MBB Notes: Bulldogs Open SEC Play By Hosting Auburn

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

Georgia (10-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. No. 22/20 Auburn (11-2, 1-0 SEC)
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Flagship: WSB AM 750); (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie, producer | Affiliates
TV: SEC Network (Kevin Fitzgerald, pbp; Jon Sundvold, analyst)
Video Stream: SECN+
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: SiriusXM: 380; SXM App: 970
History: AU leads, 99-96 (Full History)
Last Meeting: AU, 74-72, on Feb. 5, 2022

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Mike White
10-3 in 1st at UGA
253-131 in 12th season overall
0	Terry Roberts	14.1	38
(6-3; 180; Sr.; North Amityville, N.Y)
3	Kario Oquendo	14.3	3.9
(6-4; 220; Jr.; Titusville, Fla.)
12	Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe	6.0	4.9
(6-8; 215; Jr.; Toronto, Ontario)
13	Mardrez McBride	5.3	2.8
(6-2; 180; 5th Year; Augusta, Ga.)
23	Braelen Bridges	7.6	4.3
(6-11; 245; 5th Year; Atlanta, Ga.)

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Auburn Tigers
Coach: Bruce Pearl
177-100 in 9th season at AU
639-245 in 28th season overall
1	Wendell Green Jr.	12.7	3.8
(5-11; 175; Jr.; Detroit, Mich.)
2	Jaylin Williams	10.3	5.3
(6-8; 230; Sr.; Nahunta, Ga.)
4	Johni Broome	12.3	8.4
(6-10; 235; Soph.; Plant City, Fla.)
5	Chris Moore	6.7	2.6
(6-6; 230; Jr.; West Memphis, Ark.)
12	Zep Jasper	3.2	0.8
(6-1; 190; Grad.; Augusta, Ga.)

TEAM COMPARISON

2022-23 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	AUBURN
Points Per Game	71.3	72.7
Opp. Point Per Game	64.0	61.8
Scoring Margin	+7.3	+10.9
Field Goal Pct.	.437	.442
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.416	.389
3-Point Pct.	.339	.297
3-Pointers Per Game	7.1	6.1
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.291	.262
Free Throw Pct.	.737	.671
Free Throws Per Game	14.7	15.2
Rebounds Per Game	38.4	39.1
Opp. Rebound Per Game	31.4	33.3
Rebound Margin	+7.0	+5.8
Assists Per Game	12.8	14.3
Turnovers Per Game	14.4	14.2
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.89	1.01
Turnover Margin	-1.5	+0.2
Steals Per Game	6.9	8.7
Blocks Per Game	3.5	6.8

The Starting 5...

UGA opens SEC play against No. 22/20 Auburn on Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
UGA notched its 10th win on Dec. 28, just the 4th time UGA reached double-digit "Ws" before the New Year.
Only 3 Dogs have played in every game and 6 have recorded a combined 16 DNPs due to injury or illness.
UGA's bench has scored 327 points with a +186 (14.3 ppg) margin over its opponents' reserves to date.
Mike White secured the 250th victory of his head coaching career with UGA's win over Florida A&M on Dec. 2.

The Opening Tip

After one of its most fruitful non-conference runs ever, Georgia opens SEC play on Wednesday by hosting No. 22/20 Auburn. The Bulldogs wrapped up their pre-SEC slate at 10-3 following a Dec. 28 victory over Rider – just the fourth time in program history the Bulldogs compiled a double-digit win total prior to the New Year. Georgia's 10 victories to date has already topped the six wins the Bulldogs secured all of last season. In fact, Georgia won six games in November, taking just 24 days to reach the entire number of "Ws" the Bulldogs earned during the 2021-22 campaign. Georgia enters SEC play on a modest three-game winning streak with victories over Notre Dame, Chattanooga and Rider.

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

Braelen Bridges is...
• 25 points from 1,000 for his career
• 14 rebounds from 500 for his career

Jailyn Ingram is...
• 28 points from 1,500 for his career
• 3 rebounds from 700 for his career

Series History With Auburn

Though Georgia owns a pretty hefty 62-29 advantage in games played in Athens, Auburn possesses a slim 99-96 edge in overall meetings between the Bulldogs and the Tigers.

