The Georgia Bulldogs entered this season with a ton of questions all over the court but might be destined for a spot in the NCAA Tournament after their strong win over Alabama.
There is one thing we knew about the Georgia Bulldogs coming into the 2017-18 college basketball season: that Yante Maten was good.
What most of us failed to count on, however, was just how good Maten would be, leading the Bulldogs to an impressive 11-3 record and a shot at the NCAA Tournament thanks to his 19.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game average.
This was on full display Saturday, as the Bulldogs dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide at home, 65-46, behind Maten’s 26 points and 11 rebounds. Alabama is no pushover team, and this win takes Georgia’s SEC record to 2-1 with their lone loss coming on the road to Kentucky.
With the win, Georgia is now solidly in the NCAA Tournament picture. They were before this game as well, but the crushing win over an Alabama squad that many projected to finish in the top five of the SEC is going to look absolutely amazing on Selection Sunday.
Add that to the fact that, right now, Maten is playing like the best player in the SEC – because he is.
The thing about college basketball is that the team with the best player usually finds a way to win big games despite what the preseason predictions might suggest (see Trae Young at Oklahoma).
Next: How does this team look in our current bracketology?
The Bulldogs might have been disrespected coming into the season, but it is time for the rest of the SEC to stand up and take notice. Georgia is here to stay, and this team is going to be a major problem in March.