ATHENS — Georgia basketball will tip off against Wake Forest on Friday night intent on responded and defending its home court, per team leader Jabri Abdur-Rahim.

The Bulldogs are a 2-point favorite over the Demon Deacons to do just that at 7 p.m. in Stegeman Coliseum (TV: SEC Network) and even their season record at 1-1.

It’s a Georgia team that had the benefit of a 10-day trip to Italy last summer, where they played international competition and had the chance to learn one another better.

Still, second-year coach Mike White said the Bulldogs are trying to sort things out as they look to avenge last season’s 81-71 loss to the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“We’re playing big and we’re playing small, you’re playing freshman guards, and you’re playing veteran guards,” White said.

“It’s a process every team in the country is going through, especially the teams that have got nine new players like we do.”

Oregon exposed Georgia’s rebounding deficiencies in an 82-71 win over the Bulldogs in Las Vegas on Monday, out-rebounding UGA 63-41.

“I think the glaring thing was we just got outrebounded, so we’ve got to be a little tougher on that end,” said Abdur-Rahim, who led Georgia with 18 points in the loss to the Ducks.

“(Friday) is all about responding, defending home court, and taking the positive and the negative and learning from it and then implementing it.”

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