where credit is due.
I have written more than once about Coach Fox and his use of talent. All too often we have had talented freshmen on the bench, when they could have done so much more on the floor.
I wanted, for example, Kenny Gaines to play with Kentavious. Not back him up, but rather, be on the court at the same time-- go to a three-guard line-up to make the best use of the talent we had on hand. I had hoped that Yante Maten would have gotten much more time as a freshman. Sure, we had Marcus and Nemi, but I wanted Coach Fox to find a way to play all three at once, or at least sub Nemi out more often.
This year, I have argued that we have to have Jordan Harris on the floor.
Well, Coach Fox actually gave Jordan right at 15 minutes of playing time in the last game. Although Coach cautioned that he did so because of match-ups, Jordan deserves minutes. He can defend and score and take his man off the dribble, something we need in the absence of Charles Mann.
Just as I complain when talent remains on the bench, I will encourage when our line-ups make more sense. I see the progress. More of the same, please, with additional minutes for Tyree Crump.
Showing posts with label Marcus Thornton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marcus Thornton. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Jaylen Brown and Patrick Hamilton
According to the recent AJC article, UGA is still in the running for Jaylen Brown's commitment.
Appreciated the AJC article for two reasons. Of course because of the Jaylen Brown update. But also for contacting and getting the opinion of Patrick Hamilton, assistant coach at Wheeler.
Although I try to keep up with a lot of the players from former years, I didn't have any articles on the Blog about Hamilton. As the AJC reports, Hamilton was a four-year letterman for the Dawgs, and captain of the team in 1989. He averaged 12.7 points his senior year.
It's good to know that Brown has a person of the quality of Coach Hamilton helping to get him through the recruiting process. Coach Hamilton is not overbearing with his desire that Brown attend UGA. I would love to see Brown come to Georgia, but there's a good way to do things, and I think that Coach Hamilton is trying hard to strike the right balance.
We'll see. I'm not optimistic at this point. However, Brown may just decide that he's not ready to be out on his own just yet. It may be good for him to spend a year at Georgia and join the kinds of athletes like Marcus Thornton, who proudly wore the G.
Appreciated the AJC article for two reasons. Of course because of the Jaylen Brown update. But also for contacting and getting the opinion of Patrick Hamilton, assistant coach at Wheeler.
Although I try to keep up with a lot of the players from former years, I didn't have any articles on the Blog about Hamilton. As the AJC reports, Hamilton was a four-year letterman for the Dawgs, and captain of the team in 1989. He averaged 12.7 points his senior year.
It's good to know that Brown has a person of the quality of Coach Hamilton helping to get him through the recruiting process. Coach Hamilton is not overbearing with his desire that Brown attend UGA. I would love to see Brown come to Georgia, but there's a good way to do things, and I think that Coach Hamilton is trying hard to strike the right balance.
We'll see. I'm not optimistic at this point. However, Brown may just decide that he's not ready to be out on his own just yet. It may be good for him to spend a year at Georgia and join the kinds of athletes like Marcus Thornton, who proudly wore the G.
Revisiting the Kentucky Game
As painful as this is, yes, I'm going to go there.
Kentucky is just man-handling teams in the NCAA tournament. The game against West Virginia was brutal. Didn't watch it. Didn't need to. Knew Kentucky would win in convincing fashion.
Hard to believe that UGA gave Kentucky one of its toughest outs of the year. Sure, there were the games against other SEC foes. Sure, Kentucky barely outlasted a couple of teams(LSU and Missouri?), winning late or in overtime. But neither of those teams were beating Kentucky by 9 points in the second half.
Besides, I don't care about the other teams.
Georgia should have won that game. The game in Athens. The game in which we were beating them soundly, and the Kentucky guys looked confused.
We needed a few things to go our way:
1. Free throws.
Maddening to watch us go 9 of 18 in the most important game of the year. 50 percent!
2. Balanced Scoring.
By and large, we had it.
3. Good game by J.J. Frazier
Didn't get it. He went 2 of 8 from the field, 1 of 5 from behind the arc. He even missed his two free throw attempts.
4. Great Game from Our Bigs
Was so proud to see Marcus Thornton, Nemi Djurisic and Yante Maten all shoot 50 percent or better from the floor. Our three big men each outscored Dakari Johnson and Willie Cauley-Stein. Nemi played out of his mind.
5. Take away the Lob Pass
Mission accomplished. Sure they must have had a couple, but I don't remember any.
6. Great Coaching by Fox
We had it. Great game plan. We bodied their big men and made them shoot over the top. Slowed the game down. Made them defend our big men off the dribble.
7. Win the Turnover Margin
They only had 3 turnovers the entire game. We had 11.
8. Get some Home Cooking
Think the refs hurt us more than helped us.
