Georgia opens SEC play at Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI - Georgia tips off its annual 16-game SEC schedule with a Saturday afternoon game at Mississippi State. The visiting Bulldogs arrive with a 9-4 overall record. Most recently, they concluded their pre-conference schedule with a 79-72 win over in-state rival Georgia Tech in Athens three nights ago.

As it has for the past three weeks, Georgia continues to be led in scoring by junior guard Billy Humphrey. The product of Dacula, Ga., is averaging 14.2 points per game, coming off consecutive nights (24 vs. Gonzaga, 23 vs. Ga. Tech) in which he pumped in over 20 points. That's a personal "first" for the sharpshooting native Chicagoan (he moved to Dacula in the 9th grade.).

Humphrey has found offensive prosperity despite an ailing left knee that has dogged him throughout the season. An MRI exam earlier this week showed that he has "chondromalacia," commonly known as "runner's knee," a condition for which rest is the normal remedy.

Georgia begins its 16-game journey through the SEC at a venue that has yielded few positive results. Bulldog teams have won just once in Starkville (2002) since the league was pared into East & West divisions, a win that was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions. Aside from that game, Georgia's last taste of success there was a 3-game winning streak from 1989-91.

In these two teams' only meeting last year, Georgia posted a badly-needed 86-73 win on Feb. 24 in Athens. It was the Dogs' 17th win of the '07 season.