Georgia Basketball Game Notes
Georgia (2-0) vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1-2)
Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network. Flagship: AM 750 (Atlanta); (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, producer)
Video: SEC Network + (Jeff Dantzler, play-by-play; Jarvis Hayes, analyst)
The Starting 5…
• Yante Maten was ranked as one of the nation’s top-25 players by CBS (22), ESPN (23) and NBC (24).
• Juwan Parker is the only active D-I MBB player who has already earned a master’s degree.
• Rayshaun Hammonds became the first UGA freshman to start an opener since KCP in ‘11-12.
• Mark & Cindy Fox will donate $1 to charity for every fan at UGA’s 3 Nov. home dates.
• Stegeman Coliseum underwent $8 million in renovations during the summer.
Dogs End Homestand By Hosting Islanders
The Georgia Bulldogs conclude a three-game homestand to open the 2017-18 season on Sunday afternoon when they host the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Stegeman Coliseum at 1:00 p.m.
Georgia is 2-0 on the young season, defeating Bryant and USC Upstate by an average of 17.0 points per game.
Yante Maten, a National Player of the Year candidate and preseason SEC Player of the Year honoree, leads the Bulldogs averages of 21.5 point and 13.0 rebounds per game. With back-to-back double-doubles to open the year, Maten now has 64 double-digit scoring outputs, 19 double-figure rebound counts and 18 double-doubles in his Georgia career.
Freshman Rayshaun Hammonds also has been impressive. He celebrated his birthday on Nov. 10 by becoming the first Bulldog freshman to start a season opener since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011. Hammonds is scoring 15.0 points – while shooting an eye-catching 72.2 percent from the floor – and 7.0 rebounds in his first two outings.
Turtle Jackson rounds out the double-figure scorers. He has notched career-high offensive performances in each game, putting up 11 points against Bryant and then 13 versus USC Upstate.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi arrives in Athens with a 1-2 record, including a loss at No. 25 Baylor on Monday night.
Joseph Kilgore paces a trio of double-digit scoring guards for the Islanders at 14.0 ppg, while Kareem South adds 12.3 ppg and Myles Smith chips in 10.0 ppg.
Keeping Nn Eye On…Entering Today’s Game Among UGA’s Career Leaders
Yante Maten is...
• 31 points from No. 20 Kenny Gaines
• 1 rebound from No. 15 Ray Jeffords
• 22 rebounds from No. 14 James Banks
• 4 FTs from No. 6 Jimmy Pitts
• 37 FTs from No. 5 Vern Fleming
• 18 FTAs from No. 12 Terry Fair
• 24 FTAs from No. 11 Shandon Anderson
• 14 blocks from No. 3 Terrell Bell
Series History With A&M-CC
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won the only previous meeting between Georgia and the Islanders, an 80-79 overtime decision on Dec. 22, 2008, in Athens.
Kevin Palmer banked in a 30-foot shot as time expired in the extra period to give the Islanders the improbable victory. Palmer finished the night with a career-high 31 points.
Georgia had seemingly pulled away to secure the win late in the overtime session. After trailing 77-73 with less than a minute remaining on the clock, the Bulldogs scored five points in 16 seconds to erase the four-point deficit.
Following a Corpus Christi foul, Dustin Ware made the first of two free throws but missed the second. Palmer then delivered the game winner for the Islanders.
Ware scored a career-high 22, while Travis Leslie added 19.
Last Time Out...
The Georgia Bulldogs, led by Yante Maten’s double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds and 13 points apiece from Rayshaun Hammonds and Turtle Jackson, posted a 74-65 win over USC Upstate on Tuesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
Maten and Hammonds scored every point – nine and seven, respectively – in a decisive 16-3 run covering 5:50 by the Bulldogs late in the second half.
Georgia led comfortably for much of the game’s first 25 minutes before the Spartans used a 17-3 spurt to grab a 52-47 advantage with 11:41 remaining.
Consecutive buckets from E’Torrion Wilridge – the second on an emphatic dunk in transition – stopped the surge and a Hammonds jumper moments later ignited the Bulldogs’ game-clinching surge.
This Turtle Starting Quickly
William “Turtle” Jackson entered the season with two double-digit scoring performances in 66 games played at Georgia.
In each of the Bulldogs’ first two outings of the 2017-18 campaign, Jackson has reached double figures in the scoring column...before halftime. He also has upped his career-high output in each contest.
