Georgia Bulldogs
SEC (19-13, 12-6)
If only the Bulldogs had not had such a hard time with their non-conference schedule they would have had a serious shot at the NCAA Tournament. Georgia finished tied for second in the SEC in Mark Fox’s fifth year at the helm. After losing four straight in the beginning of the season, the Bulldogs turned things around to the tune of a 12-6 SEC record. Led by Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines, Georgia plays scrappy defense. They have a fire about them. They are one of the hotter teams in the conference right now and finished the regular season winning eight of their last ten games.
Big Wins: 1/8 at Missouri (70-64), 1/18 Arkansas (66-61), 3/8 at LSU (69-61)
Bad Losses: 11/15 Georgia Tech (71-80), 11/22 vs Temple (81-83), 1/29 Vanderbilt (54-59)
Coach: Mark Fox (5 seasons at Georgia)
Why They Can Surprise:
Georgia is a tough team. Teams are going to have to face them straight up and win a war of attrition. The Bulldogs are a lock-down defensive team that will make their opponents work for every bucket. They will outwork you on the glass and limit other teams’ possessions. Marcus Thornton and Dante’ Williams are forces down low. Each averages over a block per game. They could create some problems for teams that attack the rim. Offensively, that is their style – attacking the basket. Georgia can lengthen a game by hitting the lane and drawing fouls. They may need to win the game on the free throw line where they have attempted 820 foul shots this year and will have their opportunities.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Talent tends to win out, and this team is not as talented as the other teams in the field. They have a couple of double-digit scorers, but they do not get terrible production out of anybody other than Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines. They are a subpar shooting team, which means that they leave points off of the board in a lot of cases. Despite their defense, Georgia will eventually play a potent team that is going to put up some numbers. They have poor possession control as well and average nearly 13 turnovers per game. That is 2.5 less than their opponents’ average. Late in games when possessions become critical, they can be at a disadvantage when they cannot maintain ball control. Because they are a slash-to-the-basket team, the Bulldogs do not shoot the long ball very much nor do they rely on it. The team only makes about five 3-pointers per game. In a tournament situation, they better take more shots and hope they fall.
Probable Starters:
Charles Mann, Sophomore, Guard, 13.4 ppg, 3.0 apg
Kenny Gaines, Sophomore, Guard, 13.3 ppg, 1.0 apg
Brandon Morris, Sophomore, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Donte’ Williams, Senior, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Marcus Thornton, Junior, Forward, 8.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Nemanja Djurisic, Junior, Forward, 8.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Juwan Parker, Freshman, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.2 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.2 (225th in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.4 (81, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.2 (178, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.5 (19, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.0 (291, 12)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.5 (119, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.3 (254, 10)
Rebound Margin: 5.0 (34, 5)
Assists Per Game: 10.4 (321, 14)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (233, 10)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Washington
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Xavier
2007 NIT First Round win over Fresno State
2007 NIT Second Round loss to Air Force
2004 NIT First Round loss to Iowa State
2002 NCAA Round of 64 win over Murray State
2002 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Southern Illinois
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
