The Good and the Bad from Georgia's Victory Over LSU
Georgia basketball did it again. The Bulldogs dominated a "superior" opponent. This time the loser was the LSU Tigers, previously slotted at No. 2 in the SEC standings.
The Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 91-78 thanks to Sahvir Wheeler's historic triple-double. Toumani Camara completed a double-double with 22 points and 10 boards. K.D. Johnson scored 21 points off the bench and Tye Fagan added 18 points.
Here's the good and the bad from Georgia's triumphant night. There was no "ugly."
The Good
Sahvir Wheeler's triple-double
Georgia is not a "basketball school," but it's still surprising that going into Tuesday, no Bulldog had ever recorded a triple-double. That drought ended emphatically with Sahvir Wheeler's 14-point, 13-assist and 11-rebound performance.
LSU certainly had no answer for him. The Tigers couldn't keep him off the boards, they didn't shut him down at the rim and when they forced him to pass, they left shooters open. Five different players scored off an assist by Wheeler, totaling 33 points.
Those 33 points were the most important of the game for Georgia because its offense revolves around Wheeler driving and his ability to make unbelievable shots at the rim.
Teams are never able to stop that part of Wheeler's game, but often his driving is negated by teammates missing open shots. That wasn't the case Tuesday and the result was a huge victory.
The Bad
Why Can't Georgia play like that more often?
It's hard to critique a victory like this. Georgia took a 9-7 lead five-and-a-half minutes into the game and never looked back. LSU came into the game on a roll and tied for second in the SEC standings. The Bulldogs dominated the last 35 minutes of the contest.
It's just too bad Georgia doesn't play like that more often. If it did, Georgia would be looking at a mid-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the Bulldogs are out of the hunt barring a miracle run in the SEC Tournament.
Where was this outstanding shooting in the two losses to Florida? Where was this energy when they were getting blown out by Arkansas, South Carolina and Alabama? By the way, that South Carolina team is 5-11 overall and is 1-6 since beating the Bulldogs.
It's difficult to end this article on a downer, but that's the reality. If Georgia played at this level more often, there's no telling what the team's potential would be. Head coach Tom Crean would be in line for an extension. Instead, he's just trying to avoid being on the hot seat next year.