Jackson scored 11 points – all in the first half – against Bryant. That represented more than a quarter of Georgia’s 40 points in the period and also bettered his best of 10 points versus both Oakland and Belmont last year.
Against USC Upstate, Jackson scored 10 points in the first half and added three more in the second stanza.
Jackson continues to do much of his damage from behind the 3-point arc. To date, five of his eight makes from the floor – or 62.5 percent – have been 3-pointers. For his career, 59.4 percent (41-of-69) of Jackson’s made FGs have been 3s.
Ratin’ Maten A Popular Task
Preseason recognition was consistent and plentiful for Yante Maten.
Maten was ranked as one of the nation’s top-25 players by three different online ledgers. CBSsports.com put him at No. 22, ESPN.com listed him at No. 23 and NBCsports.comtabbed him at No. 24 .
Maten was tabbed the preseason SEC Player of the Year by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and a panel of SEC and national media. The media poll named Maten, Texas A&M’s Robert Williams and Missouri’s Michael Porter, Jr. as co-players of the year.
Maten was included on various watch lists. Most notably, he was featured on ledgers for both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Naismith Trophy for the National Player of the Year. In addition, Maten was on the list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award and the Lute Olson Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top Division I player who has played at least two seasons.
He also received preseason All-America recognition. Jay Bilas, in an obvious plot to prove he’s the wisest college hoops analyst in the nation, included Maten on his first-team All-America ledger. Among others, Maten also earned All-America props from the Blue Ribbon Yearbook (third team), www.collegesportsmadness.com (fourth team) and NBCsports.com (honorable mention).
Foxes Donating From Nov. Games
Head coach Mark Fox and his wife Cindy are donating $1 to charity for every fan who attends the Bulldogs’ three November home games. The amount will be split equally between the Boys and Girls Club of Athens and the Clarke County Mentor Program.
Fox announced their effort in an Oct. 12 tweet (to the right) and was later asked about his decision to make the donations.
“I just think that no matter where you turn somebody’s complaining about something,” he said. “I meant what I said. People in positions like I have, we have an obligation to try and make things better. We’re fortunate to have great opportunities to impact the world and we should do that, we should try to do that. I think we have too many people complaining and not enough people trying to make a difference, if you want my honest opinion.”
Cindy Fox is on the board for Clarke Mentors, which recruits community volunteers to mentor children who attend the Clarke County School District. Derrick Floyd, director of operations for the Athens Boys and Girls Club, was a letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1980-83 and today serves as the official scorer for Georgia basketball games and the SEC Tourney.
“Those groups are working to try and make the next generation better and to make society better,” Mark Fox said. “If we can give them a little help, that’s great.”
Georgia drew 7,387 fans for the opener against Bryant – UGA’s biggest crowd for a season opener in a decade – and 5,369 for the Upstate date. That means the Foxes have already pledged $6378 to each organization.
Dogs Sign In-State Duo
Amanze Ngumezi and JoJo Toppin, a pair of premier in-state prospects, signed letters-of-intent to play for Georgia, Mark Fox announced on Thursday, Nov. 16. Both players inked their commitments during the weeklong NCAA early signing period, which concluded the previous day.
“We are excited to add Amanze and JoJo to our team as they add legitimate SEC size and athleticism for their respective positions,” Fox said. “Amanze provides a big and explosive front line player who also has great ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. JoJo is a quick slasher who is very athletic at the rim. Together, they address the needs that will be created when this senior class departs.”
Ngumezi (whose name is pronounced “Uh-mahn-zay In-goo-meh-zay), a 6-9, 235-pound power forward from Savannah, averaged a double-double of 12.8 points and 11.6 rebounds last season. He led Johnson High School to a 19-10 finish and the second round of the Georgia 3A State Tournament. The Atom Smashers, who finished the season ranked No. 9 in the state, lost to eventual state champion Pace Academy, 49-41, in the tourney’s round of 16. Ngumezi posted double-digit scoring outputs in 17 games during his junior season, including a season-high 24 points against Islands High.
Toppin, a 6-6, 180-pound small forward from Norcross, posted averages of 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as a junior at Norcross High School. Toppin – and current Bulldog freshman Rayshaun Hammonds – helped lead the Blue Devils to a runner-up showing in the 7A State Tournament and a final record of 26-6. Toppin, who was a second-team All-Region honoree as a junior, notched season highs of 16 points, 11 rebounds and six steals.
