No. 21/22 Bulldogs Return To Stegeman To Face Ole Miss

Wednesday, January 14

Athens, Ga.

7:00

University of Georgia

Ole Miss

Tickets From $14 - $27

No. 21/22 Bulldogs Return To Stegeman To Face Ole Miss

January 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

GEORGIA MEN'S BASKETBALL VIDEOS

Coach White

M. Millender

D. James

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

No. 21/22 Georgia (14-2, 2-1 SEC) vs. Ole Miss (9-7, 1-2 SEC)
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Location: Athens, Ga.
TV: ESPN2 (Roy Philpott, play-by-play; John Crispin, analyst)
Streaming: ESPNU (Tom Hart, play-by-play; Dane Bradshaw, analyst)
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network; Sirius 84 (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie, producer)
Tickets: www.georgiadogs.com/mbbtix
Game Giveaway: The first 750 UGA students will receive a free insulated water bottle

The Starting 5

Georgia returns the friendly confines of Stegeman Coliseum – where the Bulldogs have a 12-game winning streak and are 51-13 (.797) under Mike White – to host Ole Miss on Wednesday evening.
The Bulldogs are No. 21 and No. 22 in this week's AP and coaches polls, respectively. Georgia has been ranked for five consecutive weeks, its longest span since being in 11 straight polls in 2002-03.
Georgia entered the week leading the nation in scoring offense (96.4 ppg), fastbreak points (25.4 ppg), blocks (7.8 bpg) and percentage of FGs that are dunks (21.2 pct).
Somto Cyril is shooting a sterling 82.3 percent (65-of-79) from the field, 18.0 percent better than UGA's current season record. In SEC games, Cyril has connected on 93.8 perdent (15-of-16) of his FGAs.
Blue Cain's 91.1 percent (51-of-56) at the free throw line this season is the best ever by a Bulldog, and his career 83.6 percent (127-of-152) is No. 2 only to J.J. Frazier's 84.1 percent.

Keeping An Eye On…

Entering Today's Game Among UGA's Career Leaders

Blue Cain is...
• 3 3-pointers from No. 19 Sundiata Gaines
• 4 3-pointers from No. 18 Rashad Wright
• 8 3-pointers from No. 17 Turtle Jackson
• 1 3-point attempts from No. 19 Rashad Wright
Somto Cyril is...
• 1 blocks from No. 15 Rashaad Singleton
• 6 blocks from No. 14 Albert Jackson

Among UGA's Season Leaders

Blue Cain is...
• Currently No. 1 in UGA history at .911. No. 2 is .907 by Channing Toney ('05)
Somto Cyril is...
• 1 blocks from co-No. 19s Terry Fair ('83), Marcus Thornton ('14) and Yante Maten ('15)
• 3 blocks from No. 18 Charles Claxton ('93)
• 4 blocks from No. 17 Charles Claxton ('92)
• 5 blocks from co-No. 14s Willie Anderson ('87 & '88) and Yante Mateo ('18)

The Opening Tip

No. 21/22-ranked Georgia opens a two-game homestand on Wednesday by hosting Ole Miss. The Bulldogs also will face Arkansas at Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday.

Georgia is ranked No. 21 by the AP and No. 22 in the coaches poll this week. The Bulldogs are 14-2, matching their second-best 16-game record in 121 seasons of basketball.

Georgia's statistical start to the 2025-26 campaign has been equally impressive.

As of Monday, the Bulldogs were leading the all 365 Division I teams in scoring offense (96.4 ppg), fastbreak points (25.4 ppg) and blocks (7.8 bpg). Among the 28 statistics tracked by the NCAA, Georgia was ranked in the top 5 in six stats and within the top 20 in 11 categories.

Georgia has one of the nation's deepest rotations playing at a pace among the country's quickest.

Eleven Bulldogs are averaging double-figure minutes, and according to the oft-used metric KenPom.com, Georgia entered this week ranked No. 2 nationally in adjusted tempo (75.3) and No. 3 in average offensive possession length (14.3 seconds).

Georgia's depth is not just in numbers but also in its offensive production.

