Georgia Basketball NCAA Seeding: March Imagination
Georgia basketball is part of March Madness, finally, and it’s time for the Bulldog Nation to indulge in a little March Imagination about NCAA seeding.
More from Georgia Basketball
- Georgia Lady Bulldogs all-time round-by-round record in NCAA Women’s Tournament
- March Madness schedule: When do the Georgia Lady Bulldogs play next?
- Georgia basketball may have lost SEC tourney opener, but optimism for future remains
- Georgia basketball: One quick thing about the SEC Tournament
- Is Georgia basketball gonna make it to March Madness?
The Georgia basketball team has all but crawled into an NCAA Tourney berth. With only two regular season games remaining, barring an upset of Kentucky, the Dawgs appear locked into an eight or nine seed to open the first round and a dreaded second round match up with a number one seed.
Climbing to a seventh seed requires SEC Tournament sizzle by the Bulldogs and season ending fizzle by a projected seventh seed.
Is there a team that could stumble enough to open the door to a higher seed for the Dawgs?
Let’s have some imagination fun and outline the possibility.
If the Bulldogs can finish the season 1-1 and play into the SEC Tournament Championship game, Bulldog Bracketologists should keep an eye on Ohio State. Today, the Buckeyes are the most vulnerable of the teams predicted as seventh or eighth seeds.
While Ohio State enjoys a 36 ranked RPI, its strength of schedule comes in at 77 and the Buckeyes project a season ending 42 RPI. The Dawgs project to enter the NCAA Tourney with a 35 RPI.
Feb 28, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard J.J. Frazier (30) scores a basket against the Missouri Tigers during the game at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Missouri 68-44. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Like Georgia, Ohio State has two regular season games remaining with one at home against a powerhouse, Wisconsin, and one on the road against the second worst team in the conference, Penn State. An upset by Penn State Wednesday night would keep a seventh seed in play for the Bulldogs. If Ohio State wins, ink the Dawgs in at the eight or nine spot.
Ohio State now owns the sixth seed in the Big Ten Tournament. But if Ohio State drops the last two games of the season, they fall to the Big Ten eighth seed and lose the opportunity to play one of the four worst teams in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes would instead play Michigan or Minnesota. Minnesota forced Ohio State to overtime during the season. Ohio State must lose the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament to for a three game losing streak.
All the while, Georgia must play into the SEC Championship game. Unless Georgia beats Kentucky or, unless Ole Miss collapses against Alabama or Vanderbilt, Georgia will be an SEC Tourney sixth and avoid Kentucky until the Championship game, making a run to the SEC semis a possibility.
Georgia as an NCAA seventh seed may be more March Delusion than March Madness, but keep an eye on that Ohio State score Wednesday night just for fun.
Next: New mock Up Football Helmets: Good for Field or Conversation?