Georgia didn’t just keep two guards this offseason. It kept two voices.
Blue Cain and Marcus “Smurf” Millender both had chances to leave Athens, but each decided to stay put and finish their senior years with the Bulldogs after helping guide the program to the NCAA tournament last season. Georgia coach Mike White said both players were offered “ very lucrative options at other places,” yet neither budged.
That decision mattered. Cain and Millender played in all 33 games last season and ranked among Georgia’s top scorers, trailing only Jeremiah Wilkinson, who is now at Arkansas. For a team trying to build on back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, holding onto that kind of production and experience is a major win.
Cain said the choice came down to trust and comfort. He summed it up with, “the grass just always isn’t even greener,” and added that Georgia has treated him well over his four years in Athens, so staying felt like the right move.
Millender’s path is a little different. After transferring from UT-San Antonio last season, he got his first real taste of SEC basketball and now wants another run at it. This time, he’ll also have family alongside him, with his older broth Kemauri “Kemo” Millender joining the program after transferring from New Mexico Junior College.
White has noticed both guards taking on bigger leadership roles this summer and into preseason work. He said, “Smurf and Blue, who’ve done a great job, both of whom have elevated their voices and how often they’re leading not only by example but more importantly they’re speaking up a little bit,” White said. “It’s a pretty loud gym.”
The competition between them has become part of the team’s daily rhythm. White said there are days when each guard acts like the practice belongs to him, and that tug-of-war has turned into a positive.
“Smurf thinks it’s his team. I think certain days Blue thinks it’s his team, and that’s a good thing,” White said. “And those guys get along really well, and they play well off of each other really well.”
That bond started soon after Millender arrived. Cain helped him settle in, and Millender said the relationship has grown because both players have been able to learn from one another.
“Me coming in and learning from him has been good,” Millender said. “But even me teaching him things has been good too.”
Cain put it in simpler terms.
“Just continuing to work together on the same team,” Cain said. Just the mutual respect we have for each other. I feel like it helps that a lot.
Both guards have also been praised for how vocal they’ve been during summer workouts and early preseason practices. Millender said that’s part of his job as a senior.
“Personally, leading by example, being a leader. I mean, being a senior and being here from last year,” Millender said. “I just want to lead by example and lead the young guys that don’t really know too much.”
For him, though, the goal goes beyond simply making the NCAA tournament again. Georgia wants more than a bid.
“It’s the standard,” Millender said. “It’s the standard, but not only to get to the tournament, but it’s (also) to advance and go far in the tournament.”
In Other News...
Five-Star Kellan Hall Just Gave Georgia Fans A Reason To Watch
Five-star recruit Kellan Hall is back on the road this week, and Georgia will get an important in-person look as he visits Athens during the Bulldogs game against Oklahoma. Hall has already drawn plenty of attention on the recruiting trail, and while Oklahoma has long been viewed as the predicted landing spot, he remains uncommitted and has kept Georgia in his top 10.
The timing of the visit makes it especially notable for Georgia fans, since it comes with the Sooners in town and adds another layer to a high-profile matchup. Even with Oklahoma still considered the favorite, Halls presence in Athens gives Georgia a real chance to make a late impression, and it keeps his recruitment very much worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia's Biggest Edge Vs Oklahoma Just Got More Important
Oklahoma is heading into its matchup with Georgia already dealing with issues up front, and those problems only sharpen the focus on where this game could be won or lost. Brent Venables confirmed that left tackle Michael Fasusi is out and defensive tackle David Stone is questionable, a development that puts even more pressure on a Sooners team trying to withstand one of the SECs most physical fronts.
Venables framed the meeting as the kind of game where line play matters as much as anything else, and that is exactly why Georgia will view this as a chance to lean on its size and depth. With the Sooners preparing for a difficult night and a few key pieces uncertain, the Bulldogs biggest edge now looks even more significant than it did at the start of the week. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Protgs Face A Weekend That Could Change Everything
Kirby Smarts coaching tree has become one of the more interesting branches in college football, with four former assistants now leading programs at Power Four or Group of Six schools. The most prominent names in that group are Dan Lanning at Oregon and Shane Beamer at South Carolina, and both are entering a weekend that could say a lot about where their programs are headed. Lanning has built a strong overall record in Eugene, but the standard there is no longer just winning enough to stay relevant.
The bigger question is whether he can deliver in the games that define a season, especially after a recent upset loss sharpened the scrutiny around Oregons playoff path. Beamers situation is even more delicate, with recruiting momentum on his side but no 10-win season or bowl victory yet to point to, and his security has been clouded by recent losses. South Carolinas matchup with Alabama now looms as a pivotal one, the kind of game that can quiet doubts for a while or turn them up all the way. [Read more 🡒]