So this is a thing now?! The Georgia Bulldogs have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years. This program has won at least 20 games in each of the last three seasons. Whatever Mike White is doing in Athens seems to be working. While this team is somewhat flawed in construction, there is still a ton of talent to be had. With the right matchups, maybe Georgia could go on a run here?
So what we are going to do today is take a look at some of the most important aspects of Georgia's tournament run. This is a team that is 22-10 entering the NCAA Tournament. While it had to overcome a relatively weak non-conference schedule, it more than held its own in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games during SEC play. Although it lost to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament, this team is a dangerous one.
Let's start from the top with what seed Georgia has and who they will be playing when in the tourney.
What seed did the Georgia Bulldogs secure in the NCAA Tournament?
No. 8 Georgia will be taking on the No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Both teams will be competing in the Midwest Region of the bracket that runs through No. 1 Michigan. Tipoff from KeyBank Center in Buffalo will be at 9:45 p.m. ET on March 19. Georgia is seen as a slight favorite over the Billikens with them laying 1.5 points during this Round of 64 game.
All season long, Georgia oscillated between a No. 7 and No. 10 seed. The same thing largely applies to Saint Louis. Even though Georgia plays in the bigger conference, it has been a painfully long time since this team last advanced to the Round of 64. Georgia fell to Gonzaga in the first round last year. If Georgia is able to get past the Billikens, it would be the first time in two decades since this happened.
Now that we know who Georgia will be facing in the first round, who could they face after a big win?
Who could Georgia Bulldogs potentially play in March Madness this year?
Let's be totally honest with ourselves here. While a win over Saint Louis in the Round of 64 is totally plausible this March for Georgia, the chances of the Dawgs getting into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament are slim at best. This is because they would have to take on the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in the second round. Dusty May's team is one of a select few who can win the entire thing.
Here is what the Midwest Region of the bracket looks like heading into the first big day of the tourney.
- No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 16 Howard Bison
- No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens
- No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 12 Akron Zips
- No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 13 Hofstra Pride
- No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns
- No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers vs. No. 14 Wright State Raiders
- No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos
- No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 15 Tennessee State Tigers
As you can see the winner of the No. 1 vs. No. 16 game will play the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game in the Round of 32. The No. 5 vs. No. 12 winner will face the No. 4 vs. No. 13 winner in the second round and so on. Since No. 1 seeds almost never lose in the Round of 64, Georgia would, without a shadow of a doubt, face Michigan in the second round. If they pulled of the upset, who could be next?
In the Sweet 16, Georgia could potentially face No. 4 Alabama or No. 5 Texas Tech, assuming chalk prevails elsewhere. Another win there gets them to the Elite Eight, where Georgia could potentially face the likes of No. 2 Iowa State, No. 3 Virginia, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 7 Kentucky, or even No. 10 Santa Clara or No. 11 Texas. If that were the case, it might be Georgia's year to get to the Final Four.
Now that we have an idea of who UGA could play in the Midwest Region, when would they even play?
What could be the schedule of games the Georgia Bulldogs could play?
As stated above, Georgia will face No. 9 Saint Louis at 9:45 p.m. ET on March 19 in Buffalo, New York.
Here is a look at the potential schedule for every game Georgia could conceivably play in this March.
- Round of 64: No. 9 Saint Louis (March 19, 9:45 p.m. ET, KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY)
- Round of 32: TBD (March 21, KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY)
- Sweet 16: TBD (March 27, United Center, Chicago, IL)
- Elite Eight: TBD (March 29, United Center, Chicago, IL)
- Final Four: TBD (April 4, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN)
- National Championship: TBD (April 6, Lucas Oil Stadium, IN)
Tipoff times for each subsequent round will be determined after the previous round has been played.
So for Georgia to reach the Final Four in Indianapolis, the Bulldogs must beat Saint Louis and probably Michigan in the Round of 32 to get out of Buffalo alive. From there, they must travel to Chicago to take on a slew of opponents they could be facing in the Sweet 16, or the Elite Eight beyond that. From there, a trip to Indianapolis could be on the horizon if Georgia catches on fire.
So now that we know who, when, and where Georgia could be playing, how can it make the Final Four?
What Georgia Bulldogs' path to the Final Four could conceivably look like
In a purely chalk sense, here is the likeliest path for Georgia to come out of the Midwest this season.
- Round of 64: No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens (Buffalo, NY)
- Round of 32: No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (Buffalo, NY)
- Sweet 16: No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (Chicago, IL)
- Elite Eight: No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones (Chicago, IL)
Here is a pathway to the Final Four for Georgia with maybe a second lucky break going their way, too.
- Round of 64: No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens (Buffalo, NY)
- Round of 32: No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (Buffalo, NY)
- Sweet 16: No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders (Chicago, IL)
- Elite Eight: No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones (Chicago, IL)
And here would be an absolute, best-case scenario that Georgia could make it out of the Midwest.
- Round of 64: No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens (Buffalo, NY)
- Round of 32: No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (Buffalo, NY)
- Sweet 16: No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders (Chicago, IL)
- Elite Eight: No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers (Chicago, IL)
Overall, Georgia is going to have its work cut out for it to make the Final Four out of the Midwest Region. Yes, there are mathematical possibilities where it plays No. 16 Howard, No. 13 Hofstra, and No. 15 Tennessee State, but we do not live in that simulation. We just live in this one... The chances of Georgia making it to the Final Four are equivalent to the 1994 California Angels winning the pennant.
Ultimately, the best-case scenario for Georgia in this year's tournament is to beat Saint Louis on Thursday and hope for something miraculous to happen vs. Michigan in the Round of 32 on Saturday. Anything beyond a trip to the Round of would be incredible stuff for White's team. That being said, losing in the first round again, this time to Saint Louis, is going to make some in this fan base angry...
For now, let's take this thing one game at a time, hope for the best, and see what happens for Georgia.