SEC MEN ARKANSAS (18-10, 6-9 SEC) AT GEORGIA (14-14, 4-11)

'Edwards Rules': Hogs prepare for possible No. 1 pick against Georgia today

Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, right, and forward Mike Peake celebrate after an NCAA college basketball game against Auburn, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 65-55. (AP Photo/John Amis)

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas basketball team will face the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft when the Razorbacks play Georgia at 5 p.m. today at Stegeman Coliseum.

Bulldogs 6-5 freshman guard Anthony Edwards -- who is averaging 19.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game -- is projected to be the top pick in this year's draft according to several websites, including CBS Sports, The Sporting News and NBADraft.net.

"They have a really special player in Edwards," Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman, a former NBA head coach at Golden State and Sacramento, said before Thursday's practice. "You look at mock drafts, and he's projected pretty high. You can't get much higher."

Musselman was an NBA assistant for Chuck Daly in Orlando. Before Daly went to Orlando, he led Detroit to back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990 and used a defensive approach known as "The Jordan Rules" to slow down Chicago star Michael Jordan. Strategy for "The Jordan Rules" included playing physical defense, working to deny Jordan the ball and employing varying double-team coverages.

"So we're going to have to get some special rules on how we defend [Edwards]," Musselman said. "We'll come up with our own 'Edwards Rules' that we'll start introducing to the team [at Thursday's practice]."

Musselman faced the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft -- Washington guard Markelle Fultz -- when his Nevada team beat the Huskies 87-85 in Seattle on Dec. 11, 2016.

While Fultz was picked first by Philadelphia, the Huskies didn't make the NCAA Tournament during his only season as a college player. Washington finished 19-15 and played in the 2017 NIT.

LSU guard Ben Simmons also was picked No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in the 2016 NBA Draft after his lone college season, but the Tigers also missed the NCAA Tournament. They finished 19-14 and turned down an NIT bid.

Musselman was hired as an LSU assistant coach for the 2014-15 season by then-Tigers coach Johnny Jones because he wanted someone on his staff with NBA experience a year later when Simmons joined the team. But Musselman -- who helped LSU make the 2015 NCAA Tournament -- left after one season to become Nevada's coach before Simmons' arrival in Baton Rouge.

Georgia also is discovering that having the projected No. 1 pick as a freshman doesn't necessarily translate to success for the team.

The Bulldogs (14-14, 4-11 SEC) are tied with Ole Miss for 12th in the conference, and they are No. 89 in the latest NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings -- a system adopted last year based on a team's strength of schedule and its opponents' strength of schedule as well as where games are played, margin of victory and offensive and defensive efficiency.

Georgia's only path to the NCAA Tournament is to win the SEC Tournament and earn the conference's automatic bid.

Arkansas (18-10, 6-9) has moved up eight spots in the NET rankings to No. 40 after beating Missouri 78-68 and Tennessee 86-69 at home since the return of sophomore guard Isaiah Joe from knee surgery. Joe missed five games -- all losses for the Razorbacks.

"It feels good, man, to get those wins," said Joe, who scored 21 points against Missouri and 22 against Tennessee. "I feel like we're getting back on track. Fixing all the little problems we've been having in the past and capitalizing on what we can do in the future."

Musselman said he wants the Razorbacks focused on Georgia, not what they have to do in their remaining three regular-season games or at the SEC Tournament to secure an NCAA Tournament bid.

"The only thing that our guys and our staff need to worry about is, how do we go to Athens and win that game?" Musselman said. "When that game is over, whatever the results are, how do we get ready for LSU?

"It's not like it's a one-game season. There is a whole lot of stuff that's going to happen between now and Selection Sunday."

While the Razorbacks were beating Tennessee on Wednesday night, Edwards was scoring 36 points in Georgia's 94-90 overtime loss at South Carolina. He also had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals while playing 44 minutes.

"He's a load," South Carolina Coach Frank Martin said. "I don't need no scout or website to tell me that. I can figure that out on my own."

Edwards scored a season-high 37 points against Michigan State in the Maui Invitational, where the Spartans beat the Bulldogs 93-85.

"Boy, you got to give 'Antman' credit," said Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo, referring to Edwards by his nickname. "I mean, he made some shots that I wouldn't even allow a church league team I used to play on to take."

Musselman said he has watched a lot of tape on Edwards, including the Georgia-South Carolina game.

"Phenomenal player," Musselman said. "He's physically strong, he's quick, he's fast, he's explosive. He makes highlight-reel plays. He's got three or four every game."

Musselman said Edwards' highlight plays feature more than dunks, though he has plenty of those, too.

"I've seen him make 30-foot bounce passes in transition to a teammate," Musselman said. "Blocked shots, steals jumping in passing lanes and then finishing at the other end.

"He can make threes. He's explosive to the rim. I think he's a pretty good passer as well."

Arkansas men at Georgia

WHEN 5 p.m. today

WHERE Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga.

RECORDS Arkansas 18-10, 6-9 SEC Georgia 14-14, 4-11

SERIES Arkansas leads 23-15.

RADIO Razorback Sports Network

TV SEC Network

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

GEORGIA

POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG

G Anthony Edwards, 6-5, Fr. 19.5 5.4

G Sahvir Wheeler, 5-10, Fr. 8.8 2.4

G Jordan Harris, 6-5, Sr. 6.2 3.7

F Rayshaun Hammonds, 6-9, Jr. 12.4 7.1

F Toumani Camara, 6-8, Fr. 6.6 4.2

COACH Tom Crean (25-35 in second season at Georgia, 381-266 in 20th season overall)

ARKANSAS

POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG

G Mason Jones, 6-5, Jr. 21.1 5.8

G Isaiah Joe, 6-5, So. 16.5 4.2

G Jimmy Whitt, 6-3, Sr. 14.1 4.8

F Adrio Bailey, 6-6, Sr. 7.1 4.6

F Ethan Henderson, 6-8, So. 1.3 2.0

COACH Eric Musselman (18-10 in first season at Arkansas, 128-43 in fifth season overall)

TEAM COMPARISON

Georgia Arkansas

76.1 Points for 74.4

75.1 Points against 67.5

+2.0 Rebound margin -6.6

-1.6 Turnover margin +4.7

44.7 FG pct. 43.9

30.0 3-pt pct. 32.3

70.2 FT pct. 73.1

CHALK TALK Arkansas has a three-game winning streak against Georgia and is 6-1 in the teams' previous seven meetings. The Bulldogs' lone victory in that stretch was 76-73 in overtime at home on Jan. 23, 2016. ... Arkansas sophomore guard Isaiah Joe is averaging 21.5 points in his two games back from knee surgery. ... Razorbacks guard Mason Jones is averaging 22.1 points in SEC games. ... Arkansas is 6-9 all-time at Georgia. ... The Bulldogs are 11-4 at home this season, including 3-4 in SEC play. ... Arkansas is 4-6 in road games. ... The Bulldogs are 5-3 in games decided by four or fewer points. ... Arkansas is 4-6 in games decided by four or fewer points or that went into overtime.

Sports on 02/29/2020