NCAA rules prohibited head coach Mike White from speaking specifically about a recent “secret scrimmage” with North Carolina State.

Shhhh. Per sources, the Bulldogs beat the Wolfpack 80-72.

Although White could not acknowledge the game, he did respond to a question asking how the Bulldogs looked in their “recent opportunity.”

“I liked some of our responses. Some weren't quite on point, but we'll get there, or we'll swing to get there for sure,” White said. “We'll talk about some stuff today. We'll watch some stuff on film. There were turnovers. We're trying to play really, really fast and we've been doing that. We've got to continue to get better with our decisions, especially based on different defenses that we'll see.”

White said he feels his Bulldogs are further ahead than where they were a season ago.

Credit the team’s trip to Italy for that.

“We’re definitely ahead of where we were at this point last year and I think we're a better team,” White said. “We still have some stuff to install, but not a bunch. It's more about at this point honing in on what we can get a little bit better at, and buying into the fact that we better get better at that because we got some high-level opponents coming.”

White’s optimistic his team will respond just fine.

“We got a really tough schedule,” White said. “But I think our guys know that, and we're excited about the process.”

… White said freshman guard Silas Demary Jr. continues to impress.

“He’s a freshman going on 30,” White said. “He’s got some maturity, he’s got some leadership skills; he’s very poised as a freshman.”

…Grad transfer Noah Thomasson has wasted little time becoming the best leader he can be for the team.

To illustrate this fact, White recalled a meeting he saw Thomasson having with Demary and fellow freshman Blue Cain.

“Those guys were sitting with Noah, two true freshmen sitting with a fifth-year senior, and Noah, like he usually is in those types of settings is doing all the talking,” White said. “(Demary and Cain) were listening, and I just thought that was pretty special from a leadership standpoint. He’s got those characteristics, and that just shows you what he’s all about, you know?

"(Basketball) is an individual sport and a team sport at the same time and Noah wants to have a very good individual season. It’s important to him, but it’s also important for him to put his stamp on this team and program from a leadership standpoint as well.”

… White said the support his program has received from the Georgia athletic administration has been everything he hoped for.

“During the initial conversation with Josh (Brooks) and Jere (Morehead) was what their commitment was for men's basketball here, what their level of commitment was, and how bad did they want to be successful and support it?” White said. “There's been no questions since the day that we arrived on campus as a family and as a staff that we're committed to winning basketball.”

White cited several examples.

“Our weight room downstairs is as nice as any weight room in the Southeastern Conference. It was built very, very quickly for us and we've already been utilizing it and we've already benefited from it,” White said. “There was some analytical software we asked for. … Can we go to Italy? Anything that we've asked for in terms of benefit for this program, Josh has either initially said yes or found a way to support our program operating at the highest level.”

…Although White obviously cannot speak to specific recruits, he did talk about he and his staff’s current philosophy.

“I think as we reached our philosophy as a staff, it’s about recruiting high-level people to give yourself the best chance,” White said. “We’ve got good people targeted, that we’ve signed, that we get a chance to work with every day. We’re in a good place.”

…White said he and his staff have been very well received on the recruiting trail.

“We’ve been very well received. We’ve had a number of recruits come to practices, and get a chance to see us play,” White said. “I think we took a step last year, and I think the players we’re recruiting are hopeful we take another step this year.”

…Regarding his rotation, White said there’s still a lot of work to do.

“I don’t feel strongly about it all,” White said. “I feel strongly about our depth, our parity, and our healthy competition.”