Georgia Bulldogs: Who Has a Breakout Season on Hoops Team?

The Georgia Bulldogs have a strong backcourt trio that will carry them this season. What other player emerges to have a needed breakout year for the Dawgs?

Mark Fox has his Georgia Bulldogs Men’s Basketball Program in its best state, possibly ever. It’s a testament to the team-first, family culture his has brought with him from Reno to Athens and indoctrinated in the last six years. Georgia has won at least 20 games in three of Fox’s six seasons as Head Coach and made the NCAA Tournament for the second time under his guidance.

The Georgia Bulldogs Men’s Basketball Program is now one of relevance in an improving SEC. The Dawgs finally got the nod to play a part in the Big 12/SEC Challenge this season, after missing out on the first two. UGA will play an awesome Baylor Bears team from their rival conference.

-= Related: Kenny Gaines: UGA’s Backcourt Catalyst? =-

Can Fox get the Dawgs to 20+ wins and back into the NCAA Tournament? Possibly. Though he does have a tremendously strong backcourt trio of Charles Mann, Kenny Gaines, and J.J. Frazier, Fox does lose a ton down low in Nemanja Djurisic, Cameron Forte, and Marcus Thornton. Injuries out on the wing remaining concerning.

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Even if the backcourt Hydra carries this team, UGA will need to have their forwards step up in a big way if this Dawgs team has any hope for an NCAA Tournament bid. The reason for this is in the Mark Fox Era, Georgia has to play a physical brand of basketball down low and have aggressive tendencies on the glass. While it all did seem to come together last year, this is a defensive-minded basketball team at its core and should not deviate from those ideals and philosophies.

So who steps up for the Georgia Bulldogs this season? While it could certainly end up being any one of the five true freshman on the team, I’d like to turn my head to a handful of sophomores and juniors who I think could do it. Mann and Gaines are the only seniors on this year’s team.

Out on the wing, I look at both Junior Kenny Paul Geno and Junior Juwan Parker to have more complete seasons for the Dawgs. Both have exhibited great talent with their inside-out games from the wing, but dealt with injuries their first two years in the SEC.

Parker was a big time recruit out of Tulsa only three years ago. Many though he’d start at the three for most of his UGA career. Though he could end up being the starter there for Mark Fox, the Head Coach of the Georgia Bulldogs may want to go with his backcourt trio some nights, as opposed to brining Frazier off the bench as the sixth man.

Geno seems to have the athleticism to become a great wing defender at the three. I’ve loved his basketball IQ over the last few years and I admire his hustle when he’s on the court. Those are two things that I know Mark Fox covets out of his players. Should health be on Geno’s side in 2015-16, he could provide that great spark off the bench, possibly earn a starting role as the season progresses with strong play in the non-conference.

Injuries are a part of any sport. It’s a shame that they often times rob us of getting to see talented players grow, especially in college athletics. Former UGA big man Marcus Thornton dealt with a myriad of injuries during his time in Athens, but he finally put it all together in his RS Senior season, helping lead the Dawgs to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the Mark Fox Era.

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However, the Georgia Bulldogs do need to find adequate replacements down low to maintain their defensive identity as a team. Look for Sophomores Yante Maten and Osahen Iduwe to anchor the Dawgs defensively down low. Maten played well last year as a true freshman in a reserve role. At 6’8″, I’d expect him to start at either the four or the five.

Iduwe is new to basketball, having only picked up the sport in Nigeria six years ago. His athleticism is obvious, albeit raw. Let’s not forget that you can’t teach size either. At 6’10”, Osahen Iduwe is the tallest player on the 2015-16 Georgia Bulldogs roster. He could start at the five, but he may still need to come off the bench as a part of the UGA big man rotation in the onset.

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The season is almost here. So get excited, UGA! You have a promising basketball team, led by a coach that is moving mountains in the Classic City to get this program into national relevancy. These things take time, but we all need to do our part in supporting the Men’s Program. Let’s enjoy the ride as the Georgia Bulldogs look to get back into the NCAA Tournament again in 2016.

The first regular season game is against Chattanooga in Athens next Friday. Only 8 days until hoops season! Go Dawgs!