AP Top 25: SEC bottom-dweller has entered the chat, proving conference dominance

Don't look now, but here come the Georgia Bulldogs!

Typically touted for their work on the football field, Georgia has announced itself on the college basketball front, officially cracking the AP rankings.

The Bulldogs vaulted up to No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25 poll. They took down then-No. 6 Kentucky and then-No. 17 Oklahoma in the same week, which clearly impressed voters. After being the laughingstock in the SEC for so long, Georgia hoops is back and perhaps better than ever.

AP Top 25: Perennial SEC bottom-dweller Georgia has entered the chat

Georgia is in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011. Moreover, they're in the coaches poll for the first time since 2003, as Brandon Zimmerman of ESPN/SEC Network notes. The Bulldogs are garnering the attention and respect of their peers, which is a testament to the job Mike White has done at the helm.

White has slowly revitalized the Bulldogs men's basketball program since becoming the head team's head coach in 2022. He's making an impact with his tactical efforts and ability to get buy-in from players. But the 2016-17 SEC Coach of the Year's recruiting prowess has been vital to Georgia's reboot, headlined by freshman forward Asa Newell.

In 2023, Newell became the second five-star prospect to take his talents to Georgia since 2007, but he isn't the only noteworthy addition. Silas Demary, Blue Cain, Somoto Cyril and Dylan James are all RSCI Top 100 players in their respective classes, highlighting the influx of talent.

Led by White and Newell, Georgia has enjoyed a stellar 2024-25 campaign thus far, mostly thanks to their defensive activity. They have a 92.2 defensive rating, which is good for 18th of 364 NCAA Division I squads. Moreover, the Bulldogs are fifth in the nation in blocks per game (5.9) and allow the 11th-lowest effective field goal percentage (44.1).

With two Quad 1 victories as well as a Quad 2 win under their belt, the Bulldogs have proven themselves. Not to mention, they've handled business against inferior opponents, demonstrated by their undefeated Quad 3/4 record (11-0). In other words, this isn't your grandfather's Georgia basketball team.