Georgia
Georgia attains highest AP Top 25 ranking since 2003, with Florida on deck
No. 18 Bulldogs bring 13-1 record into Tuesday night game against defending national champion Gators in Gainesville.
Georgia coach Mike White (right) talks with guard Jeremiah Wilkinson during the Bulldogs’ win against Cincinnati in a Holiday Hoopsgiving game Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Georgia won 84-65. (Jason Getz/AJC)
ATHENS — Georgia basketball is back on the map, ranked in the AP Top 25 for a third consecutive week for the first time in nearly 23 years.
The Bulldogs (13-1, 1-0 SEC) are ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25, up five spots from last week’s ranking, on the strength of a 104-100 overtime win over Auburn on Saturday.
It’s the highest Georgia has been ranked in the AP Top 25 poll since Jim Harrick coached the program and came in at No. 17 on Feb. 3, 2003 — the most recent season UGA has been ranked in the poll three or more consecutive weeks.
Unbeaten teams Arizona (14-0), Michigan (13-0) and Iowa State (14-0) hold the top three spots in this week’s AP Top 25, with UConn (14-1) and Purdue (13-1) rounding out the top five.
Vanderbilt (14-0, 1-0) is the SEC’s highest-ranked AP Top 25 team, coming in at No. 11, while Alabama (11-3, 1-0) is at No. 13, Arkansas (11-3, 1-0) is No. 15 and then No. 18 Georgia is the league’s fourth-highest-ranked team entering into this week’s games.
“Our guys have been so eager, probably like most teams in our league and throughout other leagues, at the highest level of college basketball,” UGA fourth-year coach Mike White said about the start of SEC play.
“We were playing a bunch of midmajors through the holidays, and you can’t let the moment be too big.”
Georgia’s schedule strength jumped from 298th to 231st with the win over Auburn, and it figures to get another boost when the Bulldogs play at Florida (9-5, 0-1) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
“Our confidence comes from within, we know what we have in our locker room,” said Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, a transfer from Cal who scored 31 in the win over Auburn and leads the Bulldogs with 18.3 points per game this season.
“We knew what we were capable of before coming into the (Auburn) game, and we told each other before the game: Let’s act like we’re supposed to win the game. Let’s act like we’re supposed to be here.”
Georgia leads the nation in scoring offense (99.4 points per game), fast-break points (27.0 per game) and blocked shots (8.0 per game).
The Gators, featuring preseason All-SEC players Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Boogie Fland, were the media’s preseason pick to win the league.
Georgia — which didn’t have a player picked on the first, second or third team — was picked to finish 14th in the SEC.
White, who coached Florida from 2015-2022, leading the Gators to four NCAA tournaments and an Elite Eight appearance in 2017, said Georgia is looking forward to the opportunity to play the defending national champion.
“We’ll fly around, we’ll play hard, we’ll be prepared,” White said. “This team has a pretty healthy level of intrinsic confidence, and you’ll need that to be competitive down there against a team that’s coming off a national championship.”
Georgia split with Florida last season, losing 89-59 in Gainesville, Florida, on Jan. 25 and then handing the Gators their last loss of the season, 88-83, on Feb. 25 in Athens.
“It’s nothing different than what we’ve just seen tonight (against Auburn),” said UGA guard Marcus “Smurf” Millender, who leads Georgia with 54 assists and a 40% 3-point shooting clip.
“They put their jerseys on like we put our jerseys on. We’re going to give them our best game and hope they bring it too.”
Florida fell out of the AP Top 25 poll this week after losing its SEC-opening game at Missouri 76-74 on Saturday and is among other teams still receiving votes.
Georgia has lost six consecutive games in Gainesville dating back to a 61-55 win on March 2, 2019, in Tom Crean’s first year leading the Bulldogs.
Georgia
Georgia prison fight leaves 3 prisoners dead – UPI.com
Jan. 12 (UPI) — A fight that broke out at a state prison in Georgia left three prisoners dead and 13 others hospitalized, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.
The violence took place Sunday and also injured a guard, though the extent of their injuries was unknown, WAGA-TV in Atlanta reported.
Sheriff Joel Cochran identified the three prisoners who died as Jimmy Lee Trammell, Ahmod Hatcher and Teddy Dwayne Jackson.
Cochran told WJBF-TV in Augusta that prisoners were fighting among themselves, sparking a larger riot at Washington County State Prison. It’s unclear what sparked the initial fight.
Corrections officials put the facility on lockdown during the incident, and the prison was deemed secure by 6 p.m.
Georgia
7 predictions for Georgia’s 2026 legislative session
Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.
Legislators in the House chambers as seen on Crossover Day at the Capitol in Atlanta on Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Natrice Miller/ AJC)
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Clay Fuller’s congressional campaign launches first digital ad.
- House Republicans highlight their “affordable” agenda.
- Jon Ossoff asks why Georgia is still waiting on some Helene aid.
Back in session
House lawmakers listened to debate on a bill last March at the Capitol in Atlanta. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
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Things to know
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens began his second term of office this month. (Jason Getz/AJC)
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- Former Macon-Bibb Commissioner Seth Clark launched his campaign for lieutenant governor today, making him the second Democrat to enter the race, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu reports.
- The AJC’s Riley Bunch writes about Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ goal of expanding MARTA into Cobb and Gwinnett counties, an ambitious plan that would require reversing half a century of opposition.
- Georgia is on track to receive about three-quarters of the $1.4 billion in rural health care grants it requested from the federal government, the AJC’s Ariel Hart reports.
Tread lightly
Gerald Pilgrim (front left) told reporters about the restoration process at the House of Representatives in Atlanta last Wednesday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC
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The new carpet installed at the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Atlanta. (Adam Beam/AJC)
Ad watch
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Listen up
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Affordability battle
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Under the Gold Dome

The Capitol in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)
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- 10 a.m.: House and Senate convene.
- 2 p.m.: House Health Committee meets to hear presentations from the Northside Cardiovascular Institute and the Children’s Care Network, among other groups.
Health care talks

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., is playing a role in health care discussions in the Senate. (Nathan Posner for the AJC)
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Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump meets at the White House with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He will also meet with Frank Siller, founder and CEO of Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
- The House returns for evening votes.
- The Senate will take a procedural vote tied to advancing three appropriations bills.
Helene relief
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is running for reelection in 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Sad news
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Shoutouts
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Before you go
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Georgia
Georgia loses another outside linebacker to the transfer portal
ATHENS — Gunner Stockton could be on the verge of taking a big jump in his quarterback skills this offseason, according to former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.
Mike Griffith
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