(Photo by John Kelley)
Welcome to the Bulldawg Illustrated Hoops report. It’s like not looking a gift horse in the mouth. The Dawgs were given a gift last Saturday night with some surprising losses and there’s no reason to check the teeth on this nag. Let’s just take advantage of it. I firmly believe we are in the Big Dance at present. As of Thursday evening, this team is most likely a #8 seed and we have a 78% chance of making the NCAA. However, that number was 85% on Wednesday. The reason it’s dropped without us playing are conference tourney upsets. Teams that wouldn’t get an at-large bid are beating teams that most likely will. Thus, spots are possibly going to get eaten up and we’re losing ground. So let’s try to use that #3 seed and make a little run. Getting the #8/9 is obviously a rough draw because the winner faces a #1 seed in the next round. While that was a perfect seeding for the Dawgs in 1996 when we started as a #8 and came one lucky three pointer away from the Elite 8, it’s generally a tough draw.
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On a side note, I bet a friend $100 straight up that year when the Dawgs were 3 under .500 in the SEC that we’d make the Sweet 16. That was a satisfying payday! But I digress. If the Dawgs could win two games in the SEC, I think we could jump to a #7. If we’re one and done, we’re a #9 or #10. As many folks are saying, a #10 for this team gives us a much better chance to make a move. While I think we can play with most teams, there are three or four teams that would really give us fits. I’m excluding UK from that list for two reasons. One, I don’t think they put an SEC team in that slot next to UK. Also, we’ve shown we can keep it ugly enough to play with them. But before we short circuit our brains with all the possibilities, let’s talk South Carolina.
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Obviously, we know a lot about our next opponent because we’ve lost to them twice. They’ve got two good scorers and a good coach. The good thing is they have to be a little tired. The bad thing is they can’t play half as bad as they did against Ole Miss. I talked to a knowledgeable UGA hoops fan today who said he’d rather see us play Ole Miss because a loss to them wouldn’t be frowned upon as bad compared to three to The Lamecocks. However, this bright side is this knocks down the ladder as well as I’m sure our guys are ready to redeem themselves. South Carolina played a great game at home and won. We never had a chance. If they do that again, we have problems. In our home game, we played really bad and still had a chance. The key to beating them is solid defense. We can’t let them get hot and we’ve got to win the 50/50 balls. If we show up and play our game, we should win. Also, we need a fast start. No reason to play from behind. They’ll be tired and if we can keep them playing from behind, it will wear them out quicker. Plus, the committee wouldn’t put an SEC team next to UK, in my opinion.
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We’re in March. We’ve got something to cheer for. If you’re not excited about UGA Hoops, then you’re not a fan. If you’re not a fan, don’t gripe and complain. Just shut up and get out of our way. If you are a fan, Stand Up! I know Rise Up sounds better, but the low flying filthy birds beat us to the punch. While standing, get fired up as well and pop a cold beer. Let’s get another big time Friday night win in SEC action just like last year. This game is big, but it’s not the last game we’re playing this year. While a loss will be demoralizing, it won’t be a back breaker. So keep that in mind. However, a win puts us in position for a matchup between Arkansas and Tennessee. Both of those teams are beatable. I’m going into this with a very positive outlook. I think it will be time a cold beer around 6:30 or 7 Friday night. Then time for 12 more throughout the evening. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity. March is here and the madness is just beginning. Go Dawgs!
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