ATHENS — Georgia basketball returns from its off-week Saturday with a visit to No. 1 Auburn’s Neville Arena, hoping to break its second-half habits.
The Bulldogs (16-10, 4-9 SEC) were visibly and verbally frustrated after another second-half collapse against Missouri on Saturday. UGA has led at halftime in five of its nine SEC losses.
Georgia coach Mike White said Saturday he wanted that frustration to fuel his team in practice this week. White was encouraged by his team’s intensity as it turned its focus inward with no midweek game to prepare for.
“We had some intense practices, our guys responded well,” White said. “Monday and Tuesday, we had some long, demanding, physical practices. And we were able to get away from it on Wednesday and then got back to our routine, which is a two-day prep for the next one.”
White has tried many different halftime regimens to get the most out of his team to start the second half, but the Bulldogs have continued to struggle. The 10th-year SEC coach took a new approach this week, adding halftimes to the middle of the team’s practices.
Georgia forward Asa Newell said the team would leave the court, study film and return for a four-minute game, simulating the first uninterrupted minutes of the second half before a media timeout.
“We just wanted to start something that’s game-like during practice, like going in halfway to practice to try to replicate the game and see what’s going on with us after the halftime,” Newell said. “But then when we came out after the halftime in practice, and we’ve shown that we can compete and have that six-round, four-minute game in practice.”
Georgia will need to lean on Newell even more than usual Saturday (4 p.m., ESPN) as the Bulldogs face national player-of-the-year candidate Johni Broome. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior is averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game and is a defensive bedrock in the paint.
Broome was injured for the first meeting between Auburn and Georgia this season, a game the Tigers won 70-68 after Newell missed a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer.
Newell has cemented himself as the Bulldogs’ top scorer, averaging 15.3 points with 6.8 rebounds per game. A projected NBA first-round draft pick, Newell scored an SEC-high 23 points against Missouri.
Veteran forward RJ Godfrey could be another key piece for the Bulldogs, especially as they compete for an NCAA Tournament spot in the home stretch of the SEC season.
Godfrey has provided a strong paint presence for Georgia this season, and he brings some clutch basketball experience to the table. The junior played on a Clemson team that beat No. 3-seed Baylor and No. 2-seed Arizona to make the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Godfrey’s experience on big stages could help the Bulldogs maintain composure in their next two games against the top-ranked Tigers (24-2, 12-1) and No. 2 Florida.
Even Godfrey admitted UGA’s SEC schedule was the toughest stretch of games he had ever played — even more demanding than a run to the Elite Eight.
“This is something I’ve never been through,” Godfrey said. “Obviously that this SEC is the greatest basketball conference in the history of college basketball, and I would say it’s tougher than the tournament because every night’s a Quad 1, Quad 2 game, and every night you’re playing a ranked opponent.”
Georgia is 96-103 all-time against Auburn. The Tigers are 17.5-point favorites, according to VegasInsider.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
