WICHITA – As the only member of the Georgia basketball team with NCAA experience, RJ Godfrey has a message for his less experienced.

Just have fun.

“What I went through with those guys at Clemson, it was like the most fun thing I've ever experienced in my life. I just want these guys to feel it,” Godfrey said before Wednesday’s practice session at INTRUST Bank Arena. “That’s just one thing I've been stressing, especially guys like Justin (Abson), who I talk to the most. The fun is just how fun it is.”

But Godfrey knows it’s also going to be a challenge.

Gonzaga (25-8) is not only making its 26th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament but has made the last nine straight Sweet 16s.

Head coach Mike White feels Godfrey’s experience will go a long way.

“RJ is as consistent as anyone I've coached. There's two or three other guys on this team uniquely that I would put in that category as well,” White said. “His experience in going to the Elite Eight last year with some of the things that he's talked about, you know, in meetings, in the apartment, in the locker room, in the film room amongst us as a staff hold weight because he's been there, and he's done that. He's not a guy chasing numbers. He makes winning plays. He's better than his numbers indicate. He's really valuable to this team and to this program.”

Godfrey hopes he’s had a positive effect.

“I know these guys are hungry too,” Godfrey said. “Talking to Silas (Demary Jr.) and Blue Cain, those guys who are feeding for the moment. I really just rubbed off on them.”

Gonzaga enters the NCAAs at 25-8. The Zags were 14-4 in WCC action, finishing second to St. Mary’s before defeating the Gaels to capture their 20th WCC Tournament title in the 2000s.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs’ roster features five players scoring at a double-digit clip, led by Graham Ike at 17.1 ppg and followed by Khalif Battle at 13.2 points per game, Nolan Hickman at 11.0 ppg, and Braden Huff and Ryan Nembhard both at 10.8 ppg. Ike paces the Bulldogs on the boards at 7.5 rebounds per game.

“Our bigs have to be on full alert, and it starts the second they get a defensive rebound or you score. It starts in transition for them. Their tempo is terrific. Their early post touches, their late post touches, their ball screen execution,” White said. “Collectively we just have to be on point. We have to be really good defensively. It's one of the best offensive teams that we will have played all season.”

The stats don’t lie.

Gonzaga leads the nation in average assists (19.7 assists per game) and assist-to-turnover radio (2.09), mainly due to Nembhard. He ranks first and second nationally at 9.8 assists per game – a full 1.1 assist per game more than any other player – and 4.28 assist-to-TOs.

The Zags rank among the nation’s top 5 in six major stats. In addition to the aforementioned assist tallies, Gonzaga is No. 2 in scoring offense (86.6 ppg), No. 3 in scoring margin (+17.0 ppg), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.500) and No. 3 in free throw percentage (.801).

“It's not just frontcourt play. It's backcourt play as well. They have guards that can make shots. Hickman has got a beautiful stroke. They've got guards off the bench that are really good, and they've got arguably the best passer in college basketball in Nembhard. He's just an unbelievably quick thinker and surgeon of a passer, sees things before they happen, and makes everyone around him better. Good speed, good player. Just a really, really good player. He makes those guys better.”

• Silas Demary Jr. said the Bulldogs won’t be feeling any pressure despite the fact Georgia hasn’t won an NCAA game since 2002. “I would say we kind of don't have any weight on our shoulders. I think it's just, like you say, obviously a big-time moment to be in, but you want to take it as it's just another game. It’s just a game to have fun, a game to get better, just enjoy the team you have. You don't want to put too much pressure on one game,” Demary said. “Obviously. we haven't won a game in a long time. Everybody wants to win a game, but just to be here and to finally know that Georgia is kind of moving back in the right direction and this team has helped do that, I feel like we're in a good spot. We're just going to go out with confidence tomorrow.”

• Win Thursday, and Georgia’s reward will likely be a game against Midwest Regional top-seed Houston. But White can't look ahead.

"Yeah, I mean, it's one day at a time for us. It's growth. We've spent three years rebuilding, and we're proud of where we are. It's about Gonzaga, and that's it. That is it,” White said. “It's about today and our preparation and playing really well and optimistically thinking if we play really well down the stretch we have a chance. That's it. Everything else will take care of itself.”

• The Bulldogs will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years on Thursday when they face No. 24/23 Gonzaga in a Round of 64 matchup of the Midwest Regional in Wichita.

• Georgia played nearly 60 percent of its games – 19 of 32 - against NCAA Tournament teams, with wins over teams seeded No. 1 (Florida), No. 2 (St. John’s), and No. 3 (Kentucky).

• Georgia is 20-12 on the season, the Bulldogs’ 15th 20-win campaign but just the sixth time in 119 seasons that UGA reached 20 victories during the regular season.

• The Bulldogs also secured their second straight 20-win campaign, just the fifth time Georgia has put together back-to-back 20-win efforts.

• Georgia played a nation-leading eight regular-season games versus AP top 10 foes. Over half of UGA’s January & February outings – eight of 15 – were against the top 10, including five on the road.