Hammonds Gets Nod For Opener
Rayshaun Hammonds became the first Bulldog freshman to start a season opener since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011-12.
Hammonds was expected to do so after he got the nod for both of Georgia’s preseason exhibitions, including a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds versus Valdosta State.
Hammonds enjoyed an impressive “official” debut, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds.
That was the highest output by a UGA freshman in a decade and a day – since Jeremy Price scored 18 points against Jacksonville State on Nov. 9, 2007. FYI, Caldwell-Pope, who signed an $18-million contract to play for the Lakers this season, put up a game-high 15 points to lead Georgia in a 62-49 win over Wofford on Nov. 11, 2011.
While Hammonds became the first freshman to start an opener in six years, freshman starters is nothing new for Georgia during Mark Fox’s tenure.
Six members of the Bulldogs’ 10 returning letterwinners this season also started as freshmen – seniors Yante Maten and Juwan Parker, juniors Mike Edwards and Derek Ogbeide and sophomores Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris.
Bulldogs Flip Popular Script, Move To Four-Forward Lineup
Four-guard lineups are a relatively common fixture in college basketball. To start the season, Georgia is utilizing a four-forward starting quintet.
Point guard William “Turtle” Jackson is the only starter to date with a “G” featured by his name on the Bulldogs’ roster.
In addition, Georgia has started 6-6 E’Torrion Wilridge at the ‘2,’ 6-8 Rayshaun Hammonds at the ‘3,’ 6-8 Yante Maten at the ‘4’ and 6-8 Derek Ogbeide at the ‘5.’
The athleticism of Wilridge and Hammonds allows them to handle the defensive challenges of guarding guards – not to mention their shooting range and passing abilities.
“I really think the way we flew around defensively was exactly what we needed to see, and I was very pleased,” Mark Fox said.
Freshman Birthday Bonanza
Three-fourths of Georgia’s freshman class will celebrate birthdays during the first dozen days of the season.
On Nov. 10, Rayshaun Hammonds not only played in his collegiate debut, he also celebrated his 19th birthday. Isaac Kante’s birthday is Nov. 15, while Teshaun Hightower’s is Nov. 21.
Hopefully, all four of Georgia’s freshmen will enjoy in-season birthdays. Nicolas Claxton, the fourth member of Georgia’s freshman quartet, has a March 17 birthday.
Maten Big-Time Vs. Top-10 Foes
Yante Maten poured in 33 points in an Oct. 29 exhibition game against No. 2 Michigan State. While those numbers won’t count, that would have equaled his career-high scoring output established against Belmont in the opening round of the 2016 NIT.
Maten has displayed a knack for playing extremely well against top-ranked opponents throughout his career in Athens.
All told, Maten has averaged 17.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg in five “games” versus top-10 opponents while at Georgia. In those contests, he has connected on 61.2 percent of his shots from the floor and converted on 76.5 percent of his trips to the line.
A year ago, he poured in 30 points and grabbed 13 boards against No. 5 Kansas in the championship game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
In three outings against top-10 foes his freshman year – one versus No. 10 Gonzaga and two against No. 1 Kentucky in the regular season – Maten was a combined 10-of-17 (58.8) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7) at the charity stripe.
Bulldogs Are HomeGrown
More than half of Georgia’s roster – eight of 15 Bulldogs to be exact – played high school hoops in the Peach State. That list features Tyree Crump (Bainbridge High School), Rayshaun Hammonds (Norcross High School), Jordan Harris (Seminole County High School), Christian Harrison (Woodward Academy), Teshaun Hightower (Collins Hills High School), “Turtle” Jackson (Athens Christian), Connor O’Neill (Blessed Trinity School) and Derek Ogbeide (Pebblebrook High School).
SEC Hoops Moving Forward
SEC Basketball enters the 2017-18 season attempting to continue its upwardly trending national reputation.
The SEC received five bids of any conference to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the fifth-most of any conference. The league then proceeded to tie the ACC (which had nine NCAA teams) for the most wins during “March Madness” with 11.
Three league schools reached the “Elite Eight,” including an All-SEC East Regional final between South Carolina and Florida.
Homecoming With A Cause
Georgia’s October 29 exhibition game against Michigan State was a homecoming for Yante Maten and Mike Edwards. The Spartans topped the Bulldogs 80-68, but the real winner was the Red Cross.
