He put the blame for the Georgia Tech loss on himself. No need to do so. He didn't "bring his A game," that's for sure. And there were a few plays in which some extra effort could have turned the tide. However, everybody who stepped on the floor in a UGA uniform, along with the coaching staff, had a hand in it. We didn't play well, lost the game, and may have lost the opportunity to bring Derrick Favors on board.
Had we won the game by 20 points, like we should have (Tech may have gotten down on themselves if we had hit our free throws in the first half), we would have had a statement to make to all watching. But as it stands, our message is confusing at best.
And "making statements" brings me back to my original point. Terrance was quoted in a Red and Black article as saying that he "feels really bad that Corey Butler and I never beat them [Georgia Tech]."
The context and wording of Terrance's comments make the meaning uncertain. I'm not sure whether Woodbury meant that he and Corey never beat them during the game the other night, or never beat Tech at all. If he meant the latter, Terrance has obviously forgotten the Tech games in his career that were played in Athens.
Georgia beat Georgia Tech just last season. Wasn't a beautiful game, but it was a win. The most telling part of the box score was the guard play. Sundiata Gaines and Billy Humphrey went a combined 15 for 20 from the floor. Gaines scored 16 points, had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and only one turnover. Billy Humphrey was 9 out of 12, scored 23 points, had 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
Box Score
And back in the 2005/2006 season, Woodbury's first year, Georgia beat Georgia Tech then, as well. Sundiata had a remarkably similar stat line, with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He also played a fantastic game on defense, holding Zam Frederick, Tech's point guard at the time, and current member of the South Carolina Gamecocks, to 1 of 12 shooting. Billy Humphrey, for his part, had about the same stat line, too. He scored 22 points, on 6 of 8 shooting.
Similar Game
Looking back at the box scores (and Billy Humphrey's 47 points over three games against Tech) brings back the utterly annoying reminder that Humphrey was supposed to be in his senior year this season. Performing at his best.
Had he not encountered his off-the-court issues, Georgia would have won this year's game. Likewise, if Sundiata had one more year, with his tough defensive play, reliable point-scoring and rebounding, Georgia would have won the game.
The two "what if" statements above are pure speculation. But what isn't is the fact that Georgia did win last year. And both Woodbury and Corey Butler played in the game. I believe Terrance was injured at the time of the 2005 game and didn't play, but he was on the team for that victory, too.
Whether it's a point of his bad memory or my bad interpretation, as distasteful as this year's loss to Tech is, the fact remains that the team with home court advantage won the game, as normally occurs in this series.
Keep your head up, Terrance, and let's find a way to get an upset against UT.
1 comment:
It seems like he was answering a question about never beating Tech at the Thriller Dome, despite playing so well on that court in the SEC tourney, and the reporter didn't make that clear in his story.
I'm guessing he would have written "(at Tech)" at the end of Wood's quote if he could do it over again.
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