WHERE: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge
WHEN: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Georgia 7-1, 0-1; LSU 6-2, 1-1
TV/RADIO: SEC Network (Mike Morgan, Debbie Antonelli); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuuck Dowdle, Adam Gillespie)
The Game
There's always a question how teams will perform on the road for the first time. Wednesday night at LSU, Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean hopes to learn some positive answers.
Tip-off at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center is set for 7 p.m. (SEC Network).
“We're going to find out. This will be the first time for us, obviously,” Crean said. “The teams that really can generate some togetherness, camaraderie, cheer for one another inside of that, and stay focused on that, and stay really, really engaged with one another—I think those are the teams that are going to give themselves a chance.”
The Bulldogs (7-1, 0-1) will be playing for the first time since last Wednesday’s loss to Mississippi State. This week’s initial away game will put the program’s Covid protocols to the first road test.
Georgia left for Baton Rouge Tuesday night.
“We tried to study what football has done, and certainly what the ladies did when they went on the road a couple of times. You just have to keep your contact tracing levels where they are like when you’re at home,” Crean said. “You have to be very cognizant of mask wearing, not being too close together, and making sure your rooming assignments are right. You have to make sure there's enough space on the bus. We can’t get away from any of those things.”
Wednesday’s contest is the first of two straight road games for the Bulldogs, who travel to Arkansas on Saturday before returning home against Auburn next Wednesday.
“I think that’s the most important stuff. I'm sure in these first two games we will learn some things. We've got to fly, and there's no question that it's completely different now. It’s definitely a different world, and you have to keep going around with your masks on,” Crean said. “Everything is different. There were 23 games on Saturday that were canceled or postponed. Everything you deal with is different, and you just have to be able to adjust and roll with it.”
The Bulldogs are coming off an 83-73 loss to Mississippi State, a game that saw Georgia struggle against the bigger Bulldogs from Starkville.
“We’ve worked hard to fix what got us there. I think that's the most important thing. Certainly, there was disappointment. The next day, we practiced and we lifted weights. I think they got through that pretty good. Those first 20-30 minutes of practice you have to work through the goals with them, and be like, ‘No, this is for real,’" Crean said. “We have to get better right now. ... but you also have to understand why you lose before you can really, truly understand what it’s going to take to win.”
This and that
…Georgia is the only Division I men’s basketball team, of 342 to have played this season, that entered this week with six players averaging double figures in the scoring column.
…From a milestone perspective, Sahvir Wheeler is one assist shy of 200 at UGA, and Justin Kier is four points away from 1,200 for his career.
…UGA has won the opening tip in each game this season and is 16-3 when doing so since the beginning of last season. UGA was 7-14 when losing the tip in 2019-20.
…Wheeler's three double-digit assist outings in the first three games of the season were as many as any SEC player posted in all of 2019-20.
…Kier and Wheeler entered this week leading the SEC in steals and assists, respectively.
Kier’s average of 2.3 steals per game paced league leaders and ranked No. 46 nationally on Monday.
…Wheeler’s production of 7.5 passes-to-points not only placed him atop SEC stats but also put him at No. 6 nationally. The sophomore from Houston’s average was 2.8 assists per game better than any other league player.
…Georgia is shooting a solid 70.2 percent from the line, including a season-best 84.0 percent (21-of-25) against Cincinnati.
…The Bulldogs have made more free throws (118) than their opponents have attempted (116) this season.
Scouting LSU
LSU enters Wednesday’s contest with a 6-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in SEC play.
The Tigers feature a quartet of players averaging double figures, leading to the second-highest scoring average in the SEC at 85.9 ppg.
Freshman Cameron Thomas is averaging an SEC-best 24.6 points per game, while Trendon Watford is adding 17.4 ppg, Javonte Smart is contributing 14.4 ppg, and Darius Days is chipping in 13.4 ppg.
Thomas and Days, who also leads LSU in rebounding at 7.9 rebounds per game, are the only two Tigers to start all eight games to date.