For as brutally painful of a season-ending loss it was to Saint Louis on Thursday night, now is not the time for Mike White's Georgia Bulldogs to feel sorry for themselves. They may have been one of the most frustrating watches of any team in the tournament all season long, but this was not some island of misfit toys White had to work with. The talent is undeniably there, but can they make the pieces fit?
While White can conceivably run it back with the same cast of characters next season, be careful what you wish for. Nothing gold can stay, but what if it was fool's gold? The truth lies somewhere in the in-between. At its best, Georgia could hang with anybody, using its athleticism and pace to its advantage. At its worst, it could lose to anybody, often getting embarrassed at the hands of the elite.
For the sake of being optimistic, what if there was a chance that next year's team could do the trick? Could this core finally advance to the Round of 32? Well, outside of deep rotational players Justin Abson and Justin Bailey, everyone of note on last year's roster still has eligibility. Blue Cain, Kanon Catchings, Somto Cyril, Marcus Millender, and Jeremiah Wilkinson could all return to Athens in 2027.
If they return, and freshmen like Kareem Stagg and Jake Wilkins level up, we may have a team here...
Georgia should be better next year because this team will be experienced
This was the one thing in particular that kept snagging in the back of our brains all season long with this Georgia team. For as talented as this roster appeared to be at times, why did they play the way they did? The inherent recklessness and lackadaisical approach to seemingly everything was eye-gouging-ly painful to watch at times. A little more tact and subtlety will go a long way with this bunch.
See, White made his bed at the start of the season and therefore had to lie in it as a dirty Dawg at the end of it. He questioned his team's depth and experience back in the fall. Opting to go with pace and space as part of a deep, 11-man rotation, he got what he deserved. While it did lead Georgia to its most wins in a season to date, the Bulldogs were largely exposed vs. better, more organized teams.
So the biggest reason why Georgia should be better next year, beyond experience of course, is they might be able to just crush opponents, as opposed to playing keep-away in their 40 minutes of self-inflicted hell. If Georgia can slow it down just a bit and think for once, that would be huge for them. In a way, they could play like some of the better teams in the sport, without trying to win with a gimmick.
If the awful Saint Louis and Gonzaga losses do not register with this core, then just go get a new one.