9. Out-Shoot them from Deep
We went 3 of 17. They shot 4 of 15.
10. Be Tough on the Glass
We actually out-rebounded them, 41 to 38.
On the whole, we did what we needed to do.
Their big man, Towns, was 8 of 12 from the floor. He was hooking our defensive player with his elbow and shooting the jump hook. I was practically screaming at the t.v. for Fox to call a double-down to make Towns go to his left. Every time he bounced the ball, I would have had one of our guards running at him full speed.
In the end, we lost by 8. We were right there, though. If we had hit two more three-pointers, just 5 for 17, and shot 70 percent from the line, we would have won.
Woulda, coulda. I know. Frustrating. They'll probably go 40 and 0 and win the whole thing, but we had them.
Kentucky is just man-handling teams in the NCAA tournament. The game against West Virginia was brutal. Didn't watch it. Didn't need to. Knew Kentucky would win in convincing fashion.
Hard to believe that UGA gave Kentucky one of its toughest outs of the year. Sure, there were the games against other SEC foes. Sure, Kentucky barely outlasted a couple of teams(LSU and Missouri?), winning late or in overtime. But neither of those teams were beating Kentucky by 9 points in the second half.
Besides, I don't care about the other teams.
Georgia should have won that game. The game in Athens. The game in which we were beating them soundly, and the Kentucky guys looked confused.
We needed a few things to go our way:
1. Free throws.
Maddening to watch us go 9 of 18 in the most important game of the year. 50 percent!
2. Balanced Scoring.
By and large, we had it.
3. Good game by J.J. Frazier
Didn't get it. He went 2 of 8 from the field, 1 of 5 from behind the arc. He even missed his two free throw attempts.
4. Great Game from Our Bigs
Was so proud to see Marcus Thornton, Nemi Djurisic and Yante Maten all shoot 50 percent or better from the floor. Our three big men each outscored Dakari Johnson and Willie Cauley-Stein. Nemi played out of his mind.
5. Take away the Lob Pass
Mission accomplished. Sure they must have had a couple, but I don't remember any.
6. Great Coaching by Fox
We had it. Great game plan. We bodied their big men and made them shoot over the top. Slowed the game down. Made them defend our big men off the dribble.
7. Win the Turnover Margin
They only had 3 turnovers the entire game. We had 11.
8. Get some Home Cooking
Think the refs hurt us more than helped us.
9. Out-Shoot them from Deep
We went 3 of 17. They shot 4 of 15.
10. Be Tough on the Glass
We actually out-rebounded them, 41 to 38.
On the whole, we did what we needed to do.
Their big man, Towns, was 8 of 12 from the floor. He was hooking our defensive player with his elbow and shooting the jump hook. I was practically screaming at the t.v. for Fox to call a double-down to make Towns go to his left. Every time he bounced the ball, I would have had one of our guards running at him full speed.
In the end, we lost by 8. We were right there, though. If we had hit two more three-pointers, just 5 for 17, and shot 70 percent from the line, we would have won.
Woulda, coulda. I know. Frustrating. They'll probably go 40 and 0 and win the whole thing, but we had them.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Tony Parker Displays
what we've been missing.
Marcus Thornton gave us a lot of good moments, but he would have been better at the 4 position than the 5. Was frustrating to watch us miss so many shots in close against Michigan State. A guy with a bigger base and stronger with the ball would have made all the difference in the game. Can you imagine what Georgia would have been if Thornton and Parker were on the floor at the same time?
Tony Parker scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and led UCLA to the Sweet Sixteen. I firmly believe that had Parker chosen UGA, we'd be going there instead of the Bruins.
Marcus Thornton gave us a lot of good moments, but he would have been better at the 4 position than the 5. Was frustrating to watch us miss so many shots in close against Michigan State. A guy with a bigger base and stronger with the ball would have made all the difference in the game. Can you imagine what Georgia would have been if Thornton and Parker were on the floor at the same time?
Tony Parker scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and led UCLA to the Sweet Sixteen. I firmly believe that had Parker chosen UGA, we'd be going there instead of the Bruins.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Proud of the Dawgs!
Great season. 20 wins. Will make the NCAA Tourney.
Great game. Beat a tough Auburn team at home. Shot 90 percent from the free throw line. If we made 90 percent against Kentucky, we would have beat them, if you count the second end of the one-and-ones that would have followed. Would have won a number of the other games, too.
Great coaching. Fox kept the team together despite all the energies. Sure, we could have won a couple more, here and there, but on the whole, I say, good job, Coach Fox!
How about Charles Mann! Hit 3 for 5 from the field and an amazing 9 for 9 from the free throw line. That's what we've been hoping for from him.
