Asa Newell was filled with optimism following Georgia’s 79-68 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, confidently stating, “We’re going to be dancing.” This victory marked an anticipated turnaround for the Georgia Bulldogs, who have not been able to boast about their NCAA Tournament prospects following their final regular-season game for a decade.
The Bulldogs improved to a record of 20-11 overall and 8-10 in the Southeastern Conference. The win came as a crucial boost at the end of a season filled with games impacting the NCAA bubble. Freshman forward Asa Newell, who contributed 15 points in the win against Vanderbilt, has enhanced Georgia’s prospects for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015. The team’s spirits have been buoyed by winning the last four games of the regular season.
The highlight of this season was an 88-83 win over No. 3 Florida on February 25, achieved on home turf. They continued their strong finish with a decisive 83-67 victory at Texas, another team on the bubble, on March 1. Heading into Saturday’s game, Georgia held a No. 32 NCAA NET rating, which could have potentially secured their spot in the NCAA even if they faced losses against Vanderbilt and in their SEC Tournament opening against Oklahoma.
Georgia’s determination was to eliminate any uncertainties. Claiming victory over the Commodores (20-11, 8-10), who also look set to make the NCAA field, has Georgia on track to end their decade-long NCAA drought. Coach Mike White expressed his confidence by saying, “This is all I’ll say about it: I would assume we’re in. I mean, we’re good. We’re good. Our whole league is good.”
The Southeastern Conference (SEC), led by No. 1 Auburn, presents significant challenges as it includes three top-five teams and eight in the week’s top 25 poll. Arkansas (19-12, 8-10) improved its postseason outlook with a narrow 93-92 victory over No. 25 Mississippi State. Celebrating this win, Arkansas coach John Calipari remarked that this team felt particularly rewarding to him, marking it as a special season.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest revived its NCAA prospects by decisively defeating Georgia Tech 69-43. Though now sitting at 21-10, the team holds a No. 72 rank in the NCAA NET and may need strong showings in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to secure a tournament bid.
In the Big Ten, Indiana secured a vital 66-60 home victory over Ohio State, a fellow bubble team. Indiana was highlighted on the ESPN list of “last four in” before this victory, which improved their standing. Meanwhile, Ohio State has been struggling, emphasized by its decrease to 17-14 and 9-11 in conference play.
In another matchup, Oklahoma achieved a notable 76-72 road victory at Texas, improving their credentials to 19-12. Despite suffering a loss, Texas holds a No. 39 ranking. West Virginia nearly squandered a considerable lead but managed to win against UCF 72-65, maintaining their hopes at 19-12 with a No. 47 NCAA NET mark.
Additionally, Xavier managed to stay competitive with a win over Providence, highlighting their importance in the postseason chase. Conversely, North Carolina missed a critical opportunity to improve their standing against Duke, falling 82-69 to the second-ranked team.
North Carolina’s standing at No. 38 in the NCAA NET leaves them focused on the ACC Tournament to impress the NCAA tournament selection committee.
