ATHENS -- Georgia basketball was officially asked to the Big Dance for the first time in a decade.

The Bulldogs (20-13, 8-11 SEC) earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, a major benchmark in third-year coach Mike White’s rebuild to relevance in the SEC.

UGA will open March Madness action against No. 8 seed Gonzaga in Wichita, Kansas.

The Bulldogs and the Zags (27-8, 16-4 WCC) will tip off on Thursday at 4:35 p.m. ET at Intrust Bank Arena.

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