Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Georgia’s Newcomers Make The Difference On Opening Night
November 05, 2024 | Men's Basketball
By Kyle Tatelbaum
Georgia Sports Communications
Led by newcomers Asa Newell, Dakota Leffew and RJ Godfrey, who combined for 54 points, the Georgia men's basketball team kicked off its season with a hard-fought 83-78 victory over Tennessee Tech on Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
Newell became the third freshman in program history to score more than 20 points in his debut, recording a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-11 forward tied Dominique Wilkins' program record for most points by a freshman in a debut, surpassing Anthony Edwards' 24-point performance in 2019.
Newell was a constant threat through 32 minutes on the floor, dominating in both the post and from the mid-range and showing a level of poise and skill rarely seen in freshmen. "I just felt like the game came to me," he said. "I'm not worried about headlines; I'm here to get better."
Head coach Mike White described Newell as "a winning player." White said that "he's about the right stuff. He's mature beyond his years" and that "he's an accountable player" with "high basketball character."
The Golden Eagles outscored the Bulldogs 33-12 from beyond the arc, with all of Georgia's 3-pointers coming from Leffew. As a team, Georgia was just 4-for-18 from 3-point range. A graduate transfer from Mount St. Mary's, Leffew was the lone Bulldog to convert a 3-pointer, finishing with 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range in 28 minutes off the bench.
"He's coming off the bench for us right now, but there are a lot of practices where he is the best guard on the floor," White said. "It's nice to see Dakota get going. That's what he's capable of. He's a very talented scorer and passer."
The Bulldogs outscored Tennessee Tech 42-20 in the paint, fueled by a strong performance from Godfrey, who transferred to Georgia after two years at Clemson. Godfrey, the son of former Georgia All-SEC linebacker Randall Godfrey, recorded the first double-double of his career, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Godfrey's interior presence helped Georgia dominate the glass, recording 19 more rebounds as a team than the Golden Eagles.
"He doesn't take plays off," White said. "I've said it for a long time: I love coaching him. He's efficient, he's about the right stuff. He's not a guy who makes a lot of mistakes offensively or defensively."
Expect the Bulldogs newcomers to produce in game two of the 2024-2025 campaign, as Georgia hosts Texas Southern at Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Georgia Sports Communications
Led by newcomers Asa Newell, Dakota Leffew and RJ Godfrey, who combined for 54 points, the Georgia men's basketball team kicked off its season with a hard-fought 83-78 victory over Tennessee Tech on Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
Newell became the third freshman in program history to score more than 20 points in his debut, recording a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-11 forward tied Dominique Wilkins' program record for most points by a freshman in a debut, surpassing Anthony Edwards' 24-point performance in 2019.
Newell was a constant threat through 32 minutes on the floor, dominating in both the post and from the mid-range and showing a level of poise and skill rarely seen in freshmen. "I just felt like the game came to me," he said. "I'm not worried about headlines; I'm here to get better."
Head coach Mike White described Newell as "a winning player." White said that "he's about the right stuff. He's mature beyond his years" and that "he's an accountable player" with "high basketball character."
The Golden Eagles outscored the Bulldogs 33-12 from beyond the arc, with all of Georgia's 3-pointers coming from Leffew. As a team, Georgia was just 4-for-18 from 3-point range. A graduate transfer from Mount St. Mary's, Leffew was the lone Bulldog to convert a 3-pointer, finishing with 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range in 28 minutes off the bench.
"He's coming off the bench for us right now, but there are a lot of practices where he is the best guard on the floor," White said. "It's nice to see Dakota get going. That's what he's capable of. He's a very talented scorer and passer."
The Bulldogs outscored Tennessee Tech 42-20 in the paint, fueled by a strong performance from Godfrey, who transferred to Georgia after two years at Clemson. Godfrey, the son of former Georgia All-SEC linebacker Randall Godfrey, recorded the first double-double of his career, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Godfrey's interior presence helped Georgia dominate the glass, recording 19 more rebounds as a team than the Golden Eagles.
"He doesn't take plays off," White said. "I've said it for a long time: I love coaching him. He's efficient, he's about the right stuff. He's not a guy who makes a lot of mistakes offensively or defensively."
Expect the Bulldogs newcomers to produce in game two of the 2024-2025 campaign, as Georgia hosts Texas Southern at Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
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