Ten of the 11 Bulldogs playing double-digit minutes have scored 10+ points in a game, combining to record 69 double-figure scoring outputs this season. Jeremiah Wilkinson is averaging a team-high 16.0 ppg, while Blue Cain is contributing 14.8 ppg, Marcus "Smurf" Millender is chipping in 11.7 ppg and Somto Cyril adds 10.0 ppg. Cyril also paces Georgia in rebounding (6.1 rpg), blocks (2.8 bpg) and field goal percentage (.823 – that's not a typo, it's .823).

Scouting The Rebels

Ole Miss improved to 9-7 overall with a 76-69 victory over Missouri on Saturday in Oxford, handing the Tigers their first loss in SEC play. Six of the Rebels' setbacks have been by single-digit decisions.

Malik Dia sports team-best averages of 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. In addition, AJ Storr and Illas Kamardine are scoring at double-figure clips of 12.3 ppg and 11.1 ppg, respectively. Kamardine also leads Ole Miss in assists at 4.1 apg.

Series History With Ole Miss

Georgia is 78-48 all-time versus Ole Miss, including a 43-16 advantage in outings played Athens.

Last season on Jan. 4 in Oxford, No. 23/24 Ole Miss rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Georgia, 63-51, despite a double-double from Asa Newell in his SEC debut.

After the Bulldogs led 28-26 at the intermission, Ole Miss opened the second stanza with a 15-2 surge. Georgia countered with an 11-1 run and pulled within 45-43 at the 7:30 mark but could not complete the comeback.

In the Rebels' most recent trip to Athens on March 5, 2024, five Bulldogs posted double-digit scoring outputs as a balanced offensive attack secured Georgia a 69-66 win.

Georgia led for 36:37 of the contest, but the outcome wasn't decided until the final 30 seconds. The Bulldogs built their largest lead of the night at 65-54 with 2:45 remaining before Ole Miss used an 8-0 surge to pull within 65-63 with 49 seconds left. Georgia scored four straight to push the margin back to six points before a three-quarter court heave at the buzzer cut the final margin in half.

Last Time Out

Kanon Catchings' season-high 20 points and Somto Cyril's career-high 18 points led No. 18/20 Georgia to a 75-70 victory over South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena last Saturday.

The back-and-forth contest featured nine ties and 11 lead changes before the Bulldogs surged ahead for good on a pair of free throws from Cyril with 5:27 remaining.

"Incredibly tough to come by, and that was the last message I just gave our guys," head coach Mike White said. "There are things you talk about after wins and losses, and you try to harp on some positives after losses. You've got to make sure, at least that's just my philosophy, after some big wins, let's talk about some of the negatives, too. It's a good time to learn because we're all feeling good, we're all locked in, and we're all connected and cheering about the win."

Bulldog Coaches Face Their Alma Mater

Head coach Mike White and assistant coach Todd Abernethy both played and coached at Ole Miss. White was a four-year starter – including three NCAA Tournament teams – from 1995-99 and later served as an assistant coach from 2004-11. Abernethy enjoyed a stellar career from 2003-07 and returned as an assistant coach in Oxford from 2014-18.

During 11 seasons of his combined stints, White helped Ole Miss record seven 20-win campaigns, capture four SEC West titles (1997, 1998, 2007 & 2010) and earn seven postseason bids (three NCAA and four NITs). In fact, White calls dribbling out the clock in that 72-70 NCAA win over Villanova at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee as the favorite memory of his basketball career.

A 2023 inductee into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame, Abernethy was a three-year captain for the Rebels and played his final three seasons when White on the staff. Abernethy earned SEC accolades as an All-Freshman pick in 2004, the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 2005 and an All-SEC honoree by both league coaches an the AP in 2007.

The More Honored Ole Miss Athlete

During his playing career with the Rebels, White met his wife, the former Kira Zschau.

While Mike enjoyed great team success Kira was the more celebrated individual athlete and earned All-SEC recognition on the volleyball court. In Ole Miss records for the "sideout scoring" era, Kira ranks No. 3 in single-season kills (481 in 2000) and owns the No. 2 and No. 3 single-match kill totals ever by a Rebel (31 vs. Arkansas in 2000 and 30 vs. Winthrop in 2000).

A "Stegtacular" Home Court Advantage

Georgia's home court advantage? It's real and it's Stegtacular.

The Bulldogs have compiled a 51-13 (.797) home mark under Mike White and are a perfect 36-0 versus non-conference competition in Stegeman over his four seasons at UGA.