Yante has come along nicely. J.J. Frazier, Marcus Thornton and Nemi Djurisic made huge strides this year. Kenny Paul Geno, Juwan Parker and J.J. Frazier have given incredible effort, considering their injuries. Same for Kenny Gaines.
Let's make some noise this month!
Great game. Beat a tough Auburn team at home. Shot 90 percent from the free throw line. If we made 90 percent against Kentucky, we would have beat them, if you count the second end of the one-and-ones that would have followed. Would have won a number of the other games, too.
Great coaching. Fox kept the team together despite all the energies. Sure, we could have won a couple more, here and there, but on the whole, I say, good job, Coach Fox!
How about Charles Mann! Hit 3 for 5 from the field and an amazing 9 for 9 from the free throw line. That's what we've been hoping for from him.
Yante has come along nicely. J.J. Frazier, Marcus Thornton and Nemi Djurisic made huge strides this year. Kenny Paul Geno, Juwan Parker and J.J. Frazier have given incredible effort, considering their injuries. Same for Kenny Gaines.
Let's make some noise this month!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Yante and Nemi Playing Huge
Great to see. Our big men have 28 of our 32 points at the half. Owning their bigs. Willie Cauley-Stein, 2 points. Karl Anthony Towns, 2 points. Trey Lyles, 2 points.
Meanwhile, Nemi has 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting, Yante has 6 on 2 of 3 from the floor, and Marcus has 8 on 3 of 6 shooting. Wish our guards would get hot! Please, no more careless passes and dumb fouls!
UGA, you gotta win this game.
Hunker Down One More Time!
Meanwhile, Nemi has 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting, Yante has 6 on 2 of 3 from the floor, and Marcus has 8 on 3 of 6 shooting. Wish our guards would get hot! Please, no more careless passes and dumb fouls!
UGA, you gotta win this game.
Hunker Down One More Time!
Just what the Doctor Ordered
Derek Ogbeide had five dunks and 17 rebounds in the Class AAAAAA semi-final game against Shiloh. Pebblebrook won the contest by 10. Final score: 57 to 47.
Ogbeide
Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown and Wheeler High defeated Tucker. Brown finished with 29 points. Great player, great attitude.
Wheeler and Pebblebrook will meet in the 6A championship game on Saturday.
Hated to see Athens Christian come up just short, 57 to 56, against Greenforest in the Class A private school semi-finals. Turtle Jackson ended his high school career with 15 points in the contest.
Ogbeide is just what the doctor ordered for a UGA team graduating senior post players, Nemi Djurisic and Marcus Thornton. Don't know how Derek will do against SEC talent, but he'll surely get the chance to play right away.
Provided that Turtle Jackson's knees hold up, he'll give UGA valuable minutes at the point. Seems like such a long-shot, but if Coach Rosemond can seal the deal with Jaylen Brown, discharge the patient, UGA basketball is healthy and ready to make some noise.
Ogbeide
Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown and Wheeler High defeated Tucker. Brown finished with 29 points. Great player, great attitude.
Wheeler and Pebblebrook will meet in the 6A championship game on Saturday.
Hated to see Athens Christian come up just short, 57 to 56, against Greenforest in the Class A private school semi-finals. Turtle Jackson ended his high school career with 15 points in the contest.
Ogbeide is just what the doctor ordered for a UGA team graduating senior post players, Nemi Djurisic and Marcus Thornton. Don't know how Derek will do against SEC talent, but he'll surely get the chance to play right away.
Provided that Turtle Jackson's knees hold up, he'll give UGA valuable minutes at the point. Seems like such a long-shot, but if Coach Rosemond can seal the deal with Jaylen Brown, discharge the patient, UGA basketball is healthy and ready to make some noise.
Monday, February 2, 2015
So Cold in the G
How we s'pose to win the SEC?
Dawgs seemed to be playing well. 14 and 5 with a game coming up against South Carolina.
Well, we're Georgia, and the good basketball vibes can only last so long. After Georgia successfully worked through one strange injury after another, Marcus Thornton went down with concussion symptoms after the Vanderbilt game.
As most expected, we didn't show up against South Carolina. We tried, but our shots were just not falling. Now, tomorrow night we play against Kentucky at their place. Same place when we didn't have any shooting guards (Kenny Gaines and Juwan Parker were out last year).
Marcus Thornton has been ruled out. We have no center. Kentucky has like 10.
Things could get ugly tomorrow.
We need another miracle game from J.J. Frazier or for Kenny Gaines to just go off. Rooting for the Dawgs, but not optimistic.
Dawgs seemed to be playing well. 14 and 5 with a game coming up against South Carolina.
Well, we're Georgia, and the good basketball vibes can only last so long. After Georgia successfully worked through one strange injury after another, Marcus Thornton went down with concussion symptoms after the Vanderbilt game.
