Georgia Basketball looks to get back on track after extended break

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia Basketball has had the taste of a tough loss to Georgia Tech in its mouth for the last week and a half. The Bulldogs fell 79-77 in Atlanta on December 6th and haven’t played since. Headed back to Atlanta, this time to take on Notre Dame, they’re looking to get that taste out of their mouth.

“It has got to hurt to a certain extent, but we also can’t dwell on it,” Georgia head coach Mike White said. “We have to think about the next play and have the next practice, next game mentality. Watch the film very closely. There are things that we just talked about, but there are a bunch of positives too. This is growth. This is development here. This is a play we wouldn’t have made three weeks ago. We showed some of that as well.”

During the time since their last outing, Georgia players wrapped up final exams and completed classes for the semester. Junior center Frank Anselem described it as a weight off of their shoulders. It’s also something that gives them a span of over three weeks where they can focus solely on basketball.

“It’s just hoops. All we have to worry about is basketball,” Anselem said. “You have to come in, train hard and play hard. Execute. That’s what Coach (White) said the other day. Execute. You don’t have any classes. You don’t have any homework. You just have to think about one thing only, basketball.”

“It is a big opportunity. It is something we talk about year in and year out,” White added. “We all want to be pros. All these guys want to be pros one day. The essence over the next three or four weeks, that is what they are. They get the opportunity to focus solely on basketball, get in the gym a little bit extra and focus on their bodies, health, sleep and that is it. There is very little distraction. Some teams handle that better than others, and hopefully we are one of the teams that takes it home.”

The stretch without school spans until January 9th and gets Georgia through the non-conference slate and into their SEC schedule. The Bulldogs will play five games in that time including two against conference foes. First up though is a neutral site matchup with Notre Dame at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

“It will be a good game. We get to go against another good team and good program. Every time we get to suit up against another power-five team is always a good experience and exposure for the program,” junior guard Kario Oquendo said. “… It another one of those games where you get to play against an ACC team. I’ve never played against Notre Dame. I’ve heard a lot about their program, so it will be good to play them.”

While Oquendo hasn’t played Notre Dame, three of his teammates have over the course of their collegiate careers. Anselem, a Syracuse transfer, played 23 minutes in a 79-69 loss to the Irish in South Bend. He had eight rebounds and two blocks. Jusaun Holt and his Alabama Crimson Tide fell to Notre Dame in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim‘s Virginia Cavaliers played the Irish twice during his one season in Charlottesville back in 2020-21.

Then there’s White who has his fair share of Notre Dame ties too. His father, Kevin, was the Notre Dame athletic director from 2000 to 2008. White’s brother, Danny, payed two seasons for the Irish under Mike Brey, who his dad hired upon arriving in South Bend. White expects both of his parents to be in attendance and said it’ll be one of the rare times he’s not cheering for Notre Dame.

Overall, the game – Georgia’s third against a Power Five opponent in the non-conference slate – offers yet another opportunity for growth. If the Bulldogs were in a position where they might be contending for a postseason bid, these would be big games for resume building. But to White, his team’s just not there yet.

“We’re not in a position right now where we’re focused on the post season, just being honest. We have to get better today. I hope that in a month, I’ll be able to answer that with quality wins and computer numbers and all that stuff. We’re not that good right now We’re not. We’re trying to be that good, and we show glimpses of it. This will be comparable to an SEC game. We have a bunch of them. It’s a great opportunity for us for a win but for development as well.”