LIVE: Georgia looks to strengthen NCAA bid against Florida
Ladies and gentleman of the Bulldog Nation: Here's the critter you've learned to hate.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Hello. This is the week I was scheduled to check in on the Braves at spring training in Orlando, and it just worked out that there was a pretty good college basketball game tonight on the way.
Georgia, which I think will have a strong enough resume to get into the NCAA tournament, nonetheless has a chance to remove some of the doubt tonight when it faces 13th ranked Florida at the O’Connell Center (7 p.m., ESPN2).
This will be a significant test for the Bulldogs, who are coming off a huge 69-63 road victory at Tennessee (whose athletic department before long I believe will officially become an extension of San Quentin. The Volunteers’ football, basketball and baseball programs all have been under NCAA investigation.)
The Dogs (18-8) have shown that they can play with Florida (21-5), having lost to them in double overtime at Stegeman Coliseum last month, when a desperation 30-footer by the Gators’ Erving Walker at the end of the first overtime tied it. But Florida has won five straight and eight of its last nine since a surprising home loss to South Carolin.
Georgia catches a break in that forward Chandler Parsons, the Gators’ leading rebounder, is expected to miss his second straight start with a thigh bruise, although he could see some playing time.
OK, here’s the latest on the Dogs’ tournament chances. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, in his latest “Bracketology,” lists Georgia among the “most talked about bubble teams” at No. 41 overall. Here’s what he wrote:
Playing in the tougher SEC East, the Bulldogs can survive a loss at Alabama if they can pull the upset at Florida on Thursday night. Georgia has been a .500 team since mid-January and is far from secure without at least one more quality win on its resume.
In Lunardi’s most recent projected bracket from Monday, he has Georgia as a No. 10 seed in the East Regional with a first-round match-up against Washington.
That’s it for now. I’ll be live blogging as much as possible during the game while trying to work on the post-game column. Have any thoughts on tonight’s game?
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361 comments Add your comment
Jeff Schultz
February 24th, 2011
8:45 pm
Parsons best player on floor in 2nd half.
5150 UOAD
February 24th, 2011
8:45 pm
DA Double
and you give TECH fans for backing CPJ for letting UGA score to try to get the ball back and maybe lose by 8? You sound like a hypocrite. would this be a MORAL VICTORY you hate TECH fans for talking about? CALLING YOU OUT.
G
February 24th, 2011
8:45 pm
Thompkins is not NBA ready. I won’t but he needs to stay another year.
todd grantham
February 24th, 2011
8:46 pm
back to being over again
Dawgtownrambler
February 24th, 2011
8:46 pm
GATORS WIN…
G
February 24th, 2011
8:46 pm
Thompkins is not NBA ready. He won’t but he needs to stay another year.
todd grantham
February 24th, 2011
8:47 pm
what does parsons say in the huddle?
Dawgtownrambler
February 24th, 2011
8:48 pm
I have been a Georgia fan all of my life, and I still can’t understand why we are so inferior to the Gators…
5150 UOAD
February 24th, 2011
8:48 pm
There are Phi Mus all over Athens cowering in the corner from their boyfriends right about now.
Iowa Corn Fed Boys
February 24th, 2011
8:48 pm
Parsons is putting on a clinic for Mark Fox and his floundering fox hounds.
Dawgs Man
February 24th, 2011
8:48 pm
How many times this year has Thompkins choked at the end of the game when we needed him. Missed free throws, missed layups, etc. I’m thinking about 4 or 5. 2 missed free throws here did us in.
todd grantham
February 24th, 2011
8:49 pm
Georgia is just a Parsons short of being a really, really good team.
D A DoubleU G
February 24th, 2011
8:49 pm
5150…..
IN basketball, you need the impressive factor to make the tournament.
It’s far from football. If Tech were trying to make a postseason tourney on the football field, you would have gained impressive points against UGA.
But football is MUCH different, and you know that. YOU LOST to UGA in football.
buick59
February 24th, 2011
8:49 pm
what a joke of an athletic program.
Josh Fowler
February 24th, 2011
8:50 pm
Damn it. Dawgs needed this win badly.
Beast from the East
February 24th, 2011
8:50 pm
“I have been a Georgia fan all of my life, and I still can’t understand why we are so inferior to the Gators…”
Better hiring of head coaches by Foley. That’s the truth.
Since Vince
February 24th, 2011
8:50 pm
I said this game was already OVA. So is our baseball team and next years footballl team. Chalk it up folks.
todd grantham
February 24th, 2011
8:50 pm
crap just crap
God
February 24th, 2011
8:51 pm
Yes I do hate the Dawgs.
Isn’t it obvious?
5150 UOAD
February 24th, 2011
8:51 pm
Well it has been fun just talking on the Blog. Sorry Dawgs. It was a good 1st half. Is Murray the QB of the basketball team too?
Since Vince
February 24th, 2011
8:51 pm
All of you kool aid drinkers thought Damon was a Great A D…….
dbc
February 24th, 2011
8:51 pm
Every UGA loss is like a replay of the previous one. Do these guys have any ability to adjust or learn from a past experience? I’m starting to question Fox for some of this. How can the same stuff happen game after game? Again, cold shooting and turnovers in the second half. This team gives up way too easily in the face of the slightest adversity.
buick59
February 24th, 2011
8:52 pm
lose lose lose
todd grantham
February 24th, 2011
8:52 pm
we cant blame Mark Fox yet. he hasnt had a lot to work with. unlike Mark Richt, who is an idiot.