In the most recent matchup last Feb. 5, Georgia's valiant upset effort came up two painful points shy as the Bulldogs dropped a 74-72 decision to No. 1 Auburn at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum.

Kario Oquendo poured in a game-high 25 points for Georgia, which also received double-digit contributions from Braelen Bridges (14 points), Jaxon Etter (13) and Aaron Cook (10).

After trailing by 12 points at halftime, the Bulldogs exploded on a 17-6 run after the intermission to pull within 48-47 at the 15:16 mark.

Georgia eventually grabbed a 58-56 lead on a pair of Jabri Abdur-Rahim free throws at the 8:20 mark. Neither team led by more than two points over the final 5:32 of the contest, a span which featured six ties.

Auburn scored the game-winner on a layup by Wendell Green Jr. with 3.3 seconds remaining.

Scouting The Tigers

Auburn arrives in Athens at 11-2 overall and 1-0 in the SEC after topping Florida last Wednesday, 61-58.

The Tigers, who are ranked No. 20 and No. 22 in this week's coaches and AP polls, respectively, opened the season with an 8-0 record before suffering setbacks to Memphis and Southern Cal.

Wendell Green Jr. is averaging a team-high 12.7 points per game, while Johni Broome is contributing 12.3 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds. Jaylin Williams also is scoring at a double-digit pace of 10.3 ppg. Former Bulldog K.D. Johnson is the Tigers' fourth-leading scorer, chipping in 9.8 ppg off the bench.

Last Time Out

Kario Oquendo and Terry Roberts scored 17 points apiece to lead Georgia in a 78-72 win over Rider at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum last Wednesday.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Mardrez McBride chipped in 15 and 11 points, respectively. Georgia knocked down 13 3-pointers on the night, matching the ninth-best single-game total in program history.

Though the Bulldogs never trailed in the contest, the outcome wasn't decided until the final seconds.

Georgia opened the evening with a 10-0 run and maintained a comfortable lead for much of the night. The Bulldogs pushed a seven-point halftime advantage to 58-38 with 13:53 remaining.

Georgia led 70-55 with 7:17 left before the Broncs used a 13-1 run to close the game to 71-68 at the 3:30 mark. Following Abdur-Rahim's fifth 3-pointer on the night, Rider trimmed the gap to 74-72 with 56 seconds remaining. Braelen Bridges and McBride converted on 4-of-4 trips to the line thereafter to supply the game's final score.

The sellout crowd was Georgia's first for a non-conference game in two days shy of four years – since a 91-72 win over UMass on Dec. 30, 2018.

Dogs Earn Historical W

Georgia's 10-3 record in November and December marked just the fourth time in 118 seasons that the Bulldogs reached the double-digit win plateau prior to the New Year.

Interestingly, each of the previous squads to obtain that standard – from the 1996-97, 2001-02 and 2010-11 seasons – notched 11 victories before January arrived. Those teams all went on to compete in "March Madness"...although the 2002 appearance was later vacated.

Numerous other Georgia squads came up just shy of the pre-January double-digit qualifier. Eleven editions of the Bulldogs recorded nine victories before the calendar flipped, most recently doing so 2019-20. Of those, four teams were 9-1, two were 9-2, three were 9-3, one was 9-4 and one was 9-5.

A Very Close Rivalry

Wednesday's game will be the 196th between the Bulldogs and the Tigers, with Auburn owning a 99-96 advantage.

The series has been tied five times 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 to go up 96-94. UGA and AU split their next four matchups before Auburn secured a pair of Ws last season.

While the overall series is close, the location of the game has had a dramatic difference in success. Georgia owns a 62-29 edge in Athens, while the Tigers are 63-26 against UGA on The Plains. The Bulldogs are 8-7 in neutral site affairs.

Georgia and Auburn traditionally have had a close series in football as well. The Bulldogs are 62-56-8 against the Tigers. That advantage is somewhat inflated, however, since Georgia has won 15 of the last 18 matchups, including a 42-10 victory during the 2022 season.

UGA's 3rd-Most Frequent Foe

Georgia and Auburn will face off for the 196th time on Wednesday, the third-most games for the Bulldogs against any opponent.

