Welcome to the Bulldawg Illustrated Hoops Report. It’s like an IV drip that’s behind the pain. And right now it’s painful for UGA hoops fans. After an agonizing 61-60 loss to A&M, the Dawgs play Tennessee on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Knoxville in a game that means nothing for the Dawgs and may mean everything for UT. Auburn is nowhere near as good as they’ve played and they’ve lost three out of their last four. UT, who’s probably the best team in the SEC, is now tied for first. Auburn plays at 3:30. If they win, UT locked in as the two seed in the SEC tournament. If the War Tigers drop another, UT is playing for the number one. The last time they were the number one seed, I wonder who their coach was? Maybe Auburn’s new coach? But I digress … this isn’t SEC trivia hour, after all.

Anyway, the Dawgs sit at 7-10 in the SEC. They have some really good wins, but they’ve also have some head scratching losses. In my opinion, if the Dawgs don’t win the SEC Tournament to slide in the Big Dance, Coach Fox will be fired. He’s been very unlucky most of his career.

Last year was the perfect example. UGA was the only team in the SEC that got stuck playing Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina twice. Those three teams were 38% of the SEC. And the Dawgs were still only one game away from making the NCAA Tourney. Last year also snapped a steak of three straight 20 win season. We won 19.

But for whatever reason, we’ve still not consistently been going to the tournament and that needs to change. If Coach Fox can’t make it happen, someone else needs to. Unfortunately, it appears Coach Fox has done things right. He’s not bent rules or paid players like numerous other programs have done. So the recruiting playing field is being leveled. However, two trips to the Tournament in his first eight years isn’t enough for the thousands that don’t follow the program. But they seem to know best.

So look at Saturday as a tune-up game. The Dawgs will be getting ready for the SEC Tournament in St. Louis that begins next Wednesday. We will be loose and trying to make it six straight versus the Vols. While it may not matter, I’ll be watching. If the Dawgs were to win this one and then three in the SEC Tourney, how do you leave them out? That’s a discussion for next week. For now, let’s just beat the Hillbillies. Go Dawgs!!