Georgia stays grounded after Top 25 ranking: ‘We’ve got to get better’

White, a four-year starting point guard at Ole Miss (1995-99) who led the Rebels to three NCAA appearances and the program’s first NCAA win, understands how fleeting a ranking can be.

Especially when a team, in this case, Georgia, hasn’t beaten any significant opponents at this point of the season.

On paper, the Bulldogs’ basketball program looks good, leading the nation in scoring, scoring margin, blocked shots and fast-break points.

Georgia has the No. 18 NET ranking, too, which represents a computerized rank similar to the more familiar RPI, weighing difficulty and location of results with a formula the NCAA selection committee finds valuable enough to consider in its process of putting the field together.

But the Bulldogs, who have played a schedule that ranks 204th, have a long way to go before Selection Sunday in March, as White knows better than anyone.

“Communication has been something that has been a detriment for us, especially defensively … we’ve thrown a lot at our guys, we’re doing different things defensively, which makes communication even more important,” White said.

“It’s not a generic, basic defense that we can just get really good at because there aren’t a lot of reads or a lot of changes. We’re playing a defense that can change throughout. We’re pressing in different ways, going in different ways, switching in different ways. And so we’ve got to talk at a higher level.”

The communication and fluid defensive transitions White speaks of are part of the team’s high-scoring nature, with this team built around the players’ athletic ability, versatility and quickness.

“We’ve got to block out at a higher level, that’s our base defensive number that we’re focused on,” White said, no doubt aware that having a smaller, transition-oriented team puts the team at risk if an opponent can control the tempo and create more of a half-court pace.

“We’ve got to shoot it better, of course. But again, I like our shot selection. I think that number will continue to increase, to improve.”

Georgia has been able to overcome what has collectively been streaky perimeter shooting to this point, the team currently firing up 3-point shots with 30% marksmanship.

The next three games (all at home) against Western Carolina (4-6) at 7 p.m. Thursday, West Georgia (5-5) on Monday and Long Island University (6-5) on Dec. 29 wouldn’t seem to pose much of a threat, even if the Bulldogs have another off-night shooting beyond the 3-point arc.

But the new year will bring a new reality for Georgia basketball when the Bulldogs open the SEC portion of their schedule against No. 21 Auburn (8-3) at Stegeman Coliseum before a Jan. 6 road trip to defending national champ and No. 23-ranked Florida (6-4).

“We’ve scored a lot of points, but there’s been some games and some segments in games where there’s not a great flow at times, although we end up maybe scoring 80 or 90 that game,” White said.

“When it comes down to it, in our league, the best defensive league in college basketball, when we’re stuck in the halfcourt with five minutes left, who are we getting the ball to where and how and what are we executing? We’ve got to figure that out as well.”

Then, as White noted, the defense remains a work in progress.

“We’re still a ways away from really figuring out of our six or seven things we’re throwing off the wall defensively, what are our two or three biggest strengths, especially against the highest level opponents,” White said.

“You know, there’ll be a couple more pivots in league play. And we’re trying to get better this week.”

Hence, White’s reluctance to get too carried away with a ranking, even if there is some historical context to it.

“We’ve said it for a long time, you know, Georgia can be good basketball, right? There’s no reason we shouldn’t be, so we’re pretty good,” White said. “The rest of our league is too, and we’ve got to continue to get better.”