Believe it or not, it is college basketball season now! The Georgia Bulldogs are fresh off their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade. Although they got their clock cleaned by Gonzaga in the first round last spring, Georgia may have what it takes to come out of a deep SEC again this year. While conference wins matter the most, there are potential resume builders to be had before then.
Truth be told, Georgia will either earn its keep in SEC play come January or not. The Dawgs will have other opportunities to figure out who they are as a basketball team this year in the non-conference. Mike White's team will begin in earnest on Monday, as the Bulldogs will host the Bellarmine Knights at Stegeman Coliseum for a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff. If this is not a game of consequence, which ones are?
Here is who Georgia will be playing in November on the college basketball hardwood this season.
Date | Time | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monday, Nov. 3 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Bellarmine Knights | Athens, GA | SECN+ |
Wednesday, Nov. 5 | 7:00 p.m. ET | Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks | Athens, GA | SECN+ |
Sunday, Nov. 9 | 2:00 p.m. ET | Morehead State Eagles | Athens, GA | SECN+ |
Friday, Nov. 14 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Athens, GA | SECN |
Monday, Nov. 17 | 6:30 p.m. ET | Florida A&M Rattlers | Athens, GA | SECN |
Friday, Nov. 21 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Xavier Musketeers | Charleston, SC | ESPN2 |
Saturday, Nov. 29 | 2:00 p.m. ET | Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles | Athens, GA | SECN+ |
Georgia plays seven games in November this year. Six of them will be at home, while the Bulldogs will take on the Xavier Musketeers out of the Big East over in Charleston in the latter part of the month. Outside of Xavier, the only other Power Six team Georgia plays before December this year will be in-state rival Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets will be coming to Athens on a Friday night on Nov. 14.
Right now, the Georgia Tech and Xavier games are the two to pay attention, but there could be more...
Georgia Bulldogs need to go at least 6-1 in their November slate this year
If Georgia can afford to drop one, it might be the neutral-site affair vs. Xavier in Charleston. The Musketeers are a traditional basketball power, somewhat equivalent to Washington in college football. They are the ultimate stepping stone jobs... As for as the Georgia Tech game, Mike White cannot afford to let Damon Stoudamire's team get the best of him at Stegeman. It cannot happen.
As far as Georgia's five other games on the November slate outside of the Power Six, the one to watch might be Morehead State. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament two years ago. As far as Bellarmine, Maryland Eastern Shore, Florida A&M and Tennessee Tech, it has been a minute since they have been to the tournament. Florida A&M and Tennessee Tech are mostly football schools.
Overall, Georgia needs to find a way to get to around 20 regular-season wins this year to have a good shot at making the NCAA Tournament. The high teens might be good enough if other Power Six leagues like the ACC have a down year. For now, the SEC is in the same group as the Big Ten and the Big 12 of being capable of sending double-digit teams into the NCAA Tournament. Go get it done!
This is a critical season for White, especially after he received a contract extension not that long ago.