WICHITA – Getting an invitation to March Madness is a big deal. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.

No, college athletics isn’t what it used to be, and the NCAA – the organization that continues to govern its teams – will never win any popularity contests.

However, the Tournament is one decision the NCAA got right.

Oh, we can argue whether 68 teams is too many – or too few – whichever the case may be. But except for the possibility of baseball, the NCAA Basketball Tournament allows a school to at least do something that the other sports don't offer – dream.

With the possible exception of Disney World, where else can Cinderella have so many fans?

Georgia head coach Mike White likes a good fairy tale as much as anyone, and the Bulldogs’ appearance in this year’s event is an interesting story.

Steady goes the ship.

White’s first season in Athens went 16-16 after the Bulldogs won just six games in Tom Crean’s final year as head coach.

That was followed up by a trip to the semifinals of the NIT in Year 2, followed by this year’s trip to the NCAAs as the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Regional.

After losing nine of 11 during a stretch in the SEC season, thoughts of a Georgia trip to the NCAAs seemed unlikely.

But if there’s a lesson to be learned here it’s don’t give up too soon.

While many did, Georgia didn’t, and ultimately the Bulldogs closed out the regular season with four straight victories to secure their spot, winning 20 regular-season games for just the sixth time in school history.

It was an important surge for a couple of reasons.

Earning the coveted spot in the tournament certainly stands out.

However, it was also important for White to make that jump in Year 3 to keep building momentum for the program.

Had Georgia not made the tournament, many would have considered the season a step-back, despite the fact his Bulldogs just completed a year many consider the toughest we’ve ever seen in the SEC.

Still, Georgia managed to win three games against teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time, including victories over eventual SEC Tournament champion Florida and Big East Tournament champion St. John’s.

This brings us to Thursday’s opponent Gonzaga, a team synonymous with the NCAA Tournament after appearing in 26 straight, including nine straight Sweet 16s.

The Zags are right where they expected to be after finishing second in the West Coast Conference standings to Saint Mary’s.

This is a program that’s used to competing and doing well in the tournament, as opposed to a Georgia team, where only a couple of players know what it’s like to play in college basketball’s biggest show.

The Bulldogs arrived on Tuesday before taking part in Wednesday’s media sessions, followed by an open workout inside INTRUST Bank Arena here in downtown Wichita.

So, what will happen in Thursday’s tipoff at 4:35?

On paper, it might not look good.

Coupled with how much experience Gonzaga has and its nine-year streak of making the Sweet 16, it’s going to be quite a challenge.

The stats are scary.

Gonzaga leads the nation in both average assists (19.7) and assist-to-turnover radio (2.09), largely due to Ryan Nembhard. He ranks first and second nationally at 9.8 assists per game – a full 1.1 assists per game more than any other player – and 4.28 assist-to-TOs.

All told, the Zags rank among the nation’s top 5 in six major stats. In addition to the aforementioned assist tallies, Gonzaga is No. 2 in scoring offense (86.6 ppg), No. 3 in scoring margin (+17.0 ppg), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.500) and No. 3 in free throw percentage (.801).

But could this be where all those games and all that competition against the SEC pay off? The Bulldogs have already seen many of the best teams that college basketball has to offer.

Whether that pays off with a win on Thursday, we’ll see.

After all, isn’t that why they play the tournament, because it allows teams a chance to dream?