[Paint Touches] Is Georgia the most important game this season?

[PaintTouches]

Of course the next game up is always the most important, but in terms of those remaining, I argue that, yes, Georgia is the most important. 

https://painttouches.com/2016/12/02/is-georgia-the-most-important-game-this-season/

(I will still say the Pitt game ends up being most important when we look back at the end of the season, but as the past can't be changed, I think Georgia takes the mantle.)

[wadesworld]

Yes.  Because it's the next one.

[KampusFoods]

Yes.  Because it's the next one.

[4everwarriors]

Nah, conference games Trump non-conference games, ai na?

[tower912]

It is for the next 48 hours.

[brewcity77]

Yes.  Because it's the next one.

I know this is the tried and true coachspeak, but it was completely proven to be false by Wojo earlier this season in the Vandy postgame when he said "I'm just worried about getting ready for Hampton on Monday." Uhh...coach, you do know we aren't playing Hampton at all this year, right? (Barring Marquette getting a 1-seed and Hampton going on an improbable run to the NCAAs).

The reality is, cupcakes are cupcakes. You'll sometimes get a slip-up, but just because Western Carolina was on the schedule doesn't mean they were ever the most important game of the season. This game, on the other hand, has legit "game of the season" implications.

The minimum we need for an at-large is 19 wins. That will have us squarely on the bubble. To get there, we need to go at worst 9-3 in non-con play. Before the season, I probably would have looked at the second NYC game as the best shot for that second HM win, but that ship has sailed. Georgia is a challenging team, but on paper, not close to Wisconsin, no matter the venue. Beat Georgia and we know that 10-8 should be enough to have us squarely in the conversation come Selection Sunday.

Lose that game and the season starts to get away. Wisconsin becomes must-win. That 10-8 conference season looks less appealing, as it will likely take 11-12 wins to get in. That's the scenario that started last year with the Belmont loss. Suddenly getting to 23 wins to feel secure meant running the table in non-conference and going 11-7 in the league. If we lose to Georgia, it's the same thing. Wisconsin turns into must-win, 10-8 turns into 11-7 (12-6 to be a lock), the Big East Tournament goes from luxury to necessity...this may be the biggest game of Wojo's career so far. And not in the inane, hyperbolic coach-speak sense.

[MU82]

By far the most important game to me, because it's probably the only game this season I'll get to watch in person!

I was 2-0 last year (Brooklyn tourney), 1-0 two years earlier (at DePaul) and 1-1 the year we went to the Elite Eight (loved the Miami win but agonized through the loss to Cuse). So I've got a pretty good run going. Should be on the payroll!

[wadesworld]

I know this is the tried and true coachspeak, but it was completely proven to be false by Wojo earlier this season in the Vandy postgame when he said "I'm just worried about getting ready for Hampton on Monday." Uhh...coach, you do know we aren't playing Hampton at all this year, right? (Barring Marquette getting a 1-seed and Hampton going on an improbable run to the NCAAs).

The reality is, cupcakes are cupcakes. You'll sometimes get a slip-up, but just because Western Carolina was on the schedule doesn't mean they were ever the most important game of the season. This game, on the other hand, has legit "game of the season" implications.

The minimum we need for an at-large is 19 wins. That will have us squarely on the bubble. To get there, we need to go at worst 9-3 in non-con play. Before the season, I probably would have looked at the second NYC game as the best shot for that second HM win, but that ship has sailed. Georgia is a challenging team, but on paper, not close to Wisconsin, no matter the venue. Beat Georgia and we know that 10-8 should be enough to have us squarely in the conversation come Selection Sunday.

Lose that game and the season starts to get away. Wisconsin becomes must-win. That 10-8 conference season looks less appealing, as it will likely take 11-12 wins to get in. That's the scenario that started last year with the Belmont loss. Suddenly getting to 23 wins to feel secure meant running the table in non-conference and going 11-7 in the league. If we lose to Georgia, it's the same thing. Wisconsin turns into must-win, 10-8 turns into 11-7 (12-6 to be a lock), the Big East Tournament goes from luxury to necessity...this may be the biggest game of Wojo's career so far. And not in the inane, hyperbolic coach-speak sense.

So essentially what you seem to be saying is...well, the next game is the biggest game of the season, and as the season goes on each game becomes that much more important than the last.  We agree here.

I'm glad Wojo did not know the name of our next opponent minutes after we finished a game.  Means he was locked into that night's opponent.  That's what he and the team need to be.  Locked in to their next opponent.

You can't win every game, if you don't win the first.

[muguru]

Still disagree with brew...you absolutely CANNOT lose at home to UW or Fresno. UW is ALWAYS a must win, and especially when it's at home. Yes, Georgia is important but plenty of good teams lose true road games, that's almost expected...but you HAVE to take care of business at home..The easiest path to the NCAA's is this..and yes it still works out to 11-7 or so...but win all your BE home games, win @ Duh Paul and @ SJU and there's 11 wins...that's not even considering they will likely win a few more on the road somewhere in the BE. It all starts by protecting your home court...EVERY coach would tell you the key is "win all your home games, and steal a couple on the road".

That being said, they will go 3-0 in the next 3.

[PGsHeroes32]

So essentially what you seem to be saying is...well, the next game is the biggest game of the season, and as the season goes on each game becomes that much more important than the last.  We agree here.

I'm glad Wojo did not know the name of our next opponent minutes after we finished a game.  Means he was locked into that night's opponent.  That's what he and the team need to be.  Locked in to their next opponent.

You can't win every game, if you don't win the first.

Well, we haven't won every game.

So what else you got for cliche motivation to fans on a message board?

[brewcity77]

If you look back, season by season, there are always games of greater significance. As far as "most important" I'd say it is very rarely going to be a conference game. A bad conference loss can be offset by a good conference win. And saying "the next game" doesn't hold water because it invalidates the ability to look back at a season and identify the truly key moments, because the only moment that would ever matter would be the last.

My pick this year would actually be Pitt. I really thought getting one out of NYC was huge to set the tone for the season. Had we won, we'd be comfortable enough now, but that loss has us chasing either a high major road win or beating a top-10 team to get a quality non-con win. We're behind the 8-ball because of that game.

The focus only became Georgia because we slipped up in NYC, and that domino would continue to fall to Wisconsin with another loss. However Pitt is still more important than either because it was that first blown opportunity that shifted the importance.

[wadesworld]

If you look back, season by season, there are always games of greater significance. As far as "most important" I'd say it is very rarely going to be a conference game. A bad conference loss can be offset by a good conference win. And saying "the next game" doesn't hold water because it invalidates the ability to look back at a season and identify the truly key moments, because the only moment that would ever matter would be the last.

My pick this year would actually be Pitt. I really thought getting one out of NYC was huge to set the tone for the season. Had we won, we'd be comfortable enough now, but that loss has us chasing either a high major road win or beating a top-10 team to get a quality non-con win. We're behind the 8-ball because of that game.

The focus only became Georgia because we slipped up in NYC, and that domino would continue to fall to Wisconsin with another loss. However Pitt is still more important than either because it was that first blown opportunity that shifted the importance.

Sure, after the season is over you can look back and decide what moments were the most important in the season.  But within the season the only game that matters is the next one.  In this case, that is Georgia.

[brewcity77]

Sure, after the season is over you can look back and decide what moments were the most important in the season.  But within the season the only game that matters is the next one.  In this case, that is Georgia.

I prefer a big picture view to a myopic one. Just a matter of opinion on how one values games.

[keefe]

We better f#cking win that game or there is gonna be a major sh1t storm here!

[WarriorFan]

The most important game is the 20th win before the conference tournament starts.