Georgia basketball breaks into AP Top 25 on strength of win over Cincinnati
ATHENS — Georgia basketball is back in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time in nearly a year.
The Bulldogs (9-1) are coming off an impressive 84-65 win on Saturday at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta over Cincinnati and next play at 7 p.m. Thursday against Western Carolina.
Georgia came in at No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll released Monday after being fourth among other teams receiving votes outside of the AP Top 25 the previous Monday.
Georgia was projected as a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament last week in Joe Lunardi’s “Bracketology” on ESPN and currently carries the No. 17 “NET” ranking, a computerized model of ratings utilized by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
The Bulldogs are listed at the top among teams receiving votes in the USA Today coaches poll.
Before Monday, Georgia most recently was ranked Jan. 13, when it was No. 23 in the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll.
Last season’s team, which made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years, earned the program’s first Top 25 ranking since 2011 after starting the season 14-2 overall and 2-1 in SEC play with wins over No. 6 Kentucky and No. 17 Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs have made the most of a schedule this season that, to this point, ranks 205th in the nation.
Georgia currently leads all 365 Division I programs in four categories:
• Scoring offense (98.3 points per game)
• Scoring margin (+27.7 points per game)
• Fast-break scoring (+27.6 points per game)
• Blocked shots (8.5 per game).
Georgia also ranks tops in the nation in the unofficial category of percentage of field goals that are dunks (22.4%).
Coach Mike White has utilized a deep playing rotation that features the Bulldogs as the only power conference team with an 11-man rotation — and all 11 have appeared in every game and each averages double-digit minutes per outing.
Georgia’s strength will quickly be tested as it opens the SEC portion of its schedule at home against No. 21 Auburn at 1 p.m. Jan. 3 before a road trip to defending national champ and current No. 23 (tie) Florida at 7 p.m. Jan. 6.
Jeremiah Wilkinson, a transfer from Cal, leads Georgia with 17.1 points per game and has a team-high 22 steals, while Blue Cain is averaging 16.1 points, a team-high 5.6 rebounds and has 20 steals.
About the Author
Mike is in his 10th season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 25 years of CFB experience. Mike is a Heisman Trophy voter and former Football Writers President who was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
