2018-19 SEC preview: Will Mississippi State or South Carolina prevail?
Georgia Bulldogs
Last season: 26-7 (12-4, T-2nd)
Predicted finish this season: 3rd
Key returners (last season’s stats)
F- Caliya Robinson, 6’3, SR- 12.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3 BPG, 1.7 SPG, 48.4% FG, 27.5% 3pt, 27.9 MPG, Second Team All-SEC, All-Defensive selection
G- Que Morrison, 5’6, SO- 8.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 36% FG, 24.1% 3pt, 27.1 MPG, SEC All-Freshman selection
G- Taja Cole, 5’7, R-JR- 7.8 PPG, 4.1 APG, 38.3% FG, 25.5% 3pt, 25.6 MPG
G- Gabby Connally, 5’6, SO- 7.1 PPG, 2.3 APG, 36.5% FG, 30.6% 3pt, 19.5 MPG
Biggest losses (last season’s stats)
F-Mackenzie Engram, 6’2- 12.9 PPG, 7 RPG, 42 steals, 37 blocks, 47.1% FG, 35.4% 3pt, 29.8 MPG, Second Team All-SEC selection (graduated)
Newcomers
G- Donnetta Johnson, 5’11, (Queens, NY), FR- Ranked #115 in 2018 class, #16 small forward
G- Kaila Hubbard, 5’10, (Jonesboro, GA), FR- Ranked #206 in 2018 class, #34 small forward
G- Caitlin Hose, 5’9, (Hazel Green, AL), FR-
C- Jenna Staiti, 6’6, (Maryland/ Cumming, GA), R-SO- Ranked #16 in 2016 class, #3 center. Averaged 3 PPG, 2 RPG at Maryland
Head Coach- Joni Taylor, 4th season
Not yet 40, Joni Taylor has established herself as one of the fast-rising head coaching talents in the country. A semi-finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award last season, Taylor led her Bulldog team to an impressive 12-4 finish in the conference and to the semifinals in the SEC tournament. All that added up to a 3-seed in the NCAA tournament, the first time UGA had hosted in the tournament since 2003. While the Bulldogs weren’t struggling by any means when she took over, Taylor has moved her team up the rankings on both sides of the ball since 2015. The team was 33rd in offensive rating a season ago (59th the year prior to her becoming named head coach) and 34th in defensive rating (63rd). With everyone back from last year’s stellar squad except Mackenzie Engram, Taylor very may well be up for some national awards yet again.
Key non-conference games
Nov. 14- at UCLA
Nov. 24- Maryland (San Juan, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Classic)
Dec. 14- at Villanova
Outlook
I’m going give it to your straight: Georgia is good. Like, really good. But in order to be great, which they were so close to being a season ago, they need to be able to score the ball more. Their offensive rating is excellent, yes, but their points per game and points per 100 possessions (a stat that does a good job of evaluating teams offense while considering pace) have room to improve. Just look at their offensive output in their seven losses last season: 53, 62, 60, 46, 65, 49 and 40. For the most part, that was the side of the ball that let them down. Losing Mackenzie Engram hurts, but Caliya Robinson (plus everyone else mentioned in the”returners” section above) are back and should be better. Toss in local product and Maryland transfer Jenna Stati and, on paper, Georgia is able to match up to anyone in the SEC. If the offense makes the jump, I think the Bulldogs win this thing.
Best Case Scenario- Hello scoring Dawgs! Scoring 75-80 a night is no large task, Caliya Robinson wrecks havoc and Georgia’s win on senior night over Florida gives them the SEC regular season title. They do the double by winning the tournament, get a 1-seed and Joni Taylor leads this team all the way to the Final Four.
Worst Case Scenario- Any scenario you give, this team will defend, but if you can’t score, you can’t win. Georgia finishes in 5th, makes gets tossed in the semifinals of the SEC tournament again and fizzle out during the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Athens mourns what feels like a missed opportunity.