kdhnews
As Mike White prepares for his fifth year at the helm, Georgia basketball is coming off a 22-11 overall record and a 10-8 mark in SEC play. The Bulldogs earned their second straight NCAA tournament berth, though their run ended abruptly with a 102-77 first-round loss to Saint Louis.
Six players from last season's roster are set to return in 2026, and four of them finished the year as starters. Among the key returnees are Blue Cain, Marcus "Smurf" Millender, Kanon Catchings, and Kareem Stagg, all of whom bring starting experience.
Cain, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, is the team's top returning shooter after posting 13.1 points per game last season. He also ranked second on the squad with 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Millender, who joined Georgia after previous stops at South Alabama and UTSA, appeared in all 33 games and led the team with 4.1 assists per game while adding 12 points per game.
Ole Miss transfer James Scott is expected to step into the starting center role.
Key Analysis
Georgia will need to replace significant production after losing leading shooter Jeremiah Wilkinson to Arkansas and starting center Somto Cyril to Miami. Guards Jordan Ross and forward Jake Wilkins both transferred to Cal, Dylan James moved to George Washington, and center Jackson McVey left for Georgia Tech.
To fill those gaps, the Bulldogs added guard Freddie Dilione from Penn State, center James Scott from Ole Miss, Saint Louis forward Brady Dunlap, and St. Bonaventure center Andrew Osauyi through the transfer portal. They also brought in four international players: center David Ugonna Ike, forward Mading Kuany, combo guard Donovan Williams Jr., and center Hakeem Weems.
The nonconference schedule features several marquee matchups, including a road trip to North Carolina on Nov. 13 and an in-state clash at Georgia Tech on Nov. 20, before a meeting with Duke at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8. In SEC play, Georgia will host Texas on Jan. 5, Florida on Jan. 23, and Kentucky on Feb. 16, while traveling to Ole Miss on Jan. 2, Auburn on Jan. 9, Tennessee on Feb. 3, and Alabama on Mar. 3.
Last season's 22 regular-season wins set a school record and marked the third consecutive year the Bulldogs reached 20 victories. Their back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances were the program's first since 2001 and 2002. Georgia averaged 89.4 points per game, ranking fifth nationally and surpassing the previous high of 82.7 set in 1990 by 5.7 points.
Originally reported by kdhnews.