ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia men’s basketball tips off its season Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum against North Carolina Central, the first step in a push for a third NCAA Tournament bid in a row.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
Coach Mike White enters his fifth season with a program that has improved every year he has been in charge. His 78 wins over his first four years are the most by any Georgia coach in that span. Last winter the Bulldogs won 22 games for the first time since 2002 and earned a No. 8 seed, but their tournament stay ended in the first round with a 102-77 loss to Saint Louis.
Expectations from outside are modest. League media picked Georgia 11th in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs went 2-1 in exhibitions, beating Georgia State 94-61 and Charlotte 87-67 before an 82-80 loss at Clemson.
Few teams bring back as much scoring. Blue Cain, Kanon Catchings and Marcus Millender all averaged in double figures a year ago. White added five transfers and four freshmen, among them 6-foot-11 senior James Scott, who owns the top career shooting percentage of any active Division I player, and Brady Dunlap, who scored 11 against Georgia for Saint Louis in that tournament game.
North Carolina Central looks almost nothing like last season’s 14-18 team that reached the MEAC tournament final. Senior guard Ryan Archey is the only returning player. Coach LeVelle Moton, starting his 18th season at his alma mater, loaded up on height, signing five players who stand 6-9 or taller.
The last meeting, in November 2023, went to Georgia 64-54 after it scored 35 points over the final 15 minutes.
Georgia stays home for Presbyterian on Nov. 6 and Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 9 before a Nov. 13 trip to North Carolina.
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