As most expected, we didn't show up against South Carolina. We tried, but our shots were just not falling. Now, tomorrow night we play against Kentucky at their place. Same place when we didn't have any shooting guards (Kenny Gaines and Juwan Parker were out last year).
Marcus Thornton has been ruled out. We have no center. Kentucky has like 10.
Things could get ugly tomorrow.
We need another miracle game from J.J. Frazier or for Kenny Gaines to just go off. Rooting for the Dawgs, but not optimistic.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Ten Questions for UGA Basketball (Post Double OT Loss to LSU)
1. Can Marcus Thornton appeal for another year?
There has to be some rationale for an appeal, given his health issues and knee surgeries, right?
Sure hope so. A UGA squad with sophomore Yante Maten, freshman Derek Ogbeide, and a returning Marcus Thornton in the post would be formidable.
Thornton might have played one of his best games against LSU. Missed key free throws, but he was a warrior against a tough LSU front court. Finished the night with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Bad foul against Quarterman in the first overtime, but their guys were fouling him and he wasn't getting the calls. He's won more games for us than he's lost.
2. With Charles Mann on the free throw line, why pull potential offensive rebounders from the lane?
Fox knows that Mann is not a good free throw shooter. As might be expected, Mann missed two foul shots late, and the second miss bounced off the rim and up the lane some. Marcus Thornton or even Kenny Gaines might have been able to corral it if Fox had not pulled them away.
3. Is it time to bring Nemi Djurisic off the bench?
He did have 15, and I know Nemi is a senior, but Georgia might hit the ground running better if Maten becomes a starter in Nemi's stead.
4. Did Cameron Forte just earn a start at the 3 position?
Played well last night. I said in a previous post that if Forte changes his shooting stroke, he can put up big numbers. Good hands, crafty with the ball, good enough defense. Liability away from the basket. Clean that up, and Georgia has its small forward for the rest of the season. Had 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting. I say, start him next game.
5. Why not press?
Arkansas does it, LSU does it. So does Kentucky. Gets you a few turnovers as guys get rattled.
6. Did Fox make a serious effort to recruit Tim Quarterman?
I know I asked that question a couple of years ago, and I guess it's a moot point now, but I sure would like to know the answer. Some fans argued back in 2013 that by signing Frazier, Fox had successfully recruited the best point guard recruit in the state. Problem is that Fox hadn't. Tim Quarterman was better, and UGA fans now see why.
Frazier had an off-night, and that's allowed, but the fact remains that he was 0 for 7 from the floor and finished with 2 points. Meanwhile, Quarterman was 10 for 16, with 27 points, hitting clutch baskets, one after the other. Quarterman will be a star in the league. He lets the game come to him, but when LSU needs a big basket, Quarterman has become the guy.
Quarterman delivered for LSU last night. Would have been nice to have him at UGA, but from what I could tell, Fox never seemed interested.
7. What's up with Juwan Parker?
Is it a confidence thing? Maybe he just needs to get in the gym and shoot. He's not looking for his shot these days. Defends and rebounds well, but if he's going to be our starting small forward, it would be nice to see him attempt a shot every now and then. With his free throw stroke, one would think that that would translate into a nice mid-range game. That's not happening. Just wondering whether Fox told him not to shoot.
8. Can we expect anything from Osahen Iduwe this year?
Didn't get any minutes. Could be a communication barrier. He's not a native English speaker, and even guys born here take a while to learn where to be in the Fox offense. All the same, if he isn't going to play, why didn't we red-shirt him? And I guess the bigger question is whether we can expect him to contribute at any point, this year or next. I'm not familiar with his game, but you have to hope that Jonas Hayes is working with him to get him ready.
9. Will Charles Mann learn a floater?
He's a 6' 5" point guard who has some muscle. I get that. I also get that he does not shoot free throws that well, and he turns the ball over on charges. Can he keep his head up and use a floater or jump stop to shoot the ball? Would love to see him add that to his arsenal.
10/ How will Georgia fare in a much tougher SEC?
We're 0 and 2 in the SEC and 9 and 5 on the season as a whole. Hate to judge based on just a couple of games, but it's hard to see Georgia ending up in the top 5 of the SEC this year. Our competition is tougher.
Alabama seems much improved. They stomped Tennessee. Missouri has talent. LSU is better this year, even without Johnny O'Bryant. Florida started slow, but they are improving. South Carolina has taken a step forward. Kentucky is a beast. Texas A and M gave them trouble. Arkansas has already beaten us.
There are no easy victories on the schedule. If we're not careful, the season could get away from us.
There has to be some rationale for an appeal, given his health issues and knee surgeries, right?
Sure hope so. A UGA squad with sophomore Yante Maten, freshman Derek Ogbeide, and a returning Marcus Thornton in the post would be formidable.
