Jeremiah Wilkinson knew he would thrive with Georgia basketball.
The team’s fast-paced style of play matched his strengths, and the opportunity to compete in his home state was too good to pass up.
So, when the chance to transfer presented itself during the spring, Wilkinson packed his bags and moved across the county to Athens, Georgia, around 80 miles from his hometown of Powder Springs.
And through three games with his new team, the former Cal guard has flourished.
“I really enjoy playing here,” Wilkinson said. “Every time I go to practice, every time I go to play with these guys, it’s fun for me.”
Wilkinson quickly proved his impressive preseason performance — that saw him average a team-leading 15 points per outing — was not a fluke. He tallied 49 points through Georgia’s first three games, with his latest showing a 22-point performance against Morehead State.
The Bulldogs beat the Eagles, 120-81, Sunday afternoon in Stegeman Coliseum, their largest offensive output since scoring 124 points nearly 35 years ago in November 1990.
“It makes me excited when you see the vision that you saw being recruited coming together,” Wilkinson said. “That’s a really good offensive day, and that’s what we saw preseason and said we’re capable of.”
Wilkinson began the game on the bench for the first time this season with Justin Bailey taking his place in the starting lineup. The sophomore missed one practice after tweaking his ankle Wednesday against Maryland Eastern Shore, which partly contributed to the switch.
Wilkinson still displayed the best offensive performance of his young Georgia career.
He led Georgia in scoring while shooting nearly 67% on field goals, 40% on 3-pointers and 100% on free throws.
“He’s really fast,” coach Mike White said. “He’s really competitive. He’s embraced giving more of himself physically.”
Wilkinson transferred from a Cal program who needed him to take over a game in order to win it. The Golden Bears posted a 14-19 record in 2024 with the then-freshman averaging over 15 points per appearance.
With the Bulldogs, Wilkinson is just one of many players capable of scoring points. There’s Kanon Catchings and Blue Cain, who each tallied 14 points against Morehead State, and freshman Jake Wilkins, who notched 15 with a windmill dunk that left teammates “flabbergasted,” according to Wilkinson.
That’s not including Bailey, Smurf Millender and Kareem Stagg, who earned 13, 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Georgia had seven players reach double digits against Morehead State, a threshold it did not surpass in 2024.
Wilkinson has had to adjust to the surrounding depth, making sure he only takes a shot when the defensive look is favorable. According to his coach, he handled that much better against the Eagles.
“He let the game come to him a little bit,” White said of Wilkinson displaying better shot selection. “He’s a developing young player who was asked to do a ton of scoring last year. We’d love for him to do a ton of scoring at times when it’s the right shot, and it’s what the defense dictates.”
Georgia’s offense, which averaged 99 points per contest entering the matchup, continued to click against Morehead State. The Bulldogs improved their 3-point shooting by hitting 46% of their shots, quite the contrast from the 20% they displayed a game prior.
Catchings began the contest with two consecutive makes from beyond the arc, as Georgia connected on four of its first five attempts.
“That ball goes in for you, it helps you settle in a little bit,” White said of Catchings’ opening 3-pointers, which helped tie for the third-most in program history with 17. “So, those were big shots.”
The Bulldogs rolled from there, notching their second game with at least 100 points this season — exactly what Wilkinson envisioned when he transferred into the program.
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