Georgetown vs  Illinois Preview
Channel: Click
Date: 2018-11-14

CHAMPAIGN — Giorgi Bezhanishvili is 2 for 2 in his still-brief Illinois basketball career. That's 2 for 2 on "Giorgi!" chants from the State Farm Center crowd during the Illini's exhibition win against Illinois Wesleyan and their season opener against Evansville.

Whether it's the three-pointers he hits — acknowledged by kissing his fingers and pointing skyward — or the tenacity he's shown in the post, the Illinois freshman has the Illini fans' attention. It's coming on campus, too, in addition to gameday.

"That's always kind of been my thing," Bezhanishvili said. "I'm really a simple person. I give my energy to people, and people give energy back. (The fans) help us. They bring energy to the team, too. I've always been a guy like that. That's just me."

Bezhanishvili will have a special fan at State Farm Center for today's 7:30 p.m. showdown with Georgetown in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. His mom, Lali, arrived from Austria on Sunday and will see her son play in person for the first time in nearly two years.

"That's extra support for me," Bezhanishvili said. "Especially for our family, energy is a big thing. My mom gives me that extra energy."

Believe it or not, Bezhanishvili said he was actually feeling some nerves before the Evansville game. Those passed quickly, though, and his focus narrowed to having fun and winning.

"I had fun and we won, so we're good," he said with a laugh.

Thursday was also Bezhanishvili's first postgame press conference.

"I came in and saw all you guys watching," he said. "It was funny for me. For a guy like me, that was a huge accomplishment to have a huge press conference. I just laughed. I expressed my emotion. it was fun. Hopefully, I have another press conference."

Bezhanishvili is also 2 for 2 on technical fouls in Illinois exhibition and season opener. He understands he has to control himself a little more with bigger games on the Illini schedule starting today, but he's also working off a directive the Illinois coaching staff gives all its players to be themselves.

"They always tell us, 'Just be yourself on the court. Do what we do, but be yourself and have fun,' " Bezhanishvili said. "Once you play freely, you can play well. Once you're yourself, that's how you give your best and just play the game."

Bezhanishvili will need to put his energy to good use against Georgetown. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Illini freshman didn't get his first true big man challenge against Evansville with Purple Aces' forward Dainius Chatkevicius serving the first game of a three-game suspension in Thursday's game. The Hoyas — senior center Jessie Govan in particular — will provide that challenge today.

"Giorgi's a smart, intellectual player," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "He's got to make sure that he makes (Govan's) touches hard and yet understand that he can't get frustrated when he does score. He's going to make some baskets."