The only schools Georgia has played more than Auburn are Florida and Georgia Tech, with 225 and 198 all-time outings, respectively. Trailing the Tigers and rounding out the top-5 leaders in games against the Bulldogs are Tennessee with 159, and Kentucky with 157.

A Very Productive Bench

Georgia's reserves have come off the bench to score 337 points this season, accounting for 36.4 percent of the 927 points put up by the Bulldogs.

Georgia's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves 337-151, a massive +186 margin (14.3 ppg).

The Bulldogs have won the "bench battle" in every game, providing a "+20" margin in five contests and a season-high "+25" (27-2) tally versus ETSU. Georgia's highest single-game bench scoring effort was 36 points versus UAB.

Bulldogs Fight Through

Georgia's 10-3 start is more impressive considering the DNPs and missed practices endured during non-conference play.

Only three Bulldogs – Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Braelen Bridges and Mardrez McBride – have played in every contest, and six Bulldogs have missed a combined 16 outings due to injury or illness. In fact, the Notre Dame game – the 11th contest of the campaign – was the first outing when every player on Georgia's roster was available for action.

Georgia has mixed and matched eight Bulldogs to comprise eight different starting lineups. No player has started every game, although three – Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, Kario Oquendo and Terry Roberts – have gotten the nod for every game they've played. UGA's game-by-game starters can be found on Page 5 of these Game Notes.

Bulldogs Battle On Boards

Georgia has won the rebound count in 11 of 13 games and entered league played ranked second in the SEC and No. 27 nationally in rebound margin at +7.0. Georgia has used a true team effort to do so no Bulldogs are currently ranked among the top-20 rebounders in the SEC.

Dogs Match 2021-22 Win Total

While a 6-win season will certainly never be celebrated, it is worth noting that Georgia notched is sixth victory of the 2022-23 season with a Nov. 30 "W" over Hampton.

With that, the Bulldogs matched their win total for the entire 2021-22 campaign during the first 24 days of Mike White's first season.

Valuing The Basketball

Georgia recorded more turnovers than assists in each of its first six games, to the tune of combined tallies of 62 assists to 99 TOs. That equated to an unimpressive 0.63 assist-to-TO ratio.

The Bulldogs have produced positive ratios in six of seven contests since then and were even in assists-to-TOs in the other (Notre Dame). In those contests, Georgia has delivered a combined 104 assists and committed 88 turnovers.

While the coaching staff is extremely eager to trim the TO total dramatically, that 1.18 assist-to-TO effort in the last seven outings is significantly better than the first half-dozen games.

Bridges Earns SEC POTW

Braelen Bridges was named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 19, a day after his 18-point performance in a Holiday Hoopsgiving win over Notre Dame.

Bridges was a perfect 9-of-9 from the field against the Fighting Irish and scored 18 points in just 18 minutes of playing time.

Bridges became the Bulldogs' first SEC Player of the Week honoree since Toumani Camara was recognized on Dec. 21, 2020. Overall, Bridges is the 29th Georgia player to earn SEC Player of the Week accolades since the award's inception in 1985. Those Bulldogs have combined to secure 40 SEC Player of the Week certificates.

Healthy M-A Makes A Difference

Matthew-Alexander was hindered after suffering an ankle sprain in the Bulldogs' season opener against Western Carolina. The junior from Ontario missed two games before returning to play in the next four contests. He then had two more DNPs prior to the Georgia Tech contest.

Moncrieffe has been extremely efficient in Georgia's last four outings, converting a combined 12-of-14 shots from the field – an almost unfathomable 85.7 percent. He posted his first double-digit outing as a Bulldog with 11 points against the Yellow Jackets and immediately topped that with 15 points versus Notre Dame. Moncrieffe then grabbed a season- and game-high seven boards against Chattanooga and tied for team-high rebounding honors with six versus Rider.

Etter Still Taking Charges

Former Jaxon Etter has made quite the name for himself on defense.

The senior from Woodstock, Ga., who was awarded a scholarship on Nov. 2, has taken seven charges in eight games played this season.

That comes after drawing 30 offensive fouls in 31 games last season and eight in the last 11 games of his sophomore year.

All told, Etter has now been on the receiving end of 37 charges in his last 39 games...and 45 in his last 50 outings.

