Now Felton gets a chance to see if he can slow down the SEC's leading scorer (25.9 points per game) when his Bulldogs host Kentucky on Sunday. Felton prides himself on physical play and defense, two reasons Georgia upset the Wildcats in last year's SEC Tournament.
Meeks is shooting 48 percent from the field overall, including 44 percent from 3-point range, and is at 91.3 percent at the foul line, where he has made his last 34 shots.
"I am actually chomping at the bit to watch, especially that Tennessee game, to see what went into Jodie going 10-for-15 from 3-point range and getting to free-throw line 14 times. I can't wait to watch it and see how and why all that occurred the way it did," Felton said.
"Sure we are looking forward to playing Kentucky. It is Kentucky. They are a big rivalry of ours. It is always a big game. We are always really excited about the opportunity to compete against people. We want to hang our hat on making it difficult for the other team to score."
'That is not going to be his last great night'
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said stopping Meeks was impossible for the Volunteers, who watched him go 15-for-22 from the field and 14-for-14 at the foul line.
"I think I am always one for tipping my hat to a great player. That is not going to be his last great night. When you set the all-time (scoring) record at Kentucky and do it at a place like Tennessee, it is pretty special," Pearl said.
"I would take nothing away from him or his team for getting him the looks he got, but it is a fact we struggle with perimeter defense."
Still, Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie said it was "unbelievable" that Meeks scored 54 points taking only 22 shots and with few plays designed specifically for him.
"It was just a great individual performance. We did a few things to help him get a couple of shots, but he just made it happen," Gillispie said.
"He is a very difficult player to keep from catching the ball. Once he does catch it, he drives the ball so well. If you don't get too close to him, he will jump up and shoot. There was not much designing (of plays) going on. It was just a great individual performance."
That was the sentiment of other SEC coaches as well.
"Any time somebody does that, you have to take your hat off to them," said South Carolina coach Darrin Horn, a Kentucky native. "What an unbelievable individual performance. It was just one of those special nights. I would find it hard to believe that Tennessee did nothing to guard him.
"It was great individual performance, but one that comes when a team performs well. I was most impressed by the way his team reacted to him when the buzzer went off. You can see a guy get 54 and his teammates not be too happy about it, but that said a lot about him and the team as well."
"For a guy to do that is just incredible. Sometimes you just give credit where credit is due,"a said Florida coach Billy Donovan, a former UK assistant. "Meeks is a good player. He went through injuries last year, but he's been through the league. His performance will be one to remember for the rest of his life."
