Georgia forward Yante Maten (1), Georgia guard J.J. Frazier (30), Georgia guard Kenny Gaines (12), and Georgia guard Charles Mann (4) celebrate after their against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Stegeman Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Athens, Ga. (Photo by David Barnes)
Game Information:
[su_spacer size=”40″]Georgia (12-8, 5-4 SEC) vs. Auburn (9-12, 3-6 SEC)
[su_spacer size=”20″]Saturday, February 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET
[su_spacer size=”20″]Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
[su_spacer size=”20″]TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal, PBP; Barry Booker, Color)
[su_spacer size=”20″]Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network by IMG (Scott Howard, PBP; Chuck Dowdle, Color; Tony Schiavone, Producer) Flagship: AM 750; XM: 191
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Game Notes
[su_spacer size=”40″]The Starting Five
[su_spacer size=”40″] 1. UGA leads the all-time series with AU 91-90, including a 60-23 advantage in Athens.2. UGA is 10-0 this season when winning or tying its opposition in the rebounding count, including a 5-0 mark in SEC play.
3. UGA has used six starting lineups. Charles Mann and Yante Maten are the only players to get the nod for all 20 games. The most recent quintet – Frazier, Gaines, Mann, Geno and Maten – was been used in the opener vs. Chattanooga and vs. S. Carolina.
4. Charles Mann enters today’s game with1,254 career points, just five shy of joining the Bulldogs’ top-20 all-time leaders…and seven away from No. 19.
5. UGA’s strength of schedule is ranked No. 8 in ESPN’s BPI and No. 13 in the NCAA’s RPI.
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Bulldogs Host Auburn, Look To Continue Strong Home Campaign
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Georgia Bulldogs will attempt to carry over the momentum of a Tuesday evening upset over No. 25/23 South Carolina when they host Auburn on Saturday at 5:30.[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs improved to 12-8 overall and 5-4 in SEC play with their 69-56 win over the Gamecocks. Georgia is now 11-3 at Stegeman Coliseum this season, including a 4-1 mark versus conference competition.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Four Bulldogs reached double figures in the scoring column against South Carolina, led by Yante Maten’s game-high 18 points. J.J. Frazier, Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann also posted double-digit efforts. That quartet has now combined to produce 59 double-figure scoring efforts this season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Frazier leads Georgia offensively at 16.4 ppg. In SEC play, that average jumps to 16.9 ppg. In stats for conference games only, Frazier ranks among the SEC’s top-10 leaders in eight different stats. Basically, that’s everything but rebounds, blocks and minutes.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Maten is contributing 15.8 ppg and a team-high 7.7 rpg, while seniors Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann are chipping in 14.4 ppg and 10.6 ppg, respectively.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Auburn slipped to 9-12 overall and 3-6 in the SEC with an 80-68 setback to LSU on Tuesday. After starting league play with a 3-3 record and home wins over Kentucky and Alabama, the Tigers have lost four straight, including a matchup with Oklahoma State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kareem Canty is one of the conference’s top playmakers, averaging 18.3 ppg (No. 4 in the SEC) and 5.3 apg (No. 3 in the SEC). Auburn also receives double-figure scoring and solid rebounding from forwards Tyler Harris (15.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and Cinmeon Bowers (10.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg).
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Keeping An Eye On…Entering Today’s Game:
[su_spacer size=”20″]Among UGA’s career Leaders
[su_spacer size=”20″] Charles Mann:
[su_spacer size=”20″] • 5 points from No. 20 Bob Healey
• 7 points from No. 19 Eric Marbury
• 12 assists from No. 9 Ray Harrison
[su_spacer size=”20″] [su_spacer size=”20″] Kenny Gaines:
[su_spacer size=”20″] • 7 points from No. 26 Jerry Waller
• 4 3FGs from No. 7 Bernard Davis
• 24 3FGAs from No. 6 G.G. Smith
[su_spacer size=”20″] [su_spacer size=”20″] J.J. Frazier:
[su_spacer size=”20″] • 8 3FGs from No. 1Terrance Woodbury
• 19 3FGAs from No. 16 Michael Chadwick
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Series History With The Tigers
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia owns a 91-90 edge in its all-time series with Auburn, including a 60-23 advantage in Athens. Last season, the UGA and AU split a home-and-home series as the road team won matchups.[su_spacer size=”40″] In the most recent meeting at Stegeman Coliseum last Valentine’s Day, Georgia could not withstand a late-game surge by Auburn as the Tigers rallied from a nine-point deficit to win, 69-68.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kenny Gaines paced the Bulldogs with 18 points and Charles Mann finished with 14.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia owned a nine-point lead with five minutes remaining; however, the tides turned rather quickly after two consecutive fouls by the Bulldogs as Auburn rallied to cut the lead to 63-62 with 1:42 remaining.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Tigers were up by four with eight seconds remaining before Gaines hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds on the clock.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Auburn then threw the inbounds pass down the length of the court and out of bounds to give Georgia a chance to inbound from underneath its own basket to win the game. Nemanja Djurisic’s 3-point attempt came up just short as the buzzer sounded.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In the rematch on The Plains in the March 7 regular-season finale, Mann scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half – including the 1,000th of his collegiate career – as Georgia rallied to a 64-61 win.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The victory gave Georgia its second consecutive 20-victory season for the first time since 1997-98.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “I’m really proud of these kids, for the way they’ve played their hearts out all season long,” Fox said. “Today was another battle, but we leave here feeling like we got a really good win.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs played without Gaines, their second-leading scorer, who sprained his left foot in practice two days earlier.
