WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum

WHEN: Saturday, noon

RECORDS: Georgia 19-11, 7-10; Vanderbilt 20-10, 9-8

TV/RADIO: ESPNU (Mike Morgan, Mike Wise); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Adam Gillespie).

Pregame notes

Georgia’s final home game of the season Saturday against Vanderbilt (Noon, ESPNU) is big for a couple of reasons.

One, with a victory, the Bulldogs would likely secure a spot in the 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament. Second, it’s Senior Day.

For seniors Tyrin Lawrence and Dakota Leffew, it’s an opportunity to not only go out on a winning note in their final contest at Stegeman Coliseum, but to help make it a memorable afternoon for the program as well.

“Two guys from Atlanta, from greater Atlanta, that came back home. They wanted to wear the G in their last go round, and they've been great additions to our team and to our program,” head coach Mike White said after practice on Friday. “We're proud to coach them, enjoy coaching them. Both are great people, so we're excited to honor those guys. Every time you've got a Senior Day or a Senior Night, just a little bit more added incentive.”

The Bulldogs (19-11, 7-10) certainly have plenty of that.

With a win, Georgia would give the Bulldogs just their sixth 20-win season in the 118 years the program has been in existence.

More importantly, a win over the Commodores (20-10, 9-8) would likely earn Georgia its first NCAA bid since 2014-15.

But neither Lawrence nor Leffew are worried about that just yet. At least, that’s what they’re saying.

For Lawrence, a native of Morgan County, it’s a chance to beat the program he came to Georgia from after transferring from Vanderbilt after last year.

“It's going to be probably a bit of a sweet moment just seeing it all come to an end against the team I started with. I think it’s going to be a great day, a great atmosphere. I'm looking forward to it,” Lawrence said. “I've got a few guys from when I was there still, so it'll be exciting just to see them, being able to talk to them and let them know that even though I'm not there, I might still keep up with them. It'll be a great test of mine.”

As expected, Lawrence has played a big role for the Bulldogs. In 27 games, he’s made 20 starts, averaging 8.5 points with 3.1 rebounds per game.

“He's a consistent guy, he's a family guy, he's a great teammate. They've got a lot of similarities,” White said of Lawrence and Leffew. “With Dakota, I can say those same things. They've got a lot of similar characteristics. They’re both very even-keeled. Unflappable on the court and between the lines, and that’s just kind of who they are. I think, have a bunch of basketball ahead in their future, in their professional careers.”

Leffew joked that he just hopes his family will be able to make it through the game.

“Yeah, the emotions are going to be pretty high,” Leffew said. “My mom, my family's going to be there, and then they're going to be maybe crying, things like that.”

In the world of college basketball, this weekend is fraught with thoughts of conference tournament seeding and NCAA bids.

Both are certainly true for fans of the Bulldogs, whose strong finish to end the season has them in position to make the big dance for the first time since 2014-15.

But even with so much on the line, White said his team's approach has not changed.

"No, no, no. We've mentioned postseason and the potentials, the different type scenarios in June," White said. "It's the same thing this week, just control today, focus on today."

White said Friday's final practice before Saturday's game was a good one.

"We went a little bit longer, but with more physicality, more competition that yesterday after a day off," White said. "We shortened it up a little bit today, but the guys have been really locked in, as needed against a really good Vanderbilt team coming in."

Vanderbilt enters its regular-season finale at 20-10 overall and 8-9 in SEC action.

First-year head coach Mark Byington, whose staff includes former Georgia player, graduate assistant and operations coordinator Matt Bucklin, has Vanderbilt on the verge of an NCAA Tournament bid. The Commodores are coming off a 90-77 setback to Arkansas on Tuesday, which snapped a three-game winning streak over top-25 foes – No. 24 Ole Miss, No. 12 Texas A&M, and No. 14 Missouri.

Vanderbilt features a quartet of double-figure scorers led by Jason Edwards’ 16.7 ppg average, followed by Devin McGlockton and Tyler Nickel both at 10.5 ppg and A.J. Hoddard at 10.1 ppg.

The deep Dores rank No. 17 nationally in bench points, with reserves contributing 30.3 ppg, 37.7 percent of Vanderbilt’s offense.

• Georgia looks to continue its late-season surge and make a little history when the Bulldogs host Vanderbilt in their regular-season finale on Saturday. In 118 seasons of competition, Georgia has only reached 20 regular-season wins five times (1930-31, 1945-85, 1996-97, 2010-11, and 2014-15).

• The Bulldogs are riding a three-game winning streak with victories over No. 3 Florida, followed by back-to-back road wins at Texas and South Carolina.

• Silas Demary Jr. was named the SEC and a National Player of the Week after averaging 23.5 ppg in wins over Florida and Texas, including a career-high 26 points against the Longhorns.

• Asa Newell, who has matched Anthony Edwards’ school record with four SEC Freshman of the Week honors, has scored in double figures in 27 games and has led Georgia offensively in 18 outings.

• Georgia has played eight games versus AP top-10 teams this season, the most of any program in the nation this season. In fact, the Bulldogs have played eight of 17 games during the 2025 calendar against top-10 teams, with five of those being on the road.