For the first time since 2015, Georgia is headed to the NCAA Tournament. A drought in March Madness dating back to 2002, the Hoop Dawgs will look to snap the streak on Thursday against No. 8 seed Gonzaga.
During Sunday’s NCAA Tournament selection show, Georgia was selected as a No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region of the bracket. This seeding left the Dawgs to face the Bulldogs of Gonzaga in Wichita, KS. The Bulldogs from the West Coast enter the NCAA tournament with a record of 25-8 (14-4, WCC) and are coming off a West Coast Conference Championship. Entering Sunday’s selection show, KenPom rated Gonzaga as the No. 9 team in the country. This ranking and Gonzaga’s five quad 1 wins to Georgia’s four proves that the round of 64 battle will be no easy test.
Georgia, coming off a disappointing SEC tournament exit to NCAA Tournament bound Oklahoma, lost a bit of momentum after closing out the regular season with a four-game win streak. Gonzaga is scoring 86.6 points per game, which is third best in the country. Fortunately, for the Dawgs they are strong-suited when it comes to defense, relying on their 5-man rotation of front court players to protect the rim.
If Georgia were to “upset” Gonzaga in the first round, they would either face a top-seeded Houston team or the No. 16 seeded Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Houston, who has been in this position the past few years, is also known for their tough defense which makes them a tough matchup for anyone. Despite statistics, rumors and hype, this is March, and anything can happen… Southern Illinois Edwardsville could take Houston out of the tournament, giving Georgia a better chance to make the coveted Sweet 16.
Georgia, showing resiliency, was once on a 2-9 stretch in SEC play and their tournament hopes were slipping away. But that fateful night in Stegeman Coliseum against No. 3 Florida changed everything for the Hoop Dawgs. Georgia ended up going on a four-game win streak to close out the regular season and finish 8-10 in conference play. These wins included two road wins, one against a tournament bound Texas team. This late season push from the Dawgs solidified their resume to be considered for the NCAA Tournament, despite the early loss in the SEC Tournament.
A resume solidified by consistent quad 1 opponents from the SEC, Georgia’s schedule included the most ranked matchups of anyone in the country. Some of those teams that Georgia beat in quad 1 were St. John’s, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Florida.
The Dawgs also have a resilient head coach in Mike White. Coach White was asked about the excitement surrounding the opportunity of playing in the tournament. “Great accomplishment for our program and this team,” said White. “Georgia is Dancing, we’ve got more basketball ahead of us so it’s a great day. We’re fired up and ready to get to work.”
White has brought the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years and has increased the win column number each year since 2022. He had this type of success at his previous coaching jobs, and he is looking to only improve each year at the helm of Georgia.
Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard are stars for the “other” Bulldogs. Ike, a battle-tested senior, is averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds a game. Nembhard is leading Gonzaga’s back court with nearly 10 assists and two steals per game.
Georgia has two stars of its own in Asa Newell and Silas Demary, Jr. Newell, who was selected on the SEC all-freshman team and is a projected first-round draft pick, is averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds a game. Demary, Jr. has been hot as of recent. Over the closing five-game stretch, Demary, Jr. has averaged 20 points and 4 rebounds.
Who will it be the Dawgs from the East or the Dogs from the West? It all comes down to Thursday, March 20.