Georgia will tip off tonight against #1 seed Seton Hall in the semi-finals of the NIT, and will look to make history in the process. April 2nd ties the record for the latest Georgia has played post-season basketball. The last time the Hoop Hounds were in action on this date was 1983, when they lost 67-60 in the Final Four to Jim Valvano’s NC State Wolfpack, the team of destiny that would go on to knock off Houston for the title.

Admittedly the stakes are a little lower this April 2nd. Georgia is looking to make the NIT finals for the first time in school history after prior semi-final appearances in 1982 and 1998. But for a team that needed a fellow SEC squad to opt out of the tournament to get in, then won a pair of buzzer beaters to get to this point, this game feels pretty big. The Bulldogs are now 20-16, the first 20 win season for UGA mens’ basketball since 2015-2016. A win tonight would equal the Bulldogs’ win total of 21 from 2014-2015.

The Pirate File

Perhaps coincidentally Georgia has faced Seton Hall twice, as part of a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2015. The Dawgs and Pirates split that series. But things have gone in opposite directions for the two programs since. Seton Hall has made the NCAA Tournament five times since then. Georgia? Not so much.

The Pirates come into tonight’s tip in Indianapolis with a 23-12 record on the year. The Pirates were 13-7 in the always competitive Big East, good for fourth place in the league standings behind UConn, Marquette, and Creighton.

That’s a trio of Sweet Sixteen squads, further proof that the Big East is a particularly tough neighborhood. The Pirates actually picked up early season wins over both UConn and Marquette before losing rematches with each, as well as a handful of other conference games that could have punched their ticket to the Big Dance.

In short, when Seton Hall has been at its best this year the pirates have been a match for anyone. But like the Bulldogs, they just never were consistent enough. If the right Seton Hall team shows up the Dawgs could be outgunned in a hurry. See for example the Pirates’ 91-68 quarterfinal win over UNLV, in which they shot out to an 11-2 lead and never trailed.

Seton Hall is led by a trio of gifted scorers. Senior Kadary Richmond paces the Pirate attack, scoring 15.6 points per game. He’s followed by senior Dre Davis at 14.8 points per contest, and senior Al-Amir Dawes at 14.6. Dawes, Senior Dylan Addae-Wusu and graduate Jaden Bediako have started every game this season for the veteran Pirates. Bediako leads the team in rebounding (6.9 per game), blocks (1.69 per) and field goal percentage (.614).

But for conference tournament wins by the likes of NC State, Oregon, and UAB, there’s every reason to think this Seton Hall team could have been in the Big Dance. 13 wins in the Big East is usually enough to get into the tournament, and this team has been playing like one that wants to prove it belonged in that other tournament. But Georgia has also been playing some of its best basketball in recent weeks, finally figuring out how to win close games against the likes of Xavier and Ohio State in a way that might have had the Dawgs dancing if they’d done so during SEC play.

My head says the Bulldogs May have finally met their match. But my heart says this team may have just a little more magic in them.

Tip-off is at 9:30 eastern tonight on ESPN2.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!