Tag: daunting

The Georgia Bulldogs handled test after test in non-conference play and entered the new year with an impressive 12-1 record, the program’s best start in 94 years. The challenge now is to stand out in an incredibly deep SEC, and it starts Saturday in a marquee road game.

Georgia (12-1) will take on No. 24 Ole Miss (11-2) in a 12 p.m. ET game that will be televised by SEC Network. The Bulldogs enter the game off a 79-72 win over South Carolina State on Sunday, while the Rebels suffered an 87-70 loss at Memphis on Saturday.

The discussion surrounding Georgia toward the end of December was centered on the task that lay ahead in conference play. SEC teams went a combined 185-23 in non-conference play, which included a 28-19 record in Q1 games and a 21-8 mark against AP top 25 opponents. 

Georgia basketball is much better in Mike White‘s third season, but so is the rest of the league.

“We better be ready, right? And a ton of opportunities at the same time,” White said prior to the Buffalo game. “Each one of these opportunities will help us grow, too, and help us get better. It’s a process. It’s a long SEC season. But right now, it’s [about our next opponent].”

Georgia players made it clear that they understand there will be no easy games against SEC foes this season.

Point guard Silas Demary Jr. was introduced to life in the SEC last season, and the sophomore is ready for more in Year 2. Demary credited the SEC for being made up of a lot of teams beaming with self-confidence, and he emphasized that their physicality stands out. Forward RJ Godfrey is a veteran but not when it comes to the SEC, and the Clemson transfer admitted the conference’s dominance across the board — specifically against ACC competition — caught him off guard.

“It does kind of surprise us because when you’re in the ACC, they’re like, oh, they’re doubting us, and there’s always four tournament teams that make it deep every year,” Godfrey said. “This year I’m definitely surprised by it. Just turn on the TV and watching the different teams whip on different conferences. That’s definitely something that I was surprised with this year.”

The Bulldogs understand they’ll have to up their game after flirting with disaster the last time out.

Georgia struggled immensely in the first half against South Carolina State, and the home Bulldogs found themselves down 41-24 at the break. Despite the dire situation, Georgia responded after halftime by shooting 74.1% from the field, putting up 55 points, and forcing 9 turnovers in a come-from-behind victory. Three Bulldogs — Demary (10), Asa Newell (12), and Tyrin Lawrence (13) — scored double-digit points in the second half alone.

Georgia survived the scare against South Carolina State, but it will have to play much better in order to leave Oxford 1-0 in SEC action.

The Rebels haven’t been the most efficient shooters this season, but they’ve been fantastic in terms of taking care of the ball. Ole Miss sits sixth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), a product of delivering 16.4 assists per game (68th nationally) and only turning the ball over 8.6 times per contest (4th nationally). The Rebels are also averaging 5.0 blocks per game, an effort led by guard Tre Davis (13).

Other notable Ole Miss players include guard Sean Pedulla (team-high 14.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, team-high 32 steals), guard Jaylen Murray (13.2 ppg, 44.4 3PT%, team-high 55 assists), guard Matthew Murrell (11.7 ppg, 43.3 FG%, 22 steals) and forward Malik Dia (7.1 ppg, team-high 5.4 rpg, 8 blocks).

Georgia passed nearly every test they took in non-conference play, but there’s no denying the level of difficulty is set to ramp up. Saturday’s game at Ole Miss marks the first of seven straight games against ranked opponents, and how the Bulldogs play may show us how prepared they are for the weeks ahead.