The Georgia Bulldogs face a tall task Tuesday evening when they travel to Rupp Arena to face undefeated Kentucky. The Bulldogs are reeling a bit after seeing their win streak snapped with a 67-50 loss at South Carolina on Saturday. The Bulldogs will be shorthanded again as senior center Marcus Thornton will miss his second straight game due to a concussion.
On paper, this game is a big mismatch for the Bulldogs who don't possess the size or athletic ability to match a very talented Kentucky roster.
Things really couldn't get any worse than they were for Georgia on Saturday when they literally struggled to score the basketball against the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs made just 11-50 field goal attempts and were 3-17 from three-point range. Only a good showing at the free throw line prevented the game from being more embarrassing than it was.
If Georgia is going to have a chance to beat anyone they are going to have to get better guard play from the likes of Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines who combined for 21 points on Saturday but were just 5-22 from the field.
Freshman forward Yante Maten replaced Thornton in the starting lineup on Saturday but battled foul trouble throughout. The Bulldogs depth has been heavily tested with Thornton, Juwan Parker and Kenny Paul Geno all out with injuries.
John Calipari has the Wildcats looking to run the table in the regular season and again boasts a roster full of NBA prospects. Kentucky attacks teams in waves and has overwhelmed opponents with a deep bench. Aaron Harrison leads the team in scoring at 11.5 points and freshman Devin Booker is proving to be one of the best shooters in the country.
The Wildcats have ample size on the inside with Willie Cauley-Stein, 6-11 freshman Karl-Anthony Towns and sophomore Dakari Johnson.
Expect to see a lot of zone from the Bulldogs who as a big underdog can afford to take some chances and play loose. The longer they can hang around and stay in the game the more the pressure will shift towards the Wildcats.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, February 3, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Bulldogs Radio Network