NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- On Saturday afternoon, Georgia coach Mark Fox wrapped up his most impressive NCAA Tournament resume since attending the Big Dance in 2011. And while most bracket projections have the Bulldogs making the field, Fox, now in his sixth season at the helm in Athens, was compelled to double down on his team's right to an at-large bid.
"I'll tell you what I think. I think that this team deserves to go. I think that we have earned our way in," Fox said following Saturday's SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Arkansas. "We respect that it's not our decision. We respect that the committee will do their due diligence in studying teams. But when you do that, I think that we have earned our right to be there."
The good news for Fox? It doesn't look like he has too much to worry about, according to the latest bracket predictions. Georgia completed its tournament resume with a 21-11 record, including a 12-8 mark against SEC teams, with 11 wins over teams in the top 100 of Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings.
The Bulldogs rank 35th in KenPom and the RPI, and 27th in ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI).
There isn't a signature top-50 win, but it's a solid resume that features only two "bad" losses (Georgia Tech, Auburn). Even in his own conference, the LSU Tigers are considered the preeminent bubble team. Most bracket projections slot the Bulldogs around the 9- or 10-seed mark.
"There's some people that -- did you say (bracket) experts? Yeah, I mean that's a self-given title to some. I've seen some ridiculous things. But those things don't matter," Fox said. "What matters is that committee, and they obviously have done a lot of work in trying to find the right teams. But I would defend our team and our right to be there."
While the Bulldogs struggle at times to score, they are one of the better defensive teams in the country. They rank 28th in defensive efficiency while limiting opponents to an excellent 44.2 effective field goal percentage.
Locked in a defensive battle on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena, Georgia fell to Arkansas without the help of starting guard Kenny Gaines, who missed the game due to illness. Fox elected not to look too far into his team's latest loss.
"Most teams that get invited to that (NCAA) tournament are going to finish with a loss. Every team in this league, 13 of them are going to finish with a loss, except for one that wins tomorrow. There's what, 15 teams in the ACC? Fourteen will finish their tournament with a loss," Fox said. "So, I won't react to that. We have got to get healthy. We have played well down the stretch. We're at our best when we're healthy. That's going to be our first priority is to try and get our team healthy."
By his own calculation, his players have until Thursday to get ready to go.