[su_spacer size=”40″] KT Harrell’s 3-pointers on two straight possessions, the latter with 13:53 left, gave the Tigers the biggest lead for either team at 46-39. Another trey at the 11:34 mark matched the seven-point margin.
[su_spacer size=”40″] That’s when Mann took charge of Georgia’s comeback. He scored seven straight to tie the score at 52-52 with 8:48 left. A pair of Mann free throws at the 1:32 mark broke the sixth tie of the game and put Georgia ahead 62-60.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Auburn missed three consecutive 3-pointers in a possession inside the final minute. Cinmeon Bowers was fouled rebounding the third miss and made one of two foul shots with 5.8 seconds left. J.J. Frazier converted two free throws to secure the victory.
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Last Time Out
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia started quickly and led for nearly 37 minutes en route to a 69-56 upset over No. 25/23 South Carolina on Tuesday.[su_spacer size=”40″] Yante Maten led Georgia with 18 points and eight rebounds, but a balanced Bulldog effort was key to the victory. Kenny Gaines added 17 points, J.J. Frazier chipped in 13 and Charles Mann contributed 11.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Mann became UGA’s all-time leader in free-throws made. The Alpharetta, Georgia native went 6-of-8 from the line in the game, giving him 553 makes for his career.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “That was a really hard-fought game,” Mark Fox said. “We beat a terrific basketball team. We beat a team I vote every week in the top-25 and a team that I will vote in the top-25 next week. I think they are terrific. That’s a really good win for our players and our team. That was a really great crowd that helped us, and we leave here with a great feeling.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick six-point lead after Mann and Gaines hit 3-point baskets on Georgia’s first two possessions of the night.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Gamecocks slowly crawled back before eventually grabbing their first lead at the 14:29 mark. The Bulldogs responded with a 9-2 run that would give them the lead for the rest of the evening.
[su_spacer size=”40″] South Carolina pulled within a single possession four times in the second half, but Georgia answered every time.
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Rebound Count Equally Key
[su_spacer size=”40″] In addition to the scoreboard, the “boardboard” has been a relatively strong indicator of Georgia’s fortunes this season.[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs are 10-0 this season when winning or tying the rebound count. That stat has been even more telling in SEC play, where Georgia is 5-0 when out-rebounding its opposition and 0-4 otherwise.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Tuesday’s rebounding effort against South Carolina may have been the Bulldogs’ best of the season. The Gamecocks entered the contest ranked first in the SEC and 10th nationally with a rebound margin of +9.9 before Georgia won the battle of the boards, 44-37.
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Mann Breaks UGA FT Record
[su_spacer size=”40″] With his made attempt at the charity stripe at the 8:22 mark of the second half against South Carolina, Charles Mann became Georgia Basketball’s most prolific free throw shooter ever.[su_spacer size=”40″] Mann broke Alec Kessler’s Georgia career record for successful trips to the line. In January, Mann broke Litterial Green’s UGA record for career free throw attemps.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Mann has converted 553-of-805 free throw attempts for the Bulldogs and is the nation’s active leader in trips to the line.
[su_spacer size=”40″] On the SEC’s career leaders ledgers, Mann is currently No. 5 in free throw attempts and No. 6 in free throw makes as outlined below.
