Georgia basketball’s NCAA Tournament hopes quickly evaporate with likely end result of CrFive’s road team on a five-game losing streak
With three weeks left in the SEC regular season, Georgia’s NCAA Tournament hopefuls are on life support.
After a strong showing in the non-conference portion of the 2023-24 season, winning three games against ACC opponents and getting off to a fast start to SEC play, Georgia already looked like it was on the verge of ending an eight-year winning streak.
The NCAA Tournament drought is the longest current drought in the SEC. But after missing several chances to win in recent weeks and losing five straight, the Bulldogs’ once-promised chance at the NCAA Tournament has been left on life support.
Since the introduction of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) in the 2018-19 college basketball season, Quadrant 1 wins: Home wins against Nos. 1-30, Road wins against Nos. 1-75, and Neutral wins against Nos. 1-75. Winning against No. 50. – became the currency of entry into the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately for Georgia State, the Bulldogs ended up missing out on those wins.
With seven games remaining in the regular season, Georgia is currently 1-5 with one win in Game 4, with its only Game 1 victory coming against South Carolina in January. 16. Mike White’s team only had a marginally better record in Quad 2 games, going 2-5 in Quad 2 games.
The Bulldogs, who are 3-10 in Quad Games 1 and 2, need to finish the regular season on a hot note and perform well in the SEC Tournament to keep their rising hopes alive, but they are the underdogs in the NCAA Tournament. It has become.
In White’s second year at the helm, Georgia was competitive in nearly every conference game, but struggled to capitalize on its best chances to get back to winning ways.
The Bulldogs lost double-digit leads at home to Tennessee and Alabama (two teams ranked in the NET top 10) and lost in overtime after a brave comeback from a 102-point deficit to a 21-point deficit in the second period. Ta. road. The -98 loss to Florida gives them another chance to secure that elusive Quad 1 victory.
With three weeks left in the regular season, Georgia’s chances of adding a Quad 1 win to its record are limited. Based on the current NET rankings as of Feb. 16, Georgia’s only chance to secure a spot in Quad 1 is at home against Auburn in February. 24. March at Auburn. 9. Florida is currently ranked No. 32 in the NET rankings, but the Bulldogs’ home game against the Gators in February 2019 If the Gators finish the regular season well, they could have a chance to go 4-1 in 17 games.
In addition to these opportunities, Georgia will host Texas A&M and Ole Miss in March. They will depart to play LSU in February on March 2 and 5, respectively. 27 points in what is currently considered a Quad 2 game for the Bulldogs.
However, Georgia struggled to get its most valuable win of the season, going 0-for-11 in the third and fourth quarters. So far, the Bulldogs have avoided the debilitating “tough losses” that could derail the team’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
But Georgia, without a major win, is definitely on the back foot as the NCAA Tournament enters its regular season home. The Bulldogs still have opportunities to improve their tournament history, but Mike White’s team can’t afford to let those opportunities pass.
Ending an eight-year NCAA Tournament drought is still possible if the Bulldogs can finish the regular season and SEC Tournament, but that will require the team to elevate its game to a level and consistency it hasn’t been able to reach before. There is. all seasons. While such an outcome is possible, it remains unlikely judging by the team’s recent performance. ypto.com Arena
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