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MBB: Dawgs Will Begin “Official” Practice Monday
The Georgia Bulldogs will hold their first “official” practice for the 2024-25 men’s basketball season next Monday (Sept. 23).
Though the team has been working out together throughout the summer and fall, Monday begins the Bulldogs’ first week of preseason workouts, with the hours allowable for basketball activities extending from eight to 20 hours per week.
Georgia is looking to continue its consistent and impressive improvement under head coach Mike White during his first two seasons in Athens. In 2022-23, the Bulldogs increased their regular-season win total from the previous year by 10 victories. That represented the second-largest jump among all Power conference programs that season. Last winter, Georgia earned its first postseason bid since 2017 and then utilized a run to the NIT semifinals to reach the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016.
This year’s Bulldogs return three starters – sophomores Blue Cain, Silas Demary Jr. and Dylan James – and three additional letterwinners – Brandon Klatsky, Justin Newell and Markel Jennings. Georgia’s roster also features nine newcomers – four freshmen and nine transfers. The freshman class features Somto Cyril, Savo Drezgic, Jordyn Kee and Asa Newell. The transfers are graduates Tyrin Lawrence and Dakota Leffew, juniors Justin Abson and RJ Godfrey and sophomore De’Shayne Montgomery. The Bulldogs freshman and transfer recruiting classes both have been ranked among the nation’s top 10 groups by various media outlets.
Earlier this week, White, Cain and Demary Jr. met with members of the media to discuss the beginning of practices and this year’s team.
Head Coach Mike White
On how good the team will be this season:
“We’re going to be good. Yeah, we are. Our whole league’s going to be good, but I like our group. Really competitive group. Has worked hard. We’ve had some time with them. You know, it’s different than when I first got into coaching when it was four at a time. You know, a lot of limitations on how often you can get out there on the court with them. But we’ve had abbreviated practices for quite some time. Starting next Monday, we’ll have the 20 hours per week, so it’ll be ramped up for sure. We’ll have an opportunity to have longer practices and take a big jump offensively and defensively.”
On what Savo Drezgic brings to the team:
“Savo is a terrific passer, competitor. He’s got that European experience playing against high level professionals over there for quite some time to where he’s mature beyond his years. Really high basketball IQ. Big body, point guard. Again, with a high-level ability to pass the ball and make his teammates better.”
On the impact of last season’s NIT run on the returners’ development:
“I think it was important for them. I think it helped them gain confidence. It helped us with a little bit more of a sell in recruiting last spring. Just continues to provide us momentum. For those guys individually, I thought our three freshmen really finished strong. They got right back to work last spring and they’ve all had really strong off seasons.”
On where he wants to see Silas Demary Jr., Blue Cain, and Dylan James grow this season:
“Culture, leadership more than anything. Winning. Individually, just from a skill standpoint or facets of the game, I would say. Silas has worked really hard on his shot. Improving his percentages, his turnover ratio as well. Blue Cain becoming more confident. Getting better defensively on the glass. Rounding out his game, which he started doing a lot late last year, of course. Silas had a really good year. In addition, Dylan James getting stronger. Shooting it with more confidence. Defending and rebounding at a high level, which is needed obviously at any front court spot in this league.”
On his early impressions of Asa Newell:
“Asa Newell, very high motor. A big-time mover at 6’11”. Laterally and the way he changes ends. Plays with a lot of energy. Had a really good summer.”
On the challenges of building a consistent culture within the program:
“From year to year, I think it’s very challenging. We are fortunate, to go back to an earlier question, that we retained three guys that started for us late in the year. They’re a big part of what we’re doing moving forward. Within the year, it’s the same thing. Every year is a different team and different challenges and different personalities in the locker room. We spend a lot of time talking about it. We’ll have a meeting here at 3:15 where we’ll talk about culture and growth and process. It’ll be very interactive. Ask guys questions. Get those guys talking about what’s important and how do we get better today offensively and how do we shoot it better? How do we get connected defensively? Just that growth process is a big part of what we talk about to promote that culture. That’s what we’re looking for with this team and with next year’s team and the following year.”
On the style of play he envisions for the team this season:
“We’ll be comparable to last year. We’d like to play a little bit faster. We played a little bit faster the previous year. I think this team offensively can be a little bit less call heavy. I think this team can have more success with some continuity stuff. Playing downhill. Screens off the ball. Screens on the ball. Picking our spots where we’ll play really fast at times. I think this team can be better on the offensive glass for sure. Defensively, I think we can turn you over a little bit more so than the last couple years. There’ll be a significant improvement in my opinion in how we protect the rim defensively. We can block and alter shots which can get us out into transition.”
On the impact of bringing in big, physical, athletic players:
“Optimistic. This program the last couple years we’ve done some good things and we’ve had some deficiencies. We haven’t had a lot of easy baskets. Whether they’re in transition or on the offensive glass. Again, we haven’t protected the rim at a high level. We haven’t blocked many shots. We haven’t altered a ton of shots. We had a couple of timely blocks last year by Russel Tchewa and a couple other guys. It hasn’t been a strength of ours. I think that those areas will see a bunch of improvement this season.”
