Georgia basketball: 2019 SEC schedule features a tough five-game stretch

Georgia basketball recently learned its SEC schedule for the 2018-19 season. The slate includes four NCAA Tournament teams in the first five games.

New Georgia basketball head coach Tom Crean will get a chance to impress fans and the nation early into the conference schedule this year. The Bulldogs first two weeks of SEC play include games against Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Kentucky and Florida. The Dawgs however play the Gators, Wildcats and Commodores at home.

Tennessee and Auburn finished the 2018 regular season tied for first place in the SEC. Kentucky won the SEC Tournament, their 36th in school history. Florida finished third in the conference. All four of those teams advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournaments. The odd ball of that five game stretch is Vanderbilt. The Commodores finished the season 12-20. But they had three-straight winning seasons prior.

Crean and the Georgia basketball team recently received the 2019 schedule today from the SEC and Crean told reporters that he thought the schedule was a prank, according to Dawgnation.

"“That was a reality jolt…. You almost think when the first copy comes somebody sent you a prank, and then you realize that’s not true, that’s the way it’s going to be… We have to make sure we don’t lose confidence going through a schedule like that; my first initial fear would be that. We have to understand how little margin for error we have with an opening like that.”"

But after those first five games, the schedule cools down and sets up nicely for a late season run to the NCAA Tournament, and possibly a high seed in the SEC Tournament. Here are Georgia’s remaining opponents and their 2017-18 record (overall, SEC):

• at LSU (18-15, 8-10)
• vs. Texas (19-15, 8-10) – SEC/Big 12 Challenge
• at Arkansas (23-12, 8-10)
• vs. South Carolina (17-16, 7-11)
• at Alabama (20-16, 8-10)
• vs. Ole Miss (12-20, 5-13)
• at Texas A&M (22-13, 9-9)
• vs. LSU (18-15, 8-10)
• vs. Mississippi State (25-12, 9-9)
• at Ole Miss (12-20, 5-13)
• vs. Auburn (26-8, 13-5)
• at Florida (21-13, 11-7)
• vs. Missouri (20-13, 10-8)
• at South Carolina (17-16, 7-11)

Last year, a record eight SEC teams made the NCAA Tournament , so it’s not surprising to see any team have such a difficult stretch on their SEC schedule. But playing the top two SEC teams from last season on the first two Saturdays of the year is a shock.

Fortunately, Georgia’s schedule includes a stretch of five Saturday’s at home, and 10-straight games against team who didn’t have a winning SEC record last season, right after those difficult opening weeks. If Georgia can reach their potential under Crean early, the Bulldogs can seal a special regular season just 15 games into the SEC slate.