Bulldogs to face LSU in SEC Tournament

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

Georgia (16-15, 6-12 SEC) vs. LSU (13-18, 2-16 SEC)
Wednesday, March 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET
Bridgestone Arena (19,395) in Nashville, Tenn.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network (Flagship: WSB AM 750); (Scott Howard, pbp; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie (producer)) | Affiliates
TV: SEC Network (Mike Morgan, pbp; Joe Kleine, analyst)
Video Stream: SECN+
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: SiriusXM: 138 or 190; SXM App: 961
History: LSU leads, 69-48 (Full History)
Last Meeting: UGA, 65-63, on Feb. 14, 2023

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

Georgia Bulldogs
Coach: Mike White
16-15 in 1st at UGA
259-143 in 12th season overall
0	Terry Roberts	13.3	3.8
(6-3; 180; Sr.; North Amityville, N.Y. )
3	Kario Oquendo	12.8	2.6
(6-4; 220; Jr.; Titusville, Fla.)
13	Mardrez McBride	4.8	1.9
(6-2; 180; 5th Year; Augusta, Ga.)
15	Jailyn Ingram	3.5	1.6
(6-7; 225; 7th Year; Madison, Ga.)
23	Braelen Bridges	8.5	4.9
(6-11; 245; 5th Year; Atlanta, Ga.)

No.	Name	PPG	RPG

LSU TIGERS
Coach: Matt McMahon
13-18 in 1st season at LSU
167-85 in 8th season overall
1	Cam Hayes	8.0	2.5
(6-2; 185; Jr.; Greensboro, N.C.)
12	KJ Williams	17.4	7.6
(6-10; 250; 5th Year; Cleveland, Miss.)
15	Tyrell Ward	3.5	1.3
(6-6; 185; Fr.; Washington, D.C.)
20	Derek Fountain	8.0	5.5
(6-10; 225; Jr.; Holly Springs, Miss.)
44	Adam Miller	11.8	2.4
(6-3; 190; Soph.; Peoria, Ill.)

TEAM COMPARISON

2022-23 STATISTICS	GEORGIA	LSU
Points Per Game	68.6	67.5
Opp. Point Per Game	71.5	70.6
Scoring Margin	-2.9	-3.2
Field Goal Pct.	.411	.414
Opp. Field Goal Pct.	.443	.448
3-Point Pct.	.316	.333
3-Pointers Per Game	6.7	7.4
Opp. 3-Point Pct.	.323	.345
Free Throw Pct.	.722	.719
Free Throws Per Game	16.2	13.5
Rebounds Per Game	36.8	34.6
Opp. Rebound Per Game	35.4	33.8
Rebound Margin	+0.4	+0.8
Assists Per Game	11.2	12.3
Turnovers Per Game	13.3	13.3
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio	0.84	0.97
Turnover Margin	-1.6	-0.9
Steals Per Game	6.4	6.9
Blocks Per Game	2.6	2.7

The Starting 5...

UGA has used 11 players to create 13 starting 5s, including different quintets in each of the last 3 games.
All 12 Dogs who have logged playing time this season are averaging double-digit minutes per game.
According to kenpom.com, UGA ranks No. 3 nationally in bench minutes, with reserves getting 44.7 of the PT.
Seven different Dogs have made double-digit 3s this season, the most since 8 did so in 1997-98.
UGA is one of 4 teams in the nation with 10 players who have grabbed 50 or more rebounds this season.

The Opening Tip

Georgia opens play in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday when the 11th-seeded Bulldogs take on the 14th-seeded LSU Tigers in the second game of the evening session. South Carolina and Ole Miss, the 12th and 13th seeds, respectively, will meet at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the matchup with UGA and LSU tipping 25 minutes after its completion.

The Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season at 16-15 overall – +10 over last season's win total – and 6-12 in SEC play – +5 from the 2021-22 season – during Mike White's first campaign in Athens. Georgia's SEC victories include a trio of Ws over teams projected by virtually every bracketologist to earn NCAA Tournament bids – Auburn, Kentucky and Mississippi State.

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

Terry Roberts is…
• 9 assists from 250 for his career

Series History With LSU

LSU owns a 69-48 advantage in the all-time series between the Tigers and the Bulldogs, including a 6-3 mark in SEC Tournament matchups.

Earlier this season on Jan. 14 in Athens, Justin Hill's layup with 4.2 seconds remaining lifted Georgia to a 65-63 victory over LSU.

