Saturday, February 25, 2012

Bravo! Bravo!

I had forgotten how much fun it is to watch great basketball. This was it, folks. Georgia beat Florida 76 to 62 and I enjoyed every minute of the game.

It wasn't just that we won, but how we did it. Great defense, great hustle, inside-outside play. We had more points (of course), but we also shot better from the field, had more assists, shot a better three-point percentage, got more blocked shots, made more free throws and recorded more steals. Only one of their guys shot 50% or better from the floor. Georgia had six players to do it and five of our guys scored in double figures. A team victory all the way around.

Box Score

True, Florida has had some injuries, and other than Patric Young, we had a decided height advantage over them. But that's what normally happens to Georgia. Our guys somehow get injured and we end up short-handed against good teams. Point is that a win is a win, and any win over a Florida team is terrific.

Recap

We're 4 and 10 and unless we run the table in the SEC Tournament, we're not going to the NCAA's. This game was about confidence. It was about finishing this year well and looking at next year with promise.

Speaking of next year, I hate to lose Gerald Robinson and Dustin Ware, but with the two freshman guards Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines, and another year of development for KCP and Vincent Williams, we should be pretty good in the backcourt. Brandon Morris is super-athletic. If our big men hit the weight room and Marcus Thornton gets his jumping ability back, Georgia should be competitive, especially if we get a good low post scorer with our last scholarship for 2012-2013.

Friday, February 24, 2012

AJC article on Donte Williams

Donte has definitely stepped up his game this year. He didn't get many minutes last year, but Georgia probably wouldn't have won any SEC games this year without him.

Can he pick up 20 pounds in the off-season? Absolutely. He needs the weight room and so do Florveus and Cannon. Good to see Williams pick up some press.

Williams

If we get a low post scorer, UGA could have a decent squad next year. Here's hoping that Tony Parker develops keen interest in playing with other Miller Grove grads (Williams and Brandon Morris) and having his family come see him in action.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Richt Honors Eunice Family

Coach Mark Richt spoke at an event in Valdosta about his faith and that of James Eunice, the young man who would have walked on at UGA but for his passing away in a tragic accident.

Eunice

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Dawgs Lose Again

Hate being at the bottom of the SEC. Shouldn't be this way. But we're officially 11th in the league with a 3 and 9 record.

We have games remaining at 16 and 10 LSU with their 7-foot center, against Florida, at Kentucky and against the South Carolina team that just beat us a few days ago. Have to play them one game at a time, and I'm a homer who hopes for the best, but when you look at our recent performance you have to admit that there is a real possibility that UGA could end the conference regular season at 3 and 13.

We are on track to being the worst Georgia team in some 30 years, when stats are examined for field goal shooting (.392), 3-point accuracy (.322), scoring (61.3), rebounding (33.6), overall record (12 and 14), and SEC record (3 and 9).

The only squad that performed about as poorly was the 2004 NCAA-sanctioned team that had just 8 scholarship players, which actually shot better at .395, but went 2 and 14 in the SEC. The Felton/Pete Herrmann team of 2009 had just as bad a record, but they shot better from the field (.412), were more accurate from three-point range (.342), rebounded better (37 per game), and scored more (64.9 per contest). Ron Jirsa teams don't have their stats on UGA's official web site any longer, but their overall records were 20 and 15 in 1997 and 15 and 15 in 1998. Before Jirsa were the high performing Tubby Smith and Hugh Durham years.

Looking at today's game, we didn't shoot the ball well. Meanwhile, Vandy's star shooting guard John Jenkins shot lights out. Very efficient. He was 8 of 11 from the field, 6 of 8 from behind the arc, and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Reminds me of how Chris Lofton of UT used to come into Stegeman and put on a shooting display.

My biggest disappointment is the same one I have mentioned previously. We chunked up way too many three-pointers. We attempted 23 and hit only 3. How does that happen? If we're not a good three-point shooting team then we need to drive the ball to the basket. Gerald Robinson had a pretty good game for us, but that was it. The final score was 61 to 52.

Recap

Can we turn it around? Boy, I sure hope so. We need a couple of high-level recruits or at least a big-time Jeremy Lin-type sleeper, or someone needs to make a big step forward at the end of this year and in the off-season. We're not getting it done as is.

Jeremy Lin and Faith

Nice article on how Jeremy Lin's faith in Christ intersects with his career as a professional basketball player.

Lin