Thornton might have played one of his best games against LSU. Missed key free throws, but he was a warrior against a tough LSU front court. Finished the night with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Bad foul against Quarterman in the first overtime, but their guys were fouling him and he wasn't getting the calls. He's won more games for us than he's lost.
2. With Charles Mann on the free throw line, why pull potential offensive rebounders from the lane?
Fox knows that Mann is not a good free throw shooter. As might be expected, Mann missed two foul shots late, and the second miss bounced off the rim and up the lane some. Marcus Thornton or even Kenny Gaines might have been able to corral it if Fox had not pulled them away.
3. Is it time to bring Nemi Djurisic off the bench?
He did have 15, and I know Nemi is a senior, but Georgia might hit the ground running better if Maten becomes a starter in Nemi's stead.
4. Did Cameron Forte just earn a start at the 3 position?
Played well last night. I said in a previous post that if Forte changes his shooting stroke, he can put up big numbers. Good hands, crafty with the ball, good enough defense. Liability away from the basket. Clean that up, and Georgia has its small forward for the rest of the season. Had 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting. I say, start him next game.
5. Why not press?
Arkansas does it, LSU does it. So does Kentucky. Gets you a few turnovers as guys get rattled.
6. Did Fox make a serious effort to recruit Tim Quarterman?
I know I asked that question a couple of years ago, and I guess it's a moot point now, but I sure would like to know the answer. Some fans argued back in 2013 that by signing Frazier, Fox had successfully recruited the best point guard recruit in the state. Problem is that Fox hadn't. Tim Quarterman was better, and UGA fans now see why.
Frazier had an off-night, and that's allowed, but the fact remains that he was 0 for 7 from the floor and finished with 2 points. Meanwhile, Quarterman was 10 for 16, with 27 points, hitting clutch baskets, one after the other. Quarterman will be a star in the league. He lets the game come to him, but when LSU needs a big basket, Quarterman has become the guy.
Quarterman delivered for LSU last night. Would have been nice to have him at UGA, but from what I could tell, Fox never seemed interested.
7. What's up with Juwan Parker?
Is it a confidence thing? Maybe he just needs to get in the gym and shoot. He's not looking for his shot these days. Defends and rebounds well, but if he's going to be our starting small forward, it would be nice to see him attempt a shot every now and then. With his free throw stroke, one would think that that would translate into a nice mid-range game. That's not happening. Just wondering whether Fox told him not to shoot.
8. Can we expect anything from Osahen Iduwe this year?
Didn't get any minutes. Could be a communication barrier. He's not a native English speaker, and even guys born here take a while to learn where to be in the Fox offense. All the same, if he isn't going to play, why didn't we red-shirt him? And I guess the bigger question is whether we can expect him to contribute at any point, this year or next. I'm not familiar with his game, but you have to hope that Jonas Hayes is working with him to get him ready.
9. Will Charles Mann learn a floater?
He's a 6' 5" point guard who has some muscle. I get that. I also get that he does not shoot free throws that well, and he turns the ball over on charges. Can he keep his head up and use a floater or jump stop to shoot the ball? Would love to see him add that to his arsenal.
10/ How will Georgia fare in a much tougher SEC?
We're 0 and 2 in the SEC and 9 and 5 on the season as a whole. Hate to judge based on just a couple of games, but it's hard to see Georgia ending up in the top 5 of the SEC this year. Our competition is tougher.
Alabama seems much improved. They stomped Tennessee. Missouri has talent. LSU is better this year, even without Johnny O'Bryant. Florida started slow, but they are improving. South Carolina has taken a step forward. Kentucky is a beast. Texas A and M gave them trouble. Arkansas has already beaten us.
There are no easy victories on the schedule. If we're not careful, the season could get away from us.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
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?
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!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Georgia will beat App. State
I know, I know. I have predicted other Georgia wins and have had to eat my words. But this time, I'm positive Morris, Gaines and Mann will get it done. App. State has one victory on the season, and they're not about to get their second against us.
Look for four Dawgs to score in double figures, the three sophomores and a big. If Donte and Marcus stay out of foul trouble, one of those two could get us 12 points and 5 boards.
We'll start a nice streak with this game, and hopefully get to 6 and 4 with our confidence back.
Look for four Dawgs to score in double figures, the three sophomores and a big. If Donte and Marcus stay out of foul trouble, one of those two could get us 12 points and 5 boards.
We'll start a nice streak with this game, and hopefully get to 6 and 4 with our confidence back.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Dawgs Lose to Nebraska
Final score: Nebraska 73, Dawgs 65.
We're 1 and 4 on the year and dead last in the SEC.
We're inventing ways to lose now. This time we couldn't hit our free throws.
I keep thinking that Georgia is going to put it all together and beat some team by double digits. I thought we would get a W in at least one of the three contests. Didn't happen. We came in last place in the tournament, not winning a single game.
