James, Drezgic Discuss Preseason Practices

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S. Drezgic

D. James

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Bulldogs Savo Drezgić and Dylan James discussed the team's progress in practices and the upcoming season with the media on Monday.

The Bulldogs began official practices on Monday, Sept. 23 and will play two preseason exhibitions – Oct. 19 at Charlotte and Oct. 29 vs. UCF in Athens – before opening the regular season on Monday, Nov. 4 against Tennessee Tech.

James, a 6-9, 210-pound sophomore from Winter Haven, Fla., enjoyed a solid first season with the Bulldogs during the 2023-24 campaign. He came on late in the season, starting the Bulldogs' final eight outings and averaging 4.9 points and 3.2 rebounds over the last 15 contests after contributing 2.1 points and 1.4 boards in the first 22 games. James scored a season-high 14 points in Georgia's NIT second round win at Wake Forest.

Drezgić is a 6-4, 200-pound freshman guard from Belgrade, Serbia. Originally in the Class of 2025, Drezgić reclassified and was ranked as high as the No. 52 prospect nationally in the Class of 2024. He led Serbia to a Silver Medal at the 2024 European U18 Championships during the summer while averaging team-leading tallies of 20.4 points, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game, as well as 5.6 rebounds per contest. He recorded tourney-high efforts of 35 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in Serbia's 115-114, double-overtime victory against Israel in the semifinals.

Here you can view the entire interviews with James and Drezgić. Below are selected quotes from Monday's interview session.

No. 13 Dylan James | Soph. | Forward
On why he decided to return to Georgia for his sophomore season…
"They gave me every reason to – the coaches did, the community did – and I feel like I had no reason to leave. The way I performed at the end of last season kind of set the stage for coming back and what I expected (this season) to look like."

On what led to his confidence in the second half of last season…
"Just patience. It's kind of like my mantra, though, patience. God's time and your time will come, so I just waited my turn and when the time came around, I just tried to perform as best as I could."

On the pieces of his game that he has been working to improve…
"Definitely my guard skills because that's kind of what I feel like is going to push me over the edge in terms of my skill set. But I played forward most of my life, so I'm trying to just round out my guard skills, kind of make myself more of a versatile player."

On how easy it has been for him to switch back and forth between positions…
"It's not easy. That's the thing. It's not easy at all. So, it's been a challenge, but I'm taking it day by day. I'm getting better every day. I'm watching film and just working on it."

On the team's improvement on rim protection heading into this season…
"I think this year we're really trying to hang our hat on defense. So definitely protecting the rim is something that at least five or six of us are at least capable of, but probably five or six of us, we really excel at protecting the rim. But we're more focused on improving the defense and team defense as a whole."

On the team's versatility…
"We've got a lot of versatile players, so I feel like he [Mike White] can mix it up a lot. He can play a lot of us at different positions. You should expect a lot of different lineups, a lot of different combinations this season."

On what stands out about Somto Cyril's game…
"His maturity. He brings a lot to the table as well, but he's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the paint. We like to say that's his paint. That's what I like to say. He controls the paint, so he's going to be huge for us. He's going to be 6'11", 270, 265. Like that's going to be huge."

No. 3 Savo Drezgić | Fr. | Guard
On the most fun he's had outside of basketball in Athens…
"I would say that the think I like most is the people. They helped me a lot since I came here. And everything I needed, they showed me. I spent some time outside the practices with the guys, so they showed me the city."

On his recruitment and communication with Mike White…
"I came from Partizan, and I played in DME Academy for three or four months. Coach White came to Florida, he watched some practices, we talked, and I decided to come here. I'm really happy to be here."

On why he came to Georgia…
"Like I said, the people. First of all, they helped me with everything since I came here. I came from Europe, and it's different to play in the United States, but they showed me everything, and I feel like home here. So, I'm really grateful for that."

On the biggest adjustment playing in the United States…
"I would say the game is more physical, for sure. There's more contact, and the guys play faster, so that's the biggest difference."

On if Bogdan Bogdanović helped him transition in playing basketball in the United States…
"I met him last year because he was actually one of my idols growing up. He played in the same club, he's a legend of Partizan. We talked a little bit about the difference between the United States and Serbia, and when I found out they were coming here, I texted him, and I hope we're going to see each other."
Note: Bogdanović and the Atlanta Hawks are holding training camp in Athens this week.

On how his international experience will help him play at the NCAA level…
"I feel like I've got some experience, different experience from Europe, where the game is slower, more tactical. I think I can do some other things to make the right plays, like to read the defense better, to push the ball sometimes, and just to play pick and roll. Some things I'm better at."

On his favorite moment playing for Serbia…
"Yeah, we played against Israel in the [U-18 European Championships] semi-final, and we came back, and it was actually the best game I've played ever. We won the game at the final moment, so yeah, it was a really crazy game."

On how much Silas Demary Jr. has helped him during practice…
"Yeah, I would say he's the most experienced guy here, and as you said, he's playing point guard, so he's helped me a lot. He's a really good guy, and a good player. So, when I have something to ask, I'm going to ask him."

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