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SEC Career Free Throw Attempts
[su_spacer size=”20″]Rk. FTA Player Seasons FT
1. 1152 Pete Maravich, LSU 1968-70 893
2. 892 Bailey Howell, MSU 1957-59 682
3. 873 BJ McKie, SC 1996-99 672
4. 848 Carl Widseth, UT 1953-56 621
5. 805 Charles Mann, UGA 2013-16 553
6. 785 Ronnie Williams, UF 1982-84 546
7. 784 Jerry Harper, Bama 1954-56 473
8. 773 Udonis Haslem, UF 1999-02 515
9. 767 Allan Houston, UT 1991-93 651
10. 744 Litterial Green, UGA 1989-92 548
SEC Career Free Throw Makes
[su_spacer size=”20″]Rk. FT Player Seasons FTA
1. 893 Pete Maravich, LSU 1968-70 1152
2. 682 Bailey Howell, MSU 1957-59 892
3. 672 BJ McKie, SC 1996-99 873
4. 651 Allan Houston, UT 1990-93 767
5. 621 Carl Widseth, UT 1953-56 848
6. 553 Charles Mann, UGA 2013-16 805
7. 550 Kenny Walker, UK 1983-88 733
8. 549 Alec Kessler, UGA 1987-90 720
9. 548 Litterial Green, UGA 1989-92 744
10. 546 Ronnie Williams, UF 1982-84 785
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J.J. Almost Everywhere In SEC Stats
[su_spacer size=”40″] In stats for conference games only, J.J. Frazier is ranked among the SEC’s top-10 leaders in a league-high eight of 11 major statistical categories.[su_spacer size=”40″] The 5-10, junior from Glennville, Ga., is currently ranked No. 1 in steals (2.2 spg); No. 6 in 3-point percentage (.444); No. 7 in assist-to-TOs (2.5 ratio); No. 8 in both free throw percentage (.800) and 3-pointers (2.7 3FGs pg); and No. 10 in leaders for scoring (16.9 ppg), field goal percentage (.472) and assists (4.1 apg).
[su_spacer size=”40″] The only categories without Frazier listed are rebounds, blocked shots and minutes.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Tyler Ulis of Kentucky is second to Frazier in SEC-only top-10s with seven stats.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In overall statistics, Frazier is listed in a league-best seven of 11 top-10 ledgers, subtracting field goal percentage for the aforementioned list. Trailing Frazier and listed in six stats are Ole Miss’ Stefan Moody, Tennessee’s Kevin Punter and LSU’s Ben Simmons.
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Dogs’ “D” Has Been Consistent
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia currently ranks No. 10 nationally in field goal defense, with opponents shooting just 38.1 percent. The Bulldogs have held 18 of 20 opponents – and all 11 non-conference foes – under their season FG percentage.[su_spacer size=”40″] 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 against the Bulldogs. Subtract out those totals and UGA’s opposition made 45.8 percent (3203-of-6990) of their field goals attempted.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia also has held seven of its nine SEC foes under their season FG percentage.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Florida became the first team to shoot a better percentage against the Bulldogs than otherwise. The Gators entered the SEC opener shooting 42.2 percent but hit 42.3 – yes, .1 of one percent better – versus Georgia.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Texas A&M became the first – and still only –team to make half its FG attempts against the Bulldogs, shooting 52.7 percent on Jan. 16.
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Gaines, Mann Rewriting Records
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann are consistently making moves on UGA’s career scoring leaders ledger.[su_spacer size=”40″] Mann entered the season at No. 36 among the Bulldogs’ all-time points leaders and has ascended to No. 21. He is now five points shy of No. 20 Bob Healey, seven away from No. 19 Eric Marbury and 20 off the No. 18 tally of Charles Claxton.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Gaines became Georgia’s 46th 1,000-point career scorer against Clemson on Dec. 22. He is now up to the No. 27, seven points from No. 26 Jerry Waller.
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A Positive Breakout
[su_spacer size=”40″] 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.[su_spacer size=”40″] Most expected Maten to up his contributions following the departure of seniors frontcourt mates Nemanja Djurisic and Marcus Thornton. He’s done more than just that.
[su_spacer size=”40″] A year ago, Maten averaged 5.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 18.2 minutes per game.
[su_spacer size=”40″] This season, Maten has more than tripled his scoring (15.8 ppg) and also has upped both his rebounding (7.7 rpg) and playing time (29.7 mpg) by massive chunks.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Maten posted four career-high scoring outputs in the first seven games, improving from 13 points entering the year to 17 points versus Chattanooga in the opener to 21 points to back-to-back outings against Seton Hall and Oakland and 24 points versus Winthrop.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Maten’s increased production can actually be traced back to last year’s postseason. He notched his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against South Carolina in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tourney.
