MIRAMAR ISLAND, Fla. – Mike White met with a handful of Georgia beat writers during a break on Tuesday at the SEC Spring Meetings.

Among the subjects were five new player additions he added through the NCAA transfer portal, his freshmen newcomers, and how his team may play differently this season.

• White on the impact that transfers Jordan Ross, Marcus Millender, Kanon Catchings, Justin Bailey, and Jeremiah Wilkinson will have.

“The two areas I think we improved the most in, at least on paper, are three-point makes and percentages based on career numbers. We really upped those numbers, and then the assist-to-turnover ratio will take a major jump positively,” White said. “Hopefully, we can rebound it as well. Hopefully, be as good defensively, but be a little bit different. We'll be smaller. We'll be faster. But those two offensive categories, I think, will be significantly improved. That's the hope, at least. On paper, it certainly looks as though we'll be better in those areas.”

• White on how a guard-oriented team will allow his team to play differently.

“We'll be in the open floor more. We'll push tempo a lot more. We won't play as big. We'll play more smaller lineups, four-guard lineups, lineups where four guys can shoot it,” White said. “Potentially, if some of these younger bigs can make a jump this fall, we can play five guys in the perimeter a little bit. But, yeah, I think overall it would just be a better passing team and a better shooting team.”

• White on what Georgia has to work with at the point guard position:

"Boy, Jordan Ross is very good. He's really good from St. Mary's. They were a top-25 team last year, a team that won the league that Gonzaga played in. He played off the ball more with a three-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, and arguably was their best defensive guard on a Top 10 defense in the country,” White said. “Jeremiah Wilkinson, Smurf Millender, both those guys are a little different. Both of those guys have more of a scoring mentality. But I think you've got three guys that can play the point at any given time.

"With those two guys being, again, a little bit different than Jordan, where I think Jordan's emphasis, Jordan steps on the floor wanting to help guys around him get better, get guys shots. And he can score as well, but those two guys are thinking score first in Smurf and Jeremiah. I like our backcourt."

• On getting Somto Cyril back for another year:

"Huge. Huge. Somto is huge, and it was a huge get getting him back. We really like Sonto, his upside, his ceiling. He's part of us,” White said/ “When you get a guy now to return for the second year, those guys are outliers now, right? He's entrenched in the culture and our program. I think Somto's got a chance to be a really good player.”

• Did Connecticut simply outbid Georgia for Silas Demary Jr?

“I have no idea what those numbers are. I really don't. All I can speak to is Georgia and our desire to have him return. We had a long sit-down with him that Monday after we finished playing. He put some thought into it,” White said. “A few days later, we met again and he said, 'Hey, I want to get in the portal. I want to explore options.' And that's part of what it is. I mean, it would be hypocritical, excuse me, of me to not support whatever decision he wanted to make. I'm for Silas Demary. I love him. He's a great kid. Helped us get to the NCAA tournament. He'll always be beloved at Georgia. I'm rooting like crazy for him to have success this year.”

• White on adding Todd Abernethy to his staff:

"Love Todd Abernethy and have known him since he was 19 years old. I coached him three years at Ole Miss as his position coach,” White said. “I watched a lot of films with him, had a lot of lunches with him, lived on the court with him at times. I've just kind of followed his development over time. Dusty May hired him at FAU. He's a guy who's coached in the SEC. He's a former All-SEC player, he's a great human being, and he's coached in the Final Four. He does a really good job with international recruiting, player development, scouting, all those things. But the international piece, too, is a strength that's a little bit unique for him that I think is coming more and more into play with today's landscape."

• On Abernethy’s strengths as an on-court coach:

"He was a hell of a point guard at Ole Miss. I don't know if you remember him. Player development. He's an offensive mind. He's got a really good feel there,” White said. “He did a really good job with those guards at FAU, again, that went to the Final Four. One thing I'm looking for — forever — I've been really fortunate to have really good cultures within staff, right? We’ve got really good staff chemistry. He'll add to that.:

• On Kanon Catchings' skillset:

"He's 6-9, 6-10 and shoots it like a two guard. Good ball security guy, too. One of these guys who's going to be really aggressive. He's going to fire it up, and we're going to welcome that,” White said. “We're going to embrace that. He's a guy that can fill it up, that can score big numbers in a hurry. Talented, versatile defender, too, with length and a competitive streak."

• White’s thoughts on Georgia's three freshmen Jacob Wilkins, Kareem Stagg and Jackson McVey:

"I think Kareem Stagg is one of the more underrated guys in the class. I think he's really talented, can play a couple of different spots up front,” White said. “Obviously, Jacob Wilkins, we've all seen videos of him. His highlights are really high, right, like his father. Just a really talented, high-ceiling guy. He's got a chance to be a heck of a player.

"Jackson McVay had a developmental year at OTE, and I thought he got better and better. But he brings a unique skill set with his ability to block shots at 7-1ish and really make threes. He didn't do that consistently at OTE. That wasn't quite his role this year. But we envision him doing that in his future at Georgia: a stretch center that can block shots and make threes."

• White on players who transferred out of the program:

“We touched on Silas' thing and his situation. DeShayne Montgomery's was a little touch-and-go there. We didn't know which way it would go, but ultimately, really, really happy for him, going to play for a great guy and a great coach at Dayton. And Savo (Drezgic) decided to head back home,” White said. “RJ Godfrey, yeah, a little bit surprising there, a little bit disappointing, but happy for him. He’s a wonderful kid and was a huge part of what we did last year, but he had a really good experience at the other place, too. So, he's going back home where he started, and I hope he has a great year. But overall, not just a huge surprise with any of those guys."