Georgia trying to get back on track with or without Roberts available

ATHENS, Ga. — For the fourth time in SEC play, Georgia Basketball is back at home following a loss on the road. This time it’s back-to-back losses that the Bulldogs are trying to shake off, and there’s a chance they’ll be doing so without their best player Terry Roberts. The team’s leading scorer averaging 15.0 points per game, Roberts missed Saturday’s 82-57 loss to Texas A&M with a concussion. On Monday, Georgia head coach Mike White described his status as “day to day,” leaving doubt in the minds of many that he’ll be available on Tuesday night as Georgia takes on Ole Miss.

“We’re not as good without our best player. He’s our best player,” White said. “He’s been our best defensive player this year. He’s got one of the highest usage rates offensively in our league. He’s had a really good year. Arguably, in my opinion, I love him, an all-league-type year. I would think he would need to be in that conversation depending on how he finishes this season and how we finish of course. He’s a really good player.”

“First of all, he creates for himself, and secondly, he creates for other guys,” White continued. “Whether that means his pass is leading to a shot or leading to an attacking of a closeout, leading to the defense being somewhat behind, he puts defenses in those positions because of his ability, especially with his prowess in middle ball screens. He’s been really good in middle ball screens, getting downhill, finishing for himself and others, and he’s been really good in transition too. He’s had certain games where he’s putting a lot of pressure on the defense in transition, getting other guys shots. He’s as competitive of a guy as we have too. We’ve got three or four high-level competitors, and he’s one of those guys when he’s not on the court, we miss that. And then again, he’s been really good defensively. I think he’s one of the more underrated defenders. I don’t know what’s talked about outside of our circle. He’s one of the best defensive guards that I’ve coached.”

In the absence of Roberts however, Justin Hill played his best game as a Bulldog. The Longwood transfer has been coming off the bench for the majority of the season but was bumped into the starting spot at point guard on Saturday. He turned that opportunity into a season-best 20 points.

“I thought Justin Hill was really good. That might’ve been his best game. When we get Terry back healthy, imagine both of those guys playing at that level that they’re capable of playing,” White said. “… He’s growing a bit. He took advantage the other day of leading vocally, and in the last couple of days, he’s actually made a big jump. It’s funny how that happens sometimes organically with opportunities given. He’s barking at guys and getting guys in the right spots. Really, in the last 72 hours, he’s made as big of a jump with his directing of traffic and vocal leading as he has since he’s been here. Proud of that effort. He’s a focused guy. He’s a detail guy. He’s a scouting report guy. He was really good the other night.”

“That’s just me wanting to win ’cause I’ve seen how this team can be and I’ve seen our potential,” Hill added when asked about why it was he was willing to speak up more. “When we play hard and are doing what we need to do, we look like a really good team. I’m just trying to push the guys to hold the standard every time we practice and play … Just change our whole mentality — like, everybody speak up. Talk to your teammates when they do something wrong and when they do something right, and take accountability when they tell you something. If we change that, then I think we’ll be just fine.”

Whether or not Roberts is available on Tuesday night, Georgia should have a chance against Ole Miss. The Rebels are 9-14 overall with a 1-9 record in the SEC. That lone win came over the league’s worst team, South Carolina, and one of the losses came at the hands of Georgia. The Bulldogs won 62-58 in Oxford earlier this season behind a big second half from Kario Oquendo. Guys like Hill and Oquendo both will have to be big for Georgia again to come away with the season-sweep, with or without Roberts.

Tip time is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network. It’s the first of three straight home games for Georgia taking on Ole Miss, Kentucky and LSU in the next week.