Before preparing for its first true test of the season, Georgia will try to fend off upset-minded Florida Gulf Coast on Monday night in Athens, Ga.
Georgia (2-0) will travel to Chapel Hill on Friday to face North Carolina, but that won’t mean coach Mike White’s Bulldogs can overlook a pesky Eagles group that nearly beat UCF before falling 96-95 in overtime in the season opener on Nov. 2.
The Bulldogs return more production than most teams in the transfer-portal era, as Blue Cain, Kanon Catchings, Marcus Millender and Kareem Stagg each started during the team’s NCAA Tournament season in 2025-26.
While White dipped into the portal to add reinforcements, Georgia’s roster has meshed well vs. North Carolina Central and Presbyterian.
“People ask me all the time, ‘Who’s been a huge surprise for you, who’s been a big disappointment?’ We don’t have any disappointments,” White said. “I love our guys. I think our guys are locked in and bought in.”
Cain — a rare four-year player at one school — leads the Bulldogs with an average of 17.5 points per game through two wins, while Catchings is at 14 ppg and Millender 12.
Stagg, who made only 15 3-pointers last season, drilled two in Georgia’s 91-77 win over Presbyterian on Friday. Extending his range is a welcome development for White’s squad.
“(Stagg) has really worked on his 3-point shooting,” White said of the sophomore. “He spent a lot of time in the gym this fall. His work ethic has gone to another level. People forget how young he is. He’s made a big jump and is playing with a lot of confidence.”
Florida Gulf Coast (1-1) followed its near-upset of power-conference foe UCF with an 89-67 win over NAIA-member New College of Florida on Friday.
The Eagles, who were projected to finish fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll, would love to push another high-major opponent to its limit on Monday.
“There are a lot of habits to be made for us to be great in our league,” coach Pat Chambers said. “That’s what we’re chasing. If we can go to Georgia and compete, that’s all you’re looking for in the non-conference is to take steps and get guys reps so they feel good about going into conference play.”
Bryson Lucas’ average of 18.5 points per game leads the Eagles, followed by Justin Houser’s 17.5-point clip.
