Georgia takes on Alabama in a must-win game at Stegeman

Mark Fox's Georgia Bulldogs will tip off against the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight at 9 PM Eastern in the friendly confines of Stegeman Coliseum (ESPNU). The Bulldogs take the court after a demoralizing, frustrating loss on the road at Texas A&M. They simply cannot afford to do that again.

At 12–7 overall and 4-3 in the SEC, Georgia is at best a bubble team for March Madness, and might more appropriately be termed a team that is on the bubble of being on the bubble. They still lack a victory over an RPI top 50 squad. Opportunities to notch that kind of signature win remain on the schedule, principally during a three game run against South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky which begins next week. The Dawgs probably need to win one of those two have any shot at the tournament, two to really make it firmly to the bubble.

But lay an egg in any of the remaining eminently winnable conference games (like tonight's contest) and Georgia will likely be playing for NIT seeding. Put another way, tonight is he beginning of a stretch in which Georgia needs a lot to go right and can't really afford for much of anything to go wrong.

Avery Johnson’s Tide (11-7, 4-2 SEC) pose an athletic challenge for the Hoop Hounds, but have had trouble putting it together at times this season. It will be interesting to see if the ‘Dawgs can put Saturday’s debacle behind them and take care of business at home. Until later...

Go 'Dawgs!!!