2011 NCAA Tournament: Previewing the Washington Vs. Georgia Matchup

The first round the of the 2011 NCAA Tournament has been spectacular to watch, but what should you expect from Friday night's Washington vs. Georgia game? 

Each team has their own star players in Isaiah Thomas Jr. (Washington) and Trey Thompkins (Georgia).

Thompkins and Thomas both lead their teams in scoring, but this match up is more defense-oriented. Washington averages 83.5 points per game as a team, and only gives up 70. For Georgia, they only score 70 points a night, and give up 64.

While the Bulldogs were worried about making the tournament after losing in the first round of the SEC Tournament against Alabama, Washington won their conference tournament on the back of Isaiah Thomas, he hit a step-back jumper at the buzzer against Arizona to win the game.

Both teams played in surprisingly tough conferences this year, and will be serious threats to knock off likely opponent North Carolina in the next round. 

The big play potential in this game is immense because Georgia has forward Travis Leslie, who can fly to the rim. Georgia will have to use its athleticism well in this game, because they only beat one ranked opponent in the regular season (Kentucky).

As for Washington, its offense revolves around the back court, but as a team, the Huskies finished 25th in field goal percentage, and in the top 12 in points, rebounds, and assists per game. This team can score at will, and will challenge the Georgia guards. In addition, both forwards for Washington average 10+ points a night.

Washington beat Arizona twice in the regular season.

The "dog fight" between the Huskies and Bulldogs should be great, simply because there is potential NBA talent on the floor for both teams. Expect the game to be extremely close, with both teams operating their offenses differently.

Isaiah Thomas Jr. and Trey Thompkins will steal the show.