Dawgs Lose

to Arkansas.  Final score:  85 to 67.

J.J. shot 5 of 15 from the floor.  He was pretty gassed, and battled foul trouble.

No other back court player picked him up.  Juwan Parker was 2 for 10.  Tyree Crump was 2 for 10.  Turtle Jackson was 2 of 7.  Throw in Jordan Harris at 0 for 1, and Pape Diatta at 0 for 2, and Georgia's other guards were 6 for 30 (20 percent).

Derek Ogbeide played well, and Mike Edwards was effective off the bench, but when they shoot 55 percent as a team compared to our 31 percent, a twenty-point loss or thereabouts is what you expect.

Sure could have used Yante Maten.

Can't see Georgia getting to the NCAA's unless we win the SEC Tournament.

Ugly Game

Wish we would have put up more of a fight against Arkansas.  UGA loses 60 to 49.

We needed something from Nemi and Yante.  I think they each hit a bucket, but that was it.  As a team we shot 32 percent from the field and around 55 percent from the line.  Just won't get it done.

Maybe it's best that we lost and didn't go up against Kentucky with a depleted squad.  With our offensive woes, UK would have whupped us by 60.

I am extremely happy, however, for

1)  Taylor Echols

Great game for him.  The highlight of his college playing career, no doubt.  National t.v., hits three threes and scores in double figures.

2)  Cameron Forte

Played a good game.  Didn't give us much in the second half, but he was all we had early in the first.  Finished 5 of 9 from the field and 3 of 5 from the line.

3)  Juwan Parker

Strongly disagree with the decision to send him back out there after his ankle injury.  He is done for the year.  No matter who we play.  No matter who else is injured.  Don't jeopardize a guy's future like that.

I am happy that he didn't injure the ankle again.

4)  UGA Squad

As bad as we played, I am happy that no one else was injured.

5)  UGA Squad

We played well enough this year to make the Big Dance.  21 and 11 is a good season.  Not what could have been, but I think we represented ourselves well.  Let's win at least one in the tourney.

Now That was a Game!

Dawgs win in overtime, beating the Arkansas Razorbacks 66 to 61.

Georgia is now 3 and 1 in the SEC, tied for second place.  Who thought we'd be in this position at this point in the season?

Okay.  I know we got some home-cooking.  There were some calls that went our way.  But that's part of home-court advantage.  Besides, the team that hustles the most normally gets the calls.  And boy, did we hustle!

55 rebounds?  I've been following Georgia basketball a long time, and I can't recall the Dawgs ever corralling that many.  22-board rebound differential?  24 offensive rebounds?  We cleaned the glass so good you could eat off it!

Impressed with Kenny Gaines, Brandon Morris and Marcus Thornton.

Thornton is recovering from his knee injuries (he's had three knee surgeries since coming to UGA.).  That much is clear.  What is unclear is how much of his leaping ability and confidence he will get back.  He's looking really good so far this year.  Marcus ended the day with 11 points and 13 rebounds against Arkansas.  Since when have we had a double-double guy?  

Morris didn't shoot the ball well-- nobody on the team did-- but Brandon showcased what he can do.  Solid defense, rebounds, ball-handling and clutch plays.  He got 8 points and 6 boards for the day.

Kenny Gaines had his best game, in my opinion.  5 for 12 shooting, leading the team with 15 points and 4 boards.  Absolutely huge 3-pointer in over-time.  Monster dunk on a fast break, too.  

Remember that Gaines rarely played last year.  I practically begged Fox to put Gaines and KCP in the game at the same time. Fox wouldn't do it.  That was last year.  The good news for 2014 is that Gaines will get better.  

Props to Coach Fox.  I don't like some of his decisions, but you can see the coaching.  Guys know the plays, and that only comes through hours and hours of repetition.  Would like to see some traps, presses or zone defenses, but the man-to-man has looked solid.  

Recruiting just has to get better.  Maybe it will.  I don't see how, but I didn't see how we could be in second place in the SEC, either.  

Great win for the Dawgs.  Should be a good game Wednesday against South Carolina.  Go Dawgs!