White's success at Stegeman is not confined to his UGA tenure. He was 7-1 in Athens as a visiting head coach, leading Louisiana Tech to a 2014 NIT victory and compiling a 6-1 mark at Florida.

That makes White is a combined 58-14 (.805) as a head coach in Stegeman.

Georgia currently owns a 12-game winning streak at Stegeman that began with victories last season over No. 3 Florida on Feb. 25 and Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale.

After producing just eight double-digit home winning streaks in their first 117 seasons of basketball, the Bulldogs have produced four double-digit winning streaks at Stegeman during White's four seasons alone.

Bulldogs Are Nation's Top Offensive Team

Georgia entered this week ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring offense and fastbreak points. The Bulldogs are putting up 96.4 points per game, including 25.4 ppg on fastbreak opportunities.

In fact, the Bulldogs' average of 99.0 ppg on January 1 was the highest by any Division I basketball team when on New Year's Day in seven years . . . since The Citadel was putting up 99.1 ppg when the calendar flipped from 2018 to 2019.

Though bolstered by reaching 120 points twice, Georgia's scoring has been consistent.

In 32 halves of hoops, the Bulldogs scored 40 or more points 28 times, with 11 50-point periods and three segments of 60 or more points.

Georgia played 102 games in Mike White's first three seasons in Athens. The Bulldogs reached 90 points nine times and 100 points twice. In 16 games this season, Georgia has topped 90 points in 10 outings and surpassed the century mark in a school-record seven contests.

Georgia Among Nation's Top-5 In Seven Stats

Peruse the NCAA's statistical leaders and you'll find a multitude of categories featuring the Georgia Bulldogs at or near the top.

As of Monday, Georgia was ranked in the nation's top-20 teams in 11 of the 28 stats the NCAA measures, including six in the top 5 as outlined below.

Of note is the margin by which Georgia leads the nation in the three categories the Bulldogs are ranked No. 1.

• The Bulldogs' 96.4 points per game were 1.8 ppg more than any other team.
• Georgia's 25.4 fast break points per game were 4.3 ppg more than any other team.
• The Bulldogs' 7.8 blocks per game were 0.9 bpg more than any other team.

Top-5 Stats
Statistic	Rk.	No.
Scoring Offense	1	96.4
Fastbreak Points	1	25.4
Blocks Per Game	1	7.8
FTs Made Per Game	2	21.5
FTAs Per Game	4	28.6
Bench Points	5	39.2

Bulldogs Match Second-Best Start Ever

Georgia's 13-1 record to begin this season equaled the second-best start in the Bulldogs' 121 seasons competition.

Georgia's current 14-2 record matches the second-best 16-game beginning by the Bulldogs, equaling the openings of the 2024-25, 2001-02 and 1923-24 campaigns.

Smurf's Game Gets Bigger In Last 10 Outings

Marcus "Smurf" Millender's season-high 24-point outing against Auburn in the SEC opener headlines a strong series of performances over the Bulldogs' last 11 contests.

The stretch began in dramatic fashion, with Millender canning a game-winning 3-pointer against Xavier in the opening round of the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic on Nov. 21.

Millender has now put out double-digit scoring tallies in nine of 11 games and distributed six or more assists in four of those contests. After averaging 6.8 points in Georgia's first five games, he is contributing 13.9 ppg in the Bulldogs' last 11 outings.

Millender's efficiency from the field also has increased dramatically. After shooting 26.2 percent (11-of-42) from the field and 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from 3-point range in the first five games, Millender has connected on 55.2 percent (53-of-96) of his field goals, including 47.1 percent (24-of-21) of his 3s, thereafter.

Cain Joins UGA's Free Throw Leaders

Blue Cain recently met the minimums to be included in Georgia's single-season and career leaders in free throw percentage. He enters the Ole Miss game ranked No. 1 in season and No. 2 in career success rate among all Bulldogs.

The minimum to qualify for Georgia's single-season free throw percentage leaders is 50 made attempts, which Cain reached with two makes at South Carolina on Jan. 19. Cain is currently 51-of-56 and his 91.1 conversion rate is the best ever by a Bulldog.