On where Dylan James has improved in the offseason:
“He’s gotten stronger. He’s gained a little bit of weight. Not a ton, but he’s definitely gotten stronger. He works at it. His ball skills have improved a lot. He’s a guy that’s unique in that he’s playing a few different spots for us. He actually has to have a better understanding than the rest of our guys. We played him a lot of backcourt, believe it or not, this summer. He played some three and then he played some post for us. Really versatile. He’s gained experience doing something a little bit different than the rest of our guys. He’s got the ability to do that. He’s really versatile. He’s really talented.”
On adding RJ Godfrey and Tyrin Lawrence to the roster:
“We’re hopeful to see some late game production by Tyrin that we saw over the past few years competing against him and watching him in league games. At times, he’s been really confident and had some big practices, but he’s still learning what we’re doing. RJ Godfrey, he was a heck of a player on a really good team there for a couple years, playing alongside a couple other really, really good frontcourt players. He’s been terrific. His consistency, his motor, his toughness. We know exactly what we’re getting out of RJ every day.”
On how RJ Godfrey’s experience has rubbed off on the team:
“Exactly that. It’s rubbed off a little bit. We talk about culture, and he leads by example in a big way. If you’re not playing as hard as him and you’re competing against him, you’re going to feel it.”
On the team’s overall health:
“Yeah, we are. Had a couple guys throughout the past few months that might be a week or a couple days or what have you, but this time of year is the best time if you’re going to miss at all. The goal is to be as healthy as we possibly can be in November, December throughout the winter.”
On Silas Demary Jr. taking a leadership role:
“Yeah, he’s trying his best to lead by example. He’s such a competitive guy defensively and on the glass. He’s one of the better guards in the league in those areas and he’s continuing to develop offensively and learn where to pick his spots in terms of him scoring it or him distributing and making guys around him better. Lead on the court with his voice. He’s a guy like RJ. You know what you’re getting every day. He had a really good freshman year and he’s hopeful, we’re hopeful that he can have even a better sophomore year.”
On what he wants to learn from this next month of scrimmaging and practices:
“How it looks when you’re in the real grind. We’ve been in that abbreviated grind so far and our guys — we haven’t had a lot of opportunity, especially before you get into really good shape, basketball shape, to really test our guys physically and mentally through some hour-and-a-half, two-hour practices. How that looks, how our guys respond to some of that stuff starting next week will be interesting.”
On playing Dakota Leffew and De’Shayne Montgomery together with their chemistry:
“Not a big factor for us really. We like our depth right now. We like our depth up front and in the backcourt and those are two of the guys that are fighting for minutes, fighting for starting spots and who’s going to be the first guy off the bench and who’s going to be our 10th, 11th guy, who knows. It’s a healthy competition. Those guys are both very talented. They’re a little different. They can play together but there will be times when one of them is on the court and one of them is not for sure. They’ve got their hands full with some other really good guards and some experienced guards too. I say that and our whole league’s got a lot of those really good guards and experienced guards, but I do feel like our backcourt will be as good as it’s been since we’ve been here.”
On what has stood out from Dakota Leffew’s game:
“Whether he’s a one or a two, he’s equally as effective sprinting into shots, dribbling into shots or getting other guys shots. He’s really steady. He’s a guy that doesn’t play with a lot of emotion, but he plays very hard and so he’s offensively you like his poise on and off the ball. Very good player, really skilled player.”
On what he’s seen from Somto Cyril and Justin Abson in the interior:
“Justin’s had a couple really good practices. Lately got adjusted to this level of course. Really quick thinker very good passer. Instincts defensively, timing defensively with blocking shots. With either hand kind of got a unique ability there. On the ball too which is a little bit unique. Not rotational blocks but one-on-one blocks. He’s just got unique length. Somto has got a seven-foot, six-[inch] wingspan and really elevates off the floor as well, so it’s a couple plays each day he makes it a couple jaws are dropped, you know, athletically. Got to improve his motor over time. He’s a spurt ability guy right now where he can play really hard in short spurts, and we’ve got to improve that consistency. Just like Justin adjusting to this level and his adjustment is even greater obviously coming from high school but a really talented guy.”
On his confidence in moving up the SEC standings from last season to this season:
“I think we’re better. I think there’s a chance we can be significantly better than last year. Where does that put us in our league? I have no idea. I know if I spend time worrying about it, I’m not spending time on us getting better today. I just want us to become our best version, and I don’t know where that puts us in our league. I’ve been around this league for a long, long time since I was 18 years old. My goodness it’s the best it’s ever been, and I say it every year and it’s continuing to get better. January, February, I think we’ll be talking about double digit teams getting in the NCAA Tournament. There’s not a program, there’s not a team in our league that I can point at and say well we’ll be able to catch our breath when we play those guys this year. I don’t think people will be able to say that about us either. I just think there’s going to be a ton of parity. I don’t know that we’re one of the best teams in our league. We’ve got a big jump to make before we can say that, but I do think we’ll be even more competitive than a year ago. Hopefully we can win some close ones. Hopefully we can continue to just get better and again just become our best version and see where that takes us.”
