Georgia Treks To The Plains To Take On Auburn

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

Georgia (14-7, 4-4 SEC) vs. No. 25/23 Auburn (16-5, 6-2 SEC)
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Neville Arena (9,121) in Auburn, Ala.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Flagship: WSB AM 750); (Scott Howard, pbp; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie (producer)) | Affiliates
TV: SEC Network (Roy Philpott, pbp; Pat Bradley, analyst)
Video Stream: SECN+
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: SiriusXM: 383; SXM App: 973
History: AU leads, 99-97 (Full History)
Last Meeting: UGA, 76-64, on Jan. 4, 2023

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Mike White
14-7 in 1st at UGA
257-135 in 12th season overall
0	Terry Roberts	15.4	4.1
(6-3; 180; Sr.; North Amityville, N.Y)
3	Kario Oquendo	13.1	3.3
(6-4; 220; Jr.; Titusville, Fla.)
4	Jusaun Holt	3.3	3.7
(6-7; 190; Soph.; Tacoma, Wash.)
5	Frank Anselem	3.4	3.7
(6-10; 215; Jr.; Lagos, Nigeria)
12	Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe	6.9	5.3
(6-8; 215; Jr.; Toronto, Ontario)

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

AUBURN TIGERS
Coach: Bruce Pearl
182-103 in 9th season at AU
644-248 in 28th season overall
1	Wendell Green Jr.	13.6	3.3
(5-11; 175; Jr.; Detroit, Mich.
2	Jaylin Williams	11.1	5.2
(6-8; 230; Sr.; Nahunta, Ga.)
4	Johni Broom	13.4	8.5
(6-10; 235; Soph.; Plant City, Fla.)
12	Zep Jasper	3.5	1.0
(6-1; 190; Grad.; Augusta, Ga.)
22	Allen Flanigan	8.8	5.0
(6-6; 220; Sr.; Little Rock, Ark.)

TEAM COMPARISON

2022-23 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	AUBURN
Points Per Game	70.1	72.4
Opp. Point Per Game	66.9	64.2
Scoring Margin	+.3.3	+8.2
Field Goal Pct.	.421	.443
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.414	.392
3-Point Pct.	.336	.295
3-Pointers Per Game	7.0	6.0
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.296	.266
Free Throw Pct.	.736	.693
Free Throws Per Game	15.7	14.7
Rebounds Per Game	38.3	37.6
Opp. Rebound Per Game	34.3	34.2
Rebound Margin	+4.0	+3.3
Assists Per Game	11.8	14.4
Turnovers Per Game	13.9	13.2
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.85	1.09
Turnover Margin	-1.8	+0.3
Steals Per Game	6.8	8.1
Blocks Per Game	3.0	6.0

The Starting 5...

UGA has used 10 different starting lineups, including 3 altered quintets over its last three outings.
UGA and AU are meeting for the 197th time, making AU UGA's third-most frequent opponent all-time.
According to KenPom.com, UGA is the nation's most improved defense, up 237 spots from last season.
UGA is on pace to hold opponents under 30.0 from 3-point range for just the 2nd time in program history.
UGA's assist-to-TO ratio is up by +.22 since Thanksgiving, the best improvement by an SEC team during that span.

The Opening Tip

Georgia opens a two-game road swing on Wednesday by trekking roughly 180 miles down I-85 to The Plains to take on No. 25/23 Auburn. The Bulldog also will venture to College Station to face Texas A&M on Saturday.

Georgia is currently 14-7 overall and 4-4 in the SEC play following an 81-78 overtime victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

That win improved the Bulldogs to 11-1 at home this season, including a 76-64 victory over then-No. 22/20 Auburn four weeks ago.

Mike White improved his record at Stegeman Coliseum to 18-2 all-time with the decision over the Gamecocks. That tally includes a 1-0 record at Louisiana Tech and a 6-1 mark at Florida before becoming Georgia's head coach last March.

Saturday's game marked the Bulldogs' second consecutive sellout at Stegeman and the fourth crowd of 10,000+ fans in Georgia's last five home outings.

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

Jailyn Ingram is...
• 23 points from 1,500 for his career

Series History With Auburn

In a closely contested rivalry that dates back well over a century, Auburn owns a slim 99-97 advantage in all-time matchups with Georgia.

Three weeks ago in Athens, Terry Roberts poured in a career-high 26 points to lead Georgia in an impressive 76-64 victory over No. 22/20 Auburn in the Bulldogs' SEC opener.

The victory was Georgia's first in an SEC opener in five seasons, since defeating Auburn, 96-84, on Dec. 29, 2017.

Roberts put up 13 points in each half, and Kario Oquendo added 17 points. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe fell just shy of a double-double performance, with nine points and nine boards.

