Crean, Dogs back in Stegeman

Georgia Basketball Game Notes

Georgia (5-2) vs. N.C. Central (2-6)

Wednesday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m.

Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.

Watch: SEC Network+ Matt Stewart, play-by-play; Dean Keener, analyst)

Listen: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network Flagship: WSB AM 750 Atlanta. Internet: 985. (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, producer)

The Starting Five

• Anthony Edwards was named SEC Freshman of the Week and to the all-tourney team of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational after averaging 22.3 ppg in Hawaii.

• UGA has opened the season with three 90-plus point outings, the first time the Bulldogs have scored 90 or more three times in a row since Dec. of 2006.

• Six Bulldogs scored in double-digit against The Citadel. The last time UGA did so was a 92-62 win over Appalachian State on Dec. 22, 2002.

• The point tallies of Anthony Edwards (24) and Sahvir Wheeler (19) in the season opener were the second- and third-best ever by a freshman in their UGA debut.

• Georgia’s celebrated freshman class – ranked among the top-10 groups nationally by every recruiting service – features five of the nation’s top-100 prospects.

The Opening Tip

Georgia returns to action in Stegeman Coliseum for the first time two weeks on Wednesday when the Bulldogs host North Carolina Central at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Georgia’s last home game was on Nov. 20 when the Bulldogs bested Georgia Tech, 82-78. The win was Georgia’s fifth straight over the Yellow Jackets, just the fifth time in 196 all-time meetings that the Bulldogs have produced a five-game winning streak over their archrivals.

Last week, Georgia ventured to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational for the first time ever. The Bulldogs posted a 1-2 record in the 50th state, with setbacks to Dayton and No. 3 Michigan State and a victory over Chaminade. Anthony Edwards earned all-tournament honors after averaging 22.3 points in Maui, including a 37-point outburst against the third-ranked Spartans.

The N.C. Central matchup is one of 14 games the Bulldogs will play this season against teams featured in the final preseason edition of Bracketology released on ESPN.com on Nov. 4.

Promotions

Wednesday’s game is “Beat the Stress Night: and should provide for a nice study break for UGA students preparing for Final Exams, which begin on Friday.

It is National Cookie Day and the first 1,250 students will receive a free cookie courtesy of Subway. UGA students who check in using the Commit to the G app are eligible for prizes throughout the game, including tickets to the SEC Football Championship, Apple Air Pods, an Apple Watch, a Nintendo Switch, a Fit Bit, a Roku, Beats Ear Buds, an Echo Show and a Visa Giftcard.

Series History

Tonight’s matchup is the first ever between the Bulldogs and the Eagles. 

Georgia is 15-0 all-time against teams competing with N.C. Central in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), including a 100-66 victory over Delaware State on Nov. 15. 

Entering Tonight’s Game . . . Among UGA’s career Leaders

Tyree Crump is...

• 2 3FGs from co-No. 12s Ty Wilson and Ray Harrison

• 8 3FGs from No. 11 K. Caldwell-Pope

• 6 FGAs from No. 11 Ray Harrison

• 18 FGAs from No. 10 K. Caldwell-Pope

Scouting The Eagles

N.C. Central, which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons, returns a pair of starters – Randy Miller Jr. and Jordan Perkins – and four letterwinners from last season’s team.

Miller, Perkins and Jibri Blount all earned preseason All-MEAC honors.

The Eagles captured the MEAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row, a first in the conference since the late-1980s. 

N.C. Central was picked to repeat at league champions in preseason voting of league coaches and sports information directors. The Eagles and Bethune-Cookman both received eight first-place votes; however, NCCU edged the Wildcats on points awarded for predicted finish. On a side note, Bethune-Cookman is coached by Ryan Ridder, the brother of Georgia graduate assistant Reed Ridder.