Georgia Bulldogs
SEC (22-8, 11-5)
Georgia had some tough stretches this season, but most of those losses stemmed from an injury to point guard Jasmine James. Without their point guard, the Bulldogs struggled on both ends of the floor. Senior Meredith Mitchell is a great all-around guard, but she is not a point guard. However, Coach Andy Landers had little choice but to put his senior in a tough spot.
Big Wins: 12/4 Georgia Tech (75-68), 1/12 Florida (61-55), 2/12 Vanderbilt (76-63)
Bad Losses: 12/19 vs Gonzaga (68-71), 1/26 at Vanderbilt (48-68), 2/19 at Florida (57-61)
Coach: Andy Landers (33 seasons at Georgia)
Why They Can Surprise:
The backcourt may have lost some games in James’ absence, but Mitchell got some experience handling the ball and that is never a bad thing. Khaalidah Miller and Erika Ford are the other two true guards on this team and both of them were thrown into a ton of playing time while James was out. For Miller, a sophomore, and Ford, a freshman, the extra playing time will pay dividends in the long run. But even with an overworked backcourt, the Georgia frontcourt could still win games. Forward Jasmine Hassell and wing Anne Marie Armstrong usually play at the four and five spots. Hassell is the traditional forward who can score in the paint and hit the glass. Armstrong is the better athlete who can score inside and out and has the jumping ability to effectively rebound the ball.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Armstrong’s athletic ability will lead to some blocks, but she is the only shot blocking threat on the team. The result of not having a traditional post player who can clog the paint is easy buckets for the opposition. Georgia usually allows their opponents to shoot quite well from the floor and beyond the arc and that is why this group can give up 70 or 80 points in a game. While the opponents shoot well against Georgia, the Bulldogs are not great shooters themselves. Miller is the only consistent long range shooting threat and she is not that consistent. Armstrong, James, Mitchell and Ford can make some three-pointers, but they are few and far between. And even when they do make one, it will take quite a few attempts before that one goes in the bucket.
Probable Starters:
Jasmine James, Junior, Guard, 10.5 ppg, 3.4 apg, 4.7 rpg, 2.6 spg
Khaalidah Miller, Sophomore, Guard, 12.1 ppg, 2.2 apg, 4.3 rpg
Meredith Mitchell, Senior, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 2.4 apg, 5.2 rpg
Anne Marie Armstrong, Junior, Guard, 11.6 ppg, 3.0 apg, 6.3 rpg
Jasmine Hassell, Junior, Forward, 13.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Krista Donald, Freshman, Guard, 4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Erika Ford, Freshman, Guard, 5.6 ppg, 1.1 apg
Tamika Willis, Junior, Forward, 3.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.9 (56th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 57.3 (75, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.9 (32, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.3 (154, 9)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.7 (170, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.7 (105, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.1 (268, 5)
Rebound Margin: 2.6 (104, 8)
Assists Per Game: 13.1 (128, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.1 (47, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
Georgia 2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Middle Tennessee State
Georgia 2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Florida State
Georgia 2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Texas A&M
Georgia 2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Tulane
Georgia 2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Oklahoma State
Georgia 2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Stanford
Georgia 2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Arizona State
Georgia 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Iowa
Georgia 2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina
Georgia 2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Belmont
Georgia 2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Iowa State
Georgia 2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Purdue
*all team stats through 3/1
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
