Postseason expectations are nothing new for Georgia guard Jordan Ross

In fact, making the NCAA Tournament is all he’s ever known as a college player.

“I know what it looks like,” Ross said in the Stegeman Coliseum practice facility Monday. “I don’t know any better, actually.”

Ross, a junior from Pleasant Grove, Utah, made two NCAA Tournament appearances in two years with Saint Mary’s before transferring to Georgia in the spring. His lone win involved a team-leading 15-point performance in the first round of the most recent bracket that helped the Gaels erase a 12-point deficit against Vanderbilt.

Ross learned the qualities embodied within winning programs and is now bringing them to Georgia — a place that is hungry for another postseason appearance.

“Just taking the things I’ve learned from Saint Mary’s and in my college career — the winning culture, the winning mindset,” Ross said. “And bringing that to my team and my teammates.”

Ross shared that Saint Mary’s was a “militant” program, meaning it fostered an organized and structured environment. The Geals had methodical schedules that allocated the proper amount of time for practice, recovery and film study.

One of the biggest lessons he drew from the two-time defending West Coast Conference champions was the importance of communication. Basketball requires players to synchronize with one another to develop a natural feel for their reactions. Ross observed that getting to know his teammates away from the court builds chemistry on it.

For Georgia, that starts with team dinners, game watch parties and hangouts at each other’s complexes.

“Usually the best teams are the most connected,” Ross said. “We all hang out off the court. We’re all cool, we gel pretty well because most of us are transfers. We’re all new, but our chemistry is amazing so far.”

The goal was to bring experience to a Georgia team that lost some with the transfers of Silas Demary Jr. to Connecticut, Jordyn Kee to Miami and De’Shayne Montgomery to Dayton.

And few are more familiar with the postseason than Ross, who averaged nine points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists across three NCAA Tournament games.

“Just letting them know what things look like, whether that’s recovery, post-practice mindset, film study, how drills should look effort-wise,” Ross said. “A big thing is communication — getting all the guys to talk, getting myself to talk.”

White reached out to Ross a few hours after he entered the portal, which happened to be the final day of its window. His pitch was simple — help Georgia take the next step.

“Having a chance to take the keys of a program that’s trending in the right direction,” Ross said about what drew him to the Bulldogs. “It’s like the next episode. When you’re binge-watching a show, the next episode is usually the best episode. We’re trending in the right direction. I’m trying to hop on the train and take this place somewhere and do something special.”

Ross will have to adjust to the level of SEC competition in order to see the court. He will also be tasked with competing against Georgia’s freshly bolstered backcourt.

But the competition, which he’s already noticed, excites him.

“Everyone’s crazy, big-time athletes over here,” Ross said. “Not to knock where I was coming from, but it’s just totally different, playing with a bunch of dudes who have a potential chance to be pros. So it’s really fun. It makes me better. I make them better. We make each other better. It works.”

He’s also stepping up as a leader, according to Bailey. The fellow transfer shared that Ross already has pulled other players aside to talk about schematic adjustments or offer words of encouragement, such as the importance of moving on from a bad play.