Dawgs Man
February 24th, 2011
8:52 pm
Thanks Thompkins. I knew when you made 2 free throws in a row that you would miss the next 2.
D A DoubleU G
February 24th, 2011
8:52 pm
Here comes one of my FAVORITE spectacles in Sports……
Enter all the Techies who feel the University of Florida is a branch of Tech athletics, and listen to them vicariously spew out their mouths about how Florida “owns” us, just like we OWN them.
Beast from the East
February 24th, 2011
8:53 pm
Best of luck the rest of the season, Dawgs. Win ‘em all.
Go Gators!
Fire Richt,Fox and Perno
February 24th, 2011
8:53 pm
These clowns must go….
harold
February 24th, 2011
8:54 pm
GEORGIA BASKETBALL IS A JOKE LIKE THAT 13-12 FOOTBALL TEAM. FLORIDA, KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE ARE THE ENVY OF THE SEC IN BASKETBALL. AND THAT THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA ON ROCKY TOP——WOW!
todd grantham
February 24th, 2011
8:54 pm
i shudder to think how badly Georgia would lose a game if we were behind at the end of the first half
5150 UOAD
February 24th, 2011
8:54 pm
DA double
TECH and most ACC teams are like Vandy and Florida in the face we are members of the AAU. GA is trying with help from the Georgia legislature.
Terry Funk
February 24th, 2011
8:55 pm
DA the dawgs will get in the dance…enjoy the ride
Mark Richt
February 24th, 2011
8:55 pm
I am so stupid and lazy if I were Michael Adams I would fire my lazy ass!
Fire Richt,Fox and Perno
February 24th, 2011
8:56 pm
Fire Michael Adams too
Mark Richt
February 24th, 2011
8:56 pm
and I could teach the Prez right: I fired about a dozen coaches in the last 2 years.
Beast from the East
February 24th, 2011
8:57 pm
Billy Donovan is a great coach. Hope he stays with us until he’s 75 years old.
Mark Richt
February 24th, 2011
8:58 pm
The good ole Athletic Board let me off the hook again today! Even though donations are down by $3million from a couple of years ago. Break out the sparkling water Katherine. We’re gonna howl tonight!
Mark Richt
February 24th, 2011
8:59 pm
People know I dont tolerate alcohol. But they don’t know how much i like coke
Dawgtownrambler
February 24th, 2011
8:59 pm
I am a firm believer that Georgia should discontinue Men’s basketball. Then divide the money that supports the program between relevant winning programs at UGA. All of our basketball players are sellouts. They have no since of urgency. We got behind in the second half and stayed behind. Not one player showed that they were bound and determined to make a come back. I would rather watch a group of guys that played their hearts out than what Mark Fox puts out on the court. I am embarrassed by our teams lackadaisical approach to the game. PLAY HARD OR GO HOME!!! There isn’t a team at Florida that knows what it means to lay down. It seems now a days that is all Georgia knows how to do…
Terry Funk
February 24th, 2011
8:59 pm
@ 5150 UOAD GA Legislature = retards
they make me spend….
I’m bitter about paying $20 for beer on Saturday….(because I know the next day is Sunday..)
I’m also bitter about paying 6% income tax…
Greg McGaritty
February 24th, 2011
9:00 pm
Sure doesnt look like UGA is “in the hunt” with them Gators. What a mess I have.
uga is STILL Gator Bait
February 24th, 2011
9:05 pm
Hey D A, here’s some numbers for you to suck on: 22-7, Donovan’s record against you inbreds & 18-3, the football record since 1990. Have a nice day, inbred!
Busted
February 24th, 2011
9:05 pm
Another gator win over the pathetic pups.
When uga chokes at home, which they’ve been doing lately and loses at bama, no tourney for them.
Va Beach Dawg
February 24th, 2011
9:06 pm
Let’s face it. Florida owns us. Our basketball team gets selfish and soft down the stretch. Congrats to the Gators.
Dawgtownrambler
February 24th, 2011
9:07 pm
I hope they don’t make they NCAA tournament. They in no way, shape, form, or fashion deserve to play in the tournament. At the very least… only good teams should play in the tournament. Georgia is less than good.
DawginOH
February 24th, 2011
9:07 pm
I don’t even like basketball, but can’t the Dawgs beat Florida at ANYTHING?! Jeez…
5150 UOAD
February 24th, 2011
9:09 pm
Have a good night.
Jeff
Be safe on your ride back.
it is time for me to take DA Doubles advice and try the STRANGER in the shower. AHHAHAHAHHA. Be good dawgs.
Dawgtownrambler
February 24th, 2011
9:09 pm
The Gators have beatin us at Football, Gymnastics, and Basketball twice this season. That would be a big fat NO! Georgia hires good coaches, but its obvious the GREAT ones coach at other schools…such as Florida.
Gator Girl
February 24th, 2011
9:10 pm
Does Mark Bradley still think Georgia will be the SEC basketball chaump I mean champ? I love his predictions!
Va Beach Dawg
February 24th, 2011
9:15 pm
One more thing. I hope Thompkins does go to the NBA (or at least tries). We would be a lot better off without him. We go to him in the clutch every time and he NEVER comes through. How about sitting his butt on the bench for the last ten minutes of the game. We couldn’t be any worse.