With five games remaining in their regular season, the 2024-25 season has been quite the rollercoaster ride thus far for Mike White and his Georgia basketball team. Full of highs and lows, unforeseen achievements and unfathomable disappointments, that has been the Georgia Bulldogs season in a nutshell.
After beginning the season 12-1, the Georgia basketball fever was at an all-time high. A packed-out and raucous Stegeman Coliseum was the new norm. White’s Dawgs were playing their best basketball, ranked in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll for the first time since 2011, and the NCAA Tournament appeared to be an absolute, rock-solid option for the Bulldogs. Things were truly looking up for Georgia, but then reality set in, and now the Bulldogs have their feet firmly planted at the proverbial crossroads.
What happened?
That is the million dollar question. One that White has been trying to resolve and answer for weeks. If you are searching for legitimate explanations for the cause of the Dawgs second-half struggles, look no further than inconsistency, youth, depth and the ridiculously deep SEC.
After Saturday’s 87-74 loss to Missouri, White spoke on his team’s effort and unfortunate ability to be consistent at being inconsistent.
“I mean Asa Newell, we’re down double figures late,” White said. “And he’s playing like it’s the Super Bowl. That’s who he is.”
“We need more consistent effort like that from some of our older guys. He’s a true freshman. He showed a lot of character today, as he always does”
Consistency as a philosophy is easy to preach, but as a reality it can be much more difficult to materialize. Especially, if you do not have the right amount of experience and leadership to manifest it into existence.
For the past two games, Georgia has taken a lead into halftime against a ranked opponent, only to suffer second half letdowns that resulted in losses in each of those contests. In fact, Georgia has held halftime leads in five of their nine conference losses this season. White added how he and his coaches have tried to address the second half problems that have plagued his team since SEC play began.
“Wonder it [lack of consistency]. Talk about it everyday,” White said. “We’ve tried a few different things, and we’ll try something else.”
“This is a mystery. I haven’t coached a team that’s struggled this much [in the] early second half. I can’t put my finger on it.”
Moving forward
Since standing still is not an option, how does Georgia move forward? Maybe rededicating themselves to one of the very few things that has been there for them all season long, team defense. Georgia is still very effective defensively when it forces teams into their halfcourt offense. What has gotten Georgia into trouble, especially of late, is when they have allowed teams to get out in transition and score easy buckets.
When you are this late into the season, switching things up is not typically the approach most coaches are looking to take, especially when your team still has a chance at making it to the NCAA tournament. But that is precisely what White and his staffa re facing. He has to switch things up. The ship that was once his strong and viable basketball team is now taking on water and on the verge of going under.
Change is not going to be wholesale. There are far too many things to fix for anyone to think White will be able to address them all in one fell swoop. It is going to be in bits and pieces, not chunks. That is why a return to the not so distant past, may be just enough to keep this team afloat and carry them across the finish line.
Up Next
Whatever changes White has in store, the relentless and unforgiving SEC will not be giving him some lowly opponent to try them on. Instead, Georgia goes on the road to face off against No. 1 Auburn on Saturday, at 4 PM, ET.