Bulldogs To Host Tennessee Tech In Season Opener

Monday, November 4

Athens, Ga.

7:30 p.m.

University of Georgia

Tennessee Tech

November 03, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (0-0) vs. Tennessee Tech (0-0)
Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Athens, Ga.
Venue: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Tickets: www.georgiadogs.com/mbbtix
Streaming: SEC Network+ (Jeff Dantzler, play-by-play, Mark Slonaker, analyst)
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie, producer)

The Starting 5...

Georgia christens its 120th basketball season on Monday by hosting Tennessee Tech in the second game of a doubleheader at Stegeman Coliseum also featuring UGA's Lady Bulldogs vs. N.C. Central.
The Bulldogs defeated UCF 114-76 in an exhibition game last Tuesday, the most points Georgia has put up against a D-I opponent since beating Charleston Southern, 116-59, on Nov. 22, 1997.
In Mike White's two seasons at Georgia, the Bulldogs ascended an average of 136 positions among six of the most popular college hoops metrics – KenPom, KPI, Torvik, BPI, NET and SOR.
Both Georgia's freshman and transfer recruiting classes have been ranked among the top 10 nationally. The transfers were dubbed No. 8 by On3.com, while the freshmen were rated No. 10 by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com.
Last season, Georgia earned its first postseason bid since 2017 and in advancing to the NIT semifinals reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016.

The Opening Tip

The Georgia Bulldogs will tip off their 2024-25 regular season on Monday when they host Tennessee Tech at Stegeman Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. The contest is the second outing in a doubleheader also featuring Georgia's Lady Bulldogs taking on N.C. Central at 5:00 p.m.

Georgia's roster features 15 Bulldogs – six returnees, including a trio of starters, and nine newcomers, four freshmen and five transfers.

Georgia looks to continue its impressive and consistent improvement established in head coach Mike White's two campaigns in Athens. In his first season, the Bulldogs upped their regular-season win total from 2021-22 by 10 victories, the second-largest increase of any Power conference program. Last season, Georgia earned its first postseason bid since 2017 and while advancing to the semifinals of the NIT, reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016.

Series History With TTU

Georgia won both of its previous meetings with Tennessee Tech in the final games of the 1991 and 1994 calendars.

Most recently, Shandon Anderson, Charles Claxton and Carlos Strong all scored 13 points apiece to lead seven Bulldogs in double figures in a 99-72 victory over the Golden Eagles at the then-Georgia Coliseum on Dec. 29, 1994.

Georgia raced to a 54-35 halftime lead and cruised to victory.

In the other contest on Dec. 28, 1991, Litterial Green scored 30 points in a 105-90 win over Tennessee Tech. Georgia led just 47-44 following the first half, but the Bulldogs outscored Tech 58-46 after intermission. Green remains Georgia's all-time leading scorer, putting up 2,111 points in 126 games played between 1988-82.

Scouting The Golden Eagles

Tennessee Tech is coming off a 10-21 campaign during head coach John Pelphrey's fifth season in Cookeville.

TTU's roster features eight returnees and seven newcomers.

Returnees Daniel Egbuniwe and Rodney Johnson Jr. named to the Ohio Valley Conference's players to watch for the 2024-25 season. Johnson averaged 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds last season and ranked second on the team with 25 blocks. Egbuniwe contributed 7.6 points and a team-high 5.8 boards a year ago.

The Golden Eagles split a pair of preseason exhibitions, falling to Austin Peay, 90-80, on Oct. 22 and then defeating and Oakland City, 100-56, on Oct. 29. Newcomer Mehki Cameron paced TTU in both contests, putting up 17 points in each.

Last Time Out

Blue Cain scored 20 points to lead all five starters in double figures as Georgia raced to an impressive 114-76 exhibition victory over UCF on Oct. 29.

Asa Newell added 19 points and a game-high seven rebounds, Tyrin Lawrence chipped in 17 points, Silas Demary Jr. contributed 16 points and a team-leading six assists and RJ Godfrey put up 14 points.

Georgia seized control early, scoring the game's first four points and never trailing. The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 17-7 at the 12:39 mark of the first half. After leading 53-43 at halftime, Georgia opened the second stanza on a 15-2 run.

The Bulldogs shot 61.8 percent from the field, including a 55.6 percent clip from 3-point range.

"I don't know if we'll score 114 again," head coach Mike White said. "It was a really fast tempo. We shot it well. Central Florida's better than that. They're good every year. We made shots. We were really good in the offensive glass, of course. And then I thought we made some really good interior passes. We got the foul line as well. But shot the three well and finished at the rim."

Bulldogs Own Strong Records In Season Openers

Georgia has compiled an 85-34 record in opening contests of the Bulldogs' 119 seasons of basketball. That includes an even more impressive 39-6 mark in openers at Stegeman Coliseum.

The Bulldogs' matchup with Oregon last season in Las Vegas marked the first time Georgia played a season opener away from Athens since doing so at Clemson on Nov. 11, 2016.

