Georgia Star Anthony Edwards Freshman Wall Against Hard Defense SMU: Georgia Basketball is looking to recover and move forward with much needed momentum against SMU on Friday night.
The Bulldogs (6-3) face the Mustangs (8-1) at 7 p.m. at the Stegeman Coliseum looking to pull off a 20-point loss to Arizona State in its previous outing.
Georgia star Anthony Edwards leads all freshmen nationwide with 19.8 points per game and is tied in the nation's lead with 2.22 steals per game.
Georgia star Anthony Edwards Freshman Wall
However, Edwards may be hitting the so-called "Freshman Wall" in less than 10 games this season.
They believe confirming that Atlanta's 6-foot-5-inch NBA-projected lottery pick has been struggling with "lower-body stuff." They are said to be typical for freshmen, and the Bulldogs are loaded in this area with nine of their players on the newly-released list. school
"You're not sure what wind they are carrying; are they on the second wind, on the third wind, or are they in the middle of one of them?" Creen said. "It's difficult. It's a process for them to play a lot of basketball in the summer. In the fall, you know the season begins, and we have a lot to learn.
"You really try to balance that and have a pulse of them on a daily basis."
Freshman Sahvir Wheeler, who leads the team with 41 assists, said the Bulldogs are still growing.
"Every game is not going to be a game where our chemistry is out of the chain, we have blows and blues," Wheeler said. "There will be some humpback along the way because we are younger, but definitely. Off the court, nothing has changed. The boys are still having fun, they are still talking to each other and on the court.
"When we are playing our best, the guys are lively, we are free, we have fun, we play for each other, we can really say that the love and the passion are there and we are definitely seeing a tendency in the band. the chemistry" .
SMU will provide a tough test for Edwards and Creen's young basketball team.
The Mustangs are among the top 50 teams in the nation in free throw percentage (No. 11, 791), rebound margin (+8.0) and defense field goal percentage (.386).
Creen's best teams in Indiana had excellent movement and shooting skills, but this Georgia team has scuffed in those areas.
"[SMU] is a veteran defense, and it is a physical defense, (i) it is a change of defense, and we have not seen a defense that changes like SMU," Creen said. "These issues cause problems, so if we go down and get stuck and we don't move, then that plays directly into [SMU] 's hands.
"We have a great job to do by selecting, cutting, moving without the ball, inverting the ball, being ready to fire and ready to attack when put in the glass.
Georgia senior DL DL Rochester is ready to provide the Sugar Bowl
Georgia football added three prospect's over 300-pound defensive line on signing day Wednesday.
But the biggest full-time addition to the Bulldogs defense this year is already on the team.
It's Julian Rochester, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound, 22-year-old adult man returning to help anchor Georgia's defensive line after his red jersey this season.
"I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to return to this prestigious program and get another chance next year," Rochester said after playing 15-20 snaps in the SEC Championship Game on December 7.
"Hard work is coming in the offseason. I have my brothers back, so I'm really excited for next year."
Rochester suffered a torn ACL in the 2018 postseason and underwent surgery this season. Although it was authorized for the start of the fall camp, it was not 100 percent.
Also, the Bulldogs had plenty of depth ahead.
"We went through the season to see how things would go," said Rochester, explaining how coach Kirby Smart worked with him to maximize his chances. "The (red-shirt) decision was finally made."
Rochester has played in games against Tennessee, Florida and LSU. Under NCAA rule, he can play a quarter game, the January 1 Sugar Bowl against Baylor, and maintain his eligibility year.
The Bulldogs lose to senior defensive linemen David Marshall, Tyler Clark, Michael Barnett, Antonio Poole, Justin Young and Michail Carter.
Rochester returns with defensive linemen Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Malik Herring and Travon Walker. External linebackers Azeez Ojulari, Nolan Smith and Jermaine Johnson will also be returning.
UGA, which leads the SEC in total defense, scoring defense and rushed defense, should once again have a formidable defensive front.
Rochester said he believes the Bulldogs will return to Atlanta in the SEC Championship Game this season, following Smart's instructions.
"You have to respect the smart coach, he has done it three years in a row, I've been a part of this three times," said Rochester, once ranked as a 5-star prospect by PrepStar Magazine. McEachern. Secondary school.
"All we have to do is stay down, work hard in the offseason as we have been doing."