After the Tigers went up 63-62 on a KJ Williams turnaround jumper in the lane with 11 seconds remaining, Hill immediately took the inbounds pass and drove the length of the floor to connect on a shot high off the glass.

Hill also stole LSU's ensuing inbounds pass and connecting on 1-of-2 free throws with 1.0 second remaining to close out the game's scoring.

Braelen Bridges led Georgia with 13 points, while Jabri Abdur-Rahim added 11 and Hill chipped in 10.

LSU led for a majority of the evening until Abdur-Rahim scored five straight points to put the Bulldogs up 49-46 at the 8:46 mark. Georgia pushed its advantage to 57-49 with 6:24 remaining before the Tigers rallied.

Williams' jumper completed a 7-0 surge by LSU before Hill's heroic drive delivered the win for the Bulldogs.

Wednesday's game between Georgia and LSU will be the first in SEC Tournament action in six days short of a decade. On March 14, 2013, the ninth-seeded Tigers avenged a regular-season loss to the eighth-seeded Bulldogs with a 68-63 victory at Bridgestone Arena.

SEC Player of the Year Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a career-high 32 points in his final game with the Bulldogs, but Georgia's second half comeback came up just short. KCP went on to become the No. 8 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Charles Mann, then a freshman and today the Bulldogs' Director of Recruiting, also contributed 15 points, including 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.

Since we're playing LSU it is worth noting that Mann went on to finish second in SEC history with 896 trips to the line from 2012-16...trailing only "Pistol" Pete Maravich with 1,152 free throw attempts.

LSU controlled the first half, taking a 39-19 lead into the intermission. After trailing by as many as 23, Georgia roared back and had the ball trailing 66-63 with 12 seconds left, but Caldwell-Pope couldn't connect from distance to tie the game. After the miss, LSU's Andre Stringer made two free throws to secure the win.

UGA's SEC Tourney History

Georgia sports a 48-59 an all-time record in 62 SEC Tournaments. The Bulldogs are 39-40 in SEC Tourney action since the event resumed in 1979 after a 27-season hiatus from 1953-79.

Georgia won SEC Tournament titles in 1983 and 2008 and also finished as the runners-up in 1940, 1981, 1988 and 1997.

Georgia has reached the semifinals 15 times, most recently doing so in 2016.

Scouting The Tigers

LSU finished regular-season play at 13-18 overall and 2-16 in SEC action under first-year head coach Matt McMahon.

The Tigers were 12-1 following a 60-57 upset of then No. 9/7 Arkansas in their league opener on Dec. 28 but dropped 16 of 17 decisions thereafter. Eleven of LSU's first 12 SEC outings were against teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament field.

KJ Williams leads LSU in four of five major statistics, producing averages of 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. Justice Hill paces the Tigers in assists at 2.9 apg.

Adam Miller also is scoring in double figures, chipping in 11.8 ppg.

Last Time Out

Georgia dropped a 61-55 decision to South Carolina in the Bulldogs' regular-season finale at Colonial Life Arena last Saturday.

Georgia trailed by one with four seconds left before the Gamecocks converted on 5-of-6 free throws to round out the scoring.

Terry Roberts led Georgia with 14 points and five rebounds, while Braelen Bridges added 12 points.

The Bulldogs were up for 14:23 of the first half, with their largest lead topping out at 23-15 with 6:12 left in the period.

South Carolina trimmed the margin to two points by the intermission and eventually grabbed a 35-33 edge at the 13:59 mark.

Following eight ties and seven lead changes, the Gamecocks went up for good on a pair of free throws with 40 seconds remaining in the clock.

A Baker's Dozen Of Starting 5s

Georgia has mixed and matched 11 Bulldogs to comprise 13 different starting lineups this season.

Most of those were in non-conference play when Georgia used eight different quintets over the first 11 contests. The Bulldogs battled through a series of injuries and illnesses that resulted in 16 DNPs being registered by six players. In fact, the Notre Dame game – Georgia's 11th outing – was the first when the entire roster was available.

After settling into a consistent quintet for nine games – from Notre Dame on Dec. 18 to Vanderbilt on Jan. 21 – the Bulldogs have used five more sets of starters over their last 12 contests.

No Bulldog has started every game and only four – Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Braelen Bridges, Justin Hill and Mardrez McBride – have played in every contest this season.

