Welcome to the Bulldawg Illustrated Hoops Report for UGA basketball. It’s like looking for winning lottery tickets in the convenient store parking lot. You’re odds aren’t good, but you’re giving yourself a chance.
 
 
And that’s where the Dawgs are right now. They’re giving themselves a chance. For the first time all year they’re playing up to their potential and riding a modest three game win streak. While we’re hot at the right time of the year, we’ve put ourselves behind the eight ball. And though I don’t think UGA has to win the SEC Tournament to make the Big Dance, they do need to win at least three games. But there’s no reason to talk about three at present. We need to focus solely on one game.
 
 
We will play Miss St on Thursday night around 9:30. Georgia has better talent and beat them earlier this year in Starkville by nine. The Dawgs were catching five that night. If we played them 100 times, we win around 65 of them and hold them under 70 at an even higher rate. Our defense has been solid all year evidenced by given up fewer points on the season than anyone else in the SEC. So let’s make that our primary focus and then concentrate on the 60/15 rule. If Kenny Gaines, Charles Mann, JJ Frazier, and Yante Maten can put up 60 and the rest of the team can score 15, I like our chances against anyone. However, free throws and turnovers have plagued us all year and they are big equalizers. If we throw it away and/or miss FTs, then we’ve lost any advantage we had. The big money in Vegas is siding with the Dawgs right now. Let’s hope that bodes well.
 
 
Speaking of Vegas, the Dawgs are 40-1 to win the SEC. What’s remarkable is UF is 12-1 but most of the big money is picking Arky to beat them tomorrow night. I’ve said all year I don’t think UF is that good and losing to them at home may cost us a dance card. Anyway, back to Nashville. The good news again is we don’t have to win it. The Dawgs need at least three wins. If they do that, I think they deserve to be in. But again, let’s not look too far ahead. Let’s get it done tonight and then go from there. Go Dawgs!!!