Are you paying close attention? With Georgia picking up a Quad 2 win at home over the Texas Longhorns in a rematch from earlier in the season, the Bulldogs are now one win closer to achieving something magical. At 19-8 overall and 7-7 in SEC, this team is essentially a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. As long as it does not lose to South Carolina at home next weekend, Georgia will make it.
While Georgia won comfortably 91-80 with tremendous pace, 3-point shooting, and great passing of the basketball, Mike White's team is now on the verge of doing something truly special. One more win on the year will give Georgia three-straight 20-win seasons. This has only happened twice before in program history from 1995 to 1998 and again from 2013 to 2016. There is also this in play as well...
As long as Georgia holds steady and does not stumble in a major way the rest of the season, White's Bulldogs will make it into the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back campaigns. This has only happened three other times in program history. The 2000-02 teams under Jim Harrick were the most recent to do it. Georgia also did this under Tubby Smith in 1995-97 and under Hugh Durham back in 1989-91.
White has his fair share of critics, his Georgia program is finally blossoming four years into his tenure.
Mike White has Georgia basketball on the verge of making major history
Anytime a Georgia men's basketball team is compared favorably to the likes of Durham, Harrick, and Smith, that cannot be overstated. The last time the program was in a similar spot was under Mark Fox from a decade prior. While he could get Georgia to 20 wins a season, making the tournament was not always in the cards for him. An improved and expanded SEC is helping White out a ton in this regard.
Although Georgia has been a No. 10 seed in the last five Bracketology updates, one would think they should be at least a No. 9 seed in Tuesday's update after beating Kentucky in Lexington and clobbering Texas in back-to-back games. With Georgia looking like a team that is comfortably in the field, it is all about improving its seeding in the hopes to get its first NCAA Tournament win in ages.
Georgia's last four runs to the NCAA Tournament have resulted in a first-round exit in the Round of 64. The last team to win a tournament game was the 2001-02 team that beat Murray State in the Round of 64 as a No. 3 seed. Georgia would lose by two points in the Round of 32 to No. 11 Southern Illinois. Those wins would later be vacated due to a scandal. Prior to that, we have to go way back to 1996...
Overall, Georgia has four games left in conference play. They have a Quad 1 road game at Vanderbilt on Wednesday. UGA will host South Carolina in a Quad 3 game on Saturday. During the final week of the regular season, Georgia has a Quad 1 home game vs. Alabama on March 3, all before finishing the regular at Mississippi State in a Quad 2 game on March 7. Look for Georgia to split those four games.
All signs point to Georgia making the NCAA Tournament with roughly a 21-10 (9-9) overall record.