Milestones Mount For Dogs

A trio of Bulldogs have reached significant statistical milestones during SEC play.

Junior Justin Hill scored his 1,000th career point in the closing seconds at South Carolina. He put up 738 points in two seasons at Longwood before transferring to Georgia. Hill has scored 263 points (8.5 ppg) this season, with 118 (13.1 ppg) coming over the Bulldogs' last nine outings.

Hill also delivered the 300th assist of his career during last Tuesday's game against Florida.

Jailyn Ingram recorded the 1,500th point of his career with a 3-pointer at the 18:29 mark of the first half against Missouri on Feb. 25.

Ingram, one of five seventh-year players in Division I men's basketball this season, scored 1,334 points in five seasons – including a redshirt year – at Florida Atlantic from 2016-21. He scored 96 points in nine games for Georgia last season before a season-ending injury and notched the final 70 points this season.

Braelen Bridges knocked off three markers in Georgia's win over Mississippi State on Jan. 11. In his 100th career outing, Bridges grabbed his 500th rebound and scored his 1,000th point. His last two points to 1,000 were critical to the victory, a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left that gave Georgia a two-possession lead.

The 70-Point Mark Is Key

The best indicator for Georgia's success this season – other than the obvious of outscoring the opposition – has been a defensive standard.

The Bulldogs are 14-1 this season when their opponents score 70 points or less. That ledger includes five of Georgia's six SEC victories.

These Dogs Are Deep

All 12 players who have seen playing time for Georgia this season are averaging double-digit minutes.

A Very Productive Bench

The Bulldogs who have come off the bench have scored 718 points of Georgia's 2,126 points. That's just over a third – 33.8 percent to be exact – of UGA's total offensive output.

The Bulldogs' bench has outscored its opponents' reserves 718-564, a substantial +154 margin. Georgia has won the "bench battle" in 22 of 31 games and tied Auburn (in Athens) in another.

According to KenPom.com, Georgia ranks No. 3 nationally in bench minutes, with reserves accounting for 44.7 percent of the Bulldogs' total PT.

Rebounding A Team Effort

Getting on the glass has been a team effort for Georgia.

A nation-leading 10 different Bulldogs have collected more than 50 boards during the 2022-23 season.

FYI, Tennessee, UMass Lowell and Charleston also have 10 players with 50+ boards. Thanks to stats guru Dave McMahon for tracking the aforementioned.

Lots Of Dogs Lead Scoring

Six different players have led Georgia offensively in games this season.

Including ties in certain contests, Terry Roberts has paced the Bulldogs a team-leading 11 times. In addition, Kario Oquendo has been Georgia's scoring leader in 10 games, followed Braelen Bridges and Mardrez McBride in four outings each, Justin Hill in three contests and Jabri Abdur-Rahim in one matchup.

A Highly Educated Bunch

Georgia celebrated five Bulldogs on Senior Day prior to the Missouri game – Braelen Bridges, Jason Etter, Jailyn Ingram, Mardrez McBride and Terry Roberts.

Of those, three will receive master's degrees from UGA this spring.

Etter, the Bulldogs' first four-year letterwinner since 2020, earned his bachelor's degree in Real Estate in three years and will secure a master's in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics in May.

Bridges and Ingram arrived at Georgia as graduate transfers. Bridges received a bachelor's in Communications from Illinois-Chicago, while Ingram's degree is in Criminal Justice from Florida Atlantic. Both Bridges and Ingram will earn master's in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from Georgia.

Georgia's Trio of "3-Migos"

Three Bulldogs – Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Madrez McBride and Jailyn Ingram – have made more than 70 percent of their field goals from 3-point range and have scored more than 60 percent of their total points on successful shots from beyond the arc as outlined below.

3-Point Production
Player	3FGs	FGs	Pct.	"3" Pts.	Tot.	Pct.
J. Abdur-Rahim	44	62	71.0	132	218	60.6
M. McBride	37	46	80.4	111	143	77.6
J. Ingram	19	26	73.1	57	80	71.3
Total	100	134	74.6	300	441	68.0

But They're Not The Only Ones

In addition to the aforementioned trio, four more Bulldogs have converted on more than 10 3-pointers this season – Terry Roberts has 36, Kario Oquendo has 34, Justin Hill has 22 and Jusaun Holt has 14.

