Hitting the 100 mark: Five observations from Georgia basketball’s win over Delaware State
Friday night wasn’t a crucial win nor a thriller, but it’s another important step for the young basketball team.
Georgia (3-0) defeated Delaware State 100-66 to open its season with three-consecutive wins. The Bulldogs’ schedule now amplifies, and the tougher stretch begins against rival Georgia Tech on Wednesday.
Here are six observations from the 34-point win over the Hornets.
1) These guys love to jump around. Entering this season, the Bulldogs have shown no shortage of jubilant behaviors. The signature freshman, Anthony Edwards, might hop in mid-air to high-five a teammate. Mike Peake might raise his arms on an Edwards dunk on a fast-break, or wave a towel on the sideline while a Georgia player dishes an assist. The energy is rampant. Through three games, it has piloted the Bulldogs to an unscathed record.
“We see how they all stay together,” sophomore forward Amanze Ngumezi said. “We try to keep it as a family thing and motivate each other. The people on the bench are just as important as those on the court, and that’s what we preach in practice.”
2) Rayshaun Hammonds didn’t have much to say to media this week. But his game did. The junior forward lit up Delaware State after having many subdued nights on the Stegeman Coliseum floor. He came out of the tunnel firing with eight points in the first four minutes. He became Georgia’s go-to on a night where Edwards didn’t have his scoring performance (six points) that the Bulldogs have become used to through two games.
Hammonds took advantage of being the Bulldog “in the middle” against Delaware State’s zone, and Georgia kept feeding him. Head coach Tom Crean persistently challenges his junior. Ngumezi envisioned a strong performance after watching Hammonds work during Thursday’s practice session. He answered the call. Hammonds recorded 26 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. He neared his career-high in points (31 vs. Illinois State in 2018) and set his best mark in rebounds.
“My teammates started getting on me and we push each other, so that is the main focus in practice,” Hammonds said. “This is a boost, but I think of it as just another game. We have more to play.”
3) Georgia took its last bite of a cupcake for November. This team looks vastly improved from last season already, but the Bulldogs haven’t been tested yet. This blowout win over the Hornets gives Georgia three wins over mid-major programs — or, as Edwards said, “where teams might slip up and get us” — and revealed some areas of improvement. But the chances for assured victories are over, at least for a while. Georgia hosts Georgia Tech (2-0) on Wednesday before making the Thanksgiving trip to Maui for the Maui Invitational. The nationally-acclaimed tournament features Kansas, Michigan State, and the Bulldogs open play against Dayton on Nov. 25.
“It’s not going to be all bouquets and roses,” Crean said. “As we go through this, we’re going to be in some tough, tough situations. If you can fall back on the skills you’re developing, then you have a better chance.”
4) Defense looks improved, but it’s tough to read much into it. Georgia allowed an average of 73 points per game entering play, and Delaware State could. The Bulldogs contested a majority of shots and forced its fair share of turnovers. But keep in mind, Delaware State didn’t have the best shooting night. It’s a bad matchup in regard to overall talent for the Hornets, and shot selection (or execution) wasn’t the greatest. The Hornets shot 25 of 57 from the field.
“They responded to the film (after allowing 86 to The Citadel),” Crean said. “They didn’t like what they saw, and that’s part of the maturity process. There’s so much we have to get better at, but I do like the jump.”
On the other hand, Georgia’s offense topped its pace. A variety of players were engaged in the 100-point scoring effort. Despite the big lead, the Bulldogs chose not to coast. Aside from Hammonds leading the way, Georgia received 16 points from sophomore Ngumezi. Georgia also had 30 assists, and Crean — in disbelief — had to have athletic director Greg McGarity repeat the total three times. That’s the Bulldogs’ highest assist total since recording 32 against South Carolina State on Nov. 21, 2006.
5) There’s a lot of mixing-and-matching still. Crean doesn’t have a set rotation, and maybe depth is a good problem to have. But substitutions are aplenty, and the Bulldogs will want to have a more rigid idea of which lineups to play as the schedule progresses. Georgia rotated 11 players in the first half — all of whom entered within the first 10 minutes of regulation. Freshman Mike Peake, who hasn’t yet played, even made a first-half appearance with eight points and a ferocious dunk. Georgia emptied its bench in the rout, but it’s patterns have been similar through three games with 10 players entering against Western Carolina and 11 against The Citadel.