Texas A&M-CC @ Georgia preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 22, 2008 ) Texas A&M CC 80, Georgia 79

Yante Maten is off to a strong start to his senior season, but the Georgia center also is showing the leadership qualities the Bulldogs need as they wrap up a three-game homestand against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday. The Bulldogs struggled in Tuesday’s 74-65 victory over South Carolina-Upstate, trailing by five points with 6:40 to play, but Maten’s calming influence – along with 22 points and 14 rebounds – helped Georgia dodge the upset.

“One of the things a leader has to do is encourage, so I try my hardest to encourage my teammates,” Maten told the media after posting his second consecutive double-double and 18th of his career. Freshman Rayshaun Hammonds has provided an immediate impact, hitting 13-of-18 shots from the field in scoring 30 points through two games. After Sunday, the Bulldogs head west for three games in the Wooden Legacy event, starting Thursday against Cal State Fullerton. The Islanders have dropped their past two games, falling 82-75 in overtime to Texas Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus

ABOUT TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI (1-2): Joe Kilgore leads the Islanders in scoring at 14 points per game, scoring 21 points with seven rebounds in Wednesday’s loss. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi committed 20 turnovers in the loss. The Islanders beat NAIA Our Lady of the Lake in the season opener on a Myles Smith game-winning jumper, then lost 70-46 to No. 24 Baylor.

ABOUT GEORGIA (2-0): Maten, voted SEC preseason co-player of the year, is averaging 21.5 points and 13 rebounds so far while shooting 13-of-25 from the field. Guard William Jackson scored a career-high 13 points with four assists against South Carolina-Upstate, and he has scored in double figures in both games after recording only two double-digit outputs in his first two seasons. The Bulldogs are holding opponents to 31.3 percent shooting from the field.

TIP-INS

1. Georgia G Juwan Parker ranks fourth in school history in career free-throw percentage (81.3).

2. Jackson is 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and 59.4 percent of his career field goals are 3-pointers.

3. The Bulldogs are outrebounding opponents by an average of 17.5 per game.

PREDICTION: Georgia 74, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 49