Keys to Victory Against LSU
Georgia basketball has been removed from the NCAA Tournament discussion, but that doesn't mean Georgia's season is over.
There's still the SEC Tournament and a potential NIT Tournament for the Bulldogs this March. An upset win over LSU would build some momentum for Georgia heading into both post-season tournaments. Here's what Georgia needs to do Tuesday to defeat LSU.
Contain Cameron Thomas
Georgia's number one priority on defense should be to slow down the SEC's leading scorer Cameron Thomas. The freshman is scoring 22.8 points per game, but more importantly, he's accurate.
Thomas is shooting 41-percent from the field; 30-percent from outside the arc; and 90-percent from the free-throw line. Through 20 games, Thomas has 456 points. He's on an impressive streak of six-straight games with at least 25 points.
The Bulldogs must find a way to slow down Thomas if it has any shot at beating LSU. But they can't be too aggressive, otherwise, Thomas will kill Georgia at the free-throw line.
Fortunately, Georgia has a specialist for defending high-scoring guards in Jaxon Etter. The former walk-on frustrated Sharife Cooper and Scottie Pippen Jr. a few weeks ago and limited their production.
Balance the offense
We say this every game, but it's always crucial, Georgia must sink three-pointers in order to win. That's Georgia's one trend across SEC play. Goodnights behind the arc lead to victories or close losses, bad nights lead to convincing defeats.
Georgia is reliant on the three-pointer because of its lack of size. There are no big men Georgia can feed when three-pointers aren't dropping. However, when Georgia is making three-pointers, Toumani Camara and Andrew Garcia are able to play like big men, thanks to defenses converging on Sahvir Wheeler when he drives the lane.
When three-pointers are dropping, teams have to defend the three-point-line, leaving an open shot down low.
