Ogbeide

Bulldogs Set To Face UAB In Charity Exhibition

October 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Bulldogs Set To Face UAB In Charity Exhibition

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ATHENS, Ga. —
The Tom Crean era of Georgia Basketball will begin – at least on an unofficial basis – on Thursday evening when the Bulldogs venture to Birmingham to face UAB in a charity exhibition.

Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET and proceeds from the game will go to parties assisting the Red Cross and its disaster relief. Tickets are $10, with a group rate for 20 or more tickets at $5. An audio broadcast of the game will be available beginning with a pregame show at approximately 7:45 p.m. via georgiadogs.com and the georgiadogs app.

Crean was named the Bulldogs' head coach on March 15. He brings to Athens 18 seasons of success at Marquette and Indiana. Crean, a two-time National Coach of the Year, has led 13 teams to postseason competition, including nine NCAA Tournament bids and a trip to the 2003 Final Four.

"In playing at UAB, we really hope to get a sense of how we compete and handle the potential adversities that come from playing on the road in a different environment," Crean said. "There will be so many situations and opportunities that come up in the game and for us to go through and grow through those will really help the rest of our preseason and hopefully somewhere down the line."

Georgia returns three starters – seniors William "Turtle" Jackson and Derek Ogbeide and sophomore Rayshaun Hammonds – and 11 total letterwinners from last year's team, which finished 18-15. The Bulldogs' roster also features five freshmen.

UAB, which went 20-13 last season, returns second-leading scorer Zach Bryant (13.6 ppg) and four other letterwinners. The Blazers' roster includes eight newcomers.

"Rob Ehsan's teams play very hard and do multiple things well," Crean said. "Their speed in the backcourt will be a huge challenge for us."

Currently, NCAA Division I men's basketball teams are allowed two preseason events, an open exhibition contest against a non-Division I team and/or a closed scrimmage versus another Division I team. In May, the NCAA set guidelines allowing programs to use one of their preseason events as a way to benefit a charitable organization involved in providing relief for those affected by a catastrophic event.

A year ago, Georgia faced Michigan State in Grand Rapids, Mich., in a contest that raised just shy of $370,000 for the Red Cross' relief efforts following Hurricane Irma. This year, natural disasters the Red Cross is providing relief for include wildfires in California and recent Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

"We are looking forward to being in Birmingham and we hope it's a great night for basketball that will help us give back with the proceeds raised," Crean said.

The Bulldogs will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 1, when they host Division II West Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum at 7:00 p.m. Georgia's first regular-season game is set for Friday, Nov. 9, against Savannah State at 8:30 p.m. That evening will feature a Georgia Basketball doubleheader, with the Lady Bulldogs hosting St. Bonaventure and tipping off at 6:00 p.m.