ATHENS -- Much like the football team, Georgia basketball didn’t get any favors from SEC schedule-makers when they released the adjusted slate of games last fall. It’s decidedly front-loaded.
The Bulldogs (7-1, 0-1 SEC) will feel the full effects of that this week as they hit the road for the first time all year for back-to-back road games against two of the league’s best teams. That challenge begins Wednesday night against LSU (6-2, 1-1) in Baton Rouge. Georgia will follow that with a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., to meet the Arkansas Razorbacks (9-1, 1-1).
The Bulldogs played their previous eight games at home.
“Back-to-back road games is a tough challenge, but I think we will be excited to play,” Georgia coach Tom Crean said through a spokesman Tuesday. “We have had really good days of practice. For us to go on the road now we need to bring great spirit and great bench energy. We need to come with confidence and focus on how we can make the game easier for each other with our talk, toughness and togetherness.”
Georgia needs to find some shooting ability somewhere along the way, as well. Poor perimeter shooting has been the Bulldogs’ biggest liability so far. They’re shooting only 30 percent from beyond the arc this season, and that’s not from a lack of trying.
Georgia has attempted 156 3-pointers, or 19.5 per game. Three starters are among the worst from long range, including point guard Sahvir Wheeler at 18.5% (5-for-27), wing player Toumani Camara at 20% (4-20) and shooting guard Tye Fagan at 27.3% (3-11).
The Bulldogs also rank at the bottom of the conference in turnovers with 138, or 17.3 a game.
Enter the Tigers, who under coach Will Wade not only have avoided FBI and NCAA punishment amid a year-long investigation into alleged wrongdoings, but also remained one of the SEC’s best teams. LSU ranks second in the league at 85.9 points per game and features four double-figure scorers.
Freshman Cameron Thomas is averaging an SEC-best 24.6 points, while Trendon Watford is adding 17.4 ppg, Javonte Smart is contributing 14.4 ppg and Darius Days is chipping in 13.4 ppg. Thomas and Days also lead LSU in rebounding at 7.9 per game.
But Georgia has been pretty good at scoring and rebounding as well. The Bulldogs are averaging 80 points a game and have recorded a rebounding advantage of 10 per game thus far.
Meanwhile, UGA is the only one of 342 Division I teams that have played this season who have six players averaging double figures. Camara leads the way with 14.3 points a game down to forward Andrew Garcia, who averages 10.3.
“We not only have to shoot the 3 better, but our finishing needs to improve,” Crean said of his team’s offensive prowess. “We are leaving too many points out there because we aren’t going up strong enough through the contact.”
Georgia needs to shore up its issues quick. It will be home for only one game, against a tough Auburn team, before heading back on the road to face Ole Miss.
By then, the Bulldogs should be quite familiar with playing away from Stegeman Coliseum.
“We are going to find out,” Crean said. “… The teams that really can generate some togetherness, camaraderie, cheer for one another inside of that and stay focused on that, and stay really, really engaged with one another, I think those are the teams that are going to give themselves a chance.”
