is of the point-assist variety, and he has the second-most point-assist double-doubles of any SEC player in the 2000s as outlined below.

Wheeler opened the campaign with a trio of those 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, a fifth versus Florida and a sixth – which was actually a point-rebound-assist triple double – against LSU in Athens.

SEC Pt.-Ast. Double-Doubles In 2000s
Rk.	No.	Player, School	Season	GP
1.	7	Tyler Ulis, Kentucky	2015-16	35
2.	6	Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia	2020-21	24
3.	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

Camara's Production Increases

Toumani Camara's scoring efforts – and its consistency – have been solid this season. The sophomore's improved production actually traces back to last season.

After scoring in double figures once in his first 16 games, he did so seven times in the final 16 outings of 2019-20.

With 18 more double-digit tallies this season, Camara has scored 10 or more points in 26 of his last 39 outings.

Dogs Finally Face Ranked Foe, Then Take On Three Top-25ers In A Row

Georgia's game against No. 16/15 Tennessee was Bulldogs' latest initial outing against a ranked opponent ever...in seasons when UGA has faced a ranked team.

The contest with the Vols was Georgia's 19th game of the season on Feb. 10.

Previously, the latest the Bulldogs advanced into a season before facing a ranked opponent was the 17th outing of the 2007-08 and 1963-64 campaigns. Those contests were versus No. 3 Tennessee on Jan. 26, 2008 and against No. 4 Kentucky on Feb. 6, 1964.

There are numerous seasons prior to that when the Bulldogs did not faced a ranked opponent at all, the most recent of those being 60 years ago in 1960-61.

Tennessee was the first of a trio of consecutive top-25 foes which also included No. 11/11 Alabama and No. 20/19 Missouri.

Bulldogs Better In Tight Games

Georgia is 4-1 in games decided by four points or less, including 3-1 in SEC play.

Last season, the Bulldogs were 5-3 in such outings. That combined 9-4 mark is a dramatic difference from Tom Crean's first season, when the Georgia was 0-6 and each of those setbacks was to an NCAA Tourney team.

In 2018-29, the Bulldogs lost to Temple (81-77) and Arizona State (76-74) in non-conference play also dropped four consecutive extremely excruciating late-season losses by a combined nine points to LSU (83-79), Mississippi State (68-67), Ole Miss (72-71) and Auburn (78-75).

This season, the Bulldogs defeated Samford (79-75), Ole Miss (78-74), Kentucky (63-62) and Vanderbilt (73-70) while losing in overtime at LSU (94-92).

Last season, Georgia topped Georgia Tech (72-68), Chaminade (80-77), SMU (87-85), No. 9 Memphis (65-62) and Vanderbilt (80-78) but lost to Missouri (72-69), Alabama (105-102) and South Carolina (94-90).

The Numbers Within 3-Game Streak

Georgia defeated Ole Miss, Auburn and Vanderbilt to secure its first trio of consecutive SEC victories since the latter portion of the 2016-17 campaign.

That season, the Bulldogs topped Alabama, LSU and Auburn in successive games between Feb. 23-March 1.

More impressive than the wins over the Rebels, Tigers and Commodores were the numbers within those outings.

In Georgia's first eight SEC outings this season, the Bulldogs connected on 43.8 percent of their shots from the field, including 32.0 percent from 3-point range.

In the Bulldogs' trio of victories, they connected on a 53.8 percent (86-of-160) of their shots from the field, including 46.9 percent (23-of-49) from behind the 3-point arc.

Georgia led virtually from start to finish of each outing. In fact, of the 120 minutes played, the Bulldogs were behind for only 15:02 – 3:16 to Ole Miss and 11:46 to Vandy.

Tye Fagan's Avenge Tour

When Georgia lost to Auburn on Jan. 13 in Athens, Tye Fagan scored two points in a season-low 10 minutes of playing time.

In the Bulldogs' next outing at Ole Miss, Fagan put up a team-high 19 points to lead Georgia to its first SEC win.

The first question asked of Fagan following the game was if not starting motivate him. "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."

In the rematch at Auburn, Fagan took full advantage of the chance to reverse his performance. He scored seven points in the first 103 seconds and finished with a team-high 16.

After the win, Fagan stated that his performance in the first outing was motivational.

"It was very motivational, because I knew that I had to be there for my team tonight," he said. "I just wanted to do whatever I could do, whether it was rebound or run the floor. I just wanted to make up for that game because that game wasn't one of my best, so I just wanted to put that behind me."

Dogs Snap Losing Streak To Cats

Georgia outscored Kentucky 7-0 over the final 109 seconds to secure a 63-62 victory over the Wildcats on Jan. 20. 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 the winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining.

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

Three Dogs Earns SEC Honors

Tye Fagan and Toumani Camara earned SEC Player of the Week honors this season, while K.D. Johnson secured SEC Freshman of the Week accolades.

Fagan was chosen on Nov. 30 after posting career-high tallies of 21 points and 10 rebounds en route to his first career double-double in the opener versus Florida A&M.

Camara was tabbed on Dec. 21 after his performance against Cincinnati when he equaled his career-best scoring output (19 points) en route to his second double-double.

Johnson was selected on Jan. 18 after he poured in 21 points in his collegiate debut versus Auburn and then scored 14 points at Ole Miss.

Wrecking Announcers' Boards

Announcers prepping for the Auburn game got a surprise on Monday, Jan. 11 when K.D. Johnson, a consensus top-100 prospect in the Class of 2020, announced on social media that he was immediately eligible to play for the Bulldogs.

Johnson posted after practice that day: "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."

"We're extremely excited to have K.D. eligible," head coach Tom Crean said. "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."

Edwards Drafted No. 1 Overall

Anthony Edwards was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft on Nov. 18 when he was selected with the top pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Edwards became the UGA's 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 all-time and the eighth first-round selection. He was Georgia's first lottery pick since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was taken No. 8 overall by Detroit 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 everyone who has ever been a part of Georgia Basketball can be proud of this. It also shows that you can come to Georgia, and in Anthony's case come to Georgia and stay close to home, and achieve all of your dreams. That's really, really important for us."

Edwards was the nation's top-scoring freshman at 19.1 ppg. He scored 610 points – the 10th-most ever by an SEC freshman – en route to earning SEC Freshman of the Year.

Edwards became the SEC's sixth No. 1 overall NBA pick – and the fifth since 2010, joining Shaquille O'Neal (1992), John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012), Karl Anthony-Towns (2015) and Ben Simmons (2016).

A Good Year For Drafted Dogs

Anthony Edwards' selection as the top overall selection in the NBA Draft continued a strong year for Georgia Bulldogs in the 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.

University of Georgia Athletics

MBB Game Notes: Bulldogs To Host Bama In Regular-Season Finale

Players Mentioned

Toumani Camara

Anthony Edwards

Jaxon Etter

Tye Fagan

Andrew Garcia

Rayshaun Hammonds

P.J. Horne

K.D. Johnson

Justin Kier

Tyron McMillan

Sahvir Wheeler

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