Georgia Bulldogs Hope to Build on Successful 2015 Season

By Tim Letcher
Dale Zanine, USA TODAY SPORTS
Dale Zanine, USA TODAY SPORTS

The Georgia Bulldogs had a good season in 2015, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Georgia went 21-12 overall and 11-7 in the SEC and lost to the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the Big Dance.

Georgia will return a solid nucleus for the 2015-16 season, especially at the guard position. Kenny Gaines is back after averaging 11.7 points per game last season. Charles Mann averaged 11.2 points per contest, while J.J. Frazier scored 9.5 points per outing. All three of those players return for head coach Mark Fox and the Bulldogs.

Where Georgia needs to find answers is inside. Gone are last season’s leading scorer, Marcus Thornton, who averaged 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Also lost to graduation is Nemanja Djurisic, who scored 11 points per game and provided a versatile inside-outside threat. The Bulldogs must find players to replace Thornton and Djurisic if they hope to build on last season’s success.

Georgia also had a good 2015 recruiting class, adding a pair of Top 150 players. Derek Ogbeide, a 6-8 center from the state of Georgia, will help provide an inside presence for the ‘Dawgs, while 6-5 guard William Jackson will help Georgia’s perimeter game. These two recruits also show that Fox is doing a good job of keeping home state talent, which is paramount if he is to win in Athens.

Fox has done an outstanding job building the Georgia program during his time in Athens, and if he can find interior players to help the team this season, the Bulldogs could find themselves back in the NCAA Tournament in 2016.

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like