While Michigan State hosted the game, the two teams split the proceeds evenly to donate to their charities of choice – Georgia to the American Red Cross of Georgia and Michigan to the Red Cross – International Services.
“When you do something for a cause greater than yourself, you need help to really make an impact, and this couldn’t have happened without Michigan State University and the great support that their fan base and the city of Grand Rapids provided,” Mark Fox said. “I thank you from the bottom of our hearts from the Deep South.”
The contest came together in less than a week when the NCAA approved a waiver to allow teams to play a charitable exhibition.
A pregame presentation included a check for $339,447 for Hurricane Irma relief efforts by the Red Cross in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,699 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. That amount eventual grew slightly to $368,111.61, and Georgia held a second presentation for its proceeds at the season opener against Bryant.
Maten was the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year at Bloomfield Hills High School. He averaged 19.8 ppg and 15.2 rpg in leading the Black Hawks to a runner-up finish in the Michigan A state tournament in the school’s first year of existence. BHHS was formed by the merger of Lahser High, which Maten attended for three years, with Andover High.
Edwards was named captain of the Detroit Free Press’ Class A All-State team in 2015 after averaging 18.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg as a senior at John Glenn High School.
Strong Ties To The Spartans
Yante Maten and Mike Edwards both have strong family ties to Michigan State.
Maten’s mom, Toiya, is a State alum, as are both of Edwards’ parents, Michael Edwards and Jill Edwards. Edwards’ dad was a defensive end for MSU from 1990-92 and tied for team-high sack honors in 1992.
In addition, Matt Bucklin, Georgia’s operations coordinator, is the nephew of Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. As a matter of fact, Mark Fox jokingly gave Bucklin’s mother, Mary, credit for getting the exhibition between and UGA and MSU done.
“We knew if we were going to do this we would have to play on the road,” Fox said on the Wednesday before the game. “But if we were going to play on the road, we wanted to make sure it would be a game that would really challenge us and give us a great measuring stick. Coach Izzo’s nephew is on our staff and Coach Izzo’s sister probably deserves the most credit for putting this together.”
Georgia (2-0) vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1-2)
Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) in Athens, Ga.
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network. Flagship: AM 750 (Atlanta); (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, analyst; Tony Schiavone, producer)
Video: SEC Network + (Jeff Dantzler, play-by-play; Jarvis Hayes, analyst)
The Starting 5…
• Yante Maten was ranked as one of the nation’s top-25 players by CBS (22), ESPN (23) and NBC (24).
• Juwan Parker is the only active D-I MBB player who has already earned a master’s degree.
• Rayshaun Hammonds became the first UGA freshman to start an opener since KCP in ‘11-12.
• Mark & Cindy Fox will donate $1 to charity for every fan at UGA’s 3 Nov. home dates.
• Stegeman Coliseum underwent $8 million in renovations during the summer.
Dogs End Homestand By Hosting Islanders
The Georgia Bulldogs conclude a three-game homestand to open the 2017-18 season on Sunday afternoon when they host the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Stegeman Coliseum at 1:00 p.m.
Georgia is 2-0 on the young season, defeating Bryant and USC Upstate by an average of 17.0 points per game.
Yante Maten, a National Player of the Year candidate and preseason SEC Player of the Year honoree, leads the Bulldogs averages of 21.5 point and 13.0 rebounds per game. With back-to-back double-doubles to open the year, Maten now has 64 double-digit scoring outputs, 19 double-figure rebound counts and 18 double-doubles in his Georgia career.
Freshman Rayshaun Hammonds also has been impressive. He celebrated his birthday on Nov. 10 by becoming the first Bulldog freshman to start a season opener since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011. Hammonds is scoring 15.0 points – while shooting an eye-catching 72.2 percent from the floor – and 7.0 rebounds in his first two outings.
Turtle Jackson rounds out the double-figure scorers. He has notched career-high offensive performances in each game, putting up 11 points against Bryant and then 13 versus USC Upstate.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi arrives in Athens with a 1-2 record, including a loss at No. 25 Baylor on Monday night.
Joseph Kilgore paces a trio of double-digit scoring guards for the Islanders at 14.0 ppg, while Kareem South adds 12.3 ppg and Myles Smith chips in 10.0 ppg.
