Tom Crean on Georgia Bulldogs: ‘When their back was against the wall, they broke that wall down’

UGA is making its first NCAA tourney appearance in 10 years, drawing a No. 9 seed that matches them against a powerhouse Gonzaga program that is seeded No. 8 (approximately 4:35 p.m. Thursday, TBS) in Wichita.

Tom Crean, who took a Marquette team to the Final Four and won two Big Ten championships at Indiana before his four-year stint at Georgia, applauded White’s Bulldogs.

“Mike White, his staff and entire team are so deserving,” said Crean, a lead analyst with ESPN. “When their back was against the wall, they broke that wall down.

“They are an impressive group, and when connected defensively and making plays for others, they are at a very high level.”

Joe Lunardi of ESPN indicated that the seed is spot-on, ranking the Bulldogs as the ninth best team in the Midwest Region and the No. 41 team in the tourney overall.

“Georgia can win its opening game in the tournament behind (Asa) Newell’s dominance and the stifling defense,” Lunardi wrote. “But the dream more likely ends quickly against another set of Bulldogs from Gonzaga.”

Lunardi notes how Newell is “a dominant post scorer who can also step out and bury a 3.

And, he added, “The Bulldogs have positional size and elite rim protection, fielding a top-30 defense that generate victories over the high-octane offenses of Florida and Kentucky.”

But, Lunardi notes, UGA has its flaws in isolation play, moving the ball, and hitting perimeter shots.

“They lack the shot creation and one-on-one scoring ability a coach would like to have,” Lunardi penned. “… Putrid 3-point shooting was a recurring issue. The Bulldogs made double-digit 3’s only twice against SEC competition.”

Jimmy Dykes, a former Arkansas head coach and a current SEC Network analyst, indicated that Georgia point guard Silas Demary Jr. will be key.

“Silas Demary is a very physical, 6-foot-4 long point guard … and Asa Newell is a first-round pick, probably a lottery pick,” he said. “They run that offense, Mike White’s teams, always through guards, (and) I think that’s what gives them a chance in this game.”

Dykes said Demary leads a backcourt that won’t allow star point guard — Gonzaga’s single-season assist record holder, Ryan Nembhard — to take over the game.

“(White) isn’t gonna let just one point guard come down and dominate the game,” Dykes said. “They’re too good defensively.

“Silas Demary, people don’t know enough about him because of all the physical guards in the SEC, (but) he’s right there with the best of them.”