Kentucky at Georgia

WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum

WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

RECORDS: Georgia 9-6, 1-2; Kentucky 12-3, 2-1

TV/RADIO: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Laura Rutledge); Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Tony Schiavone).

The SEC schedules certainly didn’t do Tom Crean a lot of favors during his first year as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Three games into the conference slate and the Bulldogs (9-6, 1-2) have already tackled ranked opponents Tennessee and Auburn, both on the road.

Tuesday night, Kentucky comes calling to Stegeman Coliseum, a key league contest that precedes Saturday’s home game against Florida.

Both contests are sold out.

“I think it's going to be a big week, because actually I think Florida sold out right before Kentucky,” Crean said. “No question about it, our fans have been great. They have been building up, but we need them to be here early, to be loud, to be crazy, obnoxious, whatever it takes early on to establish themselves.”

Crean used Monday’s press conference looking ahead to Tuesday’s game (7 p.m., ESPN) to give Bulldog fans a tutorial on what he wants to see.

“If we're on a run, help us keep going. If we have to get a run going, help us get that going. Continue to read the game the way they have and just be loud,” Crean said. “It's our first ESPN audience of the year, too, so I think that's great to bring a lot of attention to not only our program, their program, and the SEC, but it brings a lot of attention to the fan base.

“I think it's a great opportunity to show off what we're trying to establish here when it comes to the crowd, the atmosphere, the tickets sold. Most importantly, we need them, and that's been said since day one. It's certainly the case if we're going to have success (Tuesday night).”

Sophomore Rayshaun Hammonds said he’s not only expecting Georgia fans to bring the energy, but he said the Bulldogs are ready to do that as well.

“They’re bringing a lot of energy—the crowd—and we’re going to bring our own,” Hammonds said. “But they have to bring it more, and it’s going to be a very fun game with all of them being there. They’ve been very supportive, and that gets us going. We thank them a lot; the next two home games, we thank them a lot.”

Crean knows it won’t be easy.

The Wildcats (12-3, 2-1) are starting to find their collective groove, led by freshman and one-time Georgia commit Ashton Hagans, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week.

“I'd venture to say there isn’t a better defensive and attack-minded guard in the freshman class throughout the country. He's playing that way. His ability to create steals—he had eight against North Carolina, and his ability to create havoc on the ball, off the ball, getting to the rim—it's outstanding,” Crean said. “He's playing with a ton of confidence. I think people who knew him, or knew of him, knew he had that and all of the sudden, as he got more opportunity at Kentucky and with the transfer of Green, it came out even more. He's playing at an extremely high level.”

Georgia, meanwhile, is coming off a 15-point loss at Auburn. It was a game that saw the Bulldogs stay within 10 to 11 points of the Tigers after playing them close the first half.

“I think we played well as a team, but we still have to get better in some areas,” guard Tyree Crump said. “I feel like the last six minutes of the game, Auburn hit some shots that we couldn’t come back from.”

Nevertheless, Crean hopes the experience of playing the Tigers and Vols on the road will help his squad Tuesday against the Wildcats.

“It prepares you for really good teams. When you look back—and we opened up on the road with the two defending champions of the league, the co-champions—it does prepare you for the level of play you're going to see. I hope it's also giving them an indication that they can compete, and I think that's extremely important as well. The margin of error is just different. It's always different in league play, and it's different against the best teams which we are seeing a lot of right now. I think on any given night—and I hope we are included in this—that anybody could beat anybody. That’s what happens when you have a great league."

Game notes