On Blue Cain’s improvement in the offseason:
“Making decisions off of the bounce. Shooting when he’s open. We want him to be really aggressive and not pass up open threes. We don’t want any of our guys that are shooters to do that. I think throughout last year he made a big jump defensively and got some really competitive defensive rebounds down the stretch in important parts of some of those late game situations in the NIT. He’s growing in that area too. Just the overall ability to make winning plays in the SEC to compliment his ability to make open threes.”
MTEN: Select athletes set to compete in the ITA All-American Championships
Select athletes from the University of Georgia men’s tennis team are set to compete in the ITA All-American Championships hosted by the University of Tulsa from Sept. 21-29 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
Saturday, Sept. 21 – Sunday, Sept. 29
Daily Match Start Time: TBD
ITA Men’s All-American Tournament Page: https://gado.gs/c43
Track Tennis Live Coverage (Michael D. Case Tennis Center only): https://gado.gs/c44
Instagram: @UGATennis | X: @UGATennis | Facebook: UGAMensTennis
The First Serve: Competition in the ITA Men’s All-American Championships marks the second of seven fall tournaments for the Bulldogs.
In the singles competition, Georgia men’s tennis has found success in previous years. Most recently, 2023 NCAA singles national champion Ethan Quinn took home the crown after a 6-2, 6-2 victory in 2022. Including Quinn, a Bulldog has won at the ITA All-American Championships on six occasions – the most of any school. Michael Pernfors claimed the title in 1984. Al Parker went back-to-back in 1989-90. John Isner won in 2005, Travis Helgeson in 2007, and Quinn in 2022. More, Bulldogs have finished as the runner-up on three occasions (John Isner – 2006, Wil Spencer – 2011, and Henning – 2022).
On the doubles side, Luis Flores and John Isner won the doubles championship in 2006 – the only Bulldog duo to record the accolade.
Qualifying Queries: The ITA Men’s All-American Championships act as a qualifying tournament for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships in November.
In the singles tournament, the eight main draw quarter finalists along with two feed-in consolation finalists earn automatic qualification into the NCAA Singles Championships, and for doubles, the four main draw semifinalists receive bids to the NCAA Doubles Championships.
In singles play, Niels Ratiu and Filipe Costa are set to begin action in the pre-qualifying draw, with Freddy Blaydes serving as first alternate. Miguel Perez Peña and Oscar Pinto Sansano will open play in the qualifying draw, while both Thomas Paulsell and Ryan Colby earned main draw selections.
In doubles play, two tandems in Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu as well as Thomas Paulsell and Ryan Colby were selected to the main draw, while Miguel Perez Peña and Oscar Pinto Sansano will begin competition in the qualifying draw.
Last Time Out: Georgia opened the fall campaign with the 56th annual Southern Intercollegiate Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex from Sept. 13-15.
Overall, the Bulldogs went 19-18 in singles action. Oscar Pinto Sansano recorded 3-1 singles records on the weekend marking his first three wins in the red and black. Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu were a perfect 4-0 in doubles play during the weekend, sweeping the field for the doubles championship in the red draw. Both Miguel Perez Peña/Oscar Pinto Sansano and Thomas Paulsell/Ryan Colby held 3-1 records on the weekend, as well. Georgia doubles pairings were 12-5 in both draws.
Rank the Dawgs: Four Bulldogs were ranked in the top 100 of the preseason ITA singles rankings to begin the fall season. Thomas Paulsell leads the group with a career-best and team-high No. 14 position in the first edition. Ryan Colby settles in at No. 28 with Miguel Perez Peña and Oscar Pinto Sansano following just behind at No. 64 and No. 86, respectively.
In the doubles rankings, Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu both earned a career-high ranking of No. 2. Paulsell and Colby featured at No. 33, and the Spanish duo of Perez Peña and Pinto Sansano come in at No. 44.
New Faces, New Places: The Bulldogs welcomed several new faces to Athens for the 2024-25 season.
Freshman Aidan Atwood and VCU transfer Oscar Pinto Sansano will join the ranks for the fall campaign. Atwood, a five-star recruit from Suwanee, Ga., held a career-best ITF Junior world ranking of 2,588 and was named the Forsyth County News Boys Tennis Player of the Year in 2022. Pinto Sansano began his collegiate career at Arkansas and compiled a 7-14 singles dual match record before spending transferring to VCU for two seasons. With VCU, Pinto Sansano held a 20-5 overall singles dual match record and was ranked as high as No. 31 in ITA doubles ranking. Prior to his collegiate career, he was regarded as the No. 53 junior in UTR world rankings.
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