Keeping Nn Eye On…Entering Today’s Game Among UGA’s Career Leaders
Yante Maten is...
• 31 points from No. 20 Kenny Gaines
• 1 rebound from No. 15 Ray Jeffords
• 22 rebounds from No. 14 James Banks
• 4 FTs from No. 6 Jimmy Pitts
• 37 FTs from No. 5 Vern Fleming
• 18 FTAs from No. 12 Terry Fair
• 24 FTAs from No. 11 Shandon Anderson
• 14 blocks from No. 3 Terrell Bell
Series History With A&M-CC
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won the only previous meeting between Georgia and the Islanders, an 80-79 overtime decision on Dec. 22, 2008, in Athens.
Kevin Palmer banked in a 30-foot shot as time expired in the extra period to give the Islanders the improbable victory. Palmer finished the night with a career-high 31 points.
Georgia had seemingly pulled away to secure the win late in the overtime session. After trailing 77-73 with less than a minute remaining on the clock, the Bulldogs scored five points in 16 seconds to erase the four-point deficit.
Following a Corpus Christi foul, Dustin Ware made the first of two free throws but missed the second. Palmer then delivered the game winner for the Islanders.
Ware scored a career-high 22, while Travis Leslie added 19.
Last Time Out...
The Georgia Bulldogs, led by Yante Maten’s double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds and 13 points apiece from Rayshaun Hammonds and Turtle Jackson, posted a 74-65 win over USC Upstate on Tuesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
Maten and Hammonds scored every point – nine and seven, respectively – in a decisive 16-3 run covering 5:50 by the Bulldogs late in the second half.
Georgia led comfortably for much of the game’s first 25 minutes before the Spartans used a 17-3 spurt to grab a 52-47 advantage with 11:41 remaining.
Consecutive buckets from E’Torrion Wilridge – the second on an emphatic dunk in transition – stopped the surge and a Hammonds jumper moments later ignited the Bulldogs’ game-clinching surge.
This Turtle Starting Quickly
William “Turtle” Jackson entered the season with two double-digit scoring performances in 66 games played at Georgia.
In each of the Bulldogs’ first two outings of the 2017-18 campaign, Jackson has reached double figures in the scoring column...before halftime. He also has upped his career-high output in each contest.
Jackson scored 11 points – all in the first half – against Bryant. That represented more than a quarter of Georgia’s 40 points in the period and also bettered his best of 10 points versus both Oakland and Belmont last year.
Against USC Upstate, Jackson scored 10 points in the first half and added three more in the second stanza.
Jackson continues to do much of his damage from behind the 3-point arc. To date, five of his eight makes from the floor – or 62.5 percent – have been 3-pointers. For his career, 59.4 percent (41-of-69) of Jackson’s made FGs have been 3s.
Ratin’ Maten A Popular Task
Preseason recognition was consistent and plentiful for Yante Maten.
Maten was ranked as one of the nation’s top-25 players by three different online ledgers. CBSsports.com put him at No. 22, ESPN.com listed him at No. 23 and NBCsports.comtabbed him at No. 24 .
Maten was tabbed the preseason SEC Player of the Year by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and a panel of SEC and national media. The media poll named Maten, Texas A&M’s Robert Williams and Missouri’s Michael Porter, Jr. as co-players of the year.
Maten was included on various watch lists. Most notably, he was featured on ledgers for both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Naismith Trophy for the National Player of the Year. In addition, Maten was on the list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award and the Lute Olson Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top Division I player who has played at least two seasons.
He also received preseason All-America recognition. Jay Bilas, in an obvious plot to prove he’s the wisest college hoops analyst in the nation, included Maten on his first-team All-America ledger. Among others, Maten also earned All-America props from the Blue Ribbon Yearbook (third team), www.collegesportsmadness.com (fourth team) and NBCsports.com (honorable mention).
Foxes Donating From Nov. Games
Head coach Mark Fox and his wife Cindy are donating $1 to charity for every fan who attends the Bulldogs’ three November home games. The amount will be split equally between the Boys and Girls Club of Athens and the Clarke County Mentor Program.
Fox announced their effort in an Oct. 12 tweet (to the right) and was later asked about his decision to make the donations.
“I just think that no matter where you turn somebody’s complaining about something,” he said. “I meant what I said. People in positions like I have, we have an obligation to try and make things better. We’re fortunate to have great opportunities to impact the world and we should do that, we should try to do that. I think we have too many people complaining and not enough people trying to make a difference, if you want my honest opinion.”
