Georgia Bulldogs host Tennessee Volunteers Wednesday
By John Buhler
The Georgia Bulldogs will host the Tennessee Volunteers Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET and the SEC Network will air the game.
The 8-5 Georgia Bulldogs will face the 8-7 Tennessee Volunteers at home Wednesday night for the Dawgs’ fourth game of SEC Play. While the Georgia Bulldogs have done a nice job of defending their home court with an 8-2, they are a so-so 8-5 on the year because the Dawgs can’t seem to win away from Stegeman Coliseum. UGA has lost all three of their road games this season, including two in SEC play.
Georgia nearly won their first road game of the 2015-16 NCAA season when the Dawgs made their first ever trip to The Pavilion at Ole Miss on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Georgia Bulldogs produced almost no offense in the second half, blowing a double-digit lead to fall to the Ole Miss Rebels, 72-71.
Tennessee is trying to get its program back on track, as it has its third head coach in three years. The Vols were able to hire former Texas Longhorns star head coach Rick Barnes, as Donnie Tyndall’s tenure in Knoxville last only one season amidst sanctions stemming from his time at Southern Miss.
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It will take a few years, but Rick Barnes will have this Tennessee basketball program back to relevancy before too long. Keep in mind he did coach Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin in college, so the guy can certainly recruit NBA talent.
For the Georgia Bulldogs, head coach Mark Fox needs to have its team focused on what they can control and not dwelling on Saturday night’s heartbreaking loss in Oxford to Ole Miss. While that certainly was a game UGA should have won, the Dawgs must protect their house on Wednesday night as they need to get back to .500 in conference play at 2-2 to stay relevant in potential NCAA Tournament discussions.
Though UGA did play a tough non-conference schedule, the basketball team needs to do a better job of closing out games. This team should have three more wins on the year, but instead sit at 8-5 instead of 11-2 with losses at Seton Hall and at Florida.
Foul trouble and poor free throw shooting down the stretch ultimately did the Georgia Bulldogs in at The Pavilion Saturday night. However, a steady dose of Yante Maten low post moves, raw power of Derek Ogbeide in the paint, and as always the hydra in the UGA backcourt of J.J. Frazier, Kenny Gaines, and Charles Mann should come out on top in the Classic City on Wednesday night.
Next: Georgia Bulldogs endure tough loss at Ole Miss, 72-71
If UGA plays up to their capabilities on the hardwood, then the Dawgs should have no problem defeating the Volunteers at Stegeman Coliseum to move to 9-6 (2-2) on the year and feel better about themselves in the SEC hierarchy. Go Dawgs!