SEC Tournament Semifinals

Georgia (19-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. Kentucky (24-8, 13-5 SEC)

Saturday, March 12 at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET

Bridgestone Arena (17,804) in Nashville, Tenn.

TV: Sec Network (Brad Nessler, PBP; Jon Vitale, Color; Shannon Spake, Sideline)

Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG (Scott Howard, PBP; Chuck Dowdle, Color; Tony Schiavone, Producer) Flagship: WSB AM 750; Sirius: 145; XM: 190

 
 
The Starting Five

• UK leads the all-time series with UGA, 120-26, including a 9-1 mark in SEC Tournament matchups.

• UGA and UK are the only teams to reach the semifinals of the last three SEC Tourneys.

• UGA leads the SEC and ranks No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage defense at .380.

• On Jan. 1, UGA was No. 8 in the SEC and No. 158 nationally in rebound margin (+1.6). Now, UGA is No. 4 and No. 63 (+3.5).

• Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann have led UGA to three straight double-digit SEC win tallies for the first time ever and its most home wins in a four-season stretch (53).
 
 
Bulldogs Advance To Take On Wildcats SEC Tourney Semifinals

Georgia will look to continue its impressive late-season surge on Saturday when the Bulldogs face No. 16 Kentucky in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs and Wildcats will square at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET following the afternoon’s first date between LSU and Texas A&M.

The Bulldogs and the Wildcats are the only two programs to reach the semifinals of the last three SEC Tournaments.

Georgia is currently riding the SEC’s second-longest winning streak of five games – a trio of “Ws” against top-100 RPI opponents to end the regular season and victories over Mississippi State and South Carolina in SEC Tournament play.

More importantly, Georgia is in search of a quality win to push itself further into the NCAA bubble banter. In the Bulldogs’ favor?

Georgia’s non-conference strength of schedule ranks No. 6 nationally in the NCAA RPI. By comparison, the eight “last teams in” in the most quoted bracketology sport an average a non-con SOS of 140.

Georgia was 7-4 in non-conference play despite playing six of 11 games without a starter in the current rotation – Derek Ogbeide for five games and Kenny Gaines for one. 

One indicator that UGA may be closer than most think is the KPI rankings – rumored to be a “favorite in the room” of the selection committee – which currently has the Bulldogs as the first team out of the bracket.

Georgia’s balanced offensive attack features four Bulldogs averaging double figures in the scoring column. All told, that quartet has compiled 90 double-digit scoring outputs and 29 20-point performances this season.

Second-team All-SEC picks J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten lead the Bulldogs.

Frazier averages a team-high 16.9 ppg and is ranked among the SEC’s top-10 in a league-high eight stats…basically everything but rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage.

Maten is contributing 16.0 ppg and is the top boarding Bulldog at 8.1 rpg. Maten is the only player ranked among the SEC’s top-10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

Seniors Kenny Gaines (13.2 ppg) and Charles Mann (10.5 ppg) also are averaging double figures. Both Mann and Gaines have ascended into Georgia’s top-20 career scoring leaders at No. 15 and No. 19, respectively.

Kentucky improved to 24-8 with Friday’s win over Alabama in the SEC quarterfinals. The Wildcats were league co-champions with Texas A&M after finishing 13-5 in SEC play.

Tyler Ulis headlines the Kentucky roster as SEC Player and Defensive Player of the Year. The sophomore from Chicago averages 16.6 ppg and an SEC-leading 7.3 apg. However, freshman Jamal Murray is actually the Wildcats’ leading scorer at 20.1 ppg, while Alex Poythress contributes 10.3 ppg.
 
 
Keeping An Eye On…Entering Today’s Game:

Among UGA’s career Leaders

Charles Mann is…

• 16 points from No. 14 Levi Stukes

• 29 points from No. 13 Trey Thompkins

• 4 assists from No. 7 Pertha Robinson

• 5 assists from co-No. 5s Vern Fleming and Dustin Ware

Kenny Gaines is…

• 63 points from No. 18 Willie Anderson

• 5 3FGs from No. 4 Ezra Williams

• 7 3FGs from No. 3 Litterial Green

• 31 3FGAs from No. 3 Ezra Williams

J.J. Frazier is…

• 2 3FGs from No. 10 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

• 3 3FGAs from No. 13 Terrance Woodbury

• 6 3FGAs from No. 13 Terrance Woodbury
 
 
Series History With The Wildcats

Kentucky owns 120-26 advantage in the all-time series between UGA and UK, including a 9-1 lead in SEC Tournament action.

