Georgia Basketball: One Tattoo Short of Twenty Wins

Clemson tried to turn Saturday’s game against the Dawgs into tag team wrestling match. That suited Georgia just fine as the Bulldogs cruised to a win. Vroom!

Related: Gaines Makes History

You keep needlin’ me, if I want to, I’m gonna take this joint apart – Johnny, The Wild One.

More from Georgia Basketball

The Georgia Basketball team is 6 – 3, including a two game run against ACC schools. The word should be out on these cagers: leave your inner thug in the locker room – these Dawgs have found their identity.

These Big Dawg bikers are taking to the highway.

Gang up on Yante Maten and it’s two bounces, a hop, and a slam. Come back at him with the ball and he’s climbing up from his national 40 rank in blocks. Avoid Maten inside and a host of Bulldogs are there to swat the ball away as the Dawgs rank seventh nationally in blocks.

Defensively it’s a road block. No press, no high-speed chases – just-in-your-face-in-your-way forcing bad shots for a nationally seventh ranked field goal percentage defense (top 5%) and a national 36th rank three-point percentage defense (top 11%).

More from Dawn of the Dawg

These Dawgs are bikers. They don’t put on the blue lights. No chasing steals and creating holes that allow opposing attackers to ply modern player one-on-one skills. This five-man gang pounds back on defense and fights as a pack. When the ball goes up on a shot or springs loose to the floor, Georgia scraps like heck to get it – earning a national 69 rank in defensive rebounding (top 20%, even with a puppy-Dawg front line).

Figure Georgia’s defensive numbers come against the nation’s top schedule  – number one SOS – and their value increases.

Playing like bikers – not thugs – Dawg defenders avoid on court legal snares, ranking 33rd nationally in fewest fouls – in the top 10 percent. With clearly defined roles, this well-organized Bulldog gang applies physical force when required, dispensing and receiving contact with purpose.

All these Dawgs need to get another 20-win season is to embrace their identity. Down to the Midnight Iguana Tattoo and Piercing Parlor for Houston Kessler and Kenny Paul Geno.

These Dawgs are just a couple of tattoos away from another NCAA Tournament bid.

Next: JJ Frazier Proving His Leadership?