[su_spacer size=”40″] Welcome to the Bulldawg Illustrated Hoops Report: Georgia vs Baylor. It’s like a swift kick to the groin. And that’s exactly what the Dawgs got on Tuesday night losing a heartbreaker 89-85 to LSU. The Dawgs had a chance to win the game, but decided they would try to take it to overtime. That was an odd move since we had watch three major contributors foul out and three more guys had four fouls. It didn’t matter either way though as E’Torrion Wilridge’s 10 footer clanked off the back iron and we suffered another demoralizing loss in Baton Rogue for the second year in a row. By the way, they shot 55 FTs and we shot 24. That was obviously by design. Let’s call it the Ben Simmons factor. The problem is that we’ve now lost to two teams that are on the bubble. So if we fight our way back into NCAA consideration, Ole Miss and LSU currently hold the tiebreaker. However, that can obviously change if you beat Ole Miss at home next month or LSU in the conference tourney. However, the Dawgs missed another opportunity to get a quality road win.

[su_spacer size=”40″] However, they don’t have to wait long to get another. We go to Waco, TX to face Baylor tonight at 6 pm on The Deuce. Baylor is ranked around 17 in the country and are tough at home. While the LSU loss was bigger since it was with the conference, this is pretty big as well. Win this game and you have a major quality road win to tout in March. Usually at this point, we’d talk about LSU and then Baylor. However, we need to mix things up so let’s talk big picture.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Dawgs are 11-7 overall and 4-4 in conference. They don’t have any bad losses. The closest thing to a bad loss would be K State at home. They’re 12-8 and we should’ve won. However, still not a bad loss. So here’s my thinking. If we beat Baylor, we would need at least 10 conference wins and then one or two SEC tourney wins. If we lose to Baylor, we’d probably need 12 conference wins and one or two Ws in the conference tourney. The thing that has puzzled me the last few years is the tournament is not giving credit for how you’re playing in February and March. If we close the SEC going 7-3, that means we got hot. You’d think that meant we go ahead of a team that may have one more win, but limped down the stretch. It’s not really played out like that. There is some good news. Looking at UGA’s remaining SEC schedule, there are three games that are being played in an arena that UGA historically struggles. Those three are UK, Vandy, and South Carolina. However, all three games are winnable. All of our home games are definitely winnable. So the Dawgs have a chance to finish strong. Let’s now analyze what needs to go down for that to happen.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Right now JJ Frazier is playing lights out. Yante Maten has been outstanding about 90% of the time. Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines, our two All-SEC first teamers, have been good about half the time. We have to have those four every night. I’ve said all year if we get 60 from those four and 15-20 from everyone else, we should win enough games to make the tournament. Well that’s happening a lot of the time. Unfortunately, the second thing I said is Mann and the team need to shoot over 70% from the line. They’re at 67% and 68% respectively. Those one or two missed FTs per game is what’s costing us. I’ve giving up complaining about turnovers. It never seems to change so we have to overcome it by creating some TOs.
[su_spacer size=”40″] One pass, one shot, one game, or one stretch of games can change a season. If Moody doesn’t walk and score in Oxford and/or Wilridge hits the wide open three in Baton Rogue, this season looks a lot different right now. However, if my auto had a doodle she’d be my uncle. So we can’t cry about that. We need to beat Baylor and then see what the future has to offer. Baylor’s good and they’re ranked for a reason. But we have four guys that should be as good as any four starters in the country. Hopefully, they all four show up Saturday and this train gets back on the tracks. Go Dawgs!
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