ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia men’s basketball had its best 13-game start in 94 years. That didn’t impress the Net rankings, the metric that the NCAA uses to pick and evaluate the tournament field. This dominant victory over No. 6 Kentucky should move the needle. The Wildcats came to Stegeman Coliseum on Tuesday and discovered that the Bulldogs have what it takes to end their NCAA Tournament drought at nine years. Georgia engaged the Wildcats in a physical contest inside a packed house and sent them back to Lexington with an 82-69 defeat. Georgia led for the final 26 minutes of the game and held UK to less than 70 points for just the third time this season. The Net ratings count this as a Quad 1 victory for Georgia (13-2, 1-1)
. Those wins carry the most weight on Selection Sunday. “That’s a big-time win, in my opinion,” said Bulldogs sophomore Silas Demary. “Because there were times last year when we would go all the way to the end (of games) and we would drop those big-time wins. So, I think being able to get over that hump and win those big-time games against those ranked opponents, those Quad 1 wins, it’s just nothing but growth in our program and the growth in the guys who are willing to put in the work every day.” The Bulldogs have one other Quad 1 victory, against St. John’s in the Bahamas. They had a chance for another in their SEC opener at Ole Miss on Saturday. The Rebels overwhelmed them in the second half for a 63-61 victory. That wasn’t a bad loss for the Bulldogs, but they need resume-enhancing victories.
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