Georgia basketball returns to AP Top 25 rankings for first time since 2011

“The response for a young team after beating No. 6, it was pretty good, but it needs to be great,” White said after beating the Sooners on Saturday. “Coming into this week, it’s got to be great.”

The 10-year SEC head coach was referring to the toughest week of UGA’s schedule. The Bulldogs start with a prime-time visit to No. 6 Tennessee at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The Volunteers (15-1, 2-1) boast the toughest defense in the SEC, allowing only 57.9 points per game.

Georgia finishes the week hosting No. 1 Auburn at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Tigers (15-1, 3-0) dominate on offense, averaging 86.6 points per game with an SEC-leading 50.6% shooting percentage.

Ending a 14-year ranking drought is nothing to shrug off, but White and the Bulldogs have bigger things in mind.

“If (a Top 25 ranking) were to happen, I would be happy for our fans,” White said Saturday night. “I don’t really care. I want to reach our potential, reach our ceiling and continue to get better and prepare for this next one.”

Several Bulldogs have downplayed Top 25 talk over the last week, quickly changing the topic to constant improvement.

Star freshman Asa Newell was asked about the team potentially appearing in the rankings after the Oklahoma win.

“We’re trying to just raise the standard at Georgia basketball, so we’re just going in every single day, our biggest thing is just growth, so did we grow tonight?” Newell said. “We just can’t let the outside noise in because that’s poison.”

Georgia already has set several records this season, including White’s highest-ranked win, the first season with multiple SEC wins over ranked teams since 2018, and the best start to a season in 94 years.

AP Top 25 ranking (released Jan. 13)