The Bulldogs led for 38:28 of the contest and trailed only once – at 24-23 – for all of 14 seconds.

Georgia surged to a 21-10 lead at the 10:08 mark before the Tigers responded with a 14-2 spurt to gain their only advantage of the evening at the 4:12 mark. Roberts quickly responded on the Bulldogs' next possession.

After leading 37-30 at the intermission, Georgia maintained a two-possession or larger edge advantage throughout the second stanza. The margin bulged to 13 points twice, and the Bulldogs led by double digits for all but 10 seconds of the final 6:14.

In the Bulldogs' most recent trip to The Plains on Jan. 19 last season, Christian Wright scored 16 points and Noah Baumann and Braelen Bridges also reached double figures with 11 points apiece to lead Georgia in an 83-60 setback at No. 2 Auburn.

The Tigers broke the game open with a 14-3 first-half surge that turned a one-point lead for the Bulldogs into a double-digit deficit 4:21 later.

Scouting The Tigers

Auburn is 16-5 overall and 6-2 in the SEC and ranked No. 25 and No. 23 in the AP and coaches polls, respectively, this week. The Tigers are coming off an 80-77 loss at West Virginia last Saturday as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The Tigers have been ranked throughout the 2022-23 campaign, topping out at No. 11/14 on Dec. 5 after opening the season with an 8-0 record.

Wendell Green Jr. is averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game, while Johni Broome is contributing 13.4 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds. Both players have been even more productive in SEC play, with Green scoring 15.8 ppg and Broome posting 14.8 ppg and 9.0 rpg.

Jaylin Williams also is scoring at a double-digit paces of 11.1 ppg overall and 11.8 ppg in conference action.

Last Time Out

Mardez McBride came off the bench to score a season-high 17 points and lead Georgia in an 81-78 overtime victory over South Carolina last Saturday at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum.

Kario Oquendo added 16 points, Frank Anselem notched a career-best 12 points and Terry Roberts chipped in 10 for his team-leading 18th double-digit outing. Jusaun Holt recorded career highs of eight points and five steals.

Georgia rallied from a double-digit deficit with 6:31 remaining to force overtime and then improve to 11-1 at home this season. A three-point play by Oquendo at the 6:23 mark started a 10-0 surge that knotted the score at 62-62 just 68 seconds later.

Following three more ties, the Bulldogs took their first lead since 20-18 on a pair of Justin Holt free throws with 51 seconds remaining. South Carolina scored with 30 seconds remaining to lead to OT.

Oquendo scored all eight of Georgia's points in the extra session, including going 6-of-8 from the line.

Bulldogs' Defense Stiffens

With a Jan. 11 win over Mississippi State, Georgia doubled its overall and SEC win totals from last season. Much of the Bulldogs' success can be attributed to their defense.

During the 2021-22 season, Georgia ranked No. 338 nationally in both scoring defense (78.5 ppg) and field goal defense (.473) and No. 260 in 3-point field goal defense (.439).

The Bulldogs entered this week up 232 spots to No. 106 in scoring defense (66.9 ppg), 269 positions to No. 69 in opponent FG percentage (.414) and 238 slots to No. 22 in opponent 3-point percentage (.296) this season.

We Trust The Analytics

Georgia is the nation's most improved team from a defensive efficiency standpoint this season...if you believe the KenPom.com metrics.

A year ago, the Bulldogs ranked No. 318 nationally on the defensive end. Of the six major conferences, only Oregon State, at No. 320, was behind Georgia.

Georgia entered this week at No. 81 in KenPom's defensive efficiency. That's a jump of 237 spots from a year and the largest leap of any Division I hoops team as outlined below.

Most Improved D'efficiency
RK.	School	21-22	22-23	Jump
1.	Georgia	318	81	+237
2.	Southern Miss	334	98	+236
3.	Massachusetts	342	119	+223
4.	James Madison	264	63	+201
5.	N.C. State	246	62	+184

Defending Outside The Arc

Georgia entered this week ranked No. 22 nationally in 3-point defense, with the Bulldogs' opponents connecting on just 29.6 percent (134-of-452) of their attempts from outside the arc.

The Bulldogs are on their way to having one of the best 3-point defense marks in program history as outlined below.

Only once in the 37 seasons since the arc was added nationally in 1986-87 has Georgia held its opponents to less than 30 percent from outside the arc, and that was by the slimmest of margins – 29.9 percent in 1993-94.

Best 3-point Defending Dogs
RK.	Season	3FG-FGA	Pct
1.	1993-94	158-529	.299
2.	1996-97	191-622	.307
3.	2001-02	219-708	.309
4.	2014-15	207-665	.311
5.	2007-08	215-684	.314

A Very Close Rivalry

Wednesday's game will be the 197th between the Bulldogs and the Tigers, with Auburn owning a 99-97 advantage.