Georgia and Kentucky last met in the SEC Tournament two years ago in the 2014 semifinals, with the Wildcats eliminating the Bulldogs, 70-58, at the Georgia Dome. 

“Kentucky is a really good basketball team,” Mark Fox said. “To win the game we needed to play very complete basketball. We didn’t rebound it well enough and just couldn’t get enough stops in the second half to win.”

Georgia fought off Kentucky runs from the opening tip. The Wildcats opened the game on a 12-2 spurt, shooting 5-for-6 from the field during the four-minute span.

Georgia, however, used an 8-2 run midway through the half to bring the score to 19-15. After Kentucky constructed another run, the Bulldogs shrunk the deficit to 36-32 when Marcus Thornton hit a short jumper as time expired in the half.

A Kenny Gaines layup cut the Kentucky lead to just 41-39 five minutes into the second stanza before the Wildcats went on a 12-4 spurt capped by seven points off of offensive rebounds on three straight possessions to take a 53-43 lead.

Gaines cut the deficit to 56-48 with eight minutes remaining, but the Wildcats put together another 12-4 run to go up 16 points and secure their spot in the tourney final.

Kentucky also defeated the Bulldogs, 82-48, on Feb. 9 this season in Lexington. Yante Maten recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Georgia.

The Wildcats used a hot shooting start to spark a 20-9 run and take a nine-point lead before the halfway point in the first half.

The Georgia defense then clamped down, holding Kentucky scoreless for more than six minutes, but the Bulldogs were only able to cut the lead to six.

Kentucky took control of the game in the later stages of the first half. The Wildcats closed the period on an 18-6 run to build a 42-24 edge at intermission.

Kentucky started fast in the second half as well, utilizing a 10-0 run to further increase the distance.
 
 
Last Time Out

J.J. Frazier’s late-game heroics led Georgia to a 65-64 comeback win against South Carolina Friday night in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena.

Frazier broke a double team near mid-court tying the score at 64-64 as time ran down on the shot clock. He then stole the ball on South Carolina’s next possession with 2.1 seconds left in the game, while drawing a foul to earn a shot at the free throw line to win the game. The junior buried his first attempt, securing the win for the Bulldogs.

Frazier led the Bulldogs with 20 points, marking his 12th game this season with at least 20 points. Yante Maten added 17 points of his own and 12 rebounds, his team-leading ninth double-double of the campaign.

“That was a very good game against a terrific South Carolina team – a team that was playing without one of their best players and a team that I think belongs in the NCAA Tournament.” Mark Fox said. “It was a battle. We didn’t start the game well and credit goes to the South Carolina defense. They had us rattled, but we battled back and showed great resiliency.”

The Gamecocks jumped out to a 16-11 lead and extended their lead to 11 with three minutes left in the half. Georgia ended the period on a strong note, cutting South Carolina’s lead to 29-26 at the break.

The Gamecocks pushed the lead back to 11 points before Charles Mann and Frazier made things interesting, scoring five points to narrow the score to 45-43 and then tying things up with nine minutes to go after Frazier scored on a run out.

South Carolina took a 59-56 lead into the final media timeout before Georgia took its first lead of the game at the 3:03 mark with a free throw from Mann.

There were four ties and five lead changes in the closing minutes, lastly on a Frazier free throw with 2.1 seconds left. He intentionally missed the second attempt at the line and Mann intercepted a long pass from the Gamecocks as time expired.
 
 
Bulldogs In Search Of 20th Win

Georgia is one victory shy of reaching the 20-win plateau for the third consecutive season. The Bulldogs have strung together a trio of 20-win campaigns one other time – from the 1995-96 through 1997-97 campaigns.

Mark Fox already is only the second Georgia coach to lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back 20-win efforts. Tubby Smith is the other, doing so in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

Fox has three 20-win performances in his first six seasons in Athens, second only to Hugh Durham in Georgia Basketball annals. Durham had four 20-win teams during his 17 seasons in Athens.
 
 
Mann Sets “GP” Record…Sort OF

Barring the most unforeseen of circumstances, Charles Mann will play in his 130th game for the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

That represents the most ever by a four-year Bulldog…and the second-most by any Georgia player.

G.G. Smith and Michael Chadwick both played in 129 games for Georgia from 1995-99, the current record for four-year players.

However, Marcus Thornton played in 133 contests in his five-season career. Thornton played in nine games in 2012-13 before redshirting due to an injury.
 
 
Bulldogs Hot At The Stripe

Georgia’s five-game winning streak has been aided by excellent free throw shooting.

