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MBB: Georgia Hosts Charleston Southern Today
Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Location: Athens, Ga.
Tickets: www.georgiadogs.com/mbbtix
TV: SEC Network (Richard Cross, play-by-play; Richard Hendrix, analyst)
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network – Sirius 388 (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Adam Gillespie, Producer)
The Starting Five
• Georgia hosts Charleston Southern on Sunday afternoon looking to continue their impressive opening to the 2024-25 season. At 10-1, the Bulldogs are off to their best start since beginning the 2001-02 campaign with an 11-1 record.
• As of Saturday, Georgia was the only team in the nation ranked in the top-20 D-I statistical leaders in both FG percentage (No. 13 at .504) and FG Percentage Defense (No. 18 at .382).
• Georgia’s astronomical ascent within metrics has continued during Mike White’s third season in Athens. As of Friday the Bulldogs were up an average of 193.5 spots among six of the most popular computer formulas – kenpom, NET, Torvik, KPI, BPI and SOR – since White arrived in Athens.
• The Bulldogs’ balanced offense features nine players who have have combined to post 40 double-figure scoring outputs in 11 games, led by freshman Asa Newell’s 10 double-digit performances.
• Georgia entered the weekend ranked among the nation’s top-50 teams in 12 statistical categories, headlined by being No. 4 in blocks (6.4 bpg) and No. 5 in rebound margin (+11.6 rpg).
The Opening Tip
The Georgia Bulldogs look to continue their stellar start to the 2024-25 season on Sunday when they host Charleston Southern at 3:30 p.m. at historic Stegeman Coliseum.
Georgia is 10-1 on the season, the Bulldogs’ best start since they began the 2001-02 campaign with an 11-1 record and just the 10th time in 119 seasons of competition that Georgia has reached double-digits in the win column with less than two losses.
As of Saturday, Georgia ranked among the nation’s top-50 teams in no less than 12 statistical categories. Of the 364 programs playing D-I basketball this season, the Bulldogs were the only one ranked in the top 20 in both field goal percentage (No. 13 at .504) and field goal percentage defense (No. 217at .382).
However, Georgia’s two strongest attributes have been controlling the glass and protecting the rim. Nationally, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 4 in rejections (6.4 bpg) and No. 5 in boarding margin (+ 11.6 rpg).
Georgia’s balanced offense features six players who have led the Bulldogs in scoring in one or more games this season. Three more have posted double-figure scoring outputs. All told, those nine Bulldogs have combined to produce 48 double-digit performances in 11 games.
Technically, Georgia has two leading scorers – De’Shayne Montgomery and Asa Newell.
Montgomery put up 16 points in his Georgia debut against Buffalo on Thursday night.
Newell, a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree in the first five weeks of the season, also is averaging 16.0 ppg and paces UGA on the boards as well at 6.5 rpg. Among SEC stat leaders, Newell entered the weekend ranked No. 13 in scoring and No. 16 in rebounding, as well as No. 4 in field goal percentage (.581) and No. 12 in blocks (1.2 bpg).
Three more Bulldogs are contributing double digits in the scoring column – Silas Demary Jr. at 13.0 ppg, Dakota Leffew at 12.4 ppg and Tyrin Lawrence at 10.7 ppg.
Scouting The Bucs
Charleston Southern arrives in Athens with a 3-10 record on the season. That mark includes an impressive 83-79 victory at Miami. The Buccaneers have play a road-heavy schedule with only three home dates in 13 outings.
Taje’ Kelly leads Charleston Southern in both scoring and rebounding with averages of 18.2 ppg and 8.5 rpg. The Bucs have two additional double-figure scorers. RJ Johnson adds 12.8 ppg, with 52.6 percent of his point production coming from a team-high 27 3-pointers, and Daylen Berry chips in 11.8 ppg
Series History With CSU
Georgia is 4-0 all-time against Charleston Southern, in a series that dates back to 1998.
In the most recent meeting on Dec. 17, 2016, Yante Maten tied his season high with 30 points as the Bulldogs bested the Bucs, 84-64, to earn the program’s 500th win at Stegeman Coliseum.
Maten scored 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting in the first half as the Bulldogs built a 46-30 lead at the break. The strong offensive showing continued in the second half, as 10 different Bulldogs scored in the period.
Georgia had 22 assists and shot 53.8-percent from the field, both season-high standards by the Bulldogs during the 2016-17 season.
Last Time Out
De’Shayne Montgomery and Asa Newell scored 16 points apiece to lead six Bulldogs in double figures as Georgia topped Buffalo, 100-49, on Thursday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
Silas Demary Jr. added 13 points, including 10 in the first 4:51 of the game, Savo Drezgic produced a career-high 11 points and Blue Cain and Somto Cyril chipped in 10 apiece. In addition to this 10 points, Cyril added career highs of 11 boards and five blocks en route to his first double-double as a Bulldog.
The Bulldogs raced to a 23-0 lead and eventually finished with their largest margin of victory since a 97-37 win over Southern on Nov. 10, 2006.
Georgia also produced a season-high 24 assists while committing a season-low five turnovers.
“That’s the best start we’ve gotten off to,” head coach Mike White said. “Offensively and defensively, we were really sharp…looked like a really good team early on. We played a really solid (first) 20. I thought we got off to a decent start offensively in the second half, not quite the same level of sharpness, but I we finished pretty strong in the last 10. It’s just probably as close as we’ve gotten to putting 40 together. Looking down at the stat sheet – 24 (assists) to 5 (turnovers) – that’s what I’m happiest about. Boy, if you did that every game, you’d be hard to beat, wouldn’t you?”
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