You might not look at Georgia basketball and think national power, but Mike White has done a really good job turning the Bulldogs back into a competitive program. Each of his four seasons in Athens has been better than the last and it’s lately resulted in a pair of trips back to the NCAA Tournament. The impressive work is easier said than done in an SEC packed with talent and we’ll have to see what’s on the horizon next.
Not only were the Bulldogs back in the Big Dance last season, but 22 wins and a 10-8 mark in conference play were both personal bests for White leading the charge. Sure, Georgia went down in the opening round once again, but it was another step in the right direction and there’s a lot of important pieces from that team back this season.
Some big time returners for the Bulldogs
Make no mistake; Georgia did lose a few important pieces into the transfer portal like Jeremiah Wilkinson and Somto Cyril. However, the Bulldogs also have three double-digit scorers returning for this season and we’ll certainly breakdown each of them below. Throw in an intriguing splash of talent from the transfer portal and you can argue that White could have any even better team this season even with those departures.
Georgia’s success last year came with a relatively young team, but there’ll be a bit more veteran experience this time around. Some of these players are very familiar with this system while some of those new faces have the talent or experience to slide right into big roles. Either way, there’s plenty of reason for hype in Georgia even in what should be another great year for the SEC.
Projected Starters
Guard – Marcus Millender (Senior)
A 5-11 point guard originally from Houston, Millender came Georgia’s way after spending time at South Alabama and UTSA but fit nicely in the Bulldogs’ backcourt. He only started a few games but still played vital minutes off the bench, averaging 12.0 points and 4.1 assists with very solid shooting figures. He’ll get even more opportunities to run the show this season likely as the everyday starter at the point.
Guard – Blue Cain (Senior)
It may seem rare in this day and age, but Cain enters year four with the Bulldogs, having originally come to town from Knoxville as a 4-star recruit with great potential. He’s been an important piece of the backcourt puzzle in recent years and is fresh off a season with 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds a night. Expect even more contributions, especially if his outside shooting can take a step forward.
Forward – Kanon Catchings (Junior)
A highly-touted prospect as a freshman at BYU, Catchings landed with Georgia last offseason and played really well in his sophomore season. He took a solid step forward as a full-time starter, putting up 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while making 38% of his 3-pointers for the Bulldogs. With another full offseason in this system, expect another great effort from Catchings now as an upperclassman in this frontcourt.
Forward – Kareem Stagg (Sophomore)
Yet another valuable returning piece, Stagg came Georgia’s way as a notable recruit last season. The 6-8 forward from Virginia was considered a Top 100 piece and made decent strides, putting up 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in limited minutes. Now into year two, expect a leap forward from Stagg, who projects as a physical scorer and strong rim protector.
Forward – James Scott (Senior)
An immensely important offseason addition to shore up the frontcourt, Scott is the lone new face in this lineup and he’s a three-time transfer. The 6-11 big spent a season apiece at Charleston, Louisville, and Ole Miss. The numbers aren’t exactly jumping off the page, averaging just 3.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game with the Rebels, but he’s an efficient shooter who’s made a record-setting 77% of his 2-pointers to date in his career.
Key Reserves
Guard – Donovan Williams Jr. (Freshman)
Williams is a 3-star combo guard from Orlando who originally committed to UCF in his hometown before flipping to Georgia a few months back. He’s a talented scorer who can do serious work at the point and will likely find a way into the regular rotation even with all the experience in this backcourt.
Guard – Freddie Dilione V (Senior)
A former backup at Tennessee, Dilione spent the last two seasons making plays at Penn State, but the former Top 100 recruit is hoping for a big breakthrough with the Bulldogs. As a junior he averaged 14.0 points and 3.2 rebounds while starting half the games for the Nittany Lions, though he’s now got another chance to play solid minutes for a winning team.
Forward – Hakeem Weems (Freshman)
A 3-star power forward from Marietta, Georgia, Weems is a notable piece who comes to the Bulldogs by way of IMG Academy. While he’s far from a sure thing or the highest rated big man, he looks like a strong weapon and decent rebounder who can put the ball in the basket, though we’ll have to see what can of run he gets this season.
Forward – Brady Dunlap (Senior)
Year four is coming up for Dunlap and he’s looking to make more of an impact after two reserves seasons at St. John’s and one out at Saint Louis. He’s played for some pretty good teams and was a solid backup for the Billikens, putting together 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds last season. Dunlap has decent size and can hit outside shots and will certainly get a chance to contribute off the bench once again.
Forward – Andrew Osasuyi (Sophomore)
Another intriguing addition to this frontcourt depth, Osasuyi is a 6-9 big man from Italy fresh off his first season of college ball. He was largely a reserve at St. Bonaventure last season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in limited minutes, though the metrics were pretty decent. He adds another young piece fighting for valuable minutes in that frontcourt and it’ll be interesting to see what role he can play.
Guard – Kemauri Millender (Senior)
Don’t overlook this last addition to the lineup. Millender is the older brother of starting point guard Marcus and finally gets his shot at the D1 level. He did pretty good work at the JUCO level, including shooting 47% from outside the arc at New Mexico Junior College last season, and we’ll see if he can maintain that footing in the SEC.
Schedule Outlook
There’s every opportunity for the Bulldogs to get off to a hot start with three easy home games, but the first tough challenge beckons. A true road test at North Carolina on November 13th is an early fight and not their only notable ACC matchup, with another road game at Georgia Tech exactly one week later.
The Bulldogs will spend the Thanksgiving holiday down in Florida, playing Cincinnati and UCF in Kissimmee as part of the ESPN Events Invitational. They finally get a notable matchup at home for the SEC/ACC Challenge, facing off against Boston College to kickstart December but that’s far from the end of the challenge.
Georgia takes on Duke at Madison Square Garden on December 8th, playing as part of the Jimmy V Classic in what will clearly be one of their toughest tests of the season. Fortunately, Georgia eases into conference play after that with four more tuneups at home against weak competition to end December.
There’s no question that SEC play will be a significant challenge once again, especially with the Bulldogs looking to build on that 10-8 mark. The teams they’ll see twice are Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina so things could certainly be worse. However, their only looks with Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, and Tennessee will all be challenging road games.
Season Outlook
When you put everything together, there’s certainly more than a few reasons for excitement in Athens based on what this program has been building. Georgia hasn’t yet had their breakthroughs, but a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament already shows that White has this program trending in the right direction.
While not everyone’s back, getting both Cain and Millender returning in the backcourt brings excellent continuity. This Georgia team will have even more experience at the guard, especially when you consider what someone like Dilione or the other Millender can add to that equation. It’s also hard to complain when you have a versatile piece like Catchings back for a second year in Athens.
The frontcourt has some real talent, though it’s a bunch of players who haven’t really had a chance to showcase themselves. Scott has looked great at times and is an efficient scorer but we’ll soon find out if he can be a key player on both sides of the ball here. Don’t ignore what someone like Dunlap or Osasuyi mean for that depth either, especially as White and his staff figure out which lineups work best as the season goes on.
Projecting this year’s edition of the SEC is an intriguing exercise and you can argue that Georgia could finish right about where they did by tying for 7th place last season. There are some notable returning pieces and that continuity and veteran experience gives the Bulldogs a familiarity that several other SEC teams lack going into this season. Will this be another step forward for White and this program? Can we see Georgia actually winning an NCAA Tournament game or two down the line?
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