Over their past quintet of outings, Georgia has connected on 111-of-138 trips to the line, a stellar 80.4.

J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten have done much of the damage at the line. Frazier is 39-of-45 (.867) and Maten is 25-of-27 (.926).

Both players also had streaks of 20 consecutive makes during that span. Frazier was 12-of-12 against Alabama in the regular-season finale and 8-of-8 versus Mississippi State last night. Maten was 5-of-5 from the line in each of the first four contests in that stretch.
 
 
Georgia’s SEC Tourney History

Georgia sports a 44-53 all-time record in 55 editions of the SEC Tournament. 

The Bulldogs have compiled a 35-34 record in SEC Tournament action since the event resumed competition in 1979 following a 26-year hiatus from 1953-78.

The Bulldogs won the 1983 and 2008 SEC Tournaments and finished as runners-up in 1940, 1981, 1988 and 1997.

Georgia has advanced to the semifinals 15 times – fifth-most in league history – including each of the past three years. The only other time the Bulldogs have advanced to the SEC semifinals three straight seasons was from 1983-85. 
 
 
Dogs’ “D” Has Been Consistent

Georgia leads the SEC and is No. 3 nationally in field goal defense at 38.0 percent. 

The Bulldogs have held 28 of 31 opponents under their season field goal percentage, with two opponents shooting in the 50s, seven shooting in the 40s, 19 shooting in the 30s and three shooting in the 20s. 

During the 2015 calendar portion of the schedule, Georgia’s opponents connected on a paltry 36.6 percent (218-of-596) of their shots from the field. 

Subtract out those totals and the Bulldogs’ opposition made 45.8 percent (3203-of-6990) of their field goals attempted.

Georgia also held 15 of its 18 SEC foes under their season shooting performance.

In the league opener on Jan. 2, Florida became the first team to shoot a better percentage against the Bulldogs than otherwise. The Gators entered the game shooting 42.2 percent but hit 42.3 – yes, .1 of one percent better – versus Georgia.

Texas A&M was the first team to make half its attempts against UGA at 52.7 percent. Kentucky also did so, shooting 51.8 percent.
 
 
Better Boarding Bulldogs

Georgia’s rebounding efforts have improved consistently this season.

The Bulldogs entered league action ranked No. 8 in the league and No. 158 nationally in rebounding margin at +1.6. 

Georgia has since ascended to No. 4 in the SEC and No. 62 nationally at +3.5. More impressively, the Bulldogs were No. 2 in rebound margin in SEC play at +5.6.

Much of that improvement can be contributed to Georgia’s youthful frontcourt performers – sophomore Yante Maten and freshmen Mike Edwards and Derek Ogbeide.

Maten upped his rebounding numbers from 7.5 rpg in games during the 2015 calendar to 8.3 rpg versus SEC foes. Ogbeide was at 3.2 rpg in Georgia’s first 10 games but grabbed 5.9 rpg in SEC play, while Edwards jumped from 2.8 rpg to 3.7 rpg.
 
 
UGA In Midst Of Most SEC Success

Georgia has extended its most successful stretch in Southeastern Conference play ever. The Bulldogs finished with a 10-8 league record and in the process:

• Posted their fourth straight .500 or better league record – the first time in 84 seasons of SEC play that Georgia has put together four consecutive .500 or better campaigns;

• Notched their third straight double-figure SEC win total – another program first;

• Improved their best-ever SEC win tallies over three-season (33) and four-season (42) spans.

Georgia was 11-7 and tied for third in the SEC last season. That followed a 12-6 record in 2013-14 when Georgia tied for second in the SEC and a 9-9 effort during 2012-13.

The Bulldogs’ 23 combined wins in 2013-14 and 2014-15 also represent Georgia’s winningest two-year SEC span.
 
 
A Special “Senior Day” In Athens

Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann will forever be remembered fondly in University of Georgia annals. The Peach State natives chose to attend their state university and help build the stature of Georgia Basketball. Over the past four years, they’ve done just exactly that.

In addition to the aforementioned firsts in SEC play, Gaines and Mann have helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back postseason bids and 53 victories at Stegeman Coliseum over the past four years – the winningest four-season home stretch in program history.
 
 
Gaines, Mann Rewriting Records

Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann are consistently making moves on UGA’s career scoring leaders ledger.

Mann entered the season at No. 36 among the Bulldogs’ all-time points leaders and has ascended to No. 15. Gaines became Georgia’s 46th 1,000-point scorer against Clemson on Dec. 22 and is now No. 19.

