By John Frierson
Staff Writer

Blue Cain isn’t going to wear his Georgia men’s basketball teammates out with excessive yelling or theatrics. That’s not who he is. As one of the most experienced Bulldogs on the roster, Cain knows it’s time for him to lead — but the mostly quiet and reserved junior guard has to do it his way.

“I wouldn’t say I really like it or dislike it, but it’s definitely the role that I have to grow into,” Cain said Monday. “I think every day I’m just trying to do it and just trying to be an extension of the coaching staff.”

Cain is one of seven Georgia players back from last season’s squad that reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade. That team was led by true freshman standout Asa Newell, who was the 23rd pick in June’s NBA Draft, and sophomore point guard Silas Demary Jr., who transferred to UConn. Newell and Demary were the team’s leading scorers, and combined to average 28.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

Among the returning Bulldogs, Cain’s 9.6 points per game average is the highest. Somtochukwu Cyril, the 6-11 center, averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14.0 minutes a game off the bench last season. Dylan James, the 6-9 junior who started eight games, averaged 3.2 points (shooting 10 of 25 from 3-point range) and 2.2 rebounds. Another returner, Justin Abson, a 6-9 forward who averaged 2.2 points and 2.1 rebounds, helped the Jamaica National Team advance through the FIBA Americas World Cup pre-qualifying tournament last month.

For Cain, a lot of this offseason has been about working on his leadership — the same goes for James — and working on playing harder every second he’s on the floor.

“You feel like you’re playing hard out there, but you can always play harder,” Cain said. “I’ve worked on just constantly playing harder in every aspect of the game. …. We’ve been focusing on conditioning a lot this summer. Conditioning, mental toughness, all that stuff — it all ties into it.”

When he met with the media Monday, Georgia coach Mike White said competition has been a big part of the team’s offseason program.

“We’re in a good spot. We got a lot done this summer. June and July were really productive for us. We rolled the dice a little bit with a lot of competition this summer, which we started when we went to Italy a couple summers ago and kind of stuck with it. And we were able to stay pretty healthy,” White said. “We got a lot done offensively and defensively. Really hard-working group.”

White said Cain and Jake Wilkins, a 6-9 freshman forward, “have had really good battles in practice.” Wilkins is the son of Georgia legend Dominique Wilkins, and he’s one of three true freshmen on a roster that also includes four sophomores, six juniors, and two seniors. 

Cain said learning to lead well comes down to each individual player. Not everyone can be led the same way.

“I’m talking to my teammates, seeing what they like, and seeing how each guy responds,” he said. “Some guys, you can’t just call them out in front of the whole team — you’ve got to talk to them privately. Some other guys don’t mind being called out in front of the whole team. I’m also talking to the coaching staff in terms of what they want to see.”

Speaking of Cain and James, White said those two “have made big jumps” and are good “culture guys that we’re really proud of their growth and development.”

In the era of the transfer portal, with so many players all over college sports on the move after every season, either in pursuit of more playing time or more opportunities to earn money, Cain has stayed committed to Georgia. The reason why is simple, he said.

“I really do value loyalty,” he said. “I feel like the staff has been nothing but loyal to me, and in today’s landscape, it’s hard, but I really do value loyalty, so I just want to reciprocate the loyalty that they gave me.”

Cain said the best thing about playing for White, who is entering his fourth season leading the Bulldogs, is his consistency.

“He’s the same dude every day. He really is,” Cain said. “Whether you win or you lose, he’s going to come in with a lot of energy. He’s just a great guy.”

James described Cain much the same way.

“Blue’s the same around everybody. He’s real chill, real mellow; he doesn’t say too much, but he speaks when spoken to. He’s a great dude and a great teammate,” James said. “He’s also dealing with the same thing I am, with stepping into the leadership role. We’re dealing with the same stuff and we’re able to lean on each other in terms of that, and bounce ideas off each other.”

Georgia brought in five transfers after last season, all of whom have started at least 14 games in their careers and played at least 31. The most prolific scorers at their previous stops are Jeremiah Wilkinson, who averaged 15.1 points per game at Cal as a freshman last season, and Marcus “Smurf” Millender, who scored 14.9 as a sophomore last season at UTSA.

That’s a lot of new pieces to bring together, but that’s nothing new for coaches these days.

“It’s about growth every day in this program,” White said.

And that goes for everyone, from the freshmen who haven’t yet played their first game, to the veterans like Cain who are trying to take their games and the team to the next level.

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.