Georgia basketball: Best and worst case scenarios for the 2017-18 men’s season
Best case scenario: 26-4 overall, 16-3 in the SEC
This is it Georgia basketball fans, the season we’ve all waited for. The Bulldogs start off on the right track with a big win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi (24-12 last season) to start off 3-0.
The Bulldogs then head to Fullerton, California for the Wooden Legacy Tournament. Georgia opens the tournament with a win over California State-Fullerton. They run through the tournament and finish with a win over Saint Mary’s in the championship game.
Georgia travels to Marquette and loses late in the game to fall to 6-1. But they bounce back with a big win over Winthrop (26-7 last season) at home. With wins over UMass, Georgia Tech and Temple, the Bulldogs enter SEC play 10-1, the best start in school history.
Unfortunately Georgia begins SEC play against Kentucky who proves too much for Georgia in the final moments. But the Bulldogs proceed to go on a tear winning nine straight games, including wins over Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina. A road trip to Mississippi State ends the win streak, but Georgia is 19-2 and in the Top-25 for the first time since 2003.
More from Dawn of the Dawg
- Georgia Football: Top 5 Nick Chubb Moments at Georgia
- Georgia Football: Know the enemy UAB Blazers
- Nick Chubb is America’s running back, and he will return
- Georgia Football: Should laundry list of injuries be a cause to panic?
- Georgia Football: Report cards for Week 3 game against South Carolina
They get back on the right track with a road win over Vanderbilt, but a loss on the road to Florida ends up being a minor setback. They end the regular season with five straight wins to finish the season 26-4 and as the no. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament.
The Bulldogs end the tournament with a loss to Kentucky in the finals and enter the NCAA Tournament 28-5 and with a high seed. They win the first two rounds, but inexperience in Sweet 16 games is their undoing against a team who’s been there before.
But The Dawgs end the year 30-6 and fans are excited about what the future has for Georgia basketball.
How will Georgia follow this scenario?
Yante Maten proves himself to be one of the best players in college basketball. But Derek Ogbeide has an All-SEC caliber season and freshman Rayshaun Hammonds earns a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
But more importantly, multiple shooters emerge on the team. The 2016-17 Bulldogs were missing a consistent outside threat which lead to long scoreless droughts. Those droughts don’t happen this season.
Add better shooting to Maten’s and Ogbeide’s great post defense and the Bulldogs easily blow past last seasons record.