Cindy Fox is on the board for Clarke Mentors, which recruits community volunteers to mentor children who attend the Clarke County School District. Derrick Floyd, director of operations for the Athens Boys and Girls Club, was a letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1980-83 and today serves as the official scorer for Georgia basketball games and the SEC Tourney.
“Those groups are working to try and make the next generation better and to make society better,” Mark Fox said. “If we can give them a little help, that’s great.”
Georgia drew 7,387 fans for the opener against Bryant – UGA’s biggest crowd for a season opener in a decade – and 5,369 for the Upstate date. That means the Foxes have already pledged $6378 to each organization.
Dogs Sign In-State Duo
Amanze Ngumezi and JoJo Toppin, a pair of premier in-state prospects, signed letters-of-intent to play for Georgia, Mark Fox announced on Thursday, Nov. 16. Both players inked their commitments during the weeklong NCAA early signing period, which concluded the previous day.
“We are excited to add Amanze and JoJo to our team as they add legitimate SEC size and athleticism for their respective positions,” Fox said. “Amanze provides a big and explosive front line player who also has great ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. JoJo is a quick slasher who is very athletic at the rim. Together, they address the needs that will be created when this senior class departs.”
Ngumezi (whose name is pronounced “Uh-mahn-zay In-goo-meh-zay), a 6-9, 235-pound power forward from Savannah, averaged a double-double of 12.8 points and 11.6 rebounds last season. He led Johnson High School to a 19-10 finish and the second round of the Georgia 3A State Tournament. The Atom Smashers, who finished the season ranked No. 9 in the state, lost to eventual state champion Pace Academy, 49-41, in the tourney’s round of 16. Ngumezi posted double-digit scoring outputs in 17 games during his junior season, including a season-high 24 points against Islands High.
Toppin, a 6-6, 180-pound small forward from Norcross, posted averages of 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as a junior at Norcross High School. Toppin – and current Bulldog freshman Rayshaun Hammonds – helped lead the Blue Devils to a runner-up showing in the 7A State Tournament and a final record of 26-6. Toppin, who was a second-team All-Region honoree as a junior, notched season highs of 16 points, 11 rebounds and six steals.
Hammonds Gets Nod For Opener
Rayshaun Hammonds became the first Bulldog freshman to start a season opener since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011-12.
Hammonds was expected to do so after he got the nod for both of Georgia’s preseason exhibitions, including a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds versus Valdosta State.
Hammonds enjoyed an impressive “official” debut, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds.
That was the highest output by a UGA freshman in a decade and a day – since Jeremy Price scored 18 points against Jacksonville State on Nov. 9, 2007. FYI, Caldwell-Pope, who signed an $18-million contract to play for the Lakers this season, put up a game-high 15 points to lead Georgia in a 62-49 win over Wofford on Nov. 11, 2011.
While Hammonds became the first freshman to start an opener in six years, freshman starters is nothing new for Georgia during Mark Fox’s tenure.
Six members of the Bulldogs’ 10 returning letterwinners this season also started as freshmen – seniors Yante Maten and Juwan Parker, juniors Mike Edwards and Derek Ogbeide and sophomores Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris.
Bulldogs Flip Popular Script, Move To Four-Forward Lineup
Four-guard lineups are a relatively common fixture in college basketball. To start the season, Georgia is utilizing a four-forward starting quintet.
Point guard William “Turtle” Jackson is the only starter to date with a “G” featured by his name on the Bulldogs’ roster.
In addition, Georgia has started 6-6 E’Torrion Wilridge at the ‘2,’ 6-8 Rayshaun Hammonds at the ‘3,’ 6-8 Yante Maten at the ‘4’ and 6-8 Derek Ogbeide at the ‘5.’
The athleticism of Wilridge and Hammonds allows them to handle the defensive challenges of guarding guards – not to mention their shooting range and passing abilities.
“I really think the way we flew around defensively was exactly what we needed to see, and I was very pleased,” Mark Fox said.
Freshman Birthday Bonanza
Three-fourths of Georgia’s freshman class will celebrate birthdays during the first dozen days of the season.
On Nov. 10, Rayshaun Hammonds not only played in his collegiate debut, he also celebrated his 19th birthday. Isaac Kante’s birthday is Nov. 15, while Teshaun Hightower’s is Nov. 21.
