ATHENS — Silas Demary Jr. did not have a seat at the postgame press conference table Saturday night.
Demary has become a frequent postgame interview over the past couple of seasons, as he often leads Georgia basketball in scoring with several impressive defensive plays and a chunk of rebounds.
But in Georgia’s 72-62 win over No. 17 Oklahoma, Demary was not the star of the box score. He shot 1-of-7 from the field with 10 total points. Not terrible, but not the kind of dominant scoring night that Demary has proved himself capable of.
Yet Georgia coach Mike White could not have been more complimentary of his starting point guard.
“He was, to me, the best player on the floor tonight,” White said. “Toughness, stability, maturity, and a lot of stuff that he brings to this team and this program right now that I can hope he can continue to grow in his role does not show up in the box score that we’re looking at.”
Demary did still impact the box score, drawing eight fouls and shooting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. He also pulled down eight rebounds and snagged three steals, but White focused on Demary’s influence in the moments between game action.
“His leadership in the huddles, the impactful things he’s saying in timeouts, the way he carries himself,” White said. “High-level defender and rebounder, didn’t turn the ball over one time. Those are things that are easier to control as opposed to, ‘Man, I went 1-for-7. I’m in the dumps because I should be 5-for-7.’”
It’s the kind of leadership White’s team will especially lean on in games such as Wednesday night, when UGA visits No. 6 Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena at 8 p.m. (TV: SEC Network). The No. 23-ranked Bulldogs (14-2, 2-1 SEC) are headed into arguably their toughest environment this season and will face the SEC’s top scoring defense.
Demary’s vocal leadership has been key through three games of SEC play. Superstar freshman Asa Newell noticed an uptick in Demary’s intensity as the Bulldogs were preparing for their first conference game in early January.
Georgia had five days of preparation between its final “preseason” (meaning nonconference) game and its conference opener at No. 24 Ole Miss.
“I feel like Silas has been doing a fantastic job getting us going,” Newell said Jan. 3. “He always says, ‘It’s SEC play. It’s time to really lock in and tune up.’”
Newell also sees Demary’s leadership in action, particularly in the way he plays. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard has made a name for himself in the paint, scoring on bigger defenders with physical layups — and the occasional dunk.
Demary’s physical playing style has raised eyebrows this season, but White saw plenty of his point guard’s toughness last season when he was a freshman. Demary started every game for Georgia except Senior Day, averaging 27.8 minutes per game.
A product of Raleigh, North Carolina, Demary barely came off the floor by the end of the season, as he averaged 31 minutes per game in Georgia’s NIT run. Demary finished his first season averaging 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, enough to earn an All-SEC Freshman Team selection.
“I haven’t had a freshman any more physically and mentally tough than him,” White said after a regular-season loss last season. “By the end of the year, I might say he’s number one. He’s definitely in the conversation.”
Much like the former 4-star talent did coming out of high school, Demary had several schools vying for his services after his freshman season. Demary said he took time to rest and “be a 19-year-old kid” before announcing a return to Georgia on April 12.
Demary’s return brought some positive momentum for a Georgia basketball team that finished 6-12 in the SEC before a run to the NIT’s Final Four. Georgia returned only two other scholarship players, fellow freshmen Blue Cain and Dylan James.
“This is home for me. Everybody welcomed me with open arms, so I just felt like it was the best place for me and the best situation,” Demary said. “And then it was guys that wanted to come here that I helped recruit.
“It was just a matter of being able to be a big part of the team and bring guys in.”
Demary said he spoke with many of Georgia’s transfers, answering questions about the program’s culture and how well the coaching staff handled the team’s six-game losing streak, which effectively ended any March Madness hopes.
The Bulldogs also brought in several talented freshmen, namely Newell and 6-11 center Somto Cyril. Demary, along with veteran transfers such as RJ Godrey and Justin Abson, were charged with leading one of the younger rosters in the SEC this season.
Demary knew his vocal leadership would be key before the season began.
“We’ve got a lot of freshmen that are going to play big minutes this year, so we’ve got to lean on them,” he said. “Watching film, seeing things in practice, just always talking is going to be the biggest thing for me.”
Demary plans to keep the No. 23-ranked Bulldogs talking this week with a noisy pair of Top 25 SEC wins behind them. No doubt, vocal leadership will be key as the Bulldogs have the toughest week of anyone in college basketball.
About the Author
