Blue Cain poised to become first UGA 1,000-point scorer in 9 years
In a world full of portal transfers and roster instability, Georgia coach Mike White is thrilled to have Blue Cain.
The junior guard joined the Bulldogs before the 2023 season as a young freshman looking to establish a collegiate career. Three years later, Cain is closing in on becoming Georgia’s first 1,000-point scorer in nine seasons.
His 16 points Tuesday night in the Bulldogs’ 98-88 victory over No. 16 Alabama pushed him near the threshold, one point away from becoming the first player to amass 1,000 with the program since Yante Maten did so in 2017.
“It’s really cool in today’s portal era where you have an opportunity to coach a kid for a third consecutive year,” White said. “Reap the benefits of pouring into a young man.”
White’s fondness for his players was evident as he sat on the postgame podium after Georgia’s victory. When asked how special the win — which all but clinched the Bulldogs’ second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, a feat they had not accomplished since 2002 — was for him, the fourth-year coach began rattling off praises for his team instead.
After listening to White affectionately go through his roster, his love for Cain made sense. White has watched him grow from a 6-foot-3, 180-pound commit into a player with NBA potential.
“Continue to appreciate his growth, his development,” White said. “He’s probably developed as an overall player as much as anyone that I’ve coached — as a head coach at least — in a long time.”
White is not the only one who took a liking to Cain after the latter arrived on campus, as fans tend to adore the guard from Knoxville, Tennessee. Even though they no longer have access to the blue cane props the athletic association passed out during his sophomore season, they show their love with chants of “Blue” every time he checks into the game.
That certainly was the case Tuesday night, as Cain recorded 16 points, three rebounds and one assist. The performance marked the eighth time in Cain’s last nine outings he scored in double digits.
“Blue is a great player and a hard worker,” sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson said. “We trust him.”
Cain’s recent success is quite the contrast from the start of SEC play when he averaged 9 points per game over Georgia’s first four matchups, significantly lower than the nearly 15.7 he scored against nonconference opponents.
Despite the struggles, White kept penciling Cain’s name into the starting five.
“(White) just told me he believed in me,” Cain said earlier in the season, after a stretch that culminated with a 0-of-7 performance from the field Jan. 14 against Ole Miss. “Obviously I had a tough night. I’ve been struggling a little bit. But he just told me he believed in me, the team believed in me.”
In addition to instilling belief in him, White helped Cain switch his mindset. The change alleviated pressure, as he focused less on scoring statistics and more on impacting all aspects of the game.
“His mindset wasn’t, ‘Let’s see how many I can score in this one,’” White said after Georgia’s victory over Arkansas in January. “It was the correct winning mindset. Really proud of him. He was playing at a high level, and he’s just struggled lately. He sold out these last couple days and today to playing hard.”
And a couple months later, Cain is now one point away from tallying 1,000 in his Georgia career — an accolade not reached by a Bulldog in nine seasons. UGA’s next game is Saturday at Mississippi State.
About the Author
Olivia Sayer joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May 2025 as an intern on the sports beat. She is earning a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia with a minor in sport management and a sports media certificate. Olivia previously held the titles of digital and assistant sports editor at The Red & Black.
