Despite losing 13 of 18 consecutive conference matchups — five by six points or less — Georgia men’s basketball was posturing to make a dent in the March 11-15 SEC tournament.

In round one, Georgia thrashed No. 12 seed Ole Miss 81-63. Making up for freshman star Anthony Edward’s 2-for-13 performance, junior Rayshaun Hammonds shot 69% from the field to book 22 points. 

Senior Jordan Harris and freshman Sahvir Wheeler, who led the Bulldogs offense in its Jan. 25 loss to the Rebels, followed up with 21 and 15 points respectively.

A day later, the spread of COVID-19 ended Georgia’s hopes of a surprise run following its otherwise forgettable regular season.

“[Georgia] had a lot of games in the SEC that came down to one or two possessions,” recently-hired assistant coach Steve McClain said. “And yet they were one of the youngest teams in the SEC. The experience that those guys gained … will transcend to the next group.”

Nearly half of the team’s 75.9 average points per game in 2019-2020 came from the fingertips of Georgia’s freshman starters, Toumani Camara, Wheeler and Edwards, who’s projected as a top-three overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft.

As the No. 13 seed in the SEC tournament, Georgia ranked above only 3-15 Vanderbilt and would’ve needed an out-of-character win streak to make a championship run. But following its victory against Ole Miss, such a feat was theoretically possible. 

Here’s how Georgia matched up in the next round and potential quarterfinals:

Second Round: Florida

Georgia met Florida twice in the regular season, falling to the Gators both times.

It was a tale of two halves on Feb. 5 when Florida erased Georgia’s 15-point halftime lead with a 55-34 second half to win by six.

Edwards booked 18 points — 12 from behind the arc — in the first 20 minutes. He and Wheeler ultimately dictated the Georgia offense, finishing with 32 and 16 points respectively. They received little help from upperclassmen teammates who combined to tally 22.

In the March 4 contest, Georgia again suffered a double-digit deficit in the second half, losing 68-54. Despite his .300 field goal percentage, Edwards went 7-for-8 from the free throw line to post a team-high, 14-point effort.

A third-time’s-the-charm mentality may have helped the Bulldogs in the second round of the SECs. Yet with a history of losing steam late against Florida, consistent the Bulldogs would’ve had to focus on closing out to make a quarterfinals appearance.

Quarterfinals:

Mississippi State

Given its two-game bye in the conference tournament, No. 4 seed Mississippi State was ready and waiting in round three for either Georgia or Florida.

The first and only Battle of the Bulldogs this season took place on January 18 in Starkville, Mississippi. Georgia suffered its biggest loss of the season 91-59.

Crean and his Bulldogs went into the second half down 11 points and shooting 44.8% from the field. But with a .393 field goal percentage at the game’s end, Georgia couldn’t compete with State’s .620 mark.

Edwards was the leading scorer once more with 19 points, sinking 5 of 13 shots, including one of his eight three-point attempts.

A Bulldog-on-Bulldog rematch at the SECs would’ve proved an uphill battle for Georgia. But with two rounds of momentum and a bad taste in their mouth, Edwards and company could have put up a fight. 

Their semifinal matchup would have come against either a No. 1 seed Kentucky, who triumphed over Georgia 78-69 in the regular season, or the winner between No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Tennessee.

With significant roster changes coming in 2020-21, Georgia will have to adapt seven new athletes to Crean’s game plan if it wants to rise in the SEC standings for a second consecutive year.

“The SEC is good. It’s proven,” McClain said. “So hopefully we take a growth from those close games, [and] our veteran guys coming back can really impact that next year.”

 

Printed with permission from The Red & Black independent student media organization based in Athens, Georgia; redandblack.com/sports