Georgia basketball was in a unique position entering their regular season finale on Saturday against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs already clinched an NCAA Tournament bid after beating highly ranked Alabama earlier in the week, so at this point all that was left to do was prepare for the Big Dance.
Georgia however did something on Saturday in their win over Mississippi State which has Mike White looking more and more like Kirby Smart.
Making history 🗣️#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/Ym9BBKWsYS
— Georgia Basketball (@UGABasketball) March 8, 2026
Mike White and Georgia set a program record after latest victory
Georgia took down Mississippi State 102-96 on Saturday. This win gave the Bulldogs a final regular season record of 22-9 which is the most regular season wins in program history.
Sure this record is nothing like what Smart does with the football program, but the second Smart arrived on campus he took Georgia's program to levels they hadn't reached in decades. That is now what White is doing for the basketball program who was in desperate need of success.
White took Georgia back to the NCAA Tournament last year after a 10 year hiatus. Now Georgia will hear their named called on Selection Sunday for the second year in a row which hasn't been done since the early 2000s.
Georgia's next hurdle is the biggest obstacle yet
The next step is for Georgia to win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament as they were bounced in the first round last year. But there is something special about this year's squad, and after setting a program record during the regular season it wouldn't be surprising to see them rattle off a few wins.
Up next for Georgia is the SEC tournament where they are the 7-seed. They thankfully don't have to win any games to get into the NCAA Tournament, but the opportunity to win a championship is too good for this team to pass up.
Georgia's first game in the SEC tournament is scheduled for 7:00 pm EST on Thursday, March 12. They will face the winner of the first round matchup between Ole Miss and Texas, and if Georgia wins they will face 2-seed Alabama on Friday.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the season though, White has proven to be the perfect coach for the program. And if he keeps coaching at a high level like Smart then the future of the program will remain bright.