Bulldogs Look To Bounce Back At South Carolina

Saturday, January 10

Columbia, S.C.

2:00

University of Georgia

South Carolina

January 09, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

No. 18/20 Georgia (13-2, 1-1 SEC) vs. South Carolina (10-5, 1-1 SEC)
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Location: Columbia, S.C.
TV: ESPN2 (Roy Philpott, play-by-play; John Crispin, analyst)
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network; Sirius 106 (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie, producer)
Tickets: www.georgiadogs.com/mbbtix

The Starting 5

Georgia – which entered January with the highest scoring average (99.0 ppg) of any D-I team in seven years (since 2019) – will face South Carolina on Saturday in its second road game this week.
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 18 and No. 20 in this week's AP and coaches polls, respectively, which is Georgia's highest rankings since being No. 17 (AP) and No. 18 (coaches) on February 3, 2003.
Georgia entered the weekend ranked among the nation's top-5 teams in six statistics, including No. 1 in scoring offense (97.9 ppg), fastbreak points (25.9 ppg) and blocks (7.9 bpg).
As of Friday, the Dunkyard Dawgs were scoring a nation-leading 21.4 percent of their field goals on dunks this season. Individually, Somto Cyril's 42 dunks led the SEC and ranked No. 2 nationally.
Georgia topped the 100-point plateau in seven of its first 14 games, already breaking the program's single-season program record of five century mark tallies during the 1990-91 campaign. The Bulldogs have scored 40 or more points during 27 of 30 halves of basketball this season.

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
• 4 3-point attempts from No. 19 Rashad Wright
Somto Cyril is...
• 4 blocks from No. 15 Rashaad Singleton
• 9 blocks from No. 14 Albert Jackson

Among UGA's Season Leaders

Blue Cain is...
• 1 free throws from the minimum to qualify for UGA's season leaders in FT pct. His current percentage of 90.4 would rank No. 2
Somto Cyril is...
• 4 blocks from co-No. 19s Terry Fair ('83), Marcus Thornton ('14) and Yante Maten ('15)
• 6 blocks from No. 18 Charles Claxton ('93)
• 7 blocks from No. 17 Charles Claxton ('92)

The Opening Tip

The No. 18/20-ranked Georgia Bulldogs will trek down I-20 to Columbia, S.C., to face the South Carolina Gamecocks in a Saturday matinee.

Georgia's current rankings are its highest since being No. 17 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the coaches poll on Feb. 3, 2003.

The Bulldogs are 13-2, matching their second-best 15-game record in 121 seasons of basketball.

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

As of Friday, the Bulldogs were leading the all 365 Division I teams in scoring offense (97.9 ppg), fastbreak points (25.9 ppg) and blocks (7.9 bpg). Among the 28 statistics tracked by the NCAA, Georgia was ranked in the top 5 in six stats and within the top 25 in 13 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 weekend ranked No. 2 nationally in adjusted tempo (75.9) 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 65 double-figure scoring outputs this season. Jeremiah Wilkinson is averaging a team-high 17.2 ppg, while Blue Cain is contributing 15.1 ppg and Marcus "Smurf" Millender is chipping in 12.0 ppg.

Scouting The Gamecocks

South Carolina improved to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in SEC play with an impressive 78-68 win at LSU on Tuesday. The Gamecocks doubled up the Tigers 50-25 in the first half and withstood several second stanza LSU rallies.

Meechie Johnson tops a quartet of double-figure scorers for South Carolina at 14.0 ppg, while both Mike Sharavjamts and Elijah Strong are putting up 11.6 ppg and Eli Ellis is posting in 11.0 ppg.

Series History With Carolina

South Carolina owns a 64-62 edge in all-time matchups against Georgia.

In the most recent meeting last March 4 in Columbia, Georgia never trailed en route to a 73-64 victory over the Gamecocks.

The Bulldogs scored 32 seconds into the game and led the rest of the night. The Gamecocks pulled within two with 9:24 left before a Silas Demary Jr. jumper and a pair of Blue Cain 3-pointers in a span of 38 seconds pushed the margin back to 57-47.

The victory was the third in a four-game winning streak to end the regular season that locked up Georgia's first NCAA Tournament bid in a decade.

Last Time Out

Marcus "Smurf" Millender led Georgia with 18 points on a 7-of-11 shooting night from the field and Dylan James scored a career-high 16 points; however, the Bulldogs dropped a 92-77 decision at Florida on Tuesday.

Georgia trailed 41-40 at halftime but was outscored 51-27 following the intermission.

"When you look at the box, we had six assists which is unheard of for this team," head coach Mike White said. "It's comparable to years past when we've struggled to pass it. This is too good of a spacing, shooting, passing, skill-level team to get six assists."

