J.J. Frazier explodes for 37 points in Georgia Bulldogs win

The Georgia Bulldogs really needed to establish a winning streak against some sub-par teams after losing two in a row in the SEC. They started that streak by defeating Vanderbilt, then added Florida and Ole Miss to the win column this week. With a game against Mississippi State on the road on Saturday, the Dawgs looked to extend that streak to four in a row. They got it done by holding on late to win 72-66.

I could talk about this game was a total team effort, but that would be a complete fabrication. This game was a one man takeover by Georgia guard J.J. Frazier. When I say Frazier played out of his mind, I mean he played in some other alternate universe where it rains buckets and the rim is size of a pitcher’s mound. Frazier could barely miss every time he launched a shot on his way to 12/14 from the field and 7/7 from beyond the arc. That’s right, he went 100% from three-point range. The mind boggles.

Frazier scored 37 points in the game. In fact, nobody has scored that many points in a UGA basketball game since 1992. If you watched the mid-day matchup, you got to see a little bit of Georgia basketball history. What makes it even more impressive is that Georgia needed such a performance. Mississippi State was not going to go away in that game, as Georgia was only up by one point with 2 minutes left in the game. However, solid defense and free throw shooting won the day as Georgia went 7/9 from the stripe to close out the game.

So what does this mean for the Dawgs? Many will say it means that Georgia is now a top 25 contender. I say let’s not annoint them contenders just yet in the SEC

This was a streak that Georgia had to have, because all of four of these teams were much lower in the RPI rankings than Georgia. The top half of the SEC in RPI is Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M, and Alabama. All four teams Georgia has beaten fall in the bottom half. Georgia’s two losses to Arkansas and LSU are in the top half.

I’m looking to see where Georgia really ranks when they play a stretch at the beginning of February against Kentucky, Tennessee, and A&M in a row. They will have to prove they can beat teams in the top half of the SEC to really secure a spot in the tournament, outside of winning the SEC tournament itself. But, one thing I can say about this team that I couldn’t say years ago is that this team looks like they can handle that challenge, and I can’t wait to see it.

Next up, the Georgia Bulldogs face Vanderbilt at home on Tuesday. Vanderbilt could be coming off their fifth straight loss if LSU beats them later today, and likely reeling from a 1-5 record should that come to pass. Georgia will have to take advantage of a down Vanderbilt team that really lacks an interior presence on the glass. Don’t miss it!