Georgia basketball returns to NCAA Tournament, will face St. Louis in first round
Georgia basketball will begin its NCAA Tournament run in the cold confines of Buffalo, New York.
The Bulldogs earned a No. 8 seed in the bracket, the NCAA announced Sunday. Georgia will face St. Louis on Thursday in the first round, with the winner advancing to play either top-seeded Michigan, UMBC or Howard.
It marks the first time Georgia earned a bid in consecutive years since 2002.
“Our program is in a really good place,” coach Mike White said. “We were really excited about the opportunity to come rebuild this thing … We hope to be in this situation more often than not.”
The Bulldogs competed in the NCAA Tournament last season, but excitement still surrounded their most recent bid. A chorus of cheers could be heard from across the hall of where the team watched the selection show, as its name popped onto the screen.
“Everybody was ready to play,” junior guard Smurf Millender said. “We’re just happy to keep playing.”
Georgia, who won a program-record 22 games during the regular season, has not advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 24 years. The Bulldogs made it to the second round in only four of their 13 appearances, two of which were later vacated.
The Bulldogs aspire to change that — but will need to get past an explosive St. Louis team to do so.
“We’re playing a dangerous team,” White said. “And we’re pretty dangerous ourselves.”
The Billikens earned a No. 9 seed after winning 28 games — which tied the program record — and capturing a share of the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title. St. Louis averages the 11th-most points per game in the country (87.2 PPG), while its nearly 51% field goal percentage ranks seventh.
“I know their offensive numbers usually are pretty impressive,” White said. “I’m just excited to get upstairs as soon as we’re done talking here and get to learn St. Louis as much as possible.”
The Bulldogs earned their bid with a strong finish in conference play. They won five of their final six SEC matchups, including against Kentucky, Texas and Alabama, all of whom received bids.
Georgia has never faced St. Louis in the postseason but holds a 2-0 record against the Billikens from a home-and-home series in 2009 and 2010.
It’s a record the Bulldogs will look to improve upon Thursday when they begin their run in the NCAA Tournament.
About the Author
Olivia Sayer joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May 2025 as an intern on the sports beat. She is earning a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia with a minor in sport management and a sports media certificate. Olivia previously held the titles of digital and assistant sports editor at The Red & Black.
