All you need to know about the Georgia-Notre Dame men's basketball matchup
Tom Noie
MEN'S BASKETBALL
HOLIDAY HOOPSGIVING
∎ WHO: Notre Dame (7-3) vs. Georgia (7-3)
∎ WHERE: State Farm Arena (21,000) Atlanta
∎ WHEN: Sunday at 5:35 p.m.
∎TV: ESPN2.
∎RADIO: WSBT (960 AM).
∎ ONLINE: Follow every Notre Dame game with live updates from Tribune beat writer Tom Noie at twitter.com/tnoieNDI
This one was ugly all the way around on what should've been a special night for Notre Dame
It wasn't just about points or rebounds for John Shumate, who was driven to dominate
∎ NOTING: Georgia had been idle since a 79-77 loss Dec. 6 at Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs had won their previous three against Florida A&M, Hampton and East Tennessee State. … Georgia is 1-1 in neutral site games; Notre Dame is 0-1 (St. Bonaventure). … Georgia also has losses to UAB and Wake Forest. … The UGA roster features three freshmen and 10 transfers, including former Syracuse center Frank Anselem and power forward Jabri Abdur-Rahim, who originally chose Virginia over Notre Dame. … Georgia coach is 45-year-old Mike White, who also has been the head coach at Florida, Ole Miss and Louisiana Tech, where he averaged 22 victories per season. He went to five straight NCAA tournaments with Florida before being named the Geotgia coach (replacing Tom Crean) on Selection Sunday 2022. … White’s father, Kevin, hired Mike Brey as head coach of Notre Dame in 2000. Kevin White spent nine years (2000-08) as Notre Dame athletic director. … Georgia returned three starters off last year’s team that finished 6-26 overall, 1-17 and last place in the Southeastern Conference. … Georgia was picked this preseason to finish 13th in the 14-team SEC. … The Bulldogs average 70.0 ppg., and allow 63.3. Two players average double figures for points led by guard Terry Roberts (14.2) and guard Kario Oquendo (13.9). All 12 players on the active roster average at least 13.1 minutes per game. Nine Bulldogs have started at least three games. … Georgia ranks third in the SEC for free throw percentage (73.2 percent), sixth for rebounds (39.4 per game), 10th in field goal percentage (42.9), blocks (3.6) and steals (7.4), 11th in scoring (70.0) and 12th in assists (12.6). The Bulldogs rank 223rd in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (32.9) but eight nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.9). The Irish shoot 37.4 percent from 3. … Georgia ranks 313th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (0.82). It has 126 assists and 153 turnovers this season. ... Notre Dame leads the all-time series 2-1 with all three games at neutral sites. This is the first meeting since Nov. 22, 2011, a 61-57 Irish loss at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The teams also have met (both Irish wins) in Bay Lake, Fla. (89-83 in double overtime in 2010) and Atlanta. This is Notre Dame’s first non-Atlantic Coast Conference game in Atlanta since a Feb. 6, 1994 victory over Georgia (88-85) at the old Omni (now State Farm Arena). … Notre Dame is 47-66 all-time against the SEC, but has won two straight (Alabama, Kentucky) and three of four.
∎ QUOTING: “We’ve got a chance to bounce back, but you’re dealing with athletes down there, guys coming at your chest, coming at your throat, the ability to Big East you. Great opportunity road trip for us. Got to stick your nose in there a little bit more. We just need to compete.” — Irish coach Mike Brey on shaking free of the Marquette loss and exams week
— Tom Noie