At one time or another, everyone has heard the old adage about when your back being against the wall, especially as it relates to sports. And while motivational speeches can sometimes be overhyped and overplayed, the shoe surely seems to fit in this particular case, regarding the current state of Georgia basketball.
For Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs, whether this is the situation or not, it is certainly starting to feel like their season is hanging in the balance. Quite simply, Georgia needs to start playing better basketball and that is putting it mildly.
What to Expect
With five games remaining in their regular season, Georgia (16-10, 4-9 SEC) is running out of opportunities to impress. They are currently on a three-game losing streak and have lost eight of their last ten. Conversely, No. 1 Auburn (24-2, 12-1 SEC) seems to be peeking just at the right time, as they are playing some of their best basketball of the season as they come into this contest riding a three-game winning streak. Not a good sign for Georgia.
These traditional SEC foes now appear to be headed in opposite directions, which was not the case the last time they met. Georgia gave Auburn all they could handle in their first meeting back on January 18th, that resulted in a 40-minute slugfest at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA that ended in a two-point 70-68 loss for the Dawgs.
Georgia has the opportunity to return the favor as they go on the road to take on No. 1 Auburn at Neville Arena, happily dubbed The Jungle, in Auburn, AL. But before the game begins, here is all the information you need for this important SEC matchup.
The When, the Where and the How
When: Saturday, February 22nd, 4:00 PM, EST
Where: Neville Arena, Auburn, AL
How to Watch: ESPN with Tom Hart and Dane Bradshaw doing the play-by-play.
Series History
This will be the 200th meeting between these two SEC rivals. Their first contest dates all the way back to 1908. Auburn currently possesses a seven-game lead in the overall head-to-head matchup, holding a 103-96 lead over Georgia. Auburn has won four straight games against Georgia as well.
Top Performers
As has been the case all season, Georgia is led by freshman forward Asa Newell who is averaging 15.3 points per game with 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 block per game.
Senior All-American forward Johni Broome leads the Auburn Tigers, averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Injury Report
UGA: Tyrin Lawrence | G | Questionable - Leg
Auburn: No injuries to report.
Georgia versus Auburn Final Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Favorite: Auburn @ -17.5
Moneyline: Georgia +1160
Over/Under: 146.5
Current Predictions
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Tigers a 92% chance of winning.
The Skinny
Both teams come into this matchup having played 26 games this season.
In conference play this season, Georgia is 0-6 on the road, while Auburn is 5-1 at home.
Georgia is averaging 75.0 points per contest while Auburn averages 84.4 points per game.
Georgia is 46.2 percent from the field this season, which is 6.1 percentage points higher than Auburn has allowed to its opponents (40.1 percent). Meanwhile, Auburn has a field goal percentage of 48.2 percent thus far, which is 7.5 percentage points greater than the 40.7 percent shooting average Georgia have held its opponents.
Auburn ranks No. 1 in the nation in blocks per game with 6.6, Georgia is No. 10 with 5.5 per contest.
Auburn is ranked 21st in the nation in bench points, averaging 29.7 points per game, while Georgia ranks No. 112 in the country at 22.9 points per game.
Watch out for?
Georgia coming out after halftime. For two consecutive games, Georgia has taken a lead into halftime against a ranked opponent, only to suffer early second-half meltdowns that have resulted in losses in each of those contests. White and Georgia has to be mindful of this.
The Close
On paper, this one does not appear to be hard to call. Auburn has been great at home, and Georgia has been very bad away from home. Auburn has the better team and Georgia is still trying to figure out who they are as a team.
If Georgia does not stay disciplined, this one has the potential to get out of hand relatively quickly. Auburn will have their moments throughout this game, so it will be Georgia’s responsibility to not take the bait and remain patient. Georgia does not have the fire power that Auburn does at the perimeter positions, so matching Auburn shot for shot should not be the priority, playing good solid team defense should.
Georgia needs to pace itself and not permit Auburn to go on long runs like they allowed in the Missouri game. If Georgia can do this for 40-minutes, they just might give themselves a chance to pull off the upset. That is a lot of ifs. Georgia keeps up early, but eventually Auburn pulls away.
Prediction: Auburn wins 89-70.