First, there’s the good news for the Hoop Dawgs.
There’s no drawing a much lower-seeded than they should be seeded team like it did in Gonzaga last year. But that’s no reason to pop a celebration just yet.
No, Georgia does not draw a team that should be seeded much higher in Saint Louis. Yes, there is something to be said that the Billikens are not a team used to being in the Field of 68 as this is their first berth in seven years.
But Saint Louis has come from the Atlantic 10, a conference of teams
that grinds down one another as the season goes on. During the season, the Billikens’ conference wins included both VCU and Dayton. VCU’s an NCAA tourney regular, as is Dayton – the latter of whom edged Saint Louis by one point in the conference semifinals. That loss, by the way, came after the Billikens were the class of the A-1o, claiming a regular-season title for the first time in 12 years.
But the success of the Billikens goes back further, as they started 24-1 and ascended to being ranked as high as 18th nationally.
A big reason for that success? The Billikens being able to get up and down the court fast and well. Saint Louis may have ranked fifth-fewest in points allowed, but it also led the A-1o in points per game. That’s exactly the kind of team a Georgia has to worry about in this format – one that once it gets hot, can be hard to stop.
The offensive heart of the Billikens, on and off the court, is center Robbie Avila. With his physical play and tight-rimmed glasses, he’s every bit of a folk hero and one that if he plays big, can be one of those March Madness feel-good stories – unless Georgia wrecks that narrative of the preseason all-conference pick.
Avila has plenty of support in Dion Brown and Trey Green, both of whom average around 11 points with Brown being key in the paint with nearly six boards per game.
The key for Georgia seems simple – don’t go on a cold streak (looking at you, Ole Miss game in the SEC tourney) and don’t let an underdog swing the momentum of an arena not close to either team’s home.
Go Dawgs!
