Georgia Bulldogs Host Powerhouse Kentucky: It’s All Good!
Tonight the Georgia Bulldogs will host a powerhouse, but it’s all good!
As the Kentucky Wildcats (29-0) come to Athens, GA. tomorrow night to try maintain their perfect, and absolutely ridiculous record of top-notch basketball, fans of the Georgia Bulldogs may conceivably be stressed. Breathe deeply, adjust your chi, and don’t sweat it!
More from Georgia Bulldogs
- Georgia & Clemson Renew Their Rivalry Sooner Than Expected
- Former Georgia Bulldogs Receiver Mecole Hardman Preparing For Super Bowl 54
- Jake Fromm Declares For NFL Draft
- With Tua’s Decision Announced All Eyes On Jake Fromm
- Georgia Bulldogs End Season On A High Note With Win Over Baylor
There’s no reason for fans or the team to stress over a likely loss to such a good team. Rather, it’s an opportunity for the team to fine-tune their game in preparation for the future this season, and an opportunity for fans to just have some fun and appreciate a great team in the Kentucky Wildcats.
If you haven’t seen them play, you’ll soon see what I mean.
I’m not a Kentucky fan of course, but I appreciate this team’s talent. I appreciate any team or any athlete (whether I root for them or not) displaying such prowess, whether on a court or a field, or any other environment. I realize that I might be seeing a bit of history when I watch a team like Kentucky, so if things don’t turn out like I hope, it’s all good.
That said, my hope is to see an upset, because after all that would be history in the making as well. Make no mistake about it either, this Georgia Bulldogs teams has the talent for an upset (longshot acknowledged).
At 19-9 (10-6 SEC), the Georgia Bulldogs have a strong squad led by coach Mark Fox, and a solid squad of players with talent in perimeter shooting, assists, and defense. While none of the Bulldogs are tearing it up in scoring per game, their tenacity could make things interesting for the Wildcats.
This will be the 2nd go-round with Kentucky this season. Back on February 3rd in Lexington, the Georgia Bulldogs played Kentucky much tougher than the 69-58, 11 point margin would indicate.
The score alone shows the the powerhouse Wildcats are not without vulnerabilities, but to add to that picture, consider that Georgia only trailed by a mere five points with just a couple of minutes remaining in the game, and the Bulldogs out-rebounded Kentucky 36-24.
Granted, Kentucky’s Trey Lyles wasn’t on the floor that night, but remember that Georgia’s 6′ 8″ senior forward Marcus Thornton (12.3 ppg), their leading scorer and rebounder, was also out with a concussion. That bodes well for the Bulldogs’ chances tonight.
It would be tremendous if the Bulldogs could pull off an upset, but Georgia doesn’t necessarily have to win this game to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The simple truth is that with the Bulldog’s record of 19-9, playing an undefeated team this late in the season should have no bearing on Georgia’s chances. Still, it would be great for Georgia to get the upset, and stranger things have happened.
Stat Comparison
The Bulldogs are averaging 69.1 ppg, with an FG% of 43.4%. Their 3 PT% sits at 34.5%, and they’re at 68.7% in free throws.
The Wildcats of course are averaging a bit better, but not a ton better. Their ppg sits at 75, FG% at 47.1%, 3 pointers at 34.3% (lower than the dogs), and a nice free throw percentage of 71%.
Stats are more comparable than you might expect, and it could all come down to a tenacious Bulldog defense, who out-rebounded the Wildcats in their last contest.
Bulldog Projected Starting Lineup
- Marcus Thornton (forward, 12 ppg)
- Nemanja Djurisic (forward, 11 ppg)
- Kenny Gaines (guard, 11 ppg)
- Charles Mann (guard, 11 ppg)
- J.J. Frazier (guard, 10 ppg)
Game Details
- Where: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Georgia.
- When: 8:00 PM CST, 9:00 PM EST
- Media: ESPN and ESPN3