Senior Jabri Abdur-Rahim admits it was a little intimidating being in the room for his first meeting as one of two student-athlete representatives on the UGA Athletic Association Board.

“It was the first time I met the president (Jere Morehead),” Abdur-Rahim smiled. “There were a lot of really important people in there, so it was a little intimidating.”

It’s a role he takes seriously.

Abdur-Rahim’s presence on the board is an important one, as he, along with Caterina Don of the women’s golf team, represents the interests of all the student-athletes at Georgia.

“It's a great honor to be chosen for that, and I know how important it is,” Abdur Rahim said. “Just to be selected means a lot, and I'm definitely going to take it seriously and try to represent our university to the best of my ability."

On the court, Abdur-Rahim takes his leadership roles just as seriously. With so many new teammates, he feels it’s his duty.

“I’ve learned not to worry about myself so much, and worry more about the team and helping the young guys; helping the new guys as much as I can, trying to be a leader, and leading by example, trying to show them what Coach (Mike White) expects, what he wants, and what they can do to be a successful player on the SEC level.”

Abdur-Rahim’s level of maturity has not been lost on White, who says he expects the player’s game to flourish.

“In his overall approach, he’s just provided more maturity. His responses to a missed shot or two or a blown defensive assignment, because we’re all going to make mistakes,” White said. “A huge part of the game of basketball, a game of inches and milliseconds, is being able to respond to the last mistake or made shot, the last positive or negative, and being able to stay in the moment, focus on ‘what’s the next responsibility?’ and move forward."

He's noticed other areas of growth as well.

"I think he’s grown a lot in that regard. He puts a lot of pressure on himself, as do a lot of young men who are as talented as he is. He’s one of the best shooters in our league. He’s tried to get out of himself a little more, too," White said. "I think the more he’s communicating with teammates and leading helps him stay in that moment.”

So far, Abdur-Rahim likes what he’s seen.

The team’s recent trip to Italy, where the Bulldogs played three games, not only allowed the program to get a jump on their preparation for the season, but helped the players grow closer as friends.

Considering there are 10 new players, that’s proved quite beneficial.

"I think it's really helped on the court, because when you're close to somebody or you have that connection to somebody, you are able to tell them things in a respectful way and without criticizing them. You're able to know how certain people react to certain things,” Abdur-Rahim said. “I think it's just knowing people's personalities and knowing how they react. I think that's really helpful on the court.--just kind of building that trust with somebody and getting close with them. They trust you and you trust them to kind of have your interest that's best for the team. I think that was really important for us."

Abdur-Rahim feels the influx of talent will benefit the Bulldogs as the season goes along. Georgia opens its season on Nov. 6 in Las Vegas against Oregon.

Although veteran transfers like Russel Tchewe, Jalen DeLoach, and Noah Thomasson are expected to have immediate impacts, Abdur-Rahim said he’s equally excited about the freshman class that includes Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr., Dylan James, and Mari Jordan.

“All those guys are really mature for their age,” Abdur-Rahim said. “I think they’re more college-ready than maybe I was as a freshman. I think they have a lot of confidence, and I think it will carry over when we play.”

Abdur-Rahim also intends to make his own season one to remember. But Georgia’s leading three-point shooter from last year (46 of 119 for .387 percent) knows there’s plenty of work to do.

“I think just being better all around, being better with the ball, working on my shot, trying to become more consistent in that area,” Abdur-Rahim said. “I put a lot of work into it, so hopefully it will show and pay off.”