The series has been tied five times in the 2000s – at 84-84 in 2005, 85-85 in 2007, 87-87 in 2010, 90-90 in 2015.

Georgia won three of the next four matchups to secure a 94-91 lead through the 2017 campaign; however, the Tigers put together five consecutive wins to go up 96-94 and has remained ahead since.

While the overall series is close, the location of the game has had a dramatic difference in success. Georgia owns a 63-29 edge in Athens, while the Tigers are 63-26 against UGA on The Plains. The Bulldogs are 8-7 against Auburn 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 Bulldogs' undefeated 2022 national championship season.

UGA's 3rd-most Frequent Foe

Georgia and Auburn will face off for the 197th 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 199 all-time outings, respectively. Trailing the Tigers and rounding out the top-5 leaders in games against the Bulldogs are Tennessee with 160, and Kentucky with 158.

Rogers Ups Offensive Output

Terry Roberts entered SEC play as Georgia's second-leading scorer, contributing 14.1 points per game in the Bulldogs' 13 non-conference outings.

In league action, Roberts' scoring average has jumped more than three points per game to 17.3 ppg, which ranks fourth in the SEC.

In 20 games played overall (he missed the Florida A&M game due to an illness), Roberts has produced team highs of 18 double-figure and five 20-point scoring outputs. Of those, eight of the double-digit and three 20-point performances have come in eight SEC contests.

Fittingly, Jabri Rhymes with 3

Jabri Abdur-Rahim has been Georgia's most productive and efficient 3-point shooter this season, with team-bests of 31 trifectas (1.6 3pg) at a 39.2 percent success rate from behind the arc.

Abdur-Rahim has been even better since the beginning of SEC play. In stats for league games, he ranks No. 7 in 3-pointers per game (1.9 3pg) and is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range.

He Ain't Roy Kent, But...

if you peruse SEC statistical leaders, Terry Roberts may have you thinking "He's here. He's there. He's "...and we better stop right there.

The senior from North Amityville, N.Y., entered this week ranked among league leaders in six categories – No. 3 in assists (4.4 apg), No. 4 in free throw percentage (.829), No. 7 in scoring (15.4 ppg), No. 10 in steals (1.8 spg), No. 12 in field goal percentage (.387) and No. 13 in assist-to-TO ratio (1.43).

Rebounding A team Effort

Georgia entered this week ranked No. 71 nationally in rebound margin, grabbing 4.0 boards per game more than its opponents.

That's pretty impressive considering not a single Bulldog is included in the SEC's top 20 or the nation's top 350 rebounders.

Getting on the glass has been a team effort for Georgia as a nation-leading 10 different Bulldogs have collected more than 50 boards this season. FYI, Tennessee also has 10 players with 50+ boards this season. A nod to stats guru Dave McMahon for tracking the aforementioned.

White Is Stellar At Stegeman

Although Stegeman Coliseum opened in February 1964, about 13 before Mike White was born, some might say the arena was built for him.

White was 7-1 in Stegeman before he became the Bulldogs' head coach. He led Louisiana Tech to an NIT victory over Georgia at Stegeman in 2014 and then was 6-1 against the Bulldogs in seven seasons at Florida from 2015-22.

Quick math adding in a 11-1 mark this season reveals White's 18-2 mark in the venue. We thought that converted to 90.0 percent (dividing it down to 9-1) but used a calculator to be certain public school math didn't fail in this instance.

A Very Productive Bench

The Bulldogs who have come off the bench this season have scored 494 points, 33.5 percent of the 1,473 points put up by Georgia.

The Bulldogs' bench has outscored its opponents' reserves 494-337, a pretty substantial +157 margin...which directly equates to 7.5 ppg. Georgia has won the "bench battle" in 17 of 21 games and tied Auburn in another.

According to KenPom.com, Georgia ranks No. 3 nationally in bench minutes, with reserves accounting for 45.2 percent of the Bulldogs' total PT.

Thankful We're Less Giving

Georgia's ball security numbers have taken a distinct turn since Turkey Day.

The Bulldogs recorded more turnovers than assists in each of the first six games prior to Thanksgiving, to the combined tune of 62 assists to 99 TOs. That equated to a paltry 0.63 assist-to-TO ratio.

The Bulldogs have produced even or positive ratios in 11 of 15 contests since then and upped their a-to-TO mark to 0.85. While that still ranks 13th in the SEC, the Bulldogs' improvement taking care of the basketball since Thanksgiving is the best in the league.

Since Turkey Day, have of the SEC teams have produced a better assist-to-TO ratio than in their games prior to the holiday, while the other half's ratios have dropped. The Bulldogs own the most positive up-tick as outlined on the next page.

