Dawn of the Dawg
Fansided

Georgia Basketball: What can UGA learn from S. Carolina?

By Alistair Penny

Jan 21, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Yante Maten (1) takes the ball to the basket during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Yante Maten (1) takes the ball to the basket during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next

Conclusion:

Mar 10, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs Cheerleaders cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of game seven of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky won 71-60. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs Cheerleaders cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of game seven of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky won 71-60. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

So what can UGA do to hopefully have their own moment like South Carolina? Well there are several things that need to happen but perhaps there are two that are most changeable.

The Dawgs simply have to recruit better over the next few years. Nobody is expecting them to compete with the likes of Duke or Kentucky, but averaging a #25 or #30 class rather than a #60 one would make a huge difference. It’s not easy to recruit against those top programs, but Georgia should be able to convince some of the top instate talent to stay home. If they can do that on a more consistent basis, they have a chance.

What might help with that, is establishing a clear and defined culture for Georgia Basketball. South Carolina is a tough, stifling defensive team and they play to that culture. Georgia doesn’t need to copy that, but it does need a clear idea of who it is and how it wins games. Mark Fox is a good coach but he needs to define this for the team to take that next step.

Next: Isaiah Crowell's 2nd chance

Lastly, it needs a little bit of luck to be honest. If there’s one thing we learn every year during the NCAA tournament its that the ball just bounces better for some teams. One thing we do know, is that you have to actually be in the tournament, to get those bounces.

Home/Georgia Basketball