Mann now has 1,367 points, 16 points from No. 14 Levi Stukes. 

Gaines currently has 1,285 points, 63 shy of No. 18 Willie Anderson.
 
 
A Massive Amount of “PT”

Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann have played a significant roles since they arrived on campus in 2012.

Between them, Gaines and Mann have a combined 252 games played, 193 starts and 6,615 minutes played. 

Much of those numbers have been compiled together.

Gaines and Mann have started together for 87 of Georgia’s 97 contests since the beginning of the their sophomore year of 2013-14. All told, they have played 2,114 minutes and 17 seconds together at Georgia. 
 
 
A Positive Breakout

Not that the media needs any self affirmation but the folks who predicted Yante Maten would be one of the nation’s “breakout” players this season – including those at CBS, NBC and SI – are probably feeling pretty good.

Most expected Maten to up his contributions following the departure of senior frontcourt playing mates Nemanja Djurisic and Marcus Thornton.

He’s done more than just that.

As a freshman a year ago, Maten averaged 5.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 18.2 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.

This season, Maten has more than tripled his scoring (16.0 ppg) and also has upped both his rebounding (8.1 rpg) and playing time (29.9 mpg) by massive chunks. 

Maten has posted five career-high scoring outputs this season, including four in the first seven games.

He improved from 13 points entering the year, to 17 points versus Chattanooga in the opener, to 21 points in back-to-back outings against Seton Hall and Oakland, and to 24 points versus Winthrop. Maten topped that mark with 25 points at Mississippi State on Feb. 13.

Maten’s increased production can actually be traced back to last year’s postseason. He notched his first double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against South Carolina in the SEC Tourney.

That opened an active 34-game stretch in which Maten has recorded: 

• 28 of his 32 double-digit scoring outputs;

• All 10 of his 20-point performances; 

• All 11 of his career double-figure rebounding efforts; and

• All 10 of his double-doubles.
 
 
J.J. Almost Everywhere In SEC Stats

J.J. Frazier is ranked among the Southeastern Conference’s top-10 leaders in a league-high eight of 11 major statistical categories.

The 5-10, junior from Glennville, Ga., is currently No. 4 in steals (1.5), No. 5 in assist-to-TO ratio (2.5), No. 6 in scoring (16.9), No. 7 in 3-point percentage (.400), No. 8 in free throw percentage (.810), No. 8 in 3-pointers per game (2.4), No. 9 in minutes (32.3) and No. 10 in assists (4.2).

The only categories without Frazier listed are field goal percentage, rebounds and blocked shots.

Trailing Frazier and ranked in seven top-10s is Stefan Moody of Ole Miss, followed by Kevin Punter of Tennessee, Ben Simmons of LSU and Tyler Ulis of Kentucky all with six.
 
 
Frazier Tabbed Top Georgia Player

J.J. Frazier has been named the state of Georgia’s men’s college basketball Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Frazier is the Bulldogs’ eighth recipient of the state’s top hoops honor. 

Vern Fleming was chosen in 1984, the initial year the award was given. Additional honorees include Jumaine Jones in 1999, Jarvis Hayes in both 2002 and 2003, Rashad Wright in 2004, Trey Thompkins in 2011 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2013.

Frazier Cranks It Up After Half

J.J. Frazier has shown quite the penchant for second-half scoring, with four 20-point second-halves this season.

Frazier poured in 22 of his season-high 35 points against Georgia Tech – the most points ever by a Bulldog against the Yellow Jackets – after the break on Dec. 19. He also scored 21 points in the second stanzas of matchups against Tennessee on Jan. 13 and at LSU on Jan. 26 and popped for 24 points following intermission at Auburn on Feb. 24.
 
 
Bulldogs In The BPI & RPI

Through games of March 10, Georgia was No. 53 in the ESPN’s BPI and No. 67 in the NCAA’s RPI.

The Bulldogs’ strength of schedule, which was ranked as the nation’s toughest in both ledgers for a good bit of December, is No. 13 in the BPI and No. 27 in the RPI. Georgia’s non-conference RPI was ranked No. 6.

Frazier 100 Assists, 50 3s Again

J.J. Frazier has 131 assists and 74 made 3-pointers, topping the century and half-century marks for the second consecutive year.

Last season, Frazier posted 104 assists and knocked down 50 3-pointers.

Frazier joins G.G. Smith as the only two Bulldogs to reach those milestones twice. All told, UGA players have accomplished that feat eight times as outlined below.

