Georgia stands among SEC giants, seeks history vs. Auburn

ATHENS – Georgia basketball hopes there’s no place like its home on Saturday.

The no. The 23rd-ranked Bulldogs wouldn’t just shock the world if they were to upset No. 1 Auburn – more like shocking the galaxy.

Georgia is a 7-point underdog against Bruce Pearl’s explosive, battle-tested Tigers, and beating the best team from the best conference would represent a program-changing kind of victory.

But for UGA to extend its home winning streak to 14-13, the 10th-longest in the nation, second among SEC teams (Kentucky, 15) – Georgia will have to play its best basketball after tip-off at 6 p.m. 1 p.m. (SEC Network ) at Stegeman Coliseum.

Auburn (16-1, 4-0 SEC) beat No. 15 Mississippi State by 88-66 on Tuesday without the advantage of star forward Johni Broome, a 6-foot-10, 240-pounder averaging 17.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Broome, who has an ankle injury, could also miss the game in Georgia.

Still, the Tigers have plenty of offensive firepower with five other players averaging double figures in the Pearls’ deep lineup.

That’s par for the course in a deep SEC, which currently has six of the top 11 teams, and nine programs, in all, ranked in the current AP Top 25.

Coach Mike White’s Bulldogs (14-3, 2-2) are among them, thanks in large part to freshman star Asa Newell.

“Great player, great pro, great upside, hard worker, great kid, he checks every box you could possibly want to check,” Pearl told DawgNation. “And he’s more mature than a lot of freshmen — he’s a mature freshman, and guys like that do it the right way.”

Pearl, now in his 11th season at Auburn, notes how much the league has changed since his arrival at Tennessee in 2005.

“We were struggling to get three or four teams in the league in the NCAA tournament; it was Billy Donovan and Florida and Kentucky all the time and then who else, and every now and then another team or two would make it,” Pearl said, that led Tennessee to NCAA tournament bids all six years he was there.

“But I think the league, with the SEC Network, Mike Slive’s commitment and of course Greg Sankey, that’s a real commitment,” Pearl said.

“We’ve got new facilities, we’ve upgraded coaching, and we’ve got the NIL, and then it’s time for men’s basketball to catch up with football and catch up with baseball, catch up with gymnastics, softball, tennis, golf, across the board.”

To Pearl’s point, White has put a dent in the Bulldogs when they beat no. 6 Kentucky and then-No. 17 Oklahoma in Athens last week.

As much as it has been about coaching and improving the facilities at UGA, freshman post Somto Cyril explained that this program has added incentive to home games.

“When we play in Georgia, this is our home,” Cyril said. “When you come into our home, expect us to fight and we’re going to compete.”

Auburn is the fifth Top 25 opponent Georgia has played in as many games ahead of its SEC schedule.

The Bulldogs had never played four consecutive ranked opponents, much less five, before this season.

Here’s a look at the nine SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this week:

1. Auburn (16-1, 4-0 SEC)

Coach Bruce Pearl, 64 years old

• Year/record at current school: 11th season, 350-230 (.657)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

74-69 vs. no. 4 Houston;

83-81 vs. no. 5 Iowa State;

85-72 against no. 12 North Carolina

87-69 against no. 16 Purdue

88-66 against no. 15 Mississippi State

4. Alabama (14-3, 3-1 SEC)

Coach Nate Oats, 50 years

• Year/Record at Current School: 6th season, 131-57 (.697)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

100-87 against no. 25 Illinois

85-80 against no. 6 Houston

94-79 against no. 20 North Carolina

107-79 against no. 12 Oklahoma

94-68 vs. no. 10 Texas A&M

5. Florida (15-2, 2-2 SEC)

Coach Todd Golden, 39 years old

• Year/record at current school: 3rd season, 55-30, (.647)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

73-43 against no. 1 Tennessee

6. Tennessee (16-1, 3-1 SEC)

Coach Rick Barnes, 70 years old

• Year/record at current school: 10th season, 216-102 (.679)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

77-62 against no. 13 Baylor

74-56 against no. 23 Georgia

8. Kentucky (14-3, 3-1 SEC)

Coach Mark Pope, 52 years

• Year/record at current school: 1st season, 14-3 (.824)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

77-72 against no. 6 Duke

90-89 (OT) against no. 7 Gonzaga

106-100 vs. No. 6 Florida

95-90 against no. 14 Mississippi State

81-69 vs. no. 11 Texas A&M

11. Texas A&M (13-4, 2-2 SEC)

Coach Buzz Williams, 52 years

• Year/Record at Current School: 6th season, 110-66 (.625)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

78-64 against no. 21 Ohio State

77-73 against no. 21 Creighton

70-66 against no. 11 Purdue

80-78 against no. 17 Oklahoma

15. Mississippi State (14-3, 2-2 SEC)

Coach Chris Jans, 55 years old

• Year/Record at Current School: 3rd Season, 56-30 (.651)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

90-57 against no. 18 Pitt

79-66 against no. 21 Memphis

21. Ole Miss (15-2, 4-0 SEC)

Coach Chris Beard, 51 years

• Year/record at current school: 2nd season, 35-14 (.714)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

74-64 against no. 4 Alabama

23. Georgia (14-3, 2-2 SEK)

Coach Mike White, 47 years

• Year/Record at Current School: 3rd Season, 50-36 (.581)

• Ranked wins this season (team ranking at time of match):

66-63 against no. 22 St. John’s

82-69 vs. No. 6 Kentucky

72-62 against no. 17 Oklahoma

BRUCE PEARL VISIT BY DAY