Expectations are high as Georgia opens the season against Tennessee Tech

Georgia's basketball program hasn't had it easy over the past two decades.

Since winning the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002, the Bulldogs have gone winless in three appearances at The Big Dance. They last heard her name on Selection Sunday in 2015.

The 2024-25 team could be the program's best chance to return to the NCAAs.

Georgia begins the year with its first 20-win season since 2015-16. Under head coach Mike White, the Bulldogs reached the NIT semifinals last year before falling to Seton Hall.

Heading into Monday night's season opener against visiting Tennessee Tech, expectations are rising in Athens, Georgia for the Bulldogs, a Southeastern Conference team that finished 20-17 overall last season.

The Bulldogs return two of four players who played in all 37 games last year in Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain. Demary, both key contributors as freshmen, was third on the team averaging 9.7 points per game, while Cain contributed 7.4 points per game and 50 three-pointers.

In the portal, White selected two power conference players who will be crucial to Georgia's success.

Tyrin Lawrence averaged 13.8 points in 28 starts for Vanderbilt last season, and RJ Godfrey played 36 games in 2023-24 for a Clemson team that advanced to the Elite Eight. Both new signings excited White in the preseason.

“(Tyrin) is a talented defender,” White said. “He’s fast and quick, and he’s had some great success in his SEC career. … We thought (RJ) was completely underrated when he jumped into the portal. We're counting on him to be a change agent in our culture. “Be a guy in our locker room that exemplifies what we're trying to do every day to rebuild Georgia basketball.”

Georgia's first order of business will be a Tennessee Tech team coached by someone who knows SEC basketball better than many.

The Golden Eagles of the Ohio Valley Conference are led by John Pelphrey, a former Kentucky standout who was the head coach at Arkansas from 2007 to 2011. He also served as an assistant at Florida and Alabama.

Now in his sixth season at Tennessee Tech, Pelphrey and his group are struggling to rebound from last year's 10-21 performance.

“I think this is the most coachable group I’ve had since we’ve been here, which is exciting,” Pelphrey said. “We were able to address a lot of things that are important to us when recruiting. Shooting, basketball IQ, leadership. These are things we value.”

The Golden Eagles' key returnees include Rodney Johnson Jr. (10.7 ppg last season) and Daniel Egbuniwe (7.6).

–Field level media