Georgia @ Arizona State preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 15, 2018 ) Arizona State 76, Georgia 74

Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley has said his team’s focus of late is getting Romello White involved more offensively, and entering Saturday’s home contest with Georgia that strategy likely won’t change. The junior forward recorded his third consecutive double-double with 14 points and a career-best 16 rebounds in Wednesday’s 88-79 victory over Prairie View A&M, and in his past three games is averaging 15.7 points and 13.7 rebounds.

“Romello is getting the ball a lot,” Hurley told reporters after Wednesday’s victory, as Arizona State extended its winning streak to four games. “He’s getting the ball, we are thinking about getting him the ball, the coaches are talking to the team about getting him the ball.” The Bulldogs have won six of their first eight games in coach Tom Crean’s second season after a 95-59 blowout of North Carolina Central on Dec. 4. “When you have breaks, you think it’s just time to relax,” Georgia senior guard Tyree Crump told reporters at practice Thursday. “But the way we’ve been practicing, it’s been real intense.” Freshman guard Anthony Edwards started the weekend second in the SEC in scoring at 20.6 points and is averaging 27.3 points across his past three games.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT GEORGIA (6-2): Edwards, who grabbed plenty of attention with 37 points against Michigan State in the Maui Invitational, is shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range while leading the Bulldogs in steals (2.3) and ranking second in assists (3.1). Junior forward Rayshaun Hammonds averages 14.8 points and 8.9 rebounds after scoring 19 with nine boards against North Carolina Central. Freshman guard Sahvir Wheeler averages 4.6 assists with a 2.18 assist-to-turnover ratio while contributing 8.8 points per game.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (7-2): Junior guard Remy Martin leads the Sun Devils in scoring (20.0) and steals (2.6), finishing with 21 points Wednesday and shooting 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. White is shooting 70.2 percent from the field and began the weekend second in the Pac-12 at 10 rebounds per game. Arizona State is forcing 17.9 turnovers per game and averages 20.6 points off turnovers, scoring 22 points off miscues Wednesday.

TIP-INS

1. Georgia registered 22 offensive rebounds in its last game and averages an SEC-best 14.3 per game.

2. The Sun Devils shot 37-for-51 from the free-throw line Wednesday, the program’s most points scored in one game from the line since 2002.

3. Crump hit four 3-pointers against North Carolina Central to finish with 16 points, moving to 12th on the school’s career made 3-pointers list (145).

PREDICTION: Arizona State 79, Georgia 72