Georgia guards Blue Cain and Marcus “Smurf” Millender stayed in Athens despite transfer interest, choosing to finish things out with the program they guided to the NCAA tournament last season.

Georgia coach Mike White said both were offered “very lucrative options at other places,” but they chose to stick things out for their senior years.

Each had goals of continuing to build on the program’s recent accomplishments, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Being able to keep both players was a huge win for Georgia. Cain and Millender appeared in all 33 games and were two of UGA’s top scorers, only behind Jeremiah Wilkinson — now at Arkansas.

The two had their reasons for choosing to stay; for Cain, he simply put it, “the grass just always isn’t even greener,” and would go on to add that Georgia has treated him well over his four years here, so it would only be right to stay put.

As for Millender, he got his first taste of SEC basketball after transferring from UT-San Antonio last season. He wants off that this coming season.

Millender will also get the chance to team up with his older broth Kemauri “Kemo” Millender, who transferred over from New Mexico Junior College.

“Smurf and Blue, who’ve done a great job, both of whom have elevated their voices and how often they’re leading not only by example but more importantly they’re speaking up a little bit,” White said. “It’s a pretty loud gym.”

White explained that there are plenty of days each one has taken command of practices and made it their team, oftentimes leading to friendly arguments of who is in control.

“Smurf thinks it’s his team. I think certain days Blue thinks it’s his team, and that’s a good thing,” White said. “And those guys get along really well, and they play well off of each other really well.”

That respect level the two share has helped raise each other’s games. Millender said their relationship began shortly after he arrived, when Cain helped show him the ropes. It gave Millender the confidence he needed to get to where he is now, returning the favor with pointers of his own.

“Me coming in and learning from him has been good,” Millender said. “But even me teaching him things has been good too.”

Cain echoed a similar sentiment.

“Just continuing to work together on the same team,” Cain said. Just the mutual respect we have for each other. I feel like it helps that a lot.”

Throughout summer workouts and early preseason practices, the duo has been complimented multiple times on how vocal they have been.

“Personally, leading by example, being a leader. I mean, being a senior and being here from last year,” Millender said. “I just want to lead by example and lead the young guys that don’t really know too much.”

Both are key contributors to this newly built standard set at Georgia, with the expectation now of not only making the tournament, but competing and winning games too.

“It’s the standard,” Millender said. “It’s the standard, but not only to get to the tournament, but it’s (also) to advance and go far in the tournament.”