Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson playing with chip on shoulder

“Your play will never translate to the next level.”

It began in high school, when others told Wilkinson he would never play for a Power Four program. They believed his skill set was best suited for a mid-major team, where he could score efficiently.

“They told me my play style — I wasn’t gonna be able to score at the next level,” Wilkinson said.

As it turns out, the doubters were incorrect.

Wilkinson is one of Georgia basketball’s best scorers this season, leading the team with an average of 18 points per game. That includes a 19-point performance Monday afternoon in the Bulldogs’ 103-74 victory over West Georgia.

The game marked Georgia’s sixth time scoring at least 100 points this season, the most in program history. Wilkinson, who is listed at 6-foot-1, led the Bulldogs in scoring during four of those contests.

“He’s the most explosive guard I’ve ever seen,” fellow guard Justin Bailey said. “I love playing with him.”

Wilkinson, who transferred to Georgia after earning ACC Sixth Man of the Year honors during his freshman season at Cal, is one of the most competitive Bulldogs. He aspires to win every contest, even those outside of a game setting.

“I thought I was competitive,” Bailey joked. “But me and Jerry, every time we shoot, he’s always trying to figure out ways — even cheating, putting a hand up.”

Wilkinson’s doubters helped fuel his competitive spirit, but he traced its roots back to something more reliable — his family. The sophomore guard grew up alongside his older brother in Powder Springs, where they challenged each other nearly every day.

And the banter did not stop just because Wilkinson moved 90 miles east to Athens.

“That’s what we enjoy doing,” Wilkinson said. “Even the fact that I’m not home, my older brother’s not home, we talk about (how) we miss arguing with each other in the house.”

Wilkinson’s fire is often spun against him, with others claiming he shows too much emotion on the court. But Georgia doesn’t mind. In fact, coach Mike White relates to the passion his player displays.

White shared that Wilkinson tried to hit “grand slams” early on — forcing shots instead of taking the open ones — and occasionally became emotional if something went wrong. However, he’s improved in both categories and is now “letting (the game) come to him.”

“It’s come a long way,” said White, a former four-year starter at Ole Miss. “I’d rather try to get a guy to calm down a little bit, to back a guy off of his competitive spirit.”

Wilkinson found ways to channel the chip on his shoulder, rather than letting it take over a game. He tells his teammates to let him know if he appears out of control, helping him walk the line between competitive and reckless.

The results speak for themselves, as Georgia posts an 11-1 record and leads the country in scoring at 99.8 points per game. That will mark the highest average by a Division I men’s basketball team on Christmas Day — the contending teams are on a hiatus for Christmas break — since 2016 when The Citadel scored 103.2 points per outing.

“I’ve been doubted a lot in my life,” Wilkinson said. “Just trying to channel all that into the anger, into playing hard, into playing defense — and use that as fuel, instead of letting it defeat me.”

Wilkinson is aware of the skepticism surrounding his abilities — he’s heard it since high school — but he does not let the negative comments affect him. He actually finds it comical that someone would take the time to post an opinion about him.

“I laugh at it,” Wilkinson said. “I know that it’s people on Twitter that are choosing to tweet about me. Why would I be upset about that? I know the hours I put in, I know what I’m capable of.”

And so does Georgia basketball, even if doubters claimed otherwise.