Five-Game Losing Streak Has Georgia Basketball's NCAA Tournament Hopes Fading Fast
After a strong performance in the non-conference portion of the 2023-24 schedule that saw it tally three wins over ACC opponents combined with a fast start to SEC play, it appeared as though Georgia was well on its way to ending its eight-year NCAA tournament drought - the longest such current drought in the SEC. However, in recent weeks, several narrowly missed opportunities for signature wins and a current five-game losing streak have the Bulldogs' once promising NCAA tournament chances on life support.
Since the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) was introduced during the 2018-19 college basketball season, quadrant 1 victories - home wins over No. 1-30, road wins over No. 1-75, neutral wins over No. 1-50 - have become the currency for admission into the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately for Georgia, those wins are in exceedingly short supply for the Bulldogs.
With 7 games left to play in the regular season, Georgia is currently only 1-5 in Quad 1 games, with its lone Quad 1 win coming on the road against South Carolina on Jan. 16. Mike White’s squad has only fared marginally better in Quad 2 games, with a 2-5 record in its Quad 2 opportunities. At 3-10 combined in Quad 1 and 2 games, the Bulldogs need a furious finish to the regular season and a strong showing in the SEC Tournament if they have any hopes of keeping their increasingly slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
In year two under White, Georgia has been competitive in nearly every conference game but has had difficulty closing out its biggest opportunities for resume wins. The Bulldogs allowed double-digit leads slip away in home losses to Tennessee and Alabama - two top-10 NET teams - and fell short in overtime after mounting a valiant comeback and erasing a 21-point second-half deficit on the road in a 102-98 loss to Florida in another opportunity to notch an elusive Quad 1 win.
With a mere three weeks remaining in the regular season, Georgia has limited opportunities available to add Quad 1 wins to its resume. Based on the NET standings as of Feb. 16, the only guaranteed Quad 1 opportunities Georgia will have are its games against Auburn at home on Feb. 24. At Auburn on Mar. 9. With Florida currently sitting at No. 32 in the NET rankings, the Bulldogs’ home game against the Gators on Feb. 17 could also potentially turn into a Quad 1 opportunity if the Gators finish the regular season strong.
Outside of those opportunities, Georgia will host Texas A&M and Ole Miss on Mar. 2 and Mar. 5 respectively, and will head on the road to take on LSU on Feb. 27 in what are currently projected to be Quad 2 games for the Bulldogs.
However, while the most valuable wins have been difficult for Georgia to come by this season, with an 11-0 record in Quad 3 and 4 games. the Bulldogs have thus far avoided debilitating “bad losses” that can sink a team’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
Still, with it lack of premier wins, Georgia is undoubtedly on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament entering the stretch run of the regular season. The opportunities are still there for the Bulldogs to enhance their Tournament resume, but Mike White’s team cannot afford to waste any of those opportunities. Ending the program’s eight-year NCAA Tournament drought is still possible if the Bulldogs can mount a run to end the regular season and SEC Tournament, but that will require the team to elevate its play to a level and consistency it has not been able to muster all season. Such an outcome is possible, but based on the team’s play of late, it remains highly unlikely.
Other Georgia News:
- Breaking: College Football Playoff Approves 5+7 Model
- Former Bulldog Hired as Team's Defensive Back's Graduate Assistant
- Potential Candidates for Georgia Wide Receiver Coach
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