How does this sound for an opening? Georgia basketball needs more consistency than it does quality wins. It is indeed an odd thing to hear, but for Georgia that very well could be the case.
Even after the heartbreaking 76-75 defeat against Mississippi State on Saturday, FanDuel Sportsbook still likes Georgia’s chances of making it to the NCAA Tournament’s Field of 68, giving them odds of -290. For those of you who are not sports gamblers, those are still pretty good odds.
Georgia finds itself in this unique position because one, it plays in the deepest conference in college basketball and two, it seems most prognosticators and pundits are satisfied with the quality of opponents Georgia has already beaten this season. But that sentiment will not hold if Georgia continues to be this inconsistent, helter-skelter version of itself.
The Georgia Bulldogs (16-8, 4-7 SEC) return to action Tuesday to take on the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies (18-5, 7-3 SEC) in College Station. Texas A&M, winners of three games in a row, are coming off an impressive 63-62 road victory against No. 15 Missouri, and are looking to keep that streak alive against Georgia.
But before the game begins, here is all the information you need for this late-season SEC matchup.
When: Tuesday, February 11th, 9:00 PM, EST
Where: Reed Arena, College Station, TX
How to Watch: SEC Network with Dave Neal and Jon Sundvold doing the play-by-play.
Top Performers
Georgia is led by freshman forward Asa Newell, who is averaging 15.3 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 block.
Texas A&M is led by senior guard Wade Taylor IV, who averages 15.1 points, 4.2 assists per game and is 35% from 3-point range so far this season.
Current Predictions
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor currently gives the Aggies a 77.5% chance of winning.
Series History
The all-time series record between Georgia and Texas A&M tilts in the Aggies favor 9-5, with Texas A&M winning the last five consecutive contests. These two teams last met a season ago in Athens, where the Aggies beat Georgia 70-56.
The Skinny
In 24 games, Georgia comes into this contest averaging 76.0 points per game, while Texas A&M has averaged 75.0 points in 23 games.
Georgia is 46.5% from the field this season, which is 6.7 percentage points higher than what Texas A&M has allowed its opponents (39.8%) on average this season. By contrast, Texas A&M comes into this matchup ranked dead last in the SEC in field goal percentage, shooting just 42.6% from the field this season, which is 2.2 percentage points greater (40.4%) than what Georgia's opponents have averaged.
On paper, these two teams are not significantly dissimilar as their respective records would suggest. However, there are two areas in particular that Georgia needs to be conscious of going into this matchup against Texas A&M, team rebounding and the Aggies defense on their home court.
Texas A&M have been monsters on the glass this season ranking third in the SEC averaging 41.3 rebounds per game. However, it has been A&M’s protection of their house that has been most impressive. The Aggies are 10-1 at home this season, where they have held opponents to an average of just 60.5 points per game.
The Close
Georgia cannot come into this contest turning the ball over and taking bad shots. Defensively, they have to minimize the Aggies opportunities for second-chance points and going on runs. Texas A&M is a deep, experienced, veteran basketball team whose 10-man rotation is comprised of all upperclassmen. By contrast, Georgia, who only plays nine players primarily, only has three upperclassmen in their rotation.
For the Hardcourt Dawgs, they cannot allow their youth and inexperience to be deciding factors in this game. Slowing the game down, keeping their composure, controlling the clock and playing stingy defense are a must, even if it takes them below their usual shots per game average.
Texas A&M is a very good team at home, and Georgia has not been a good road team this season. Even if they go down early in this contest, Mike White and Georgia need to maintain their composure and stay the course or this game could get away from them rather quickly.