Georgia basketball: Bulldogs to square off against Dayton in first round of 2019 Maui Invitational

(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Georgia basketball will face Dayton on Nov. 25 in the first round of the 2019 Maui Invitational.

Michigan State and Virginia Tech are the other two teams in the Bulldogs’ part of the bracket, with Kansas vs. Chaminade and BYU vs. UCLA rounding out the first round matchups.

Georgia and Dayton have met just once previously, with the latter earning the victory in 1973.

The Flyers went 21-12 in Anthony Grant’s second season on the job, and they should be in contention for an Atlantic 10 title this season.

As for the Bulldogs, 5-star shooting guard Anthony Edwards will lead the way for what should be one of the SEC’s most improved teams.

Lovell’s Analysis

The Maui Invitational is always one of the most exciting non-conference tournaments in college basketball.

And with traditional powers like Michigan State, Kansas, and UCLA in the mix, this should be another competitive edition of the tournament.

However, there’s going to be a lot of attention on Edwards, as he should figure into the SEC player of the year race due to his tremendous playmaking abilities.

With Rayshaun Hammonds likely developing into an All-SEC caliber player and several other talented freshmen joining the roster alongside Edwards, Tom Crean should have an exciting group to work with this season.

For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.