Georgia basketball poised for high-scoring affair against St. Louis

“We’re playing a dangerous team,” coach Mike White said Sunday after Georgia received its second consecutive bid. “And we’re pretty dangerous ourselves.”

Georgia’s offense, which became the highest-scoring one in program history, was its driving force this season. The Bulldogs reached 100 points a school-record eight times after only doing so twice in White’s first three years at the helm.

The head coach overhauled Georgia’s offensive identity during the offseason, using concepts from the New York Knicks to build a fast-paced scheme. It worked, as the Bulldogs lead the country with nearly 20 fast break points per game.

“Our identity is fast-paced, high-scoring,” junior forward Dylan James said earlier in the season.

Both Georgia and St. Louis,which will meet for just the third time in program history, have deep rotations. Eleven Bulldogs average double-digit minutes, while the Billikens have nine players who fall into that category.

Their differences lie beyond the arc. Georgia struggled with 3-point shooting at times this year, while St. Louis builds its offense from the perimeter. The Billikens make more than 40% of their 3-point attempts, the second-most in the country, while hitting nearly 11 per game.

Georgia makes a similar number of shots — close to 10 per matchup — but attempts more. The Bulldogs hit around 34% of their 3-pointers, ranking 180th.

They also struggle defending deep shots, with a 33.7% opponent 3-point percentage that ranks 10th in the SEC and 177th in the nation.

“They just present a lot of problems offensively,” White said of St. Louis. “Really good cutting team, ability to draw fouls and a diverse set of actions and concepts that allow for a bunch of preparation.”

One of the problems St. Louis presents is defending senior center Robbie Avila, who was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. That task will go to Georgia’s sophomore center Somto Cyril, creating an intriguing matchup because of their opposing styles.

Avila excels from beyond the arc, shooting 41.6% on 3-pointers, while Cyril prefers to work inside the paint. The Bulldog leads the country with 83 dunks this season, 25 more than any other SEC player.

Cyril will play a key role in stopping the Billikens, so keeping him eligible will be one of Georgia’s top priorities. The sophomore got into foul trouble — with at least four fouls — in 13 of Georgia’s 32 games this season, in addition to earning two ejections.

“He’s an emotional kid,” White said earlier in the season. “He’s come a long way with controlling his emotions and playing less emotional. Off the court, on the court, that’s who he is, and it’s his personality.”

Georgia, which had a program-record 22 victories during the regular season, has not advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 24 years. The Bulldogs made it to the second round in only four of their 13 appearances, two of which were later vacated.

Georgia is looking to flip the script this year — and will have to beat a high-scoring St. Louis team to do so.