The minimum to qualify for Georgia's career free throw leaders percentage leaders is 125 made attempts, which Cain achieved with two free throws at Florida on Jan. 6. Cain is now 127-of-152 and his 83.6 conversion rate is now the second-best ever by a Bulldog.

Somto's Surreal Stretch is almost Unfathomable

It would be hard to choose which of the following about Somto Cyril's last seven outings:

• Producing five career-high scoring outputs.
• Grabbing the most rebounds by a Bulldog since 2020.
• Swatting a career-high six shots against Auburn.
• Shooting a combined 90.0 (36-of-40) percent from the field.

Cyril matched his career-most points with 13 against Cincinnati, upped that to 14 versus Western Carolina, inched up to 15 against West Georgia and matched that tally in the SEC opener versus Auburn. At South Carolina, he improved his personal record again with an 18-point performance.

Cyril hauled in 15 rebounds West Georgia, which not only represented a career high but also was the most by any Bulldog since Toumani Camara's 17 boards against Montana on Dec. 2, 2020.

Cyril made the most of the overtime session versus Auburn, notching three of his career-high six blocks in those five minutes alone against the Tigers.

Cyril was perfect from the field in five of those seven contests, connecting on 6-of-6 field goals against Cincinnati, Western Carolina, West Georgia and Auburn and then making 8-of-8 attempts at South Carolina.

Cyril has averaged 12.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks over those seven contests, numbers that took a hit by only playing 7:08 at Florida.

Wilkinson Putting Up Big Numbers For Bulldogs

Jeremiah Wilkinson recorded his first 30-point outing Georgia in the Bulldogs' 104-100 win over Auburn. Big numbers have been a big part of the Powder Springs product's game.

Wilkinson has a team-leading six 20-point performances for Georgia this season.

Last season at Cal, he notched 10 20-point tallies and a pair of 30-point efforts for the Bears en route to winning ACC Sixth Man of the Year honors. Wilkinson's 10 20-point games for Cal were the second most in program history by a freshman behind only Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Double-Digit Dogs' Have Hit Double Figures

No less than 10 different Georgia Bulldogs recorded double-figure scoring outputs in the first five games of the season.

Those Bulldogs have now combined to produce 69 double-digit performances. Blue Cain leads that pack with 15 tallies, followed by Jeremiah Wilkinson with 13; Smurf Millender with 10; Somto Cyril with seven; Kanon Catchings and Jordan Ross with six; Jake Wilkins with four; Justin Bailey and Dylan James with three; and Kareem Stagg both with two.

Seven of the aforementioned Bulldogs scored in double digits against Morehead State on Nov. 9. That marked the first time seven Bulldogs hit the 10-point plateau in a single game since a 99-72 decision over Tennessee Tech on Dec. 29, 1994 – a span of 979 contests.

Dunkyard Dogs Leading The Nation In Slams

According to BartTorvik.com, Georgia entered this week scoring a nation-leading 21.2 percent of its field goals this season on dunks – 118 of 527 the Bulldogs' total FGs – as outlined below.

As of Friday, Somto Cyril led the SEC and ranked No. 2 nationally with 47 dunks followed by Kareem Stagg with 17; Jake Wilkins with 15; Jeremiah Wilkinson with 10; Justin Abson, Blue Cain and Kanon Catchings with eight apiece; and Dylan James with five.

Dunking It
Rank	Team	Pct.
1.	Georgia	21.2
2.	N. Carolina	20.7
3.	Kentucky	17.0
4.	Duke	16.9
5.	Indiana	16.5
6.	Florida	16.0
7.	Arkansas	15.6
8.	Louisville	15.4
9.	Michigan	15.2
	Wake Forest	15.2

Abson, Cyril Supply Top-25 Swatting Duo

With Georgia leading the nation in blocks per game entering this weekend, largely due to two Bulldogs also being among the top-25 shot swatters in the country.

As of Monday, Somto Cyril led the SEC and No. 6 nationally at 2.8 bpg and Justin Abson was at No. 3 in the league and No. 23 in the country at 2.3 bpg.

Led by that duo, Georgia entered this week ranked No. 2 nationally in defensive blocks percentage according to KenPom.com, swatting away 18.0 percent of the opponents' shots from the field before they have a chance to reach the bucket.

COMPLETE GAME NOTES PDF

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