Georgia hopes RJ Godfrey’s NCAA Tournament experience makes difference vs. Gonzaga

Godfrey is the only player on Georgia’s roster to have played in an NCAA Tournament game. He played in four of them last season while suiting up for the Clemson Tigers, helping push Clemson to the Elite Eight.

He’s done a lot more for Georgia in his first season with the program.

“RJ is as consistent as anyone I’ve coached,” Georgia coach Mike White said of Godfrey. “His experience in going to the Elite Eight last year with some of the things that he’s talked about, you know, in meetings, in the apartment, in the locker room, in the film room amongst us as a staff hold weight because he’s been there and he’s done that.”

Godfrey is the son of former Georgia football standout Randall Godfrey. The younger Godfrey played his high school basketball for North Gwinnett. His senior year coincided with Tom Crean’s ill-fated 6-26 final season at Georgia.

Godfrey is one of five players Georgia took out of the transfer portal before this season. He’s started all 32 games for Georgia this season, the only transfer to do so for Georgia.

The junior forward averages 6.3 points per game and 3.9 rebounds. His versatility has helped Georgia’s front court, as it juggles playing Asa Newell, Somto Cyril and Justin Abson depending on the matchup.

He also pairs with fellow forward Dylan James to give Georgia another long and springy forward.

Godfrey’s maturity made an instant impact on Georgia’s first NCAA Tournament team since 2015.

He didn’t just begin helping this Georgia team as it got ready for the NCAA Tournament.

“He’s been like a big brother since he got here,” James said. “Just kind of leading by example and also being a vocal leader. But I just try to learn from him. I know he’s been to March Madness before, so I just try to take as many things as I can from him.”

Demary called Godfrey Georgia’s “defensive anchor.” He’ll be challenged on Thursday when he takes on Gonzaga standout Graham Ike, who leads Gonzaga with 17.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds.

For all the serious talk about the NCAA Tournament and the desire to make a deep run, the biggest thing that Godfrey has stressed this week is to enjoy the moment.

Even though he elected to leave Clemson, he still looks back fondly on those two weeks last March.

“I think this is one thing I’ve stressed throughout the whole year is that it’s the most fun time of life,” Godfrey said. “Last year, I went through with those guys at Clemson. It was the most fun thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I just wanted these guys to feel it, and that’s just one thing I’ve been stressing, It’s probably just how fun it is.”

Godfrey knows that experience will help him when he takes the floor on Thursday. But while he possesses the key reps that just about every member of Gonzaga’s team does, he acknowledges that players like Demary and Newell have a hunger that he can’t truly match.

“I just think the experience that I had, especially last year, what we did was unbelievable,” Godfrey said. Talking to Silas and Blue (Cain), those guys who are fiending for the moment, I really just rubbed off on them."

Georgia isn’t expected to go on a run like Godfrey did last season. Georgia is an underdog against Gonzaga and should Georgia pull off the upset, No. 1 seed Houston awaits in the second round.

But Georgia would not be in this spot were not for all the contributions — tangible and intangible — that Godfrey made this season.

If the Bulldogs are going to have as much fun as Godfrey did in orange last year, it will be because of the junior forward.

“He’s not a guy chasing numbers,” White said. “He makes winning plays. He’s better than his numbers indicate. He’s really valuable to this team and to this program.”

Mike White praises Georgia forward RJ Godfrey ahead of NCAA Tournament