Dawgs Lose to Arkansas

I missed the game, so I don't have much to offer on what happened during the game or the final few minutes.  I saw from the box score that KCP had 15 and 4 on 4 of 8 from the floor.  Sherrard Brantley had an efficient 10 points.  Would have been nice if we had one more scorer step up.

Tired of losing.  The season is getting away from us.  We're now tied with LSU and  the Aggies for 8th place in the SEC.  Based on our overall record, it feels more like we're in 10th place since both LSU and TAMU have winning records and we don't. 

We can still finish the season strong if we take care of business against South Carolina and Vandy, and then win two of the three against Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama.  We'd then have a 10 and 8 record in the SEC and a 16 and 15 mark on the year.  Not what any of us expected at the beginning of the year, but at this point I'd take a .500 or better season.

Dawgs Win!

What a game! I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to watch a well played basketball game in which the Dawgs click on offense and defense.

I know. I know. Some will say that last night shows only that UGA can beat a team that is as weak in the post as the Dawgs. I don't care. We needed a victory and we got one.

I was delighted to see that Gerald Robinson got his all-time high, Marcus Thornton played the best game of his career (10 points, 5 boards and a block, 4 of 4 from the field with 2 of 2 from behind the arc), and all of our bigs did their jobs. If Thornton has his surgery after the season, could he possibly come back like Blake Griffin did-- a power forward with real leaping ability and physicality, as good as he was before the injury?

The only concern from yesterday's game is that Dustin Ware and Sherrard Brantley are still off-target from behind the arc. If Ware would have shot the ball well, we might have gone over 100. Even so, Ware didn't have any turnovers against their full-court press, so that's a key contribution.

Box Score

Wish Robinson had one more year of eligibility. Oh well, we'll see how the freshmen adjust to the pace of SEC basketball. For now, however, let's just enjoy the fact that we won an SEC contest, and hope like crazy that this marks a turn-around in our season.

Dawgs Squeak One Out (Arkansas Recap)

I guess it was our time to win a close one. We started out as if we were still stuck outside in the snow.

A few huge threes-- one each by Travis, Dustin and Trey, and we were able to get out of Arkansas with the W.

I thought that Jeremy Price was very important in the game. He didn't have his best shooting night, but he hit a few key baskets and led the team with 7 rebounds.

Gerald Robinson had just 1 assist with 4 turnovers. He did, however, contribute in other ways. He played solid defense on Rotnei Clarke and held him to just 3 buckets. Gerald also shot 7 of 13 from the floor.

Dustin Ware had 9 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds and no turnovers.

Don't know what's up with Travis. He did okay, but he seems to be very tentative these days. Went 3 of 9 tonight.

It's a win and I'll take it, especially considering that it was an away game.

Arkansas Over Georgia (Predictions)

Well, I predicted Georgia would win against Florida and at Kentucky, and the team did neither. Maybe I'll use reverse psychology this time.

In all seriousness, I'm believing that the convoluted travel arrangements and the cold temps will impact the Dawgs. We will start off poorly and fall behind while Arkansas builds and maintains a lead.

Hate to do it, but my best guess is Hogs over Dawgs.

Somewhere, Willie Martinez is Laughing

I'm sure he wishes the best for his former team and players.

But the fans who clammored for him to be fired? Not that anyone cares what Willie Martinez or I think, but put yourself in his shoes. It must be ironic to see the opposing team's players left wide open. Wide open.

Their first touch down? There were two men (!) all by themselves. No Georgia defender around for 20 yards.

For all the attack mentality of the 3-4 defense, we generated very little pressure. I remember one sack. Maybe we got another that I can't recall. But the mental mistakes and poor positioning makes the new defense look downright embarassing. Like we have three fourths of a defense, instead of a complete one with a secondary that knows how to cover people.

The wheel route? Awful. Maybe not open by twenty yards, but no one within five to ten yards.

Finally, when we needed to hunker down, get a stop and at least take the game into overtime, we couldn't get the job done. We give up yet another long touchdown pass.

I know that fans wanted change. Maybe it was time for a different defensive coordinator. But not all change is progress. Georgia looks like it has taken a few steps backwards this season.

