South Bound & Down
Fansided

SEC Tournament Preview: Georgia vs. Tennessee

By Matt Green

Feb 11, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard J.J. Frazier (30) dribbles the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Bulldogs won 76-75. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard J.J. Frazier (30) dribbles the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Bulldogs won 76-75. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

SEC Tournament: Round Two

(8) Georgia vs. (9) Tennessee

1:00 EST

The first game of day two of the SEC Tournament is between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers.

These two teams are battle tested. They have two of the toughest schedules in college basketball, but neither team can seem to beat any of those teams.

Georgia (18-13, 9-9 in SEC) lost five games against the top 6 teams in the RPI. The lost to Kansas, Kentucky (twice), and Florida (twice).

Tennessee (16-15, 8-10 in SEC) has played six games against RPI top 10 teams, losing to North Carolina, Oregon, Gonzaga, Florida, and Kentucky. But they did manage a win in their other game against Kentucky. The Volunteers have lost five of their last seven games going into the SEC Tournament.

More from SEC Basketball

Georgia won the first game between these two teams 76-75 in Knoxville back on Feb.11. The Bulldogs trailed by as much as 14 in the second half of that game. Yante Maten got into foul trouble and played just 17 minutes, then J.J. Frazier put the team on his back.

The senior point guard scored 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Grant Williams wasn’t too shabby either, scoring 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting for the volunteers.

According to a story from Dawgnation.com, Yante Maten has been cleared to play after missing the last four games and 38 minutes of the Kentucky game due to injury. And the Bulldogs are a much more complete team with their big guy in the middle.

Each of these teams still has NCAA Tournament aspirations. The Volunteers would likely have to win the SEC Tournament in order to get in, but their strength of schedule could go a long way in the eyes of the committee.

Georgia has a better chance, but still slim. They are currently one of the “Next Four Out” in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology. If they want to get in the Big Dance, not only will they have to knock off the Volunteers, they’ll have to beat Kentucky in the second round to have a legitimate claim to a tournament bid.

Georgia Bulldogs: By the Numbers

  • RPI: 49
  • SOS: 14
  • Record vs. RPI Top 50: 1-8

Tennessee Volunteers: By the Numbers

  • RPI: 72
  • SOS: 18
  • Record vs. RPI Top 50: 2-11
Home/SEC Basketball
Keep scrolling for more content below