Not sure what to make of this team. We have some possibilities. We could go on a run and win the next six games. It could happen.
There are possibilities, but there are also problems.
Wing players. Brandon Morris is playing pretty well. Meanwhile, Cameron Forte seems to have taken a step back (Mark Fox needs to work on Forte's shot. Make him shoot one-handed until he starts getting good arc on the ball and learns to use his off-hand as a guide, only).
Post players. We still don't have the production we need in the post. Marcus Thornton is doing better, but he has no lift off of his surgically repaired legs. Sad to see, since he had so much bounce in high school. By the way, he and Donte don't need to be shooting three-pointers.
Shooting guards. We got next to no production from our 2-guard position. Kenny Gaines went 3 for 9 and Juwan Parker shot 0 for 3. A combined 3 for 12 won't get it done. If our shooting guards don't manage better than 25 percent from the field, we will lose every time.
Offense. Our offense doesn't seem to get us any good shots. Or maybe the shots are there, but our guys just can't hit'em. All too often, however, we run the weave 25 feet or more from the basket, pass it into the short corner and try to angle a guy toward the basket.
If the game under the new rules is to drive the ball to the basket and get fouled, then let's design an offense that will do just that. Scrap the triangle, or at least try an alternative during part of the game. Charles Mann is good at driving the ball, but we need to have more players who can do it. Reminds me of Sundiata Gaines driving the ball on almost every possession back when Felton was coaching. We can do better. Coach Fox has to make it so.
I think Mark Fox's record at UGA is now into negative territory at 66 and 67. If we don't pick up a string of wins during the non-conference part of the schedule, Fox will likely have yet another losing season, notching losing seasons in 4 out of his 5 years. All of our momentum seems to be backwards, and it's hard to argue with the guys who point out that Georgia basketball has degraded under his stewardship.
They have a point. Multiple losing seasons, no recruits, poor defense and a stagnant offense spell disaster for a basketball program. Like I've said before, I like to see our guys graduate, but if that's the only criteria for successful coaching, hire one of the academic advisers to coach the team. Sure wouldn't cost us $1.7 million a year.
Gotta have some wins and quick. We really need a good run over these next few games. Fox, make it happen!
We're 1 and 4 on the year and dead last in the SEC.
We're inventing ways to lose now. This time we couldn't hit our free throws.
I keep thinking that Georgia is going to put it all together and beat some team by double digits. I thought we would get a W in at least one of the three contests. Didn't happen. We came in last place in the tournament, not winning a single game.
Not sure what to make of this team. We have some possibilities. We could go on a run and win the next six games. It could happen.
There are possibilities, but there are also problems.
Wing players. Brandon Morris is playing pretty well. Meanwhile, Cameron Forte seems to have taken a step back (Mark Fox needs to work on Forte's shot. Make him shoot one-handed until he starts getting good arc on the ball and learns to use his off-hand as a guide, only).
Post players. We still don't have the production we need in the post. Marcus Thornton is doing better, but he has no lift off of his surgically repaired legs. Sad to see, since he had so much bounce in high school. By the way, he and Donte don't need to be shooting three-pointers.
Shooting guards. We got next to no production from our 2-guard position. Kenny Gaines went 3 for 9 and Juwan Parker shot 0 for 3. A combined 3 for 12 won't get it done. If our shooting guards don't manage better than 25 percent from the field, we will lose every time.
Offense. Our offense doesn't seem to get us any good shots. Or maybe the shots are there, but our guys just can't hit'em. All too often, however, we run the weave 25 feet or more from the basket, pass it into the short corner and try to angle a guy toward the basket.
If the game under the new rules is to drive the ball to the basket and get fouled, then let's design an offense that will do just that. Scrap the triangle, or at least try an alternative during part of the game. Charles Mann is good at driving the ball, but we need to have more players who can do it. Reminds me of Sundiata Gaines driving the ball on almost every possession back when Felton was coaching. We can do better. Coach Fox has to make it so.
I think Mark Fox's record at UGA is now into negative territory at 66 and 67. If we don't pick up a string of wins during the non-conference part of the schedule, Fox will likely have yet another losing season, notching losing seasons in 4 out of his 5 years. All of our momentum seems to be backwards, and it's hard to argue with the guys who point out that Georgia basketball has degraded under his stewardship.
They have a point. Multiple losing seasons, no recruits, poor defense and a stagnant offense spell disaster for a basketball program. Like I've said before, I like to see our guys graduate, but if that's the only criteria for successful coaching, hire one of the academic advisers to coach the team. Sure wouldn't cost us $1.7 million a year.
