ATHENS — The “March Madness” Georgia basketball fans have been missing out on for a decade returns to Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday.
Coach Mike White’s Bulldogs are playing host to fellow SEC “Bubble” team Vanderbilt at noon (TV: ESPNU) in a game with NCAA tournament implications.
Georgia (19-11, 7-10 SEC) enters the contest projected to make the NCAA tourney for what would be the first time in 10 years, but it’s no sure thing as there are other SEC teams crowding the space for at-large bids in the 68-team field.
The Bulldogs would certainly solidify a spot in the NCAA tournament with a win over the Commodores (20-10, 8-9), in addition to recording just the sixth 20-win campaign in the school’s 119-year history.
Not only would a victory represent UGA’s fourth straight win — momentum is valued by the selection committee — but it would also provide another bump to Georgia’s already-impressive No. 32 “NET” computer ranking, which is a metric used by the committee when picking teams.
The SEC Tournament lies ahead — with Georgia’s seeding and opening round opponent still to be determined — beginning next Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville — and there are other league teams in contention for final at-large spots that will be determined by the NCAA tournament selection committee.
That means Georgia fans will be looking beyond the scoreboard in Stegeman Coliseum to watch other SEC scoreboard involving Mississippi State at Arkansas (noon, SEC Network), and later tonight, Oklahoma at Texas (8 p.m. SEC Network).
Hall of Fame Coach John Calipari’s Razorbacks (18-12, 7-10) have a head-to-head win over Georgia earlier this season in Fayetteville and a No. 39 NET ranking that would enable them to leapfrog UGA in the pecking order should Georgia stumble and Georgia lose.
Texas — which was essentially even in the NCAA at-large pool with Georgia before the Bulldogs went into Austin last Saturday and dropped the Longhorns — could make up ground should it beat Arkansas and UGA lose.
Chances are, the Bulldogs would still be ahead of Texas in that scenario, but it would set up another game between Georgia and the Longhorns in Nashville that could open the door for Texas to move past UGA in the NCAA selection committee’s order of at-large team
That’s why White, in this third year leading Georgia, would just as soon take care of business against Vanderbilt and eliminate the potential for any such soul-crushing scenario.
The Bulldogs will head to Nashville as the league’s No. 10 or No. 11 seed in the league tourney with a win — depending on the outcome of the Arkansas-Mississippi State game. Or, with a loss, would be relegated to the No. 12 seed.
NCAA tournament seeding is also on the line, and an NCAA-bound UGA would want to avoid the possibility of playing in the “First Four,” which is an eight-team bracket made up of teams going head-to-head in what amounts to play-in games.
Winners of those First Four games — played March 18-19 in Dayton, Ohio, secure spots in the traditional 64-team bracket, which begins first-round play March 20-21.
The NCAA Tournament Selection show is on Sunday, March 16, and will be shown on ESPN and CBS.
SEC tourney schedule scenario
If Georgia beats Vanderbilt, it will be the No. 10 or No. 11 seed in Nashville.
• The No. 10 seed plays the No. 15 seed (LSU) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
• The No. 11 seed plays the No. 14 seed (Oklahoma) at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
If Georgia loses to Vanderbilt, it would be the No. 12 seed.
• The No. 12 seed plays the No. 13 seed (Texas) at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.