The Georgia Bulldogs have a young core that is only getting better under head coach Mike White. While it has not been smooth sailing all season for the Georgia program, they do seem to have rounded into a strong identity as the year has gone along. They play with tremendous pace, as illustrated by their trio of guards of note in Blue Cain, Marcus Millender, and Jeremiah Wilkinson.
Down low, the Dawgs bully people with Somto Cyril being one of the most menacing frontcourt players in the SEC. While it has been so much fun to see freshman Jake Wilkins rise above the rim like his hall-of-fame father Dominique Wilkins did for years in Athens and Atlanta, the one player who could make all the difference for UGA in the NCAA Tournament would have to be Kanon Catchings.
He too comes from a famous basketball family. The sophomore forward from Brownsburg, Indiana spent his first college basketball season playing at BYU. He transferred over to Georgia this past offseason. In his first season with the Dawgs, he is averaging 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in 23.0 minutes per contest. He can also shoot the ball lights out from distance.
Let's unpack why Catchings catching on fire from beyond the arc is so crucial for Georgia in March.
Kanon Catchings can be the one getting Georgia deep into tournament
While we should be giving White a ton of credit for his wise, but difficult decision to have arguably the team's best player come off the bench in Wilkinson in lieu of Millender getting slightly more minutes as the starter, this has already paid out in dividends for the Dawgs. The scoring is up from those two backcourt players combined, with no drop-off in distributing or rebounding. What does this all mean?
By making small adjustments like the one mentioned above, it is allowing there to be more open space on the floor for guys like Catchings to knock down shots. It has put a bigger emphasis on Cain's strong all-around game. With four guys making plays out on the perimeter, it has empowered Cyril to make an even greater difference in the paint. He knows the territory that he needs to protect.
So why is Catchings the secret weapon for Georgia come tournament time? He is the one player opposing defenses may forget about for just one second, and he will constantly make them pay for doing so. Cain, Millender, and Wilkinson are great at creating their own shots off the dribble. Cyril is great at wreaking havoc with the ball in his hands down low. Catchings is lethal from way downtown.
If Georgia gets a good first-round matchup, the Sweet 16 may be within grasp for this year's team...