Mike White addresses Marcus 'Smurf' Millender going for a layup down three in final overtime seconds

On Wednesday, Georgia suffered its second consecutive loss, falling 86-85 in overtime to Tennessee. The Bulldogs had a chance to force double overtime on their final possession of the game.

Georgia trailed Tennessee by three points with 15 seconds remaining in the game. The Bulldogs searched for a three-pointer, but UGA guard Marcus “Smurf” Millender ultimately settled for a wide-open layup.

Unfortunately for Millender, the layup was far too late. He converted the basket with only 0.6 seconds remaining in the game, and Georgia didn’t receive another opportunity to score. After the game, Georgia head coach Mike White revealed his message to Millender and the team.

“I didn’t even talk to him about it. I know Smurf was as down as anybody in the locker room after the game,” White said. “I told all these guys, I thought Smurf played as well as anybody on our team tonight. Everyone in our locker room made mistakes during that game, including myself. We preach growth every day.

“If we had a quick two with Blue Cain getting downhill, we would have taken it in some time. It’s big moments. It’s young people, right? I know late in games, with the clock running down, he’s made probably a dozen huge positive plays for our program, so I thought he was really good tonight. We’ve got to execute down the stretch a little bit better, of course, but I believe in Smurf.”

With the loss, Georgia fell to 4-4 in conference play. While Millender made a mistake on the final play of the game, the loss wasn’t his sole responsibility. In fact, Millender had an impressive showing, tallying 19 points and four assists on 8-10 shooting from the field.

Georgia’s rebounding was to blame for its loss. In the contest, Tennessee stockpiled 26 offensive rebounds, while Georgia recorded just seven. In turn, the Volunteers scored six times more second-chance points than the Bulldogs.

With more difficult games ahead in conference play, White knows his team must bounce back. Moreover, he’s confident Millender will play a key role in Georgia getting back in the win column.

“I love him. I love coaching him. He brings it every day,” White said of Millender. “He’s probably our hardest worker. He’s starting to lead a little bit. He’s grown a lot, too.

“… He’s just, as a junior, he’s defending and competing at a higher level. Coming off the bench, it doesn’t matter to him. He’s got no ego. He’ll be in the gym at eight tomorrow morning. I guarantee it. He’s sturdy. He’s tough.”