ATHENS – Mike White is thinking about dressing up as Ricky Bobby for Halloween.
That was one of several things learned from the Georgia Bulldogs’ exhibition basketball game against Eastern Kentucky on Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum. The rest were primarily basketball related.
If it were up to the Bulldogs’ coach, not much more than his costume plans would be known. No official stats were distributed during or after the rigorously competed scrimmage, though the electronic scoreboards inside the arena were fully engaged throughout the contest.
From those and other sources, it was determined that the Georgia won 99-82, that junior transfer RJ Melendez led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds, that graduate transfer Russel Tchewa recorded a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds and that freshman Silas Demary Jr., part of an all-newcomer starting lineup, finished with 12 points and 5 assists, and looked good in so doing.
It was a nice win against an up-tempo team expected to win its league this season.
“I thought we did some good things and I thought we’ve got a lot to work on,” said White, who’s tipping off his second season with the Bulldogs. “That’s why we play these games. Really impressed with (coach) A.W. (Hamilton) and Eastern Kentucky’s program. Very pleased with their tenacity defensively, and progression and tempo offensively. It was a really fast-paced game. Score could’ve indicated that a little bit more, but two teams that I thought really got after it from a tempo standpoint.”
There were other notable tidbits, such as Georgia shot 54.8 percent as a team from the field and six Bulldogs reached double figures, including Noah Thomasson with 15 points and Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Blue Cain with 12 each.
There was also one very disappointing development. RJ Sunahara, a promising graduate transfer, went out with an apparent serious knee injury before the first media timeout of the game. The Division II player of the year from 2022-23 also had started the game for the Bulldogs.
“Some type of leg or knee thing; we’ll have to get it looked at,” White said of the player Georgia has come to call “Sunny.” “Yeah, concerned. Just don’t know. Optimistic. Hopeful. He’s in good hands. Hopefully we’ll know something tonight, tomorrow. Who knows?”
It was truly a hard-fought and competitive atmosphere inside the Bulldogs’ beautifully refurbished, 60-year-old arena. Players from both sides were diving for loose balls, taking charges, fighting for rebounds. Starting positions and in-game roles are still up for grabs just a week before Georgia opens the season for real next Monday at 4 p.m. against Oregon in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series tournament in Las Vegas. Four days later, the Bulldogs come back home to play host to Wake Forest.
There will be no easing into the season as has been a common approach for UGA. Those first two opponents are representative of several challenging matchups during non-conference play for the Bulldogs, including Miami (Fla.) and Kansas State or Providence in The Bahamas, Florida State in Tallahassee and Georgia Tech at home.
As for tightening up loose ends that were exposed Monday before the season opener, time is shot. The Bulldogs’ first game will be against an Oregon team that won 21 games last year before bowing out in the quarterfinals of National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
The game can’t get here fast enough for Georgia’s players.
“We’re really excited about being able to play on a big stage against a really good team for the first time,” said Melendez, a native Puerto Rican who came to UGA from Illinois. “It’s going to be a great experience and we’re just going to get locked in this week and be ready to go.”
Probably the biggest surprise was Demary, a freshman from Raleigh, getting the start at point guard ahead of senior Justin Hill. The Top 50 recruit originally signed with Southern Cal before seeking a release waiver last spring. Apparently worried about getting enough playing time as a freshman with the Trojans, that’s clearly not going to be an issue this year with the Bulldogs.
“The whole experience was just so surreal, being a freshman and being able to start and knowing that the coaches trust me to just play my game,” Demary said. “I thought I had a solid game, got people going, got mine, got some stops. Overall, I think played a pretty solid game.”
Next stop: Vegas.
“I can’t wait,” Demary said. “It’s going to be a packed-out arena playing in the middle of two big-time games. I feel like we’ll go there, put on a show, let people know who the Georgia Bulldogs are. So, anticipation is high.”
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