The University of Georgia has long been known for its rabid fanbase.
Of course, that fanbase has mostly been associated with the school’s legendary football program, which has claimed four national championships and 16 SEC titles. Inside Stegeman Coliseum, home of Georgia basketball, there hasn’t been as much to cheer about. Until recently.
The building has been rocking of late, as the Bulldogs have experienced an incredible resurgence under coach Mike White. A total of 158,782 people attended home games in 2025-26, the second highest turnout in UGA history. “It’s become a really tough place to play, as are a lot of other places in the league. We’re just now up to par,” White tells Hoops HQ. “I would argue that it gets as loud in our building as any other building in our league. Our student section is wrapped around Stegeman two hours before the game, which speaks to the trajectory of the program and the momentum.”
The packed crowds have made it perfectly clear: Georgia isn’t just a football school anymore. The men’s basketball program has improved every season under White, winning at least 20 games in three consecutive years and reaching back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. It received its first AP ranking since 2011 during the 2024-25 campaign and climbed as high as No. 18 in the country last season.
While the Bulldogs lost a few key pieces to the portal this spring, they also retained four starters and made some splashy additions, positioning themselves to contend for another March Madness bid. Should they earn one, it would mark the first time ever that the program has been to three straight NCAA tourneys.
But Georgia is aiming higher than that. It has not advanced past the opening round of the dance in more than a decade. The last time it appeared in the Sweet Sixteen was 1996, when Tubby Smith was at the helm. With a lot of momentum, a thriving new system and a promising reconstructed roster, Georgia could very well end that drought next year.
After a blowout round-of-64 loss to Saint Louis in mid-March, White had to immediately shift gears to the 2026-27 campaign. His leading scorer, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, opted to hit the portal along with defensive anchor Somto Cyril, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center. In total, six players transferred out, five of whom were a part of White’s deep rotation.
That said, UGA was able to re-sign four starters: 5-foot-11 senior guard Marcus “Smurf” Millender, 6-foot-5 senior wing Blue Cain, 6-foot-9 junior forward Kanon Catchings and 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Kareem Stagg. Millender, Cain and Catchings all averaged at least 11 points per game, and the versatile Stagg wrapped up a solid freshman campaign by averaging 8.0 points and 3.4 rebounds over his last five outings.
All Gas, No Brakes: Georgia’s High-Octane Offense Has the SEC and NCAA Tournament Teams on Notice
Under coach Mike White, the Georgia Bulldogs have implemented a run-and-gun offense that’s ranked among the best in the country
Based on their personnel, the Bulldogs were able to play White’s preferred style in 2025-26, which combines a run-and-gun offense with an aggressive fullcourt defense. The adjustment proved fruitful: Georgia ranked fifth nationally in scoring, 16th in offensive efficiency, 12th in tempo, first in fastbreak points and second in dunks, resulting in program records for most regular-season wins (22) and most total points (2,951). “Our staff and I loved coaching it,” White says. “We will have strong conviction moving forward to continue to play this style, but we’ve also got to be better defensively, particularly on the defensive glass and in ball-screen defense.” UGA slid to 89th in defensive efficiency — its worst mark since the 2022-23 season — and surrendered a whopping 79.8 points per game.
All of that was top of mind as the staff began rebuilding this offseason. The system requires speed, athleticism, versatility, and an abundance of shooters and playmakers to be effective. According to White, it gave the program a more compelling pitch on the recruiting trail. “We were received as a staff with more excitement after the offensive numbers that we put up, to be blunt,” he says. “Our style of play opened up more doors than it has in the past, and it continues to do so with the 2027 and 2028 high school classes.”
Georgia landed five players via the portal, all of whom have the tools to thrive in White’s system: 6-foot-5 senior guard Freddie Dilione V, 5-foot-11 junior guard Kemauri “Kemo” Millender (the older brother of Marcus), 6-foot-8 junior wing Brady Dunlap, 6-foot-11 senior forward James Scott and 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Andrew Osasuyi.
The headliner is Dilione, a dynamic lead guard who led Penn State in scoring at 14.0 points last season. He’ll be surrounded by perimeter threats at UGA, including Dunlap, who knocked down a staggering 45.9 percent of his threes in one year at Saint Louis.
Scott, an experienced big man out of Ole Miss, is projected to replace Cyril in the starting lineup. The 20-year-old has averaged 19.2 minutes across 105 total games and owns the highest career field goal percentage among Division I players (75.9 percent). He isn’t the rim protector that Cyril is, but his length and mobility should help the Bulldogs shore up their pick-and-roll defense.
White is excited about the potential of his freshman class, which features a trio of three-star recruits (6-foot-2 guard Donovan Williams Jr., 6-foot-9 forward Hakeem Weems and 6-foot-9 forward Mading Kuany) and an under-the-radar prospect out of NBA Academy Africa in Senegal: 7-foot forward David Ugonna Ike. A native of Nigeria, Ike comes from the same program as former lottery pick Khaman Maluach and current Florida center Rueben Chinyelu. Like Scott, he has a unique blend of agility and size that makes him a great fit for UGA’s style. White “absolutely envisions” Ike playing a role right away.
Arguably the biggest X-factor on UGA’s roster is returning forward Kanon Catchings, who began his college career at BYU and has been touted as an NBA prospect. During his debut season with the Bulldogs, Catchings averaged 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 37.6 percent from behind the arc. He made significant strides as the year progressed, scoring at least 20 points in five league games. “He’s matured in one season as much as any kid I’ve been around,” White says. “His motor’s improved, his accountability, his attitude, what type of teammate he’s become. It’s been really rewarding to help him and to watch him grow right before our eyes. Literally every day he’s getting a little bit better, stretching himself a little bit. I expect a big year out of him.”
Overall, while the departures of Cyril and Wilkinson certainly sting, White believes his new team is faster, bigger and more athletic. Defensively, that should enable it to press with greater frequency — even after misses — and switch more ball screens. The offense should continue to produce at a high rate, especially with Dilione and Dunlap joining the mix.
Georgia is ranked 30th in BartTorvik’s preseason projections, just above USC, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Maryland and Clemson. The program has established itself as a true heavyweight in the college basketball world — and it appears to be scheduling like one. The Bulldogs are slated to play at North Carolina in mid-November, and it’s been reported that they’ll face Duke (No. 2 in Hoops HQ’s Never-Too-Early Top 25) in the annual Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden before the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Back home, Stegeman Coliseum is expected to be buzzing once again. The excitement around basketball has skyrocketed in Athens, but to keep that momentum going, the program can’t get complacent now.
“It’s been fun, but we also understand that we’ve got a ways to go,” White says. “We want to hopefully get back to a tournament and advance. We’ve got to continue to grow this program.”
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