After dropping a tough road contest at Temple, the Georgia Bulldogs will look to have a bounce-back performance against Sam Houston State on Friday night.
The Bulldogs currently hold a 1-1 record on the young season, with the win coming against Savannah State and the loss coming against Temple.
The Bearkats have already played four games, posting a 2-2 mark with wins over East Texas Baptist and Southwestern, which are both non-D1 schools, and losses to Louisiana Tech and Clemson.
Let’s take a look at what to watch for in this game at Stegeman Coliseum.
Game Details
- Sam Houston State (2-2) at Georgia (1-1)
- Location: Stegeman Coliseum – Athens, GA
- Game Date: Nov. 16
- Game Time: 7 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network+
Players to Watch
Nicolas Claxton (UGA)
Georgia’s most productive post player on both ends of the floor so far this season has been Claxton, who has averaged 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks over his first two games.
As we outlined in our preseason X-factors preview, Claxton can be one of the most dominant frontcourt presences in the SEC due to his unique combination of length, shooting ability, and awareness.
He has demonstrated a high level of ability to step out behind the arc, and while he’s 0 of 2 from long range on this young season, he can and will take those shots, which gives the Bulldogs a similar look to what Yante Maten brought to the table last season.
Claxton will continue to play an important role moving forward for the Bulldogs as they advance through their non-conference slate.
Cameron Delaney (Sam Houston State)
The Bearkats’ leading scorer this season is dynamic guard Cameron Delaney, who hails from Harker Heights, Texas.
Delaney is averaging 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in around 28 minutes per game and provides most of the offense for the Bearkats. He is a slashing guard that likes to get to the basket, where he is shooting 70.6 percent on the season.
He struggles, however, with his 3-point shooting consistency, only making around 25 percent of his six attempts per contest.
If the Bulldogs can force him to shoot outside shots at a high clip, they should have a good shot at containing the Sam Houston State offense that has averaged around 77 points per game this season.
Key Stats
One of the major stats to keep an eye on is the rebounding margin in this game.
Sam Houston State is in the top 100 in rebounds per game this season, led by Kai Mitchell (7.0 per game) and R.J. Smith (6.5 per game).
However, the Bulldogs are in the top 10 in that same stat, supported by Claxton and physical forward Derek Ogbeide.
This matchup will be won and lost in the paint, and that starts with the rebounding numbers for both sides.
Game Outlook
- Spread: Georgia -15
- Over/Under: 139
- KenPom Projection: Georgia, 91 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Georgia, 88.2 percent chance to win
We often learn a lot about a team based on how they come back from a tough loss.
The Bulldogs had their chances to score a big road win at Temple, but inconsistent defense and a plethora of turnovers resulted in the close loss.
But given what we know about Crean, he’s likely been working relentlessly to get his team re-focused on the task at hand. This isn’t a team that can just step on the court and coast to a victory, and Sam Houston State will slow the game down in hopes of making the Bulldogs win it in the halfcourt.
Georgia needs to push the pace and use its significant size advantage to control this game on the glass.
If that happens, Crean’s squad should take care of business and pick up the victory.
Game Prediction: Georgia 77, Sam Houston State 62