Georgia Bulldogs Host Oakland Golden Grizzlies Tonight
By John Buhler
The Georgia Bulldogs look to move past a tough road loss to Seton Hall when the Oakland Golden Grizzlies come to town for a rare non-conference matchup.
The Georgia Bulldogs (2-2) will host the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (3-2) in their non-conference matchup at Stegeman Coliseum tonight. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET and the game will air on SECN+.
UGA comes back home after a tough loss to the Seton Hall Pirates at the Prudential Center, one where the Dawgs were honestly outmatched when it came to points in the paint. Georgia had to rely on the outside shot, while Seton Hall attacked the paint at will, winning 69-62 over the road Dawgs.
-= Related: Georgia Bulldogs Come Up Short vs. Seton Hall =-
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies started playing basketball in 2000 and have a 3-2 record on the year. Believe or not, but their university is not from the Bay Area, but rather Rochester, Michigan, competing in the Horizon at the Division I level.
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Don’t let their anonymity fool you. The Golden Grizzlies are 44th in the nation in offensive efficiency (115.3) and score on average 87.4 points per game, good enough for 20th in the NCAA. Georgia will have to bring the defensive intensity and find some continuity on the offensive end, as UGA has struggled in offensive efficiency in 2015-16, rated 301st in the country (95.0).
As the season progresses we will see more of what this Georgia Bulldogs’ team identity will become. Last year, it was a great inside presence that allowed the perimeter players to shine as UGA went on to the NCAA Tournament for the second time since coming to Athens. It seems as though the backcourt will have to carry the offense for the Dawgs in 2015-16, as the frontcourt is young and inexperienced.
Fortunately starters like Senior SG Kenny Gaines and Sophomore F Yante Maten have come to play in the early part of the UGA season. Guards Charles Mann and J.J. Frazier have been erratic in the first four games, but recent history shows that both players will round into form during SEC play.
Georgia does need to continue to fight through injuries to figure out what type of team HC Mark Fox has this year. The sooner, the better, as Georgia will need to play better than .500 ball in the non-conference if they want to have any hope of making the NCAA Tournament again in 2016.
Next: Yante Maten: The Inside Presence UGA Needs
The SEC is as strong as it has been in recent memory and other great teams in the non-conference like Kansas State and Baylor loom large in the coming games. Here’s to UGA getting back on top and raising the flag after beating the Oakland Golden Grizzlies tonight at Stegeman Coliseum!