University of Georgia Athletics
‘Real Moment’ Is Here For Georgia Basketball Teams
March 18, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
For the first time since 2011, Georgia's men's and women's basketball teams are both in the Big Dance.
"It's a real moment. As a kid, I always wanted to play in NCAA tournaments and be on the biggest stage possible in college basketball. This is a real moment," said men's basketball guard Marcus Millender, a junior who will experience March Madness for the first time when the Bulldogs, a No. 8 seed, take on No. 9 seed Saint Louis on Thursday night in Buffalo, N.Y.
Millender, who transferred to Georgia this season after stops at South Alabama and Texas San Antonio, wasn't with the Bulldogs when they made the NCAA tournament last season. Between the Georgia men and women, there will be a lot of players dancing for the first time.
Women's basketball sophomore forward Mia Woolfolk, who averages 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, has also been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. The No. 24-ranked Lady Bulldogs, who are a No. 7 seed and will face either Virginia or Arizona State (they play Thursday in a First Four battle of No. 10 seeds) in the first round Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa, missed the tournament the previous two seasons.
"It feels great; I mean, it's every kid's dream. Growing up playing basketball, you just dream of being able to go to the tournament and be able to play," she said.
Dani Carnegie is the women's team's leading scorer at 18.1 points per game — the highest average by a Lady Bulldog in 20 years — and she played in the tournament last year, as a freshman at Georgia Tech, scoring 7 points and dishing out three assists off the bench in the Yellow Jackets' first-round loss to Richmond. She's hoping for a longer stay this time around.
"It feels great to be going to the NCAA tournament, but last year wasn't a great year, because we were one and done," said Carnegie, who was voted first-team All-SEC this season. "But this year, I know we have a bright future, and I know we can go further."
Officially, the Georgia men's program is making its 12th appearance in the NCAA tournament (two others, including its last win, in 2002, were later vacated due to NCAA sanctions), while the women are returning to the NCAAs for the 37th time in program history — tied for third-most among all Division I programs.
The Lady Bulldogs are starting their third straight NCAAs in Iowa, after playing in Ames in 2022 and Iowa City in 2023. They won their first-round game in both of those trips before falling in the second round to Iowa State and Iowa, respectively, who were playing on their home floors. With a win in the first round Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs will likely take on No. 2-seeded Iowa in a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
It's a facility that Coach ABE knows well. She is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and she spent her final two collegiate seasons at Iowa after starting her playing career with the Lady Bulldogs. Coach ABE, who is headed to her 13th NCAA tournament as a head coach, said her family back home is excited for the Lady Bulldogs to be playing in Iowa City. But for her, this isn't a family reunion opportunity.
"Every trip is a business trip; I've just been trained that way," she said.
The Bulldogs' last official win in the NCAA tournament was back in 1996, when Georgia won two games, including an upset of No. 1 seed Purdue, before falling to Syracuse in overtime in the Sweet 16. Should Georgia prevail against the Billikens, the Bulldogs will likely take on No. 1 seed Michigan, which is ranked No. 3 and won the Big Ten regular-season title.
Men's head coach Mike White's squad set a program record with 22 regular-season wins and has the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the country at 89.8 points per game.
"We're playing a dangerous team, and we're pretty dangerous ourselves. ... We're just honored to have another chance to see where this thing takes us. Excited for these guys to be able to compete again together," said White, who is heading to the NCAAs for the sixth time as a head coach.
Sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson leads the Bulldogs with 17.0 points per game and has a team-high 49 steals, while junior guard Blue Cain is averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and he's second with 45 steals this season. Sophomore forward Kanon Catchings, who scored a career-high 32 points in a win over No. 18-ranked Alabama earlier this month, has played his best ball of the season in March, scoring 19 or more in all three games.
In the paint, sophomore center Somtochukwu Cyril is averaging 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and his 74 blocks this season rank 13th in the country. As a team, the Georgia men rank second nationally with 6.1 blocks per game.
Both Georgia teams have won 22 games this season, including multiple wins over highly-ranked teams. The men beat then-No. 17 Arkansas (the Hogs are a 4 seed in the tournament) in January, and knocked off the Crimson Tide (also a 4 seed in the NCAAs) on March 3. The women beat then-No. 16 Ole Miss and then-No. 11 Kentucky (both are 5 seeds) in January, and took down then-No. 5 Vanderbilt (a 2 seed) in February.
"The SEC is the hardest conference in the country, so playing in the SEC and going to this tournament gives us a lot of confidence," Woolfolk said, "because we've already seen the best teams in the country."
