If the Georgia Bulldogs want to make the NCAA Tournament, then they need to start showing the Selection Committee that they truly belong in the field of 68. After getting off to a strong start to the season in the non-conference, one by one, high-quality SEC teams are putting Mike White's squad in its place. Georgia enters Saturday's road date at LSU with a 16-6 record and a 4-5 mark in SEC play.
After being idle during the middle part of the week, Georgia fans are not going to like where ESPN's Joe Lunardi has the Dawgs projected in his latest Bracketology update. Lunardi has Georgia dropping a spot from a No. 9 seed to a No. 10 seed. It is the third drop for the Bulldogs in the last four updates... Lunardi has Georgia taking on the No. 7 Saint Louis Billikens in a first-round game of the East Region.
Not only does Lunardi have Georgia dropping again, but the Bulldogs are among the last four teams with a bye. Along with Georgia, Saint Mary's, UCLA, and USC are close to the cut line. His last four teams in heading into Saturday's action are Miami, Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio State. Lunardi's first four teams out at this point in time are California, San Diego State, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma State.
Finally, Lunardi's next four out teams entering this weekend are Seton Hall, Missouri, TCU, and Baylor.
Georgia is running out of time to stop any more Bracketology slip-ups
Georgia's three most recent defeats were a 15-point drubbing at home to Texas A&M last Saturday, a midweek overtime loss to Tennessee, and a bludgeoning on the road at Texas. With a Quad 1 road date at LSU coming up, Georgia only has nine more conference games before the SEC Tournament commences. Will they have done enough to merit inclusion into the field of 68 before it is too late?
Right now, Georgia has a 3-4 record vs. Quad 1 opponents, a 3-1 mark vs. Quad 2 teams, a 2-1 ledger vs. Quad 3 squads, and has gone a perfect 8-0 vs. Quad 4 programs. The upcoming LSU road date is one of five Quad 1 games Georgia has left. It has three more Quad 2 games remaining, as well as a Quad 3 home date vs. South Carolina at the end of the month. Four more wins might get Georgia in.
Simply put, if Georgia takes care of business vs. Quad 2 and 3 opponents in Oklahoma on the road, Texas at home, South Carolina at home, and at Mississippi State, that would get the team to 20-11. If that is Georgia's record heading into the SEC Tournament, that should have UGA above the cut line. Right now, any non-Quad 1 loss must be made up with a Quad 1 win. Any other Quad 1 wins are gravy.
If Georgia is able to stop the bleeding on the road at LSU, that will go a long way toward making it in.