2015 NCAA Tournament: Georgia Closes Season With Loss to Michigan State
The Georgia Bulldogs went down early in the NCAA Tournament once again, losing 70-63 to the Michigan State Spartans.
Sorry fans, but I can’t gift wrap this one in a pretty red and black bow for you.
I’d love to say something positive about this game, I really would. I’d love to be the eternal Georgia hopeful who says “that’s alright guys, go get ’em next year”…but I can’t. After today’s performance against Michigan State, all I can say is that Georgia needs better players.
Georgia Bulldogs
This isn’t a knock on the guy who suit up for Mark Fox now. They’re a physical, gritty bunch who almost always gives maximum effort, but the fact is that when these Dawgs are matched up against top teams in the SEC or in the nation, they look overmatched.
Because they are.
This game was Georgia’s for the taking, and if they could shoot consistently and finish at the basket with any regularity, they’d have beaten the Spartans running away. Shooting 33.3 percent from the field killed any chance of that.
Georgia did all the things that Mark Fox coaches them to do so well. They rebounded well (outrebounding MSU 43-35), they were active on defense, and they got to the free throw line regularly and made their baskets…well, until the last few minutes of the game…again.
But matched up against the speed of a team like Michigan State, Georgia’s comparatively lumbering pace never stood a chance. The Dawgs were sloppy, out of control coming down the court on offense, resulting in far too many turnovers and fast break opportunities for the Spartans.
Mar 20, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard
Kenny Gaines(12) looses control of the ball while guarded by Michigan State Spartans guard
Denzel Valentine(45) during the first hald in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Bulldogs have size and some guys that can bang down in the paint, but what they bring in size, they lack in outside shooting, and an inside-outside game. Teams that advance in the NCAA Tournament can do both, and do both with a lot of success.
Georgia’s just not there yet.
Mark Fox has Georgia on the right track. He’s got the team believing in him, and he knows how to win. Now he’s just got to convince some of the nation’s better players to buy into what he’s building in Athens.
No, it was a long afternoon for the Bulldogs, and there isn’t a lot good to say about a team who had every opportunity to put a game away, but failed on far too many layups, second chance points, and open shots.
This one was yours for the taking Dawgs, but you couldn’t get out of your own way.
Go get ’em next year? We’ll see.