White Earns Win No. 250

Mike White captured the 250th victory of his head coaching career with Georgia's Dec. 2 win over Florida A&M.

White compiled a 101-40 record in four seasons in Louisiana Tech from 2011-15. That included a trio 27-win efforts in each of his final three seasons, which helped give White the best winning percentage (.716) of any coach in program history.

In seven campaigns at Florida from 2015-22, White posted a 142-88 record. He reached 100 victories with the Gators in 158 games, the second-fastest pace ever by a Florida basketball coach behind only Billy Donovan (154 games). Under White, the Gators were one of only four programs to record a victory in the four NCAA Tournaments contested between 2017-21.

White quickly added the final seven wins with the Bulldogs to reach 250. In fact, with the victory over the Rattlers Georgia topped its win total for the 2021-22 season.

Dogs Get Defensive

Georgia held its opposition a trio of outings from Nov. 27-Dec. 2 to under 55 points, which was a first for the Bulldogs in 12 seasons.

During that span, Georgia defeated ETSU, 62-47; Hampton, 73-54; and Florida A&M, 68-46.

That marked the first time the Bulldogs held three consecutive opponents under 55 points since Dec. 2010, a span covering 388 games. That season, Georgia defeated High Point, 85-38 on Dec. 21; Mercer, 56-53 on Dec. 23; and Charleston Southern, 70-55 on Dec. 28.

Ingram Proves Impactful

Jailyn Ingram, one of just five seventh-year seniors playing D-I basketball this season, made his 2022-23 debut in the second half of Georgia's 62-47 win over East Tennessee State on Nov. 27.

The Madison, Ga., native entered the game at the 14:15 mark of the second half and the Bulldogs leading 39-36. A quick glance at the box score would lead one to believe Ingram's 4:02 of PT was quite pedestrian – 0-of-1 on FGs, one foul, one foul drawn and one steal. But the far right side of his linescore was more telling – "+9."

"I just thought we were flat," Mike White said. "When you do put him out there for the first time, you're experimenting... So, you're tooth-and-nail against East Tennessee State – close game, early second half – and one of the guys on staff suggested it. The last few days he's gotten to the point where we said, 'We're about ready to give him a chance in a game.' Athletically, from a conditioning standpoint, he's looked better and better. It could've gone the other way of course, but he was an inspiration to his teammates. I thought he was probably the biggest factor in the game."

Ingram was a huge factor in the Hampton game as well with a more statistically emphatic performance. He scored 14 points, largely due to knocking down 4-of-5 3-pointers, in 20 minutes of PT.

While those were Ingram's first two games of the 2022-23 season, he upped his collegiate GP total to 133. He played five seasons at Florida Atlantic – including a red-shirt campaign in 2018-19 – before transferring to Georgia. Ingram started the first nine games of the 2021-22 season and was the Bulldogs' leading rebounder when he tore the ACL in his right knee with 14:21 left in a Dec. 7 victory over Jacksonville.

Hill Named All-Tourney

Justin Hill was named to the Beach Bracket's all-tournament team after two strong outings at the Sunshine Slam.

The junior from Houston averaged a team-high 14.5 points against Saint Joseph's and UAB by shooting 61.5 percent from the field and an even more impressive 71.4 percent from 3-point range.

Hill put up 12 points against Saint Joseph's, including a shot clock-beating 3-pointer with 2:28 left after the Hawks cut Georgia's 23-point halftime lead to 54-46.

Hill then led the Bulldogs offensively for the first time this season with 17 points versus UAB.

A Homecoming For Kario

Kario Oquendo was productive in his homecoming trip at the Sunshine Slam. Oquendo is from Titusville, Fla., just under an hour south of Daytona Beach.

Oquendo scored a game-high 17 points in Georgia's win over Saint Joseph's and put up 12 points against UAB.

Oquendo averaged 21.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in leading Astronaut High School to a 20-6 finish in 2019. He was named Brevard County Class 5A Player of the Year by area coaches that season and also was tabbed All-Cape Coast in both 2019 for Astronaut and in 2018 while playing at Titusville High.

Bulldogs Sign Top-25 class

Georgia opened the NCAA's early signing period on Wednesday, Nov. 9 with a bang, inking a top-25 recruiting class comprised of two of the nation's top-100 prospects. Lamariyon "Mari" Jordan and Dylan James were ranked No. 72 and No. 94 nationally by ESPN.com, respectively.

