Defense has to Match Offense

    Coming into this season, it was evident that Coach Mike White’s squad would be able to put up some points. Last year’s team was not where it needed to be from an offensive standpoint, ranking 10th in the conference with just 74.7 points per game. With incoming players such as five-star freshman phenom Asa Newell and former first-team All-MAAC guard Dakota Leffew, this group of Hoop Dawgs could be dangerous offensively. Alongside those new Dawgs will be some familiar faces, such as sophomores Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain who will certainly be a big part of this team’s accomplishments. In their first few games, they’ve averaged over 85 points per game, with a season-high 92 in their win against Texas Southern.

    With that being said, defense has to be there too. Last year, opposing teams averaged 74.7 points per game, which ranked seventh in the SEC. While an elite offensive attack is needed for success, holding the other team to a low point total can help take the pressure off when the offense might not be clicking that night. If this program wants to take the next step and be among the top teams in the SEC come March, they will need to improve on their defensive numbers, as they will face difficult matchups throughout the season.

Rock the Steg

    In college basketball, teams such as Kansas and Kentucky find great success due to their insane home crowds on a nightly basis. While Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum might not hold as many fans as the Blue Blood arenas, there is no reason that this university cannot have a raucous home crowd. Since the arrival of Coach White in 2022, the program has been on the rise, putting together a product on the court that fans can be excited about. As a result, larger and louder crowds have been pouring into The Steg ever since. This season’s schedule poses threats such as Kentucky, Florida, Auburn, and many more solid SEC teams that will probably be inside the top 25 by the time they arrive in Athens. White and the Hoop Dawgs need all the help they can get to pull off victories to build up the resume for a potential March Madness bid. We’ve heard your presence on many occasions in Sanford Stadium, so bring that same energy for the Hoop Dawgs as they begin their march to the tourney. Rock the Steg this season, Dawg Nation!

Block Out the Noise

    At this university, most of the buzz around campus is about the football team and their incredible accomplishments. For the Hoop Dawgs, this puts them in the shadow of Kirby Smart’s team, along with the fact that the last few seasons have been a bit of a letdown for fans. However, after last year’s improbable run to the NIT Final Four, a lot of college basketball fans seem to have their eye on the Bulldogs this winter. While Joe Lunadri’s infamous Bracketology does not have Georgia in the projected field, many think that the Hoop Dawgs have one of their most talented teams in recent memory. While this excitement is great for the fans, the best thing for the team will be to keep their heads down and take it one game at a time, just as they did throughout last year’s postseason. If this team plays to their ceiling, they should have plenty of confidence to make it to the NCAA Tournament, a feat that has not been accomplished since former head coach Mark Fox made an appearance in 2015.