Gotta have some wins and quick. We really need a good run over these next few games. Fox, make it happen!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Dawgs lose to Temple
Why did we inbound the ball to Donte? I don't think the three-point cast by Donte is what Fox had in mind, but darned if I could see what play Fox wanted to run. Why not throw it in to Morris, Mann or Gaines? All those guys can catch it and drive the ball.
Anyway, we lost 83 to 81. We're 1 and 3 on the season. The good news is that for the first time this year, we looked like we can play.
Brandon Morris is the key to this team. He can handle, drive the ball and defend. He missed crucial free throws late, but that's to be expected for a guy who hasn't played all year.
Kudos to Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann. They both played well and scored 21 and 19 points, respectively. We'll pick up a few victories this year. All is not lost. Even Marcus Thornton looked good.
Fox finally let his starters stay on the court during the second half. You test your deep bench in practice or during exhibition games. If Fox will stick with a limited rotation, the Dawgs can get in games and stay there.
Please, Fox. Play Mann, Gaines, Morris, Williams, Thornton, Djurisic and Forte. Sub in Parker and Frazier when necessary. Stop pulling guys when they hit a basket.
Thank you.
Anyway, we lost 83 to 81. We're 1 and 3 on the season. The good news is that for the first time this year, we looked like we can play.
Brandon Morris is the key to this team. He can handle, drive the ball and defend. He missed crucial free throws late, but that's to be expected for a guy who hasn't played all year.
Kudos to Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann. They both played well and scored 21 and 19 points, respectively. We'll pick up a few victories this year. All is not lost. Even Marcus Thornton looked good.
Fox finally let his starters stay on the court during the second half. You test your deep bench in practice or during exhibition games. If Fox will stick with a limited rotation, the Dawgs can get in games and stay there.
Please, Fox. Play Mann, Gaines, Morris, Williams, Thornton, Djurisic and Forte. Sub in Parker and Frazier when necessary. Stop pulling guys when they hit a basket.
Thank you.
Monday, November 4, 2013
More on Marcus Thornton
Well, I guess we will see tonight whether Thornton has his wheels back. Three knee surgeries is a lot.
Maybe Marcus can draw inspiration from Thomas Davis. Davis is playing great ball for the Carolina Panthers and he had three surgeries on the same knee.
As I said in an earlier post, I'm not expecting much from Thornton.
Contribution? Yes. He has averaged 2 points and 3 boards during his career. If he can stay healthy and match that production, playing good defense against the other team's power forward, then I would be pleased.
Domination? No. Playing above the rim like he did in high school? No. Scoring double figures? No.
I would be delighted to be surprised.
MT
Maybe Marcus can draw inspiration from Thomas Davis. Davis is playing great ball for the Carolina Panthers and he had three surgeries on the same knee.
As I said in an earlier post, I'm not expecting much from Thornton.
Contribution? Yes. He has averaged 2 points and 3 boards during his career. If he can stay healthy and match that production, playing good defense against the other team's power forward, then I would be pleased.
Domination? No. Playing above the rim like he did in high school? No. Scoring double figures? No.
I would be delighted to be surprised.
MT
Wapo on Fox and the Dawgs
Can Fox make the Dawgs relevant? With lackluster recruiting and losing seasons in 3 out of his 4 years, the Washington Post points to five items to watch.
1) Fox Future
How patient will McGarity be? The Post points out that UGA didn't wait very long with other unsuccessful coaches (Jirsa, Felton).
2) Marcus Thornton
Can Marcus play above the rim? Dawgs fans wonder if Thornton is more like Blake Griffin, who regained his explosiveness after knee surgery, or the myriad other hoops players who didn't.
3) Donte Williams
Will Donte finish strong in his senior year?
4) Freshman Class
Will the freshmen help this year? How well will Parker, Frazier, Forte and Geno play?
5) Early Schedule
Georgia really struggled last year in the pre-SEC portion of the schedule.
Post Article
My take on it:
Fox has the support of McGarity. Fox will lose it if the Dawgs struggle. Do not expect for Fox to get a contract extension. McGarity likes the improved academics with the team. But let's face it. If winning isn't the goal, let one of the Honors English professors coach the team. We'd save a heck of a lot of money.
If Fox follows 3 out of 4 losing seasons with 4 out of 5, he will be let go. That's my best guess for why Fox used 4 scholarships last year on players who were not high-ranked. You save scholarships if you think you will be around to offer them. If not, you bring on the best players you can now.
Not expecting much from Thornton. His game is predicated on his ability to jump. If he can't jump and attack the rim, then won't score a lot of points. I'm hoping he will return to form, but realistically, I think we will see about what we saw the last couple of years-- decent effort and rebounding, but not much else.
Donte had a rough start last year with the drug allegations. He'll do much better this year.
The freshmen guards have to play. We don't have anybody else. Forte and Parker could be incredible, or they could be average. I expect them to contribute, but this team belongs to Gaines, Mann and Morris.