[su_spacer size=”40″] That opened an active 23-game stretch in which Maten has recorded 17 of his 21 double-digit scoring outputs, as well as all six of his career double-figure rebounding efforts and all five of his double-doubles.
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Mann Joins UGA Top-10 Assist List
[su_spacer size=”40″] Charles Mann moved into Georgia’s all-time top-10 assists leaders during the Bulldogs’ Jan. 23 victory over Arkansas.[su_spacer size=”40″] 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.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Mann enters the Auburn game with 365 assists, 12 away from No. 9 Ray Harrison.
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Injuries At An Inopportune Time
[su_spacer size=”40″] After a relatively injury-free preseason, the Bulldogs were bitten hard in the week of the season opener.[su_spacer size=”40″] 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.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In addition, Juwan Parker, who started the first 18 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.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The lateness of those changes forced Georgia to mix and match rotation combinations for much of the first several games.
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Ogbeide Back, Making Big Strides
[su_spacer size=”40″] Following the aforementioned injury-induced detour, Derek Ogbeide has shown signs of becoming an inside presence.[su_spacer size=”40″] 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.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Ogbeide suffered a right shoulder injury in practice thereafter and missed Georgia’s first five games of the season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] He 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.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “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.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] The day before the Kansas State contest Fox was asked about what Georgia was missing without Ogbeide.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “He would allow us to impose our size and physicality on people” Fox said.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Pebblebrook High School product now is helping Georgia doing just that.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Ogbeide played a combined five minutes against Kansas State and Winthrop before UGA’s 11-day break for Final Exams.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In the 13 games since, he is contributing 4.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 14.2 minutes.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Ogbeide’s impact has been even more dramatic in SEC play where he is averaging 5.7 rpg. In fact, equating out 40-minute production makes Ogbeide the SEC’s most proficient rebounder among league leaders in conference play as outlined below.
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Per 40 SEC Rebounding Averages
[su_spacer size=”40″]Player GP RPG MPG R/40MP
[su_spacer size=”20″]Player GP RPG MPG R/40MP
D. Ogbeide, UGA 9 5.7 14.8 15.4
B. Simmons, LSU 9 12.2 34.4 14.2
M. Carrera, SC 9 9.2 29.2 12.6
D. Jones, VU 9 7.7 26.3 11.7
L. Kornet, VU 8 8.5 29.5 11.5
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UGA In Midst Of Most SEC Success
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia entered Southeastern Conference competition looking to extend its most successful two- and three-year stretches in league play ever.[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs finished 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 league and a 9-9 effort during the 2012-13 season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs’ 32 wins over the past three seasons and 23 during the past two campaign represent UGA’s most ever.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia is one of only two teams to secure a top-4 seed to each of the past two SEC Tournaments, along with Kentucky. The Bulldogs and Wildcats also are the only two teams to reach the semifinals of both the 2014 and 2015 SEC Tourneys.
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Bulldogs In The BPI & RPI
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia is currently No. 53 in the ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) and No. 65 in the NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs’ strength of schedule, which was ranked as the nation’s toughest in both ledgers for a good bit of December, is now at No. 8 in the BPI and No. 13 in the RPI.
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UGA’s All-SEC Tandem
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann were both named preseason first-team All-SEC in voting of league coaches, becoming just the second duo of Bulldogs to earn first-team preseason honors since the recognition began prior to the 2004-05 season.[su_spacer size=”40″] Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins were first-team preseason All-SEC selections prior to the 2010-11 season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Mann became Georgia’s first-ever two-time first-team preseason All-SEC selection.
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Has Very Strong Ties
[su_spacer size=”40″] The duo of Peach State natives Kenny Gaines, who is from Atlanta, and Charles Mann, who hails from Alpharetta, has played a significant role since they arrived on campus in 2012.[su_spacer size=”40″] Between them, Gaines and Mann have a combined 230 games played, 172 starts and 5,965 minutes played.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Much of those numbers have been compiled together.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Gaines and Mann have started together for 76 of Georgia’s 86 contests since the beginning of the their sophomore year of 2013-14. All told, they have played 1,849 minutes and 50 seconds together at Georgia.
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More PT for KPG
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kenny Paul Geno entered the 2015-16 season with a career high of 21 minutes played against Missouri late last season.[su_spacer size=”40″] This season, Geno is averaging 20.7 minutes of action per game. The Booneville, Miss., native has matched or bettered his previous career-most MP in nine games, including a career-best of 35 versus Chattanooga.
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Follow the Georgia Men’s Basketball team on Twitter at: @UGABasketball
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MORE GAME NOTES:
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