We need to start appreciating our men’s basketball team
As if the free Chick-fil-A sandwiches at games weren’t enough
Obviously, the students at UGA are aware we have a men’s basketball team. But that’s not what I want to talk about. It’s not that the community is unaware of our basketball program, it’s just students don’t care.
Sure, we may be a “football school,” but there are so many reasons why Athens should embrace this team and put their full-hearted support behind these boys.
The talent is real
Georgia’s team had as many players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams as any other team in the conference not named Kentucky, of course. Not to mention, our rivals to the south only possessed one member on either team, so there’s a nice little feather to put in the cap of all Georgia fans.
You’ll see these guys in the NBA
Not only are our boys excelling at the college level, but there are some gems on this current squad who are sure to make some noise in the NBA some day. The most recent player to make this transition is the Detroit Pistons’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The tickets are free for students
With a student ID, admission into most basketball games is free. The bigger games may raise the price up a pinch, but typically no more than ten dollars. So there’s no excuse not to pop into the majestic Stegeman Coliseum and support your boys out there on the hard court for an hour or two on any given night.
In fact, for most of the games, there is a promotion offering free Chick-fil-A sandwiches to any students who attend.
Look at last year’s results
Not only did our men’s team make the tournament in 2015, but we also fared quite well given our expectations. Sure, we were eliminated in the second round, but our second round departure happened to be the result of an extremely well fought and highly competitive contest to seasoned Michigan State.
Our history is nothing to snuff at
While the football tradition at UGA is one of pride and numerous accomplishments, our basketball program’s history is nothing to scoff at. Although it’s largely overshadowed by the hulking presence Herschel Walker possessed, we had an arguably even greater talent in Dominique Wilkins.
Undeniably one of the greatest players of his era, Wilkins was the kind of player any program would be proud to have as its ambassador. In addition to having such a polarizing talent come through our program, we have also made a Final Four appearance and multiple Sweet Sixteen appearances.
We have a chance at postseason play
As of right now, I still believe the Georgia Bulldogs basketball team will make the NCAA tournament when Selection Sunday comes. We’ve had a few slight hiccups early on in conference play, but we still have a strong chance at being one of the 68 teams chosen because of a few strong non-conference wins. While our hopes may seem bleak to the more cynical fan, our schedule provides ample opportunities for fans to get a look at other tournament-worthy teams and some serious NBA talent on some of these teams.
I hope the next time you see a men’s basketball game on the schedule, you stop by Stegeman for a bit. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed in the players donning the red and black of our university.