The Bulldogs are 55-6 in the initial games at Stegeman Coliseum since the venue was christened late in the 1963-64 campaign.

During 43 years since then, Georgia's home opener also served as its overall season opener. The Bulldogs are 38-5 in those outings. Georgia's most significant win in a season opener at Stegeman also was the Bulldogs' first. The Bulldogs bested No. 13 North Carolina, 64-61, in their initial season opener in their current arena on Dec. 3 1964.

Speaking Of the 1963-64 season...

Georgia also played its home opener in football against Tennessee Tech this season. The Bulldogs defeated the Golden Eagles, 48-3, on Sept. 7.

The last time Georgia's home opener in football and basketball were against the same foe was against Alabama during the 1963-64 academic year.

On Sept. 21, 1963, Georgia dropped a 32-7 decision to in what became Johnny Griffith's final season as head coach before the arrival of Vince Dooley.

On Jan. 1, 1964, the Bulldogs topped the Tide, 49-47, in Athens. Later that season on Feb. 22, Georgia christened the then-Georgia Coliseum with an 81-68 victory over Georgia Tech.

Thanks to sports communications graduate assistant Sam Carter for digging this one up on Saturday morning in Jacksonville before the Georgia-Florida football game.

Mike White In Season Openers

Georgia head coach Mike White has a 9-4 mark in season openers during his coaching career. White was 2-2 in initial outings at Louisiana Tech and then 6-1 in the first contests at Florida. He is 1-1 in his two openers with the Bulldogs.

Dogs Produce Points In Exhibitions

Georgia averaged exactly 100 points in the Bulldogs' two preseason exhibition victories, putting up 86 at Charlotte and 114 versus UCF.

Georgia's 114 points against the Knights represented the Bulldogs' highest offensive output since defeating Charleston Southern, 116-59, on Nov. 22, 1997.

Asa Newell led a quintet of Bulldogs who averaged double digits in those outings at 19.5 points per game, followed by Blue Cain at 16.5 ppg, Silas Demary Jr. at 15.5 ppg, RJ Godfrey at 13.5 ppg and Tyrin Lawrence at 10.5 ppg.

Equally impressive as the point production was Georgia's efficiency. Combined, the Bulldogs connected on 61.3 percent of their shots from the floor, including 48.9 percent from 3-point range, against Charlotte and UCF.

Bulldogs Feature Six Top-100 Prospects

Georgia's 15-player roster features no less than six Bulldogs who were ranked among the nation's top-100 prospects in their recruiting classes.

Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr. and Dylan James are were tabbed among the top 100 players in the Class of 2023. Their highest The highest rankings featured Cain at No. 53 by On3.com, Demary at No. 56 by Rivals.com and James at No. 78 in the 247Sports.com composite.

As a class, they were ranked No. 11 by Rivals.com, No. 15 in the 247Sports.com composite, No. 18 by On3.com and No. 20 by 247Sports.com.

Somto Cyril, Savo Drezgić and Asa Newell were featured among the top 100 prospects in the Class of 2024, with highs of No. 43 for Cyril by 247Sports.com, No. 53 for Drezgić by On3.com and No. 11 for Newell by On3.com.

Newell finished No. 14 in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, placing him alongside from impressive names. Newell was the fourth-highest signee for Georgia since the recruiting service began its composite ledger in 2003, trailing only Anthony Edwards (No. 2 in 2019), Lou Williams (No. 6 in 2005 before declaring for the NBA Draft) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (No. 11 in 2011).

White Adds To Strong Postseason Record

The Bulldogs surge to the NIT semifinals last season improved Mike White's strong effort in postseason play. White is now a combined 16-9 in the NCAA and National Invitation Tournaments – 6-4 in the NCAAs and 10-5 in the NIT.

While at Florida, White was the only SEC coach to lead his teams to NCAA bids in every tournament between 2017-21. White's teams didn't only earn bids, they won during "March Madness." Headlining those Florida teams was the Gators' 2017 "Elite Eight"run. White was one of only five Division I coaches to win a game in each of those NCAA tourneys along with Bill Self, Mark Few, Jay Wright and Leonard Hamilton.

In the NIT, White has records of 5-3 at Louisiana Tech, 2-1 at Florida and 3-1 at Georgia. With apologies to Georgia radio network producer Adam "Road Dawg" Gillespie, White probably has a better claim to that nickname. White has led teams to NIT road wins at Ohio State (2016 and 2024), Florida State (2013), GEORGIA (2014), Texas A&M (2015) and Wake Forest (2024).

With Georgia's NIT win over Xavier last season, White improved to 9-0 in opening-round games of the NCAA Tournament and NIT.

White's postseason success dates back to his career as a four-year starter at Ole Miss. He helped the Rebels to their first back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids in 1997 and 1998 and added a third straight in 1999. White lists dribbling out the clock against Villanova for the first Ole Miss NCAA Tournament win ever as a senior as the most memorable moment of his playing career.