Although "Thanksgiving" seems like a random line to draw, every SEC team had played either five or six games as of Nov. 24 so it seemed like a solid reference point to observe.

Assist-To-TOs Since Turkey Day
Team	11/24	1/28	Diff.
Georgia	0.63	0.85	+.22
Tennessee	1.18	1.34	+.16
S. Carolina	0.70	0.81	+.11
Texas A&M	0.96	1.06	+.10
Auburn	1.01	1.09	+.08
LSU	0.92	0.96	+.04

Healthy M-A Makes A Difference

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe was hindered for much of November after suffering an ankle sprain in the season opener against Western Carolina.

The junior from Ontario missed two games before returning to play in the next four contests. He then recorded two additional DNPs before coming back for the Georgia Tech contest.

In the Bulldogs' last 12 outings, Moncrieffe has been both Georgia's most efficient shooter and productive rebounder.

During that span, Moncrieffe has converted on 37-of-59 shots from the field – 62.7 percent. He also has posted his first three double-digit outings as a Bulldog – 11 points at Tech, 15 versus Notre Dame and 10 against Mississippi State.

Moncrieffe is averaging at team-best 5.8 rpg in his last 12 contests and grabbed team-high board tallies against Chattanooga, Rider, Auburn (a season-high nine), Kentucky and Tennessee

Anselem Protecting The Rim

The defensive presence of Frank Anselem has increased significantly since the the early portion of the season.

In the 11 games since the Bulldogs returned to action following Final Exams, Anselem has averaged 1.3 blocks, including a career-high three swats against Chattanooga.

That comes after Anselem did not record a block in Georgia's first eight outings

The junior from Lagos, Nigeria, entered this week ranked No. 9 in blocks in SEC action, swatting 1.0 shots per game against league foes.

Hill, Oquendo Clutch In Wins

Justin Hill and Kario Oquendo produced key scoring surges in consecutive wins over Mississippi State and Ole Miss, respectively.

Hill recorded eight straight Georgia points between the 9:22-6:44 marks of the second half against State, with the last bucket giving the Bulldogs the lead for good.

Oquendo put up Georgia's final 12 points in a 62-48 road win over Ole Miss. In fact, he scored all of his game-high 15 points in the second half in Oxford, including both ends of a one-and-one with three seconds remaining.

Holt Gives Bulldogs Juice

Jusaun "Juice" Holt's stats in Georgia's consecutive wins over Mississippi State and Ole Miss were relatively pedestrian – combined totals of six points, seven rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes of action.

However, by the popular "+/-" metric, Holt was the Bulldogs' most productive player in those outings. With Holt on the floor, the Bulldogs were a combined "+30" against State (+17) and Ole Miss (+13).

Milestones Mount For Bridges

Braelen Bridges reached a trio of significant statistical achievements during a Jan. 11 win over Mississippi State – his 100th game played, 500th rebound and 1000th point.

Bridges also was named SEC Player of the Week on Dec. 19 after an 18-point performance – on 9-of-9 shooting from the floor – in a Holiday Hoopsgiving win over Notre Dame on Dec. 18.

Bulldogs Fight Through

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

Only four Bulldogs – Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Braelen Bridges, Justin Hill and Mardrez McBride – have played in every contest, and six Bulldogs have a combined 16 DNPs. In fact, the Notre Dame game – UGA's 11th contest – was the first outing when every player on Georgia's roster was available for action.

Eight Bulldogs have comprised 10 different starting lineups. No player started every game, although three – Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, Kario Oquendo and Terry Roberts – got the nod for every game they've played.

Bulldogs Sign Top-25 Class

Georgia made a bang during NCAA's early signing period, inking a top-25 class comprised of two of ESPN's top-100 prospects – No. 72 Lamariyon "Mari" Jordan and No. 94 Dylan James.

James 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 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.4 blocks, 2.0 apg and 1.3 spg per game last season for the Blue Devils, who finished 23-8.

Jordan was tabbed first-team All-State for Class 6A as a junior after averaging 19.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.4 bpg and 1.2 spg 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.

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."

Oquendo Named All-SEC

Kario Oquendo was tabbed second-team preseason All-SEC by league coaches. Last season, he was Georgia's scoring leader, both overall (15.2 ppg) and in SEC play (18.3 ppg). Oquendo was the SEC's leading returning scorer in league action last season.

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

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jabri Abdur-Rahim

Frank Anselem-Ibe

Noah Baumann

Braelen Bridges

Justin Hill

Jusaun Holt

Jailyn Ingram

Mardrez McBride

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe

Kario Oquendo

Terry Roberts

Christian Wright

University of Georgia Athletics