ATHENS — February is the shortest month on the calendar, but it has become the longest month for Georgia basketball in recent seasons.
Season-killing losing streaks have plagued the Bulldogs, who have made a habit of crumbling under the full pressure of an SEC schedule’s home stretch.
But this version of Georgia basketball has a chance to break that habit, and a win over No. 22 Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Saturday would go a long way toward making that happen.
Not only would the Bulldogs (16-7, 4-6 SEC) boost their chances to make the program’s first March Madness appearance since 2015, but they would surpass their regular season win total from coach Mike White’s first two seasons in Athens.
Saturday presents an opportunity to show the SEC that a real rebuild is underway at the newly revived Stegeman Coliseum.
“This is a massive game. I mean, they’re ranked,” Georgia forward Dylan James said. “I hope it’s sold out so we get that home court advantage and give them a hard time.”
Stegeman Coliseum has been a problematic place for visiting SEC teams this season, and will have a chance to attack in full force in Georgia’s first home Saturday game since hosting No. 1 Auburn on Jan. 18.
Bulldog fans are riding the momentum of the largest SEC win of the White era, when UGA beat LSU 81-62 on Tuesday night. Offensive leader Asa Newell did his part, leading UGA with 17 points and four rebounds.
But it actually was Blue Cain who made the biggest difference in Georgia’s offense. The former ESPN top 100 recruit posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, coming up just short of the second triple double in school history.
Cain’s performance electrified the thinner late-night home crowd, as the growing number of students waving “blue canes” chanted his name as he walked off the court.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
“They’ll leave them on my car and on my front door and stuff, so it’s always a fun surprise,” Cain said. “I usually give them out to my friends and stuff, but I’ve probably got about five or six.”
Like most teams in the SEC, home-court advantage has been massive for the Bulldogs. UGA will try to improve to 15-1 at home Saturday.
Georgia also can earn its third Quad 1 win this season, as the maroon Bulldogs (16-6, 4-5) are a top-30 team in the NET rankings. Quad 1 opportunities are the lifeblood of postseason resumes, indicating the quality of a team’s wins and losses throughout the season.
Mississippi State, like Georgia, is trying to survive the middle pack of the SEC and claim an NCAA Tournament spot. State lost two away games to top-20 opponents before taking the midweek off.
Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard leads the maroon Bulldogs’ offense, averaging the fifth-most points per game in the SEC (17.6).
Hubbard, standing at 5-foot-11, leads a trigger-happy team with 71 made 3-pointers this season. Mississippi State averages 26.5 attempts from 3-point range, good for fourth-most in the SEC.
Georgia’s guards will try to do a better job defending the 3 than they did Tuesday night. The Bulldogs beat a struggling LSU team 81-62, but not without the Tigers sinking 12 of their 33 shots from beyond the arc.
UGA fans will recognize one familiar face in maroon and white Saturday. Former Georgia forward RJ Melendez transferred to State in May and has been a starter since SEC play began.
“I loved playing with him, but I don’t think the fans are going to make it easy on him,” James said.
Georgia is 59-59 all-time against Mississippi State. The maroon Bulldogs have won six of the past seven meetings.
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