Georgia enters the week facing a challenging stretch with five consecutive games against AP Top 25 teams within the Southeastern Conference. Interestingly, the Bulldogs have secured a national ranking of their own for the first time in 14 years.
Georgia made its debut in Monday’s poll, sitting at No. 23 after claiming victories over then-No. 6 Kentucky and then-No. 17 Oklahoma last week. The competition remains tough, as they prepare to play at No. 6 Tennessee on Wednesday before hosting No. 1 Auburn on Saturday, marking their first appearance in the AP Top 25 national schedule.
“It’s commendable how a young team responded after defeating No. 6, but we need to elevate our game even more,” commented coach Mike White following the win against Oklahoma. White has been with Georgia for three seasons after coaching at Florida and Louisiana Tech. He has built a team that shows noticeable improvement each year in terms of both offensive and defensive efficiency metrics, primarily tracked by KenPom. Most notably, the Bulldogs (14-2, 2-1 SEC) improved their adjusted defensive efficiency from 132nd in his first season to 16th currently.
Five-star freshman Asa Newell currently leads the team with an average of 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, boasting a shooting percentage of 58.1%, which ranks third among all Division I freshmen. To further strengthen the team, White utilized the transfer portal to bring on experienced fifth-year guards Dakota Leffew from Mount St. Mary’s and Tyrin Lawrence from Vanderbilt, along with third-year forward RJ Godfrey from Clemson. This creates a blend of experience alongside returning sophomores Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain.
The combination of newcomers and returning players has proven successful, as Georgia recently achieved back-to-back wins against ranked teams for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Monday signified the Bulldogs’ return to the AP Top 25, as they hadn’t been ranked since spending a week at No. 24 in January 2011, marking their first stay in the poll since the end of the 2002-03 season.
“We’re focused on our journey and not getting too high or too low,” stated Newell after the Oklahoma victory. “Our goal is to elevate the standards of Georgia basketball.”
In the meantime, Auburn has climbed to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings for just the second time in the program’s history, with their previous stint occurring for three weeks during the 2021-22 season. After a victory over South Carolina, standout forward Johni Broome sustained a sprained left ankle, and while surgery is not needed, his return timeline remains uncertain. The Tigers (15-1, 3-0 SEC) are scheduled to host No. 15 Mississippi State on Tuesday night before heading to Georgia for a significant matchup.
Additionally, there are two highly anticipated top-10 matchups this week: No. 9 Kansas is set to visit No. 2 Iowa State, and No. 4 Alabama will go head-to-head with No. 8 Kentucky. Kansas held the No. 1 position for the first five weeks of the season, and Iowa State has since maintained its status as the highest-ranked team from the Big 12. Their initial encounter takes place on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Alabama will face No. 21 Mississippi at home on Tuesday before heading to Rupp Arena on Saturday.
Across various rankings, there’s consensus on the top 10 teams, including Auburn, Iowa State, Duke, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, and Houston. Although Auburn, Iowa State, Duke, and Alabama rank highly in all measurements, there are notable discrepancies in the AP Top 25 regarding teams like Gonzaga, Illinois, Michigan, and Arizona. The Zags and Wolverines, currently ranked 16th and 20th respectively, were previously ranked 11th or higher in all alternative rankings. The Illini holds a spot at No. 19 in the AP poll while being No. 9 in NET standings. Lastly, the unranked Wildcats have rankings ranging from 12th to 18th across the board.
Keeping an eye on the teams just outside the rankings, St. John’s, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Arizona, all have experienced time in the Top 25 this season. West Virginia, which recently fell to No. 21, has a chance to improve its standing by visiting No. 10 Houston and hosting Iowa State later in the week. Arizona, which began the season ranked No. 10, faces a challenging matchup against No. 25 Baylor. Additionally, Louisville has made a promising start under first-year coach Pat Kelsey, and they have two crucial games ahead to maintain their momentum, first visiting Syracuse and then hosting Virginia.
