Saturday was a special day for senior Nemanja Djurisic, as his parents were in attendance for the first time to watch him play in a college game. He responded well with a team-high 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, with five rebounds and three assists.
Djurisic’s mother, Snezona, and his father, Ranko, live in Podrica, Montenegro. They will remain in town for another four days. They will participate in Senior Night ceremonies with Djurisic before the Kentucky game Tuesday.
“So far so good,” Djurisic said. “It’s a mixture of feelings. I’m an emotional guy, but I was able to focus in the game and let the game come to me. So I didn’t have too many problems.”
Djurisic visited his parents in Montenegro this past summer, but they had never before visited America.
“They have no experience, nothing,” Djurisic said with a laugh. “My mom was very impressed with America after just 20 minutes of being here, I think. I don’t know why. I guess the people were very welcoming and polite and smiling. I think she likes it over here.”
Djurisic said his parents watch him play “all the time” over the Internet and on television.
Entire '90 team on hand: Georgia got 100 percent participation from its 1990 SEC championship team, which was honored with a halftime presentation. Every player, coach and manager made it back to Athens, including center Neville Austin.
Austin said he had not seen coach Hugh Durham since he left as a UGA graduate in 1991. Since then he played professional basketball in Great Britain and South America. He’s now a Foot Locker store manager in his native London.
“Well, being the 25th anniversary of the SEC championship, I wanted to come back and be a part of it and come back and see my old teammates and friends,” said Austin, who made the winning free throw to beat No. 12 LSU on Feb. 25, 1990. “I didn’t want to miss that opportunity. So I just thought I’d come across the water and come on over.”
Austin said his previous visit to Georgia was in 2006.
Career high for Geno: Kenny Paul Geno made his third consecutive start at small forward for the Bulldogs. It paid off in the form of a career-high seven points.
Geno has started since returning to the court against South Carolina on Feb. 17. He had missed the previous 11 games with a broken wrist. Geno actually started the second half against the Gamecocks and has been first on the court at small forward ever since.
Parker returns: Georgia's regular starter at the small forward is junior Juwan Parker. After missing the previous 11 contests with a chronic Achilles tendon injury, he played two minutes toward the end of Saturday's game. He got in the box score, too, making one of two free throws and recording an assist and a steal.
“I was hoping to play him the other day and he was really sore and so we didn’t,” coach Mark Fox said. “I wanted him to get in for the first time when he didn’t have any pressure and he could just relax. He hasn’t been out there in two months, so I was hopeful he could play today.”
Etc.: The 24-point margin of victory is the largest in an SEC win under Mark Fox. The Bulldogs had won three SEC games by a 22-point margin in Fox's tenure. … Georgia's 18-point halftime lead was the second largest of the season. (The Bulldogs led Seton Hall by 19 on Dec. 21). … Georgia's 11 first-half assists matched, or surpassed the team's totals for 10 games during the 2014-15 season. The Bulldogs finished with a season-high 18 assists. … Georgia attempted 66 field goals on the day, the third-most of the season.
