Likelihood of Georgia basketball making the NCAA Tournament after regular season

Mar 4, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Georgia basketball guard J.J. Frazier (30) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anton Beard (31) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Georgia 85-67. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia basketball lost ugly to Arkansas on Saturday. The Bulldogs are now 1-8 against the RPI Top 50, but are still right on the cusp of making the NCAA Tournament.

Going 1-8 against the RPI Top 50 is normally enough to eliminate any team from NCAA Tournament contention well before the regular season ends.

But five of the eight losses Georgia basketball suffered were against the no, 2 (Kansas), no. 3 (Kentucky twice) and no. 8 (Florida twice) teams in the RPI. And each of those games were close ball.

Georgia also had a pair of close losses against South Carolina. The blowout to Arkansas is the only bad loss against an RPI team this season. And Georgia’s only bad loss, it’s really all that bad.

For that, the Bulldogs NCAA Tournament chances aren’t yet shattered. Which is why it’s not such a bad thing for Georgia to be a no. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament.

We’re going to look at the SEC Tournament bracket, who the Bulldogs will play and who they are likely to play in later rounds. And then ask if a win in this round can be enough for Georgia to sneak into the NCAA field of 68 teams.