Georgia has come out firing in Mike White’s fourth season as head coach.
The Bulldogs (7-1) are scoring a nation-leading 99.0 points per game after putting up 123 points in a win over Tennessee Tech on Saturday, the program’s most in a game since 1990.
They will face another high-powered offense, albeit one coming off an underwhelming result, when they take on Florida State (5-2) in Tallahassee, Fla., on Tuesday in an ACC/SEC Challenge matchup.
The Bulldogs broke program records for 3-point makes (21) and 3-point attempts (43) in the win over Tennessee Tech. Cal transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson led that charge by making 5 of 9 from long range to finish with 20 points, increasing his team-high scoring average to 16.5 points.
UTSA transfer Marcus “Smurf” Millender and Wofford transfer Justin Bailey each were 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Millender is averaging 9.4 points and a team-high 4.6 assists per game, while Bailey is scoring 7.0 points per game and shooting a team-best 43.8% from outside the arc.
“Our numbers coming into this game from three weren’t very good,” White said. “We shoot better than that. Our guys are better players and shooters than that number indicated. (Saturday we) took a bunch of ‘A-shots’ and turned down some ‘C-shots’ … I like the way (the ball) moved a lot.”
The Seminoles were averaging more than 93 points per game before they were stifled Friday in a humbling 95-59 loss to Texas A&M in Tampa.
Kobe MaGee had a breakout game with 21 points and four 3-pointers. The rest of the Florida State roster shot a combined 14 of 58 from the floor (24.1%) and 5 of 31 from 3-point range (16.1%).
The Seminoles’ top three scorers on the season (Lajae Jones, Chauncey Wiggins and Robert McCray V) hit a combined 5 of 32 (15.6%) and totaled 12 points in the loss.
“Credit to Texas A&M. They came out and they took their belt off and spanked us all night with it,” Florida State coach Luke Loucks said. “It was alarming in all areas.”
The Tuesday game will be a matchup of the two fastest power-conference offenses in the country so far this season. Georgia averages 13.8 seconds per offensive possession while Florida State averages 14.1, per KenPom.
