Preview: Georgia Bulldogs Set to Host the Texas Southern Tigers

The Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball team is set to host Texas Southern on Sunday. Here is everything you need to know about the matchup.

Nov 4, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell (14) shoots over Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles guard Mekhi Cameron (1) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Georgia Bulldogs men's basketball team is set to host Texas Southern on Sunday. Here is everything you need to know about the matchup.

The Georgia Bulldogs (1-0) will host the Texas Southern Tigers (1-1) in Athens this Sunday. The game will tip-off at 3:30 p.m. from Stegeman Coliseum. This is the start of a four-game road stretch for the Tigers. 

Sunday’s matchup will be the second time these two teams have faced off. Georgia won the first matchup in 2018, 92 to 75. Since that matchup, both teams have undergone coaching changes with Johnny Jones being the man at the helm for the Tigers and Mike White for the Bulldogs.

Both teams are on one-game winning streaks in the early season with Georgia defeating Tennessee Tech 83-78 on Tuesday and Texas Southern besting Texas A&M-San Antonio 100-66 on Wednesday. 

What to watch for Georgia:

Can Asa Newell continue to dominate: Asa Newell had 26 points and 11 rebounds in his freshman debut. This tied Dominique Wilkins' record from 1979. Six of Newell’s 11 rebounds came on the offensive glass and the freshman dominated inside, shooting 13 of 18 from inside the arc. If Georgia wants to win they will need Newell to continue his dominance.

Can the three-ball fall: In Georgia’s exhibition game against UCF they shot 55.6% from beyond the arc on their way to a 38-point victory. Against Tennessee Tech this was not the case. Georgia shot poorly from three, and Dakota Leffew was the only Bulldog to hit a shot from downtown. This game will be a litmus test of sorts for Georgia, to see if their shooting against UCF was a fluke, or if the shooting performance vs Tennessee Tech was the anomaly.

Chemistry: This Georgia team has nine new players. They have only played one game together and that was the season opener. It will be key to see how the team meshes together as they get used to playing with one another. Chemistry is one thing that Coach White was harping on in his presser following the first game of the season. 

What to watch for Texas Southern:

Active hands and defensive intensity: Texas Southern recorded 15 steals in their blowout victory on Wednesday. It will be key to see if they can keep this up (not an easy task) or if their heads-up plays on defense was just a one-off. This is a Georgia team that fares well in transition so if Texas Southern hopes to stay in this game they will need to force some turnovers

Rebounding: Texas Southern dominated the glass against Texas A&M-San Antonio, with 51 rebounds (a +13 advantage) and scored 23 second-chance points. However, in their first matchup against Xavier, they recorded just 34 rebounds. If they want to win this game they will have to win the rebounding matchup and crash the glass.

Chemistry: This Tigers team is vastly different from the 2023 season, with Texas Southern only returning two of their five starts. With over half the starters being new faces it will be key to see how they feed off one another and how well they play. The chemistry will be key if they hope to win this game. 

Key Matchup:

The key matchup to watch in this game will be Kavion Mcclain vs Asa Newell. Mcclain is a 5-foot-10, 160-pound guard who is breaking out for the Tigers. He is a transfer from Abilene Christian where he averaged 6.2 points and 1.9 rebounds. This year he is averaging 21.2 points and 2.0 rebounds. Where his game has changed the most is three-point shooting, Mcclain is averaging seven attempts per game (as opposed to 1.6 last year) and sinking about half of them. 

Asa Newell is a 6-9, 194-pound five-star true freshman power forward. He is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft. In his first game, he scored 26 points and that was without any free throws or three-pointers made.

Newell and McClain are both the leading scorers of their team and averaging 20+ ppg in the early season. This matchup should offer plenty of scoring on both sides.

Other Georgia News:

• Just How Dominant Was Georgia's Defense vs the Texas Longhorns?
• Jalon Walker Earns Praises From NFL Legends After Texas Game
  
• PHOTOS: Georgia Knocks Off The Texas Longhorns In Convincing Fashion

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