"It's an exciting day for us to be able to sign two players that we targeted and invested a lot of time and energy in," Mike White said. "Both of these guys are excited to be Bulldogs."

James, a 6-9, 190-pound power forward, helped lead Winter Haven High to the semifinals of the 2022 Florida Class 6A state tournament. He was selected as the Lakeland Ledger's Player of the Year after averaging 15.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season for the Blue Devils, who finished 23-8 overall.

Jordan, a 6-6, 185-pound small forward, was tabbed first-team All-State for Class 6A by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a junior after averaging 19.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game for Dacula High. Over three seasons, Jordan compiled 1,257 points, 434 rebounds, 128 blocks, 109 assists and 104 steals for the Falcons.

Oquendo Named All-SEC

Kario Oquendo was tabbed second-team preseason All-SEC in balloting of league coaches.

Oquendo was the Bulldogs' scoring leader, both overall and in SEC play, last season. He averaged 15.2 points overall and upped his contributions to 18.3 points per game in league play, which made Oquendo the SEC's leading returning scorer from conference action last season.

A "March Madness" Pedigree

Five of Georgia's six first-year transfers played for teams that reached the 2021 or 2022 NCAA Tournaments.

Justin Hill (Longwood) and Jusaun Holt (Alabama) both took part in the "Big Dance" last spring. Frank Anselem (Syracuse), Madrez McBride (North Texas) and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe (Oklahoma State) all had tickets punched to the 2021 edition of "March Madness."

Bridges Finds Bottom Of Net

Braelen Bridges converted on 63.4 percent of his shots from the floor for Georgia last season. That not only led the SEC and ranked No. 7 nationally, it was one of the most efficient campaigns ever for UGA and in league history.

The Union Grove High School product knocked down 161 of his 264 field goals in his first year as a Bulldog in 2021-22.

Among the best single-season field goal percentages for the Bulldogs and within the SEC, Bridges' effort ranks No. 2 and No. 17 all-time, respectively.

Bridges became the first Bulldog to pace the SEC in shooting efficiency since Lavon Mercer did so in 1980 at 61.1 percent. Interestingly, Mercer set the UGA record (64.3 percent) in 1979 but did not lead the SEC that season.

Ingram Offers Experience

According to research by Middle Tennessee's SID staff, Jailyn Ingram is one of five seventh-year men's players in Division-I basketball this season.

The Madison, Ga., native and Morgan County High graduate, spent five seasons at Florida Atlantic before returning to his home state prior to the 2021-22 season.

Ingram played in 122 games for the Owls from 2016-21, including a redshirt campaign in 2018-19. All told, he recorded 1,334 points and 630 rebounds for the Owls, which are the No. 6 and No. 3 totals in program history.

Ingram played in nine games last season for Georgia before suffering a season-ending injury on Dec. 7 against Jacksonville. He received an additional red-shirt from the NCAA to return to the Bulldogs this season.

That makes Ingram among of quintet of players – including a well traveled Nittany Lion – competing for a seventh college basketball season this winter as outlined below.

7th-Year Super Duper Seniors
Name	Schools
Jailyn Ingram	FAU, Georgia
DeAndre Dishman	EKU, MTSU
Juan Munoz	Longwood, Hawaii
DeJuan Clayton	Coppin State, Cal
Michael Henn	UC-Davis, Cal Baptist, Portland, Denver, Penn State

MBB Notes: Bulldogs Open SEC Play By Hosting Auburn

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jabri Abdur-Rahim

Frank Anselem-Ibe

Braelen Bridges

Aaron Cook

Jaxon Etter

Justin Hill

Jusaun Holt

Jailyn Ingram

Mardrez McBride

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe

Kario Oquendo

Terry Roberts

MBB Notes: Bulldogs Open SEC Play By Hosting Auburn

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jabri Abdur-Rahim

Frank Anselem-Ibe

Braelen Bridges

Aaron Cook

Jaxon Etter

Justin Hill

Jusaun Holt

Jailyn Ingram

Mardrez McBride

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe

Kario Oquendo

Terry Roberts

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