More on Thornton

Anyone else agree with my Al Horford comparison? As a matter of fact, based on the video, I'm not sure Horford was as talented at the same stage.

I know I'm out on a limb here, probably all by myself, but if you look at the way Thornton handles the ball, goes to his right or left, keeps his head up while dribbling, shoots the ball from the free throw line, moves his feet on defense, and has good hands, I think you'd have to agree that he's a rare player. Doesn't have the size of Horford, but Horford never would be considered for the three position. Thornton looks to have enough skill to pull it off.

Thornton also has a little bit of "Alonzo Gee" (formerly of Univ. of Alabama) talent.

In my opinion, the difference in going to Tech vs. going to Georgia is that Coach Fox can develop Thornton into a serious player at the three position. I'm biased, of course, but I think that the offense that Hewitt uses, the pick and roll motion, is not the best system for a guy with Thornton's skills.

As a matter of fact, one could seriously argue that Georgia Tech is on its way down. Lawal, Favors and Peacock leaving. Controversy with Hewitt. They have some players left, but they won't be able to just feed it to the post and hope that Lawal scores.

Thornton is the kind of player that UGA should compete for and win.

Go Dawgs!

Thornton Gets Release

That's the news from the AJC. And it looks like Thornton is actually leaning to Georgia. Sure, his family has said all the right things about Clemson, but the possibility of Thornton signing with Georgia seems very strong to me.

Go Dawgs!

Thornton

Polee Down to Three

Congratulations to Polee for being named the Daily Breeze Player of the Year. He and the Westchester Comets had a fantastic season.

Congratulations also to Coach Mark Fox. UGA has stayed in the mix for Polee, and that feels a lot better than being eliminated. Just looking at things from a statistical perspective, we've got a 1 in 3 chance of securing Polee's commitment. Sounds really good to me.

On the other hand, Polee is the kind of kid who might commit to UTEP just in honor of his father. Tim Floyd was the one who originally hired Dwayne Polee, Sr., and now that Floyd is at UTEP, they're now in Polee, Jr.'s final three.

If Coach Fox can make the sale that in order to really optimize his talents, Polee needs to play in a triangle offense, then we can look forward to a really exciting year next season.

Terrance Woodbury Off the Mark Down Under

Terrance Woodbury has been playing this week in the High Stakes Tournament down in Australia.

Terrance has taken a good number of shots in the games, but they are not falling for him at a high enough percentage. In Tuesday's contest, he shot 7 for 20 (35%) from the floor, 0 for 4 from behind the arc. Terrance was 8 of 22 (36%), and 0 for 6 from three-point range in the match yesterday. He did get 7 rebounds in the first game and 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the second, but the Cyclones lost both games.

In order for Terrance to get a long-term international career going, he'll have to really produce when he gets his chance. He's always been a hard worker, so here's hoping that things turn out well for him.

Josh Langford Still Looking at Georgia

Good article from Scout.

Looks like Georgia will get a great player with its last scholarship. Polee, Thornton, or Langford would all be nice additions. Hopefully, we won't get shut out entirely.

Langford

More on Marcus Thornton

He is considering requesting a release from his letter of intent to Clemson, now that Coach Purnell has bolted to DePaul.

Wouldn't that be interesting if Thornton somehow lands in UGA's lap. You'd have to think that we would want Polee, too, if we could find a way to have both of them. Would be an almost embarassment of riches for Fox, although we would suddenly have a log jam at the 4-position.

I would think that Thornton would likely move up to the wing.

It's a long shot, and the most likely scenario is that Thornton will stick with Clemson-- but who thought Purnell would leave? As they say, anything can happen. Thornton's family is apparently thinking along the lines of staying close to home, and Georgia has at least one 'ship to give.

Purnell to DePaul

Interesting decision.

Purnell will make more money, but I'm not convinced it's a better opportunity. DePaul may not be good for some time. Will Purnell be able to recruit at a high level in Chicago? And what about the weather?

From all I know, Purnell was happy at Clemson and Clemson was happy with him. He had signed a two-year extension.

Clemson should be okay for the short term. They have Tanner Smith and Andre Young at the guard position, plus Noel Johnson, a potentially high-scoring wing player. They're all from Georgia to boot.

Trevor Booker is graduating, but his little brother is going into his sophomore year, if memory serves me, and the younger Booker will be a tough player. Perhaps Purnell figured he had risen about as high as he was going to go in the ACC, or he might have been disappointed with the two-year extension he received.

What will it mean for recruiting now and in the future? Recruits aren't likely to feel as enthusiastic about an interim coach. What about Josh Langford? Will he end up at Georgia or decide to stay at home and play at Alabama or Auburn? Will there be any changes for the other players who had committed to play for Clemson for 2010/2011? Marcus Thornton?

Since Georgia and Clemson have targeted the same kinds of players in the recent past, the Purnell decision would have to be considered a net positive for Mark Fox and Georgia.

Hugh Durham: FSU Business Hall of Fame

Video of Durham discussing his run to the championship game against UCLA.

Brief mention of the Final Four run at Georgia.

Durham

The Day Herschel Signed

Great article from the Chattanoogan. John Shearer writes about the Easter Sunday 30 years ago, when Herschel signed to come to Georgia.