ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia forward Asa Newell spoke with confidence after the Bulldogs’ 79-68 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday when he proclaimed: “We’re going to be dancing.”
It has been 10 years since a Georgia men’s basketball player could make that boast about the Bulldogs’ NCAA tournament outlook after their final regular-season game.
The Bulldogs improved to 20-11 overall and 8-10 in the Southeastern Conference with the win in one of many games Saturday involving teams that may have been on the tournament bubble for the NCAA’s 68-team field — also known as the Big Dance.
Led by Newell, a freshman forward who scored 15 points against Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs’ hopes for their first NCAA bid since 2015 were boosted by four consecutive wins to close the regular season.
The highlight was an 88-83 home win over SEC border rival Florida on Feb. 25 when the Gators were ranked third. The strong finish also included an important 83-67 league win at Texas, another bubble team, on March 1.