Hopefully, all four of Georgia’s freshmen will enjoy in-season birthdays. Nicolas Claxton, the fourth member of Georgia’s freshman quartet, has a March 17 birthday.
Maten Big-Time Vs. Top-10 Foes
Yante Maten poured in 33 points in an Oct. 29 exhibition game against No. 2 Michigan State. While those numbers won’t count, that would have equaled his career-high scoring output established against Belmont in the opening round of the 2016 NIT.
Maten has displayed a knack for playing extremely well against top-ranked opponents throughout his career in Athens.
All told, Maten has averaged 17.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg in five “games” versus top-10 opponents while at Georgia. In those contests, he has connected on 61.2 percent of his shots from the floor and converted on 76.5 percent of his trips to the line.
A year ago, he poured in 30 points and grabbed 13 boards against No. 5 Kansas in the championship game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
In three outings against top-10 foes his freshman year – one versus No. 10 Gonzaga and two against No. 1 Kentucky in the regular season – Maten was a combined 10-of-17 (58.8) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7) at the charity stripe.
Bulldogs Are HomeGrown
More than half of Georgia’s roster – eight of 15 Bulldogs to be exact – played high school hoops in the Peach State. That list features Tyree Crump (Bainbridge High School), Rayshaun Hammonds (Norcross High School), Jordan Harris (Seminole County High School), Christian Harrison (Woodward Academy), Teshaun Hightower (Collins Hills High School), “Turtle” Jackson (Athens Christian), Connor O’Neill (Blessed Trinity School) and Derek Ogbeide (Pebblebrook High School).
SEC Hoops Moving Forward
SEC Basketball enters the 2017-18 season attempting to continue its upwardly trending national reputation.
The SEC received five bids of any conference to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the fifth-most of any conference. The league then proceeded to tie the ACC (which had nine NCAA teams) for the most wins during “March Madness” with 11.
Three league schools reached the “Elite Eight,” including an All-SEC East Regional final between South Carolina and Florida.
Homecoming With A Cause
Georgia’s October 29 exhibition game against Michigan State was a homecoming for Yante Maten and Mike Edwards. The Spartans topped the Bulldogs 80-68, but the real winner was the Red Cross.
While Michigan State hosted the game, the two teams split the proceeds evenly to donate to their charities of choice – Georgia to the American Red Cross of Georgia and Michigan to the Red Cross – International Services.
“When you do something for a cause greater than yourself, you need help to really make an impact, and this couldn’t have happened without Michigan State University and the great support that their fan base and the city of Grand Rapids provided,” Mark Fox said. “I thank you from the bottom of our hearts from the Deep South.”
The contest came together in less than a week when the NCAA approved a waiver to allow teams to play a charitable exhibition.
A pregame presentation included a check for $339,447 for Hurricane Irma relief efforts by the Red Cross in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,699 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. That amount eventual grew slightly to $368,111.61, and Georgia held a second presentation for its proceeds at the season opener against Bryant.
Maten was the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year at Bloomfield Hills High School. He averaged 19.8 ppg and 15.2 rpg in leading the Black Hawks to a runner-up finish in the Michigan A state tournament in the school’s first year of existence. BHHS was formed by the merger of Lahser High, which Maten attended for three years, with Andover High.
Edwards was named captain of the Detroit Free Press’ Class A All-State team in 2015 after averaging 18.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg as a senior at John Glenn High School.
Strong Ties To The Spartans
Yante Maten and Mike Edwards both have strong family ties to Michigan State.
Maten’s mom, Toiya, is a State alum, as are both of Edwards’ parents, Michael Edwards and Jill Edwards. Edwards’ dad was a defensive end for MSU from 1990-92 and tied for team-high sack honors in 1992.
In addition, Matt Bucklin, Georgia’s operations coordinator, is the nephew of Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. As a matter of fact, Mark Fox jokingly gave Bucklin’s mother, Mary, credit for getting the exhibition between and UGA and MSU done.
“We knew if we were going to do this we would have to play on the road,” Fox said on the Wednesday before the game. “But if we were going to play on the road, we wanted to make sure it would be a game that would really challenge us and give us a great measuring stick. Coach Izzo’s nephew is on our staff and Coach Izzo’s sister probably deserves the most credit for putting this together.”