Dawgs will Lose

say the facts.

Our difference maker won't be playing.

Our offensive schemes are too one-dimensional. The other teams have strength and conditioning programs, too. You just can't line up and knock guys around. You have to stretch the field laterally and vertically. Make them play assignment football and exploit weaknesses.

Cordy Glenn still not 100 percent. He lost a lot of weight and stamina when he got sick. He was our best offensive lineman prior.

Mallett is the real deal. This guy can throw the football.

Too much confusion in the off-season to come out firing on all cylinders.

The facts say we lose. I'm hoping that we somehow pull it out. I'm not optimistic.

CBI or CIT

Good analysis by the AJC. Sure, it would be a disappointment to the team to go to one of the lesser tournaments, but you have to earn your way to the Big Dance. It's a talent contest, not a swimsuit competition.

Georgia has some noteable wins, and some near misses. We look pretty at times, but the fact remains that we're still well short of .500 for the year.

My opinion is that if the team gets to keep playing, you have to accept whatever invitation comes your way. In the meantime, I think it is right to keep the team focused on Arkansas tomorrow night. We win that game and the pressure is on everybody else but us.

Tourney Time

Arkansas vs. Georgia

Predicting a win by the Dawgs.

It won't be easy. Arkansas was playing terribly just a short while ago. They lost to Kentucky by about a million points. Somehow, Pelphrey has started to turn the season around. Arkansas beat both Mississippi and Mississippi State, and the team now stands at 3 and 3 on the year in the SEC.

Arkansas is a lot like South Carolina. No huge power players, but they will test the Dawgs.

Courtney Fortson is the Hogs' version of Devan Downey. Fortson is lightning fast. Scored 35 points to lead Arkansas to a recent victory. Rotnei Clarke is a bit like the Dawgs' Ricky McPhee. No range and no conscience. Clarke can shoot the three from way deep, and he has a quick release that is hard to defend. Occasionally Rotnei will drive into the lane for a runner.

Their big men are talented, too. Again, they're not very tall. Not heavy, but they're athletic enough to get rebounds, shoot turn-arounds and drive it to the cup.

Coaching I would have to call a toss-up. Fox is shaping UGA, but we don't have wins to show for it. Pelphrey has had a ton of turmoil on his roster, but he has a two-game SEC winning streak coming in.

They have the advantage in the backcourt. I think we have a slight edge in the post.

The key is finally getting home-court advantage. The fans will make the difference. Georgia wins by 12, 72 to 60.

Arkansas Loses to Morgan State

Can't imagine that the Razorback fans are too happy right now.

Morgan State is a good team, but the idea of Arkansas falling to one of these small schools is sure to be a hard pill to swallow for the Arkansas fan base.

Everytime I read something new about Arkansas basketball, it sounds like I am going through the archives of Coach Felton's tenure at Georgia. Coach Pelphrey is trying to instill discipline in his team, he has suspended some and dismissed some others.

By the time he properly calibrates his recruiting strategy, another coach will be brought in to run the team. Hope that's not true. But if the Felton example is any indication, Pelphrey will be gone by the end of next year.

Arkansas to be Short-Handed

I have posted links before about the problems over at Arkansas. I generally make just one reference to these kinds of stories, because I don't want the problems with some athletes to unfairly affect the tons of student athletes who do the right thing and represent their schools well.

Nevertheless, I am posting this article because all of the links to the earlier stories at Arkansas seem not to work anymore. Maybe Yahoo will keep the attached article out there on the Net a little bit longer.

My concern is that in the sports culture of "win at all costs," a man like Pelphrey will not last long as a coach. He either wins soon, or expect him to be gone by the end of next year.

Arkansas

Replacement Link for Pelphrey Post

I couldn't get the link to work in the Pelphrey post either, so thanks to Anonymous for bringing the issue to my attention.

Anyway, the attached article is a bit longer, and though it has a slightly different tone, hopefully it gets the same general point across.

Pelphrey

Pelphrey Facing Issues

Sounds familiar.

Arkansas Basketball.