SEASON FOUR
2025-26
2025-26
Coach Information
Name: Dale Connover
Age / Record: 39 (69-37, .651)
Conf. Titles: 1 (2025)
National Coach of the Year: 0
SEC Coach of the Year: 1 (2025)
National Titles: 0
Final Fours: 1 (2025)
Elite Eights: 1 (2025)
Sweet Sixteens: 2 (2024, 2025)
Reputation: 77% (+9)
Contract: $491,000 / 6 years
Offense: 81%
Defense: 64%
Recruiting: 94% (+4)
Scouting: 72%
Development: 95% (+6)
School Information
School: Georgia Bulldogs
Location: Athens GA
Conference: SEC
Arena: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523 Cap)
Budget: $220,250 ($162,000 Assistants / $57,750 Recruiting)
Facilities: B+
Academics: B (SAT Min: 940)
School Prestige: 65% (+8)
Conf. Prestige: 77%
Scouting Reports
Southeast Premium ($30,000)
Camps
None.
Remaining Recruiting Budget: $27,750 (2 Scholarships Open)
NBA Draft
None.
Norton Nominees
Jason Sanders and Ajibayo Zuraaba have been nominated for the Norton Award. Either one of them could leave early for the NBA, along with some other players. So I am definitely wanting to make the most out of this season while we have this core group together! (It also makes me nervous as hell about recruiting, as we’re not liable to have much money left at the end of the season if they do choose to bail. On the early list of nominees, Zuraaba is ranked 36th while Sanders is 22nd.
Committed Recruits
6’2” SG David Patrick (HS Senior, Miami FL) 3.1 GPA (#17 Ntl, #6 Reg) 19.3 ppg 3.7 apg 6.5 rpg 2.6 spg 1.2 bpg
6’6” PF Craig Smith (HS Senior, Germantown TN) 4.0 GPA (#58 Ntl, #17 Reg) 18.8 ppg 2.0 apg 10.1 rpg 1.4 spg 1.6 bpg
David Patrick comes in as a WSSN ***** recruit, giving us a Blue Chip player and a guy in Craig Smith who looks to be a real diamond in the rough. I’m happy with this class, but hoping that we don’t lose anyone and have to fill extra spots because I aimed high and most of our remaining interested recruits are likely to sign elsewhere and we lack the funds to begin a new search.
Redshirts
Derrick McCarter and Ryan Hill will both redshirt this season. They both have huge upside and would not get much playing time this season considering our depth among experienced veterans. Playing either of them now would waste their eligibility, and I think both could have strong first-year seasons like Scott Ware did after his redshirt season.
Schedule
11/16 - @ #17 Uconn
11/23 - @ Ohio State
11/26 - @ #20 Brigham Young
11/30 - #25 Cincinnati
12/3 - Alabama St.
12/7 - #24 Memphis
12/9 - (n) Tulsa - Golden State Classic
12/13 - @ Clemson
12/17 - @ #5 Arizona
12/21 - Georgia Southern
12/28 - #10 North Carolina
1/4 - @ Auburn
1/7 - #8 Kentucky
1/11 - @ Tennessee
1/14 - #7 Florida
1/18 - @ LSU
1/21 - Texas A&M
1/25 - @ South Carolina
1/28 - Auburn
2/1 - @ #8 Kentucky
2/4 - Alabama
2/8 - Arkansas
2/11 - @ Vanderbilt
2/15 - Mississippi St.
2/18 - @ Mississippi
2/22 - @ Missouri
2/25 - Tennessee
3/1 - @ #7 Florida
3/4 - LSU
Roster
PG - Ajibayo Zuraaba (6’2” 175 lbs Jr) International HS (Nigeria) 2.8 GPA (4.5/5.0) 13.1 ppg 2.7 rpg 6.8 apg 0.7 spg 0.5 bpg
SG - Jason Sanders (6’3” 205 lbs Jr) Athens Christian HS (Athens GA) 3.3 GPA (4.5/5.0) 16.7 ppg 4.8 apg 1.9 apg 0.5 spg 0.7 bpg
SF - Mike Lampley (6’6” 216 lbs Fr) Baypoint HS (Miami FL) 3.7 GPA (2.0/4.0)
PF - Scott Ware (6’6” 193 lbs So RS) Gulf Breeze HS (Gulf Breeze FL) 4.0 GPA (3.0/4.5) 10.1 ppg 3.7 rpg 2.0 apg 0.8 spg 0.3 bpg
C - Gary Taylor (6’8” 246 lbs Jr) Temple Christian HS (Titusville FL) 3.8 GPA (4.5/4.5) 13.3 ppg 10.4 rpg 1.5 apg 1.6 spg 2.3 bpg
6 - Clarence Lawson (6’9” 242 lbs Jr) Rome HS (Rome GA) 2.1 GPA (2.5/4.0)
7 - Drew Hartsfield (6’9” 255 lbs Sr) Westside HS (Augusta GA) 3.8 GPA (3.0/4.0) 6.5 ppg 4.8 rpg 0.8 apg 0.9 spg 0.6 bpg
8 - Derrick Paige (6’4” 212 lbs So) Le Queen HS (Le Queen AR) 3.6 GPA (1.5/4.0) 3.8 ppg 0.7 rpg 0.6 apg 0.1 spg 0.1 bpg
9 - C.J. Demond (6’4” 206 lbs So) Beech HS (Hendersonville TN) 3.1 GPA (1.5/3.5) 3.5 ppg 1.3 rpg 0.8 apg 0.5 spg
10 - Brian Eidson (6’6” 224 lbs Sr) Carrollton HS (Carrollton GA) 3.4 GPA (1.5/3.5) no significant minutes
11 - Eric Brinson (6’10” 237 lbs Fr) Jackson Southside HS (Jackson TN) 3.0 GPA (1.0/2.0)
12 - Roberto Traylor (6’7” 207 lbs Jr) Apalachee HS (Winder GA) 3.1 GPA (3.0/3.5)*
13 - Wayne Redden (6’2” 201 lbs So) Cartersville HS (Cartersville GA) 3.2 GPA (2.0/3.5)*
RS - Derrick McCarter (6’1” 201 lbs Fr) Munford HS (Munford AL) 3.2 GPA (1.5/4.5)
RS - Ryan Hill (6’5” 193 lbs Fr) Campbell HS (Smyrna GA) 3.2 GPA (0.5/4.0)
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* Walk-on
Last year’s lineup has aged a year, and added freshman Mike Lampley to the starting core. Clarence Lawson, as our sixth man, will start out with plenty of minutes coming off the bench as a forward / center hybrid, something in the range of 18-20 minutes a game, while Lampley will start at small forward but play only 22-24 minutes a game until he gets his feet wet. Zuraaba, Sanders and Taylor will each play 30-34 minutes a night at the least, which will leave Hartsfield, Paige, Demond and Eidson coming off the bench for just 8-10 minutes apiece. But yes, Eidson should get some minutes as a Senior. He has earned it … in three seasons he has played in only eight games, during garbage time, picking up a total of 16 minutes. But he’s been a strong practice motivator, and he’s earned a chance to at least play meaningful minutes and hopefully score his first points (he has earned one steal and one assist in his time as a Bulldog).
We’ll start the season ranked #21 in the nation, the first time we’ve ever been ranked in the preseason.