Georgia basketball is heading into a pivotal stretch of its season, and the timing couldn’t be more critical. After dropping three straight games-including a tough 92-77 loss at home to Texas A&M-the Bulldogs are looking to get back on track when they face LSU on the road this Saturday, February 7. With March Madness inching closer, every possession, every rebound, and every win starts to matter just a little bit more.
At 16-6 overall and 4-5 in SEC play, Georgia still finds itself in the NCAA Tournament conversation, but the margin for error is shrinking. Bracket projections still have the Bulldogs in the field of 68, but their seeding is starting to slip toward that always-tense bubble territory. In a conference as competitive and unforgiving as the SEC, a few off nights can quickly change the narrative around a team’s season.
Head coach Mike White didn’t sugarcoat the current state of his squad during his weekly radio show on Monday. “We’ve got to get better coming off a really tough stretch,” White said.
“Did not see it coming. We’re not the same team that we were a couple of weeks ago, primarily with our connection, which is a little discouraging.
You run into some of those things in the grind of the SEC. We certainly ran into a couple of those last year and just overcame and found ways.”
That lack of connection White alluded to has been evident in recent games, especially on the defensive end and in the team’s overall energy. The Bulldogs have shown flashes of the group that started the season strong, but consistency has been elusive lately. The LSU game offers a chance to reset-and more importantly, to stop the bleeding before the losing streak becomes a full-blown spiral.
Where Georgia Stands in the Bracket Picture
Despite the recent skid, Georgia is still being viewed as a tournament team by most major projections, though the seeding varies:
- USA TODAY has Georgia as a No. 9 seed, facing No. 8 Iowa in Philadelphia in the East Region.
- ESPN’s Joe Lunardi also slots the Bulldogs as a No. 9 seed, paired with No. 8 UCF in Chicago, part of the Midwest Region.
- Fox College Hoops’ Mike DeCourcy sees Georgia as a No. 10 seed, taking on No. 7 Saint Louis in the West Region.
- The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode echoes that 10 vs. 7 matchup with Saint Louis, but has the game in Oklahoma City.
- Jerry Palm places Georgia as a No. 9 seed against Saint Louis as well, but in Greenville, part of the East Region.
The common thread? Georgia’s still in the field, but that 8-9 or 7-10 matchup territory is where teams live on the edge.
One more loss could push them toward the wrong side of the bubble. A win, especially on the road in the SEC, would go a long way in stabilizing their footing.
Breaking Down the Resume
Let’s take a closer look at what’s fueling Georgia’s tournament hopes-and what could be holding them back:
- NET ranking: 36
- KenPom ranking: 33
- Quad 1 record: 3-4
- Quad 2 record: 4-1
- Quad 3 record: 1-1
- Quad 4 record: 8-0
The Bulldogs have taken care of business in the games they’re supposed to win-an unblemished 8-0 mark in Quad 4 games is a must for any serious tournament hopeful. But it’s their performance in the higher-quadrant matchups that will ultimately determine their fate.
Their best win to date came against No. 24 Arkansas, a solid Quad 1 victory that anchors the resume.
On the flip side, the worst loss came against No. 79 Ole Miss, a blemish that could haunt them if they end up on the bubble.
What’s Next
The LSU game is more than just another SEC clash-it’s a chance for Georgia to reassert its identity. The Bulldogs don’t need to be perfect down the stretch, but they do need to recapture the cohesion and fight that got them to 16 wins in the first place. That starts with reconnecting on both ends of the floor and finding ways to win gritty, high-stakes games-especially on the road.
With the calendar flipping to February, the countdown to Selection Sunday is officially on. Georgia still controls its own destiny, but the time to course-correct is now.