The tally of seven Bulldogs with double-digit 3-pointers is Georgia's most in a quarter century – since eight Dogs did so during the 1997-98 season.

Bridges Among Most Efficient

During his two seasons in Athens, Braelen Bridges has produced two of Georgia's top-20 single-season field goal percentages ever.

Last season, the Atlanta native became the first Bulldog to lead the SEC in shooting efficiency since 1980 by connecting on 63.4 percent of his shots from the floor. That is second-best season effort all-time at Georgia.

With five field goals at South Carolina last Saturday, Bridges met the 100 FG minimum to qualify for the Bulldogs' season leaders ledger. His current effort of 56.4 percent equals the No. 18 mark by Charles Claxton – father of Brooklyn Net Nicolas Claxton – as outlined below.

Bridges will fall short of qualifying for Georgia's career leaders, which requires 350 made field goals.

UGA Season FG Pct. Leaders
Rk.	No.	Player	Season	FG-FGA
1.	.643	Lavon Mercer	1979	146-227
2.	.643	Braelen Bridges	2022	161-254
3.	.632	Bob Lienhard	1970	215-340
4.	.611	Lavon Mercer	1980	121-198
5.	.591	Jim Youngblood	1967	140-237
15.	.567	David Dunn	1986	101-178
	.567	Derek Ogbeide	2017	101-178
17.	.566	Takais Brown	2007	181-320
18.	.564	Braelen Bridges	2023	102-181
	.564	Charles Claxton	1993	133-236

Ant, Clax Having Big Years

Since we brought up former Bulldog Nicolas Claxton in the previous note, it's certainly worth letting you know that he and Anthony Edwards are having stellar NBA seasons in 2022-23.

Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, continues to place his name in rarefied air among the league's all-time greats. In January, Edwards became the youngest NBA player ever with 500 3-pointers. He then became Georgia's first NBA All-Star since Dominique Wilkins in 1994. Edwards is one of four players in NBA history since 1950 to average 24+ points, 5+ rebounds and 4+ assists at 21 years old or younger, joining Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady.

Claxton, who was chosen by Brooklyn with first pick in the second round of the 2019 Draft, is currently leading the NBA in field goal percentage (.704) and ranks second in blocks (2.6 bpg).

Hill Hot Of Late

Justin Hill has upped his offensive contributions considerably over Georgia's last nine outings. After averaging 6.6 points in the first 22 games, he has scored a team-leading 13.1 ppg during the span.

The junior from Houston scored in double figures in seven of the Bulldogs' last nine contests and had nine points in another. That came after hitting double digits just five times in the first 22 games.

Bulldogs Strong At Stegeman

Georgia was 13-4 at home this season, matching the third-most regular-season and fourth-most overall victories at Stegeman Coliseum.

Georgia's record for home Ws came during the 2015-16 and 2013-14 campaigns when those Bulldogs notched 15 wins – including one NIT victory each season – at Stegeman as outlined below.

Georgia won its first 10 games at Stegeman this season, making this just the sixth bunch of Bulldogs ever to post a double-figure home winning streak.

Most Victories at Stegeman - Regular-Season
Rk.	W's	Season
1.	14	2015-16
	14	2013-14
3.	13	2022-23
	13	2006-07
	13	2003-04

Most Victories at Stegeman - Overall
Rk.	W's	Season
1.	15	2015-16
	15	2013-14
3.	14	2006-07
4.	13	2022-23
	13	2003-04

White Is Stellar At Stegeman

Although Stegeman Coliseum opened in February 1964, about 13 years 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 13-4 mark this season reveals White's 20-5 record in the venue. We used our public school education to deduce – but then confirmed with a calculator – White's 80.0 success rate at Stegeman.

Bulldogs Sign Top-25 class

The next generation of Georgia Basketball received a major boost when the Bulldogs inked a top-25 recruiting class in November. The group is comprised of a pair ESPN's top-100 prospects in the Class of 2023 – No. 72 Lamariyon "Mari" Jordan and No. 83 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 were on teams that reached the 2021 edition of "March Madness."

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 spent five seasons at Florida Atlantic before returning to his home state prior to the 2021-22 season.

Ingram and others competing for a seventh college season – including a very well-traveled Penn State Nittany Lion – are 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

Braelen Bridges

Justin Hill

Jusaun Holt

Jailyn Ingram

Mardrez McBride

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe

Kario Oquendo

Terry Roberts