
It was a tough 10-day stretch for the Hoop Dawgs from January 15-25 as Georgia fell to Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida; however, a get-right win in Stegeman Coliseum over South Carolina was a necessity. It was the mighty Crimson Tide that took down the Dawgs this past Saturday, but two home games this week can be the must win performances that push the Hoop Dawgs to the big dance…
Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and Alabama are four of the top six teams in the country. Losses were expected to the common fan, but the loss to Arkansas stings a little extra. With as large as a 15-point lead at one point, the Hoop Dawgs allowed the Razorbacks to come back in the second half and get their first SEC win of the season. That was a loss that felt like it couldn’t happen.
Despite Auburn coming to Athens as the No. 1 team in all the land, Georgia only lost by two and had ample opportunity to upset the Tigers. 45% shooting from the free throw line garnered the loss for the Hoop Dawgs, what seems to be a common theme for this 2025 campaign. It’s a fixable error of this team, and it must be repaired if Georgia wants to steal two wins this week over LSU on Wednesday night and No. 22 Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Following the matchup with LSU, the next five games Georgia faces are all ranked opponents as the standings look right now, including a rematch with Auburn at their place and a home rematch with Florida. With Mississippi State being the lowest ranked of the five, it seems like a must win. Following the five game hurdle, Georgia closes out the season at Texas, at South Carolina and in Athens vs. Vanderbilt.
Two wins this week puts the Dawgs at 5-6 in SEC play. Three wins to close out the season against those unranked league foes gives Georgia an 8-10 record in the conference. Despite being below .500, that win column would almost certainly guarantee Georgia a tournament bid. At 7-11, it’d be a nerve-racking bubble standing for the Hoop Dawgs.
It’s brutal in the SEC in 2025 as this is one of the best conferences in NCAA men’s basketball history top to bottom. With these must win games upcoming, the Hoop Dawgs need the Steg rocking, so be there early and be loud, Dawg Nation! Let’s get that ever-so-fleeting tournament bid back in Athens for the first time since 2015!