Bulldogs Are Nation's Top Offensive Team

Georgia entered this weekend ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring offense and fastbreak points. The Bulldogs are putting up 97.9 points per game, including 25.9 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 30 halves of hoops, the Bulldogs scored 40 or more points 27 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 15 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 Friday, Georgia was ranked in the nation's top-25 teams in 13 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' 97.9 points per game are 2.8 ppg more than any other team.
• Georgia's 25.9 fast break points per game are 4.0 ppg more than any other team.
• The Bulldogs' 7.9 blocks per game are 0.8 bpg more than any other team.

Top-5 Stats
Statistic	Rk.	No.
Scoring Offense	1	97.9
Fastbreak Points	1	25.9
Blocks Per Game	1	7.9
FTs Made Per Game	3	21.9
FTAs Per Game	3	29.0
Bench Points	4	41.2

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 as outlined below.

Best Beginnings
Rank	Season	Record

1.	1930-31	23-1
2.	2025-26	13-1
	1923-24	13-1
4.	2024-25	12-1

Smurf's Game Gets Bigger In Last 10 Outings

Marcus "Smurf" Millender's season-high 24-point outing against Auburn last Saturday headlines a strong series of outings over the Bulldogs' last 10 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 10 games and distributed six or more assists in three of those contests. After averaging 6.8 points in Georgia's first five games, he is contributing 14.6 ppg in the Bulldogs' last 10 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 57.3 percent (51-of-89) of his field goals, including 51.1 percent (23-of-45) of his 3s, thereafter.

Cain Joins UGA's Career Free Throw Leaders, Season Ledger Next

Junior Blue Cain is currently ranked No. 3 on Georgia's career free throw percentage leaders and is set to join the Bulldogs' top-5 for single-season free throw percentage with his next conversion at the charity stripe.

The minimum to qualify for Georgia's career free throw leaders percentage leaders is 125 made attempts. With two free throws at Florida on Tuesday, Cain improved to 125-of-150 and his 83.3 conversion rate is now the third-best ever by a Bulldog.

The minimum to qualify for Georgia's single-season free throw percentage leaders is 50 made attempts. Cain is currently 49-of-54 and his 90.7 conversion rate would be the second-best ever by a Bulldog.

Somto's Surreal Stretch

It would be hard to choose which of the following about Somto Cyril's five outings between Dec. 13-Jan. 3 is the most impressive:

• Producing four 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 (27-of-30) 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.

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 four of those five contests, connecting on 6-of-6 field goals against Cincinnati, Western Carolina, West Georgia and Auburn. He was only 3-of-6 in the Bulldogs' other contest in that span versus LIU.

Cyril's averaged 12.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.6 blocks over that quintet of contests.

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 65 double-digit performances. Blue Cain leads that pack with 14 tallies, followed by Jeremiah Wilkinson with 12; Smurf Millender with 10; Somto Cyril and Jordan Ross with six; Kanon Catchings with five: 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.

Georgia Plays At One Of The Nation's Quickest Paces

According to KenPom.com, the Bulldogs "adjusted tempo" of 75.9 possessions per 40 minutes is the second-highest in the nation and their average possession length on offense of 14.3 seconds is third-quickest.

Dunkyard Dogs Leading The Nation In Slams

According to BartTorvik.com, Georgia entered this weekend scoring a nation-leading 21.4 percent of its field goals this season on dunks – 112 of 501 the Bulldogs' total FGs – as outlined below.

As of Friday, Somto Cyril led the SEC and ranked No. 2 nationally with 42 dunks followed by Kareem Stagg with 17; Jake Wilkins with 15; Jeremiah Wilkinson with nine; Justin Abson, Blue Cain and Kanon Catchings with eight apiece; and Dylan James with five.

Dunking It
Rank	Team	Pct.
1.	Georgia	21.4
2.	N. Carolina	20.0
3.	Indiana	17.2
4.	Kentucky	17.0
5.	Duke	16.9
6.	Florida	16.4
7.	Arkansas	16.1
8.	Louisville	16.0
9.	Michigan	15.8
10.	Florida State	15.5

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 Friday, Somto Cyril was No. 2 in the SEC and No. 8 nationally at 2.7 bpg and Justin Abson was at No. 3 in the league and No. 21 in the country at 2.4 bpg.

Georgia Rewriting Its Scoring Records

The Bulldogs produced two of their top-10 single-game scoring tallies ever this season in November.

Georgia's 123 points against Tennessee Tech and 120 versus Morehead State rank No. 3 and No. 7 all-time in program history as outlined below.

The Bulldogs topped the century mark a school-record seven times in their first 14 outings, besting the 1990-91 campaign's five for the most 100-point performances.

Georgia topped the century mark back-to-back times twice during its first dozen games, against Tennessee Tech and Florida State and then Western Carolina and West Georgia. By comparison, the Bulldogs posted consecutive 100-point outings just three times prior to this season – a span of 120 seasons and 1,926 games.

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 at Stegeman 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 as outlined below.

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