Over the last 10 games, the University of Georgia basketball team has gone 2-8. The team is just 1-8 in the SEC since conference play began. This is quite a difference from the 6-4 start through the first 10 games of the year. Georgia is trending in the wrong direction and Dawgs look to avoid some records that would place them with some of the worst seasons in the team's history, especially in the SEC.

The only SEC team which the Bulldogs have defeated is Vanderbilt who is even worse at 0-9 in the conference. That is not much of a feat as the commodores have just suffered their 10th consecutive loss.

The main reason for Georgia's struggles in the SEC this season is the increased competitiveness within the conference. In the past, the SEC has been known as the college football conference due to the superiority it has had in recent years with football. Kentucky has been the only true threat year after year in the conference. However, this season has been different. Tennessee has been a frequent at the number one, and teams like Kentucky, LSU, Alabama, and Auburn have been challenging top teams in the country.

In addition to all he improvement within the conference, the Dawgs are struggling to find their footing under new head coach, Tom Crean. Crean presents an entirely new system and as we often see in professional sports, it takes time (and often years) for a program or franchise to turn a corner.

Fans shouldn't bee too worried just yet. In his first three seasons at Indiana, Crean had three consecutive losing seasons with one of those being a 6-21 year, the worst mark in the program's history. The Dawgs may finish with a losing record this year and they certainly wont make up that ground in the SEC, but the core players on the team are still very young. Rayshaun Hammonds, Nicolas Claxton, and Teshaun Hightower are all sophomores. Guard Tye Fagan is still only a freshman.

The Dawgs still have a tough upcoming schedule. The team faces Ole Miss twice, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina still and that is not all. The development of the younger players is something to key on for the remaining games. Watching Nic Claxton develop his point-forward skills and seeing Rayshaun Hammonds develop as a scorer will be huge for the team going into the future seasons.

The Dawgs will continue to struggle with SEC play but it will all pay off when the experience comes back to help the key young players.