SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAYS

October 14, 2026

Mike White

Georgia Bulldogs

Men's Media Day Press Conference

Q. Jeremiah Wilkinson.

MIKE WHITE: I knew it was coming.

Q. What kind of player is Arkansas getting? What was he like to work with?

MIKE WHITE: Big personality. As hard a worker as I've coached. I had a chance to express that to Coach Cal. I'm sure he's seeing the same things. Just a really hard worker.

The fastest kid I've coached. Can really, really move. A talented scorer. He had a big offensive year for us. So wish him the best, of course.

Q. You got Smurf and Blue here representing Georgia. How important was that retaining both those guys and having guys in the back court that played together before?

MIKE WHITE: It's huge. It gives us a chance, a real chance, a better chance, to have senior guards on top of that that are returning starters, that have learned your program, that have become extensions of you and the staff, that have developed as players and as leaders, is exciting stuff.

Q. What was the key to not only bringing back those guys, but you bring back four starters, which is so rare obviously in the game today?

MIKE WHITE: Yeah, really important. Again, it gives us a chance. I want to say we're one of three in power conference basketball to bring back four starters. Believe it or not, we have nine new guys. It's crazy.

Do we have unbelievable continuity or vice versa? That said, I also like the other guys that we brought in. We were able to bring in some winning experience, some age, overall experience, where it's by far the oldest team I've had at Georgia, but also good players.

It started with, Blue may take credit, Smurf may take credit, I can't remember the first guy, I'd have to go back give it more thought. Kareem Stagg was anxious to return. Of course Kanon Catchings may have been the first guy, a really talented scorer. But it seemed like after a couple guys did it, it became a little bit easier for those next couple.

Q. What does it mean to you and this program to be participating in the Jimmy V Classic?

MIKE WHITE: It's amazing. I mean, for us to play, we're starting in a home and home at North Carolina, which we jump that when they gave us the opportunity. When ESPN and Duke gave us the opportunity to compete the Blue Devils in New York City, Jimmy V Classic, Madison Square Garden. That's the bright lights of basketball, what we all signed up four years ago in an effort to rebuild this program.

Q. What did you shoot from three in college?

MIKE WHITE: As a junior, you can Google it, and it was 47.8. On very low attempts. As you know, I couldn't create it on my own.

Q. That's what I was going to say. I seen some of your film the other day.

MIKE WHITE: Zero wiggle, as you know, and no speed (smiling).

Q. Speaking of a shooting 45% in league play, Kanon. What kind of clicked for him? How did he turn the corner offensively in the second half of the year? How can he continue to build on that, be as good as maybe he doesn't know he is yet?

MIKE WHITE: He's as talented of an offensive player that anyone that I've coached. That's Kanon Catchings, those that didn't hear it.

I think more than anything, you go back and correct me if I'm wrong, studying in the box scores, I think he earned more minutes. Really the opposite of Curt. He became more competitive defending the basketball and rebounding, changing ends. He just rounded out his game to where he's earning more minutes and falling into some of those possessions where he's for the ball in hesitate hands, he has the opportunity to go create offensively.

He can get it. He can create and make hard shots and make it look a little bit easier than most others.

Q. You set a school record for scoring average last year. Was that intentional with that group or a function of their talent?

MIKE WHITE: Yeah, I thought we were underrated last year. I think we're underrated this year. I honestly do. We were picked near the bottom last year. Heck, a couple weeks into June, I thought we'd be better than that, for sure. Thought it was one of our most skilled offensive teams that I coached in a while.

We sold out to playing with tempo. We really liked our depth. Wanted to play with a ton of pace in space. Had a bunch of shooters that I know that we would average that many. I can't lie to you and tell you that I knew that for sure. I thought we'd be a really good offensive team, probably better than we would have been defensively.

I was disappointed in our defensive numbers throughout the year, especially the way we defended the glass. I want to say we finished in the 3330s or so. We finished 89th in efficiency overall. 16th offensive efficiency, fifth in scoring, first in fast break points. We did a lot of good things offensively. The hope is to be as good offensively. I'm going to tell you here right now, these guys will confirm, that we're better defensively. These guys are bringing it daily. We'll compete at a higher level on the defensive end.

Q. When you go on a winning streak like you did last year, what goes into winning so many games in a row?

MIKE WHITE: Consistency. The habits that you create every day. Work ethic. I think your culture and your chemistry. We had guys that got along. We had good culture. I've said this publicly before to the people that follow us really closely. Two years ago we had a wonderful culture. That team had lost four in a row. Asa Newell's freshman year, RJ Godfrey, we had senior guards. Our backs were against the wall whether or not we were going to go to the tournament. We strung together four in a row and down the stretch played really, really well.

Last year I don't know we were quite as connected at that group this year. I feel like our culture is in a really good place. That will help through all of the adversity that you're going to see in SEC play.

Q. If you make the NCAA tournament this year, it will be the first time in program history Georgia made it to three consecutive NCAA tournaments. What would that mean to you?

MIKE WHITE: It would be amazing. I'd like to worry about that when it happens. I'd like to just get better tomorrow, as these guys will attest to what we talk about on a daily basis. Just continued growth with our program and with this team. Good things will continue to happen.

I feel like we'll have a really good shot if we can do a lot of things that we talk about on a daily basis. I think we're more talented than people think. We have senior guards sitting backing there that are good players. This team has a chance to be a good team in the SEC. If you're a good team in the SEC, this year's SEC, you can compete with just about anybody in the country.

Q. The league obviously wasn't bad last year. Two years ago was the high watermark. Does this year trend towards looking like two years ago?

MIKE WHITE: I think so. I thought last year would be hard to replicate what this league did two years ago. I just think the rosters, when you look across the board right now, tell you this is going to be another historically year in the SEC. It's just my opinion.

Q. Obviously you brought Blue Cain here. This is going to be your fourth season with him. Over the years that you've had him, where do you feel like he's grown the most?

MIKE WHITE: Smurf and Blue brought me here. I'm happy to join them.

One of the most improved players I've ever coached. Really hard worker. It's important to him. Came to college basketball as a guy that can make shots, that was pretty good at some other things, had a lot to work on. Now, heck, he's play-making in practice about as well as anybody in our team. If you look at his assist-turnover numbers from year one to what he did last year, what he'll do this year, it's really an incredible transformation. He's turned himself into a really good player.

Most importantly for us as a staff, he's turned himself into a leader. Those two guys back there are really, really tough guys. But to complement that mental and physical toughness that Blue Cain possesses and brings every day, it's starting to wear off on some of his teammates.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you very much.

MIKE WHITE: Thank you, guys.