I’ve watched Georgia basketball for 30 years and the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament only eight times.
That is sad.
For the first time in a decade, though, the Bulldogs are headed back to the Big Dance, and I am excited.
I won’t lie. A few weeks ago, I wrote off Georgia and head coach Mike White after a four-game losing streak that followed victories over Kentucky and Oklahoma, two ranked opponents. I was ready for Athletic Director Josh Brooks to move on from White, but things changed quickly for the Bulldogs over the last few weeks.
Georgia was underperforming, and the criticism was warranted, but White and the team turned things around. Although the Bulldogs still struggled in the final 11 games of the regular season, they won six of them. They also won four in a row heading into the SEC Tournament, including a victory over No. 3 Florida.
White shortened his bench, and players such as Asa Newell, Tyrin Lawrence (a former Morgan County standout), Silas Demary Jr., Blue Cain, and Dylan James got hot. Georgia executed on offense by making shots and limiting turnovers, and the Bulldogs played better defensively. They began to peak at the right time.
On Sunday, Georgia (20-12) learned it will be the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region of this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs will face powerhouse and No. 8 seed Gonzaga (25-8) in the first round on Thursday.
That’s a heck of a matchup for Georgia in the opening round. The Bulldogs from Spokane are coached by legend Mark Few, who has led them to nine straight Sweet 16 appearances. That’s an NCAA Tournament record.
This isn’t the Gonzaga of old, but Few still coaches the Bulldogs of Spokane so that this matchup will be tough for Georgia. Nevertheless, I think the Bulldogs of Athens are battle-tested, having played a brutal SEC schedule.
The SEC has four of the top eight seeds and a record 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament, so I like Georgia’s chances. The Bulldogs also had some big wins over the Gators, Sooners, Wildcats, and Texas.
Georgia also beat No. 2 seed St. John’s, one of the best teams in the country, in the non-conference part of its schedule, so I like the Bulldogs over Gonzaga. They just need to keep playing their brand of basketball.