Staff Writer
For the first time since 2011, Georgia's men's and women's basketball teams are both in the Big Dance.
"It's a real moment. As a kid, I always wanted to play in NCAA tournaments and be on the biggest stage possible in college basketball. This is a real moment," said men's basketball guard Marcus Millender, a junior who will experience March Madness for the first time when the Bulldogs, a No. 8 seed, take on No. 9 seed Saint Louis on Thursday night in Buffalo, N.Y.
Millender, who transferred to Georgia this season after stops at South Alabama and Texas San Antonio, wasn't with the Bulldogs when they made the NCAA tournament last season. Between the Georgia men and women, there will be a lot of players dancing for the first time.
Women's basketball sophomore forward Mia Woolfolk, who averages 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, has also been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. The No. 24-ranked Lady Bulldogs, who are a No. 7 seed and will face either Virginia or Arizona State (they play Thursday in a First Four battle of No. 10 seeds) in the first round Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa, missed the tournament the previous two seasons.
"It feels great; I mean, it's every kid's dream. Growing up playing basketball, you just dream of being able to go to the tournament and be able to play," she said.
Dani Carnegie is the women's team's leading scorer at 18.1 points per game — the highest average by a Lady Bulldog in 20 years — and she played in the tournament last year, as a freshman at Georgia Tech, scoring 7 points and dishing out three assists off the bench in the Yellow Jackets' first-round loss to Richmond. She's hoping for a longer stay this time around.
"It feels great to be going to the NCAA tournament, but last year wasn't a great year, because we were one and done," said Carnegie, who was voted first-team All-SEC this season. "But this year, I know we have a bright future, and I know we can go further."
Officially, the Georgia men's program is making its 12th appearance in the NCAA tournament (two others, including its last win, in 2002, were later vacated due to NCAA sanctions), while the women are returning to the NCAAs for the 37th time in program history — tied for third-most among all Division I programs.
The Lady Bulldogs are starting their third straight NCAAs in Iowa, after playing in Ames in 2022 and Iowa City in 2023. They won their first-round game in both of those trips before falling in the second round to Iowa State and Iowa, respectively, who were playing on their home floors. With a win in the first round Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs will likely take on No. 2-seeded Iowa in a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
It's a facility that Coach ABE knows well. She is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and she spent her final two collegiate seasons at Iowa after starting her playing career with the Lady Bulldogs. Coach ABE, who is headed to her 13th NCAA tournament as a head coach, said her family back home is excited for the Lady Bulldogs to be playing in Iowa City. But for her, this isn't a family reunion opportunity.
"Every trip is a business trip; I've just been trained that way," she said.
The Bulldogs' last official win in the NCAA tournament was back in 1996, when Georgia won two games, including an upset of No. 1 seed Purdue, before falling to Syracuse in overtime in the Sweet 16. Should Georgia prevail against the Billikens, the Bulldogs will likely take on No. 1 seed Michigan, which is ranked No. 3 and won the Big Ten regular-season title.
Men's head coach Mike White's squad set a program record with 22 regular-season wins and has the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the country at 89.8 points per game.
"We're playing a dangerous team, and we're pretty dangerous ourselves. ... We're just honored to have another chance to see where this thing takes us. Excited for these guys to be able to compete again together," said White, who is heading to the NCAAs for the sixth time as a head coach.
Sophomore guard Jeremiah Wilkinson leads the Bulldogs with 17.0 points per game and has a team-high 49 steals, while junior guard Blue Cain is averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and he's second with 45 steals this season. Sophomore forward Kanon Catchings, who scored a career-high 32 points in a win over No. 18-ranked Alabama earlier this month, has played his best ball of the season in March, scoring 19 or more in all three games.
In the paint, sophomore center Somtochukwu Cyril is averaging 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and his 74 blocks this season rank 13th in the country. As a team, the Georgia men rank second nationally with 6.1 blocks per game.
Both Georgia teams have won 22 games this season, including multiple wins over highly-ranked teams. The men beat then-No. 17 Arkansas (the Hogs are a 4 seed in the tournament) in January, and knocked off the Crimson Tide (also a 4 seed in the NCAAs) on March 3. The women beat then-No. 16 Ole Miss and then-No. 11 Kentucky (both are 5 seeds) in January, and took down then-No. 5 Vanderbilt (a 2 seed) in February.
"The SEC is the hardest conference in the country, so playing in the SEC and going to this tournament gives us a lot of confidence," Woolfolk said, "because we've already seen the best teams in the country."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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