Georgia Basketball: NCAA Tournament Ticket Within Bulldogs Reach

Jan 27, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Wade Baldwin IV (4) protects the ball from Georgia Bulldogs guard J.J. Frazier (30) during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 70-62. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Defense

Georgia uses three defensive assets to rank in the top 30 in field goal percentage defense.

Mature Bigs

Georgia has two athletic , strong, experienced post players in senior Nemi Djurisic and redshirt senior Marcus Thornton. Both are feisty defenders. Supporting these two seniors is a talented freshman, Yante Maten. Maten is not yet strong, but he has great body control and surprising leaping ability for his build. He also has the strongest hands of the three big men. Maten can get position, leap without fouling and take the ball away.

Perimeter Pressure

With the three big men controlling the paint, Georgia’s guards pressure the opponent’s perimeter with little concern for post defense help. No player in the SEC applies defensive pressure as well as Kenny Gaines. The junior has the lateral quickness, speed and explosion to shut down any player. Charles Mann is cut from the same cloth, though size and strength are his greatest assets. J. J. Frazier employs great speed, long arms and quick hands in his unique repertoire of defensive techniques.

The relationship between Georgia‘s posts and guards is symbiotic. Thanks to the Dawg big men, the Georgia guards can pressure out front and pick their spots to double team down low, making it difficult for opposing post players to prepare for the pressure. And with Gaines and Mann beating picks from above the screen, the Georgia post players can remain vigilant in the paint.

Rotation

As a team, Georgia has mastered the art of defensive rotation. Whether in zone, which the Dawgs play well, or their favored man to man, Georgia defenders remain in position. And when the rebound bounces long or balls are knocked loose, Georgia maintains man-to-man contact, preventing wide-open jumpers.

If Georgia wants to climb a step closer to the national stage during the 2015 season, it must use its defense to win in College Station. As well matched, as these teams are, Georgia can get this big road win.

This brings us to the one big difference between the teams on Wednesday night.

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