Some familiar faces on Georgia’s 2021-22 SEC basketball schedule

Georgia head coach Tom Crean watches the action in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference Tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Credit: Mark Humphrey

Credit: Mark Humphrey

Georgia head coach Tom Crean watches the action in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference Tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

ATHENS – Georgia will go against three of its former players in SEC play next season as the conference released the matchups for the next season.

The Bulldogs, in their fourth season under coach Tom Crean, will see sophomore K.D. Johnson twice as Auburn has been scheduled as one of Georgia’s five SEC home-and-home opponents for the 2021-22 season. Georgia’s other home-and-home opponents are Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

The Bulldogs will face another former player in Tye Fagan when Ole Miss comes to Athens. And while their former point guard Sahvir Wheeler will not be returning to Stegeman Coliseum, Georgia will face the junior from Houston when it meets Kentucky at Rupp Arena.

As for the rest of the SEC schedule, Georgia also drew LSU, Mississippi State and Missouri as away opponents, while it will get Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee at home.

Specific dates have not yet been decided. The SEC determines who plays whom in the league.

The SEC slate adds to what already was an attractive but challenging schedule for Crean’s fourth campaign at Georgia. The Bulldogs are scheduled to open the season with a road game at Cincinnati on Nov. 13, have a chance to meet Virginia, Providence and Northwestern in the Legends Classic in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 22-23 and still have to finalize home dates against Memphis and Jacksonville. Georgia already is set to play George Mason, East Tennessee and Gardner-Webb at home in December.

The Bulldogs will do this with an almost completely remade roster. Nine players who opened last season on the roster left UGA via the NCAA’s transfer portal. Rising senior P.J. Horne is the only starter returning from last season’s 14-12 team (7-11 SEC). Junior Jaxon Etter, redshirt freshman forward Josh Taylor, senior forward Jonathan Ned, junior forward Tyron McMillan also return.

Georgia added seven players via the portal, led by Virginia’s Jabri Abdur-Rahim and junior college star Dalen Ridgnal, and signed three freshmen in the 2021 class. The Bulldogs will be desperate to get some immediate impact.

Georgia lost 83.4% of its scoring (1,680 points), 72.5% of its rebounding (701) and 72.1% of its 3-point field goals made (119). Wheeler started all 26 games for the Bulldogs last season and established a single-season record for assists (193) while also leading the team in scoring. As a freshman, Johnson ranked second on the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), and Fagan started 25 games and averaged 9.2 points.

In three seasons, Crean has compiled a 41-49 overall record and 14-40 SEC record as the Bulldogs’ coach.

Renewable season tickets already are on sale for a minimum donation of $150 per seat. Applications are due Sept. 17.

2021-22 Georgia’s Men’s Basketball Conference Schedule

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022

  • Texas A&M at Georgia

Saturday, Jan. 8

  • Georgia at Kentucky

Wednesday, Jan. 12

  • Georgia at Mississippi State

Saturday, Jan. 15

  • Vanderbilt at Georgia

Wednesday, Jan. 19

  • Georgia at Auburn

Saturday, Jan. 22

  • Georgia at South Carolina

Tuesday, Jan. 25

  • Alabama at Georgia

Saturday, Jan. 29

  • Georgia at Vanderbilt

Wednesday, Feb. 2

  • Arkansas at Georgia

Saturday, Feb. 5

  • Auburn at Georgia

Wednesday, Feb. 9

  • Georgia at Florida

Saturday, Feb. 12

  • South Carolina at Georgia

Wednesday, Feb. 16

  • Georgia at LSU

Saturday, Feb. 19

  • Ole Miss at Georgia

Tuesday, Feb. 22

  • Georgia at Texas A&M

Saturday, Feb. 26

  • Florida at Georgia

Tuesday, March 1

  • Tennessee at Georgia

Saturday, March 5

  • Georgia at Missouri

March 9-13

  • SEC Tournament (Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla.)