100 Assist, 50 “3” Bulldogs
 
 
Season Player Asts. 3FGs

1991-92 Litterial Green 115 62

1995-96 Katu Davis 122 62

1996-97 G.G. Smith 148 52

1997-98 G.G. Smith 148 81

2000-01 D.A. Layne 108 65

2010-11 Dustin Ware 114 57

2014-15 J.J. Frazier 104 50

2015-16 J.J. Frazier 131 74
 
 
Injuries At An Inopportune Time

After a relatively injury-free preseason, the Bulldogs were bitten hard in the week of the season opener.

Following a Nov. 6 exhibition outing, freshman Derek Ogbeide (pronounced “Ohwg-Bay-Day”) suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of action for four weeks.

In addition, Juwan Parker, who started the first 14 games last season, has been held out of action since the exhibition due to soreness in his Achilles. Parker missed virtually the entire second half of last season due to that injury, which required offseason surgery.

The lateness of those changes forced Georgia to mix and match rotation combinations for much of the first several games.
 
 
Ogbeide Back, Making Big Strides

Following the aforementioned injury-induced detour, Derek Ogbeide (pronounced “Ohwg-Bay-Day”) has shown progressed steadily during the season.

Ogbeide enjoyed an impressive unofficial debut in a Nov. 6 exhibition win over Armstrong State with a game-high 10 rebounds in 19 minutes of action. He then suffered a right shoulder injury in practice and missed Georgia’s first five games.

Ogbeide finally made his official premiere against Kansas State, checking at the 17:27 mark of the first half versus the Wildcats and playing two minutes in the contest.

“He was just cleared today a little before 2 o’clock,” Mark Fox said. “I just wanted to get him 45 seconds here and there just to get him to relax and so he’d been out there before.”

The day before the Kansas State contest Fox was asked about what Georgia was missing without Ogbeide.

“He would allow us to impose our size and physicality on people” Fox said.

Ogbeide now is doing just that.

Ogbeide is No. 16 among league leaders in stats for conference games only at 5.9 rpg games…despite being the only player in the top-20 averaging less than 20.0 mpg. 
 
 
Mann Breaks UGA FT Record

With his successful trip to the line at the 8:22 mark of the second half against South Carolina on Feb. 6, Charles Mann became Georgia’s most prolific free throw shooter.

Mann broke Alec Kessler’s UGA career record for free throw makes. In January, he broke Litterial Green’s career attempts mark. 

Mann also ranks among the SEC’s top-10 in FTs and FTAs as outlined below.
 
 
SEC Career Free Throw Attempts
 
 
Rk. FTA Player Seasons FT

1.1152Pete Maravich, LSU1968-70893

2.892Bailey Howell, MSU1957-59682

3. 876 Charles Mann, UGA 2013-16 604

4.873BJ McKie, SC1996-99672

5.848Carl Widseth, UT1953-56621

6.785Ronnie Williams, UF1982-84546

7.784Jerry Harper, Bama1954-56473

8.773Udonis Haslem, UF1999-02515

9.767Allan Houston, UT1991-93651

10.744Litterial Green, UGA1989-92548
 
 
SEC Career Free Throw Makes

Rk. FT Player Seasons FTA

1.893Pete Maravich, LSU1968-701152

2.682Bailey Howell, MSU1957-59892

3.672BJ McKie, SC1996-99873

4.651Allan Houston, UT1990-93767

5.621Carl Widseth, UT1953-56848

6. 604 Charles Mann, UGA 2013-16 876

7.550Kenny Walker, UK1983-88733

8. 549Alec Kessler, UGA1987-90720

9.548Litterial Green, UGA1989-92744

10.546Ronnie Williams, UF1982-84785
 
 
More PT For KPG

Kenny Paul Geno entered the 2015-16 season with a career high of 21 minutes played against Missouri late last season.

This season, Geno is averaging 20.0 minutes of action per game. The Booneville, Miss., native has matched or bettered his previous career-most MP in 13 games, including a career-best of 35 versus Chattanooga.
 
 
Mann Joins UGA Top-10 Assist List

Charles Mann moved into Georgia’s all-time top-10 assists leaders during the Bulldogs’ Jan. 23 victory over Arkansas.

Mann distributed five buckets-to-be against the Razorbacks to up his career total to 355.That tied Donald Hartry, who was a member of Georgia’s 1983 NCAA Final Four and 1984 and 1986 NIT teams, for the No. 10 slot.

Mann enters the Kentucky game with 395 assists, four shy of the current No. 7, Pertha Robinson and five away from co-No. 5s Vern Fleming and Dustin Ware.