Georgia vs. Missouri

WHERE: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee

WHEN: Wednesday, approximately 9 p.m.

RECORDS: Georgia 16-15; Missouri 8-24

TV/RADIO: SEC Network (Tom Hart, Dayne Bradshaw); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Adam Gillespie

Georgia’s Southeastern Conference Tournament opener Wednesday night (9 p.m., SEC Network) against Missouri may or may not be the Georgia basketball team’s final game of the year.

Considering the Tigers went 0-18 in conference play, with one of those losses coming to the Bulldogs (75-68), Georgia won’t have a better opportunity to come away with a win.

But whatever happens in Wednesday night’s game at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville, head coach Mike White feels his team has been considerably better than a season ago.

“Our overall record is not what we wanted. That said, we are significantly better. Just ask our opponents, we’re a better team, we’re more competitive,” White said. “Our point differential is better than it was a year ago; we’re more competitive. We’ve had chances, we’ve been close in a few where if we hold on to a couple of those leads, we’re potentially sitting here as a bubble team. That didn’t happen to this point. But there is still basketball ahead of us.”

A look inside the data seems to back up White’s point.

Of note, Georgia’s scoring differential in conference games went from -13 points per game in 2022-2023 to -3.9 this season.

That’s not all.

Six of the most commonly utilized metric computer models have the Bulldogs up between 37-79 positions higher nationally from last season–an average of 59 spots.

In 15 of 31 games, Georgia was involved in one-possession games in the final 5:00. Nine of those were still within three points in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

“We’ve gotten better on the defensive glass throughout the year. We’ve gotten better overall rebounding, our attention to detail, our physical toughness has improved, gradually,” White said. “We still have some deficiencies. Our two-point percentage defense protecting, blocking shots, things like that. We’ve morphed a few times offensively as far as what our attack is based on the opponent. Our team has gotten better at making some of those changes. Hopefully, we finish strong.”

Although his focus is solely on this week’s SEC Tournament White said there’s no reason his program cannot take another step forward next year.

“Our administration has been fantastic. We’ve got all the support that we need,” he said. “We’ve just got to get better, develop the guys we’ve got and continue to be really strong in recruiting. This spring will be very important for us as it will be for most of our league. But yeah, we’re optimistic about the future.”

Knowing five-star prospect Asa Newell will be part of next year’s program is a comforting thought.

“I think he definitely complements. He’s very different than what we have. Really on the roster, period,” White said. “As a 6-10 high-energy, shot-blocking, rim-protecting, lob catching. He can drive it, he’s competitive, and he’s an underrated shooter. It’s not really his role for his current high school team, because it’s got a bunch of shooters around him, but he stretches the defense. He’s a really talented kid.”

Other changes are expected.

The Bulldogs know they’ll be losing graduate players Russel Tchewa, Noah Thomasson, and R.J. Sunahara. Four other seniors–Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Justin Hill, Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, and Frank Anselem-Ibe–still have Covid years remaining.

Juniors Jalen DeLoach and RJ Melendez, along with freshmen Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr., and Dylan James are eligible to return.

Demary was asked if there have been conversations with James Cain about what they could potentially help build together in Athens.

“It’s been mentioned, but we try not to talk about it as much,” Demary said. “We’re trying to stay within this season. Obviously, we have a chance in the SEC Tournament to shock a lot of people. So, we’re staying within the current moment.”

So too, is White.

“You just don’t know moving forward. When the ball stops bouncing for this team, we’ll have meetings with all our guys,” White said. “Other teams in our league, really all of college basketball, will do the same thing. Those conversations will lead to decisions by the staff, and for the most part the young people as to what they’re looking for and what’s important to them.”

Until then, it’s all about the SEC Tournament.

Should Georgia win, the Bulldogs would earn a Thursday night matchup against Florida.

“We’re desperate, too. We want to go to the NCAA Tournament. We want to finish strong,” White said. “It’s just going to come down to how Missouri plays and how well we play.”

NOTE: White said Jabri Abdur-Rahim is still listed as day-to-day due to his ankle injury. He’s yet to practice with the team since suffering the injury against Texas A&M.

• Georgia will face Missouri in the opening round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night, at approximately 9:15 ET, or 25 minutes after the conclusion of the evening’s first game.

• Georgia’ is 7-7 in games that have been one-possession contests in the final five minutes. The Bulldogs are 5-4 in matchups that were separated by three points or less in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

• Russel Tchewa has led Georgia in assists in the last two games, with a career-high five versus Ole Miss and three at Auburn. On the season, Tchewa sports 39 assists and 17 blocks--numbers you would expect to be transposed for a 7-footer. That’s an assist-to-block ratio of 2.29.

• Georgia has now used 11 players to comprise 11 different starting fives this season. Over the last 12 games, the Bulldogs have utilized eight different quintets of starters.

• Freshmen Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr., and Dylan James got the starting nod in Georgia’s final two regular-season games, the first time the Bulldogs started a trio of freshmen since Anthony Edwards, Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler did so in a March 11, 2020 SEC Tournament win over Ole Miss.

Missouri is 8-23 after finishing SEC play 0-18. The Tigers compiled an 8-5 non-conference record, with three of those losses coming to teams ranked in the Jan. 1 AP poll–No. 2 Kansas, No. 9 Illinois, and No. 15 Memphis.

Sean East II paces a quartet of Tigers producing double-digit scoring averages with 17.9 points per game. He is ranked among the SEC’s top-10 leaders in five stats–No. 1 in playing time, No. 4 in field goal percentage, No. 5 in scoring, No. 8 in free throw percentage and No. 9 in assists.

Tamar Bates, Noah Carter, and Nick Honor also are scoring in double figures, chipping in 13.5, 11.0, and 11.0 points per game, respectively.