Growing up one of my favorite sporting events was the NCAA basketball tournament. There was just something special about “March Madness.” I felt this way even though my favorite team, Georgia, was rarely involved in The Big Dance.
It’s been 10 years since anyone has been able to pencil in Georgia on their bracket, but the wait appears to be over.
UGA earned another crucial road win on Tuesday night, this time at South Carolina, and the conventional wisdom says this might be the victory that clinches a tournament bid for the Bulldogs.
Georgia’s postseason hopes seemed to be on life support just a couple of weeks ago, but UGA’s response since then has been commendable.
So make some room on the bandwagon because it looks like the Bulldogs are ready to roll into March.
For the rest of the news, check out our coverage below.
Trivia time
Question: Who was the last team Georgia played in the NCAA Tournament?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.
Georgia basketball strengthens March resume
According to some experts and analysts, Georgia basketball took the final step it needed to make the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs marched into South Carolina and left with a 73-64 win, making three straight conference wins for the first time this season.
Silas Demary Jr., whose recent scoring spike earned him SEC Player of the Week honors, led Georgia with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Georgia’s sophomore star also didn’t commit a single turnover, while the entire team committed just eight.
Georgia finishes the SEC season at home against Vanderbilt at noon. Assuming the Bulldogs have done enough to make the field, they can improve their seeding in the tournament with every SEC win they add between Saturday and the conference tournament.
CFP under new management
There’s a new sheriff in town for the College Football Playoff selection committee, who is replacing former chairman Warde Manuel with Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades.
A former Georgia athletic director was also added to the committee. Damon Evans is now the athletic director at Maryland and is one of five new members added.
Manuel was a somewhat controversial figure after leaving a Michigan program under NCAA investigation to take the job last offseason. SEC figures expressed disappointment with Manuel throughout the season, including the final selection, where SMU got the last CFP bid over Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
Zachariah Branch bringing many weapons
Georgia didn’t just get an electric receiver when Zachariah Branch trasnferred from USC this offseason. The speedy junior also brings an explosiveness to Georgia’s special teams, as he is one of the deadliest return men in the country.
Branch is expected to start immediately for the Bulldogs as the type of receiver that Isaiah McKenzie, Mecole Hardman and Ladd McConkey have all been during the Kirby Smart era. His speed, agility and versatility across the field made him one of the top transfers in the country, and a key add at one of Georgia’s worst positions in the 2024 season.
Photo of the Day
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 20: Teammates J.J. Frazier #30 and Kenny Gaines #12 of the Georgia Bulldogs watch on during their game against the Michigan State Spartans during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina./Dawgnation)
Viral Dawg of the Day
Georgia’s Silas Demary Jr. was our Viral Dawg yesterday for winning SEC Player of the Week, but he gets it again today for winning a National Player of the Week selection from the USBWA and for leading the Bulldogs past the Gamecocks.
Demary scored 16 points with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and no turnovers. The sophomore is one of the hottest scorers in the SEC with the postseason right around the corner.
Demary has added to his physical rim-running ability with sharp 3-point marksmanship and impressive shot-creating ability in the mid-range.
Quote of the Day
“I think, of all the SEC bubble teams, Georgia is in the best position, not just because this first half, but because primarily what they did last week,” ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi told SEC Network at halftime of the Georgia-South Carolina game last night. “That road win at Texas was huge, and even bigger was of course, the home win versus Florida. I think Georgia only needs one more win.”
Trivia answer
Answer: Michigan State