The Dawgs could go 10 and 0 in the early season. The key game is Georgia Tech. If we beat Tech, it will be such a huge boost to the team that we could go undefeated early or 9 and 1. If we lose, things could go downhill fast for Fox.
1) Fox Future
How patient will McGarity be? The Post points out that UGA didn't wait very long with other unsuccessful coaches (Jirsa, Felton).
2) Marcus Thornton
Can Marcus play above the rim? Dawgs fans wonder if Thornton is more like Blake Griffin, who regained his explosiveness after knee surgery, or the myriad other hoops players who didn't.
3) Donte Williams
Will Donte finish strong in his senior year?
4) Freshman Class
Will the freshmen help this year? How well will Parker, Frazier, Forte and Geno play?
5) Early Schedule
Georgia really struggled last year in the pre-SEC portion of the schedule.
Post Article
My take on it:
Fox has the support of McGarity. Fox will lose it if the Dawgs struggle. Do not expect for Fox to get a contract extension. McGarity likes the improved academics with the team. But let's face it. If winning isn't the goal, let one of the Honors English professors coach the team. We'd save a heck of a lot of money.
If Fox follows 3 out of 4 losing seasons with 4 out of 5, he will be let go. That's my best guess for why Fox used 4 scholarships last year on players who were not high-ranked. You save scholarships if you think you will be around to offer them. If not, you bring on the best players you can now.
Not expecting much from Thornton. His game is predicated on his ability to jump. If he can't jump and attack the rim, then won't score a lot of points. I'm hoping he will return to form, but realistically, I think we will see about what we saw the last couple of years-- decent effort and rebounding, but not much else.
Donte had a rough start last year with the drug allegations. He'll do much better this year.
The freshmen guards have to play. We don't have anybody else. Forte and Parker could be incredible, or they could be average. I expect them to contribute, but this team belongs to Gaines, Mann and Morris.
The Dawgs could go 10 and 0 in the early season. The key game is Georgia Tech. If we beat Tech, it will be such a huge boost to the team that we could go undefeated early or 9 and 1. If we lose, things could go downhill fast for Fox.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Dave Bliss
I was informed that one of the basketball message boards responded to my mentioning of Dave Bliss as part of a good haul of big men for UGA during the Felton years. Bear in mind that I said that Dave was part of the mix. In any case, a more detailed look at Dave's individual production may help explain my reasoning.
It's been a while, given that Bliss graduated five years ago. Let's review the stats to refresh our memories.
In his senior year Dave averaged 8 points and 6 boards, shooting 54 percent from the field and 71 percent from the line.
Bliss vs. UGA Current Posts
Sad to say, but UGA's current team doesn't have a big man anywhere near Dave's stats. Here are the averages, scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, for our post players. I include this year's partial season and full season production from last year to capture the impact of SEC competition.
Dave Bliss: 8 and 6 (54 percent)
John Florveus: 3 and 3 (57 percent). 2 and 2 last year (43 percent).
Tim Dixon: 2 and 2. 0 and 1 last year (43 percent).
Donte Williams: 5 and 5 (47 percent). 40 percent from the line. 8 and 5 last year (47 percent).
John Cannon: 4 and 2 this year. 1 and 1 last year (38 percent).
Nemanja Djurisic: 8 and 4 (37 percent). 7 and 4 last year (40 percent).
Marcus Thornton: 4 and 4 (36 percent). 3 and 5 last year (28 percent).
Out of our six post players, the guy wirh production closest to Dave's is Nemi. Keep in mind that Nemi shoots a lot poorer percentage and and does not defend as well. For example, Nemi had 7 blocks for the full year last year. Dave had five times as many (34).
Bliss vs. Today's SEC Bigs
To not make the post too long, I'll spare readers the details, but suffice it to say that if you examined Dave's production against the 25 or so other post players in the SEC today, Dave would arguably be somewhere near the top five. He would trail Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky), Robert Chubb (Auburn), Reginald Buckner (Ole Miss) and Patric Young (Florida),-- but not by much.
For example, compare Patric Young, starting center for an elite Florida team. Young gets 11.5 and 6 so far in this young season. He averaged 10 and 6 for the full season last year. That's just one bucket more per game than Dave.
Bottom Line
Was Dave as skilled as Trey Thompkins? No. Thompkins would get you 17 points and 8 rebounds a game, while shooting close to 50 percent. Thompkins not only scored twice as much, he also was more versatile. Trey hit 79 3-pointers in three years, shooting 36 percent from behind the arc. Dave didn't shoot any. Thompkins and Jeremy Price were better finishers and rebounders. Was Bliss the best post player that Felton recruited? The answer is obviously, no.
However, when you look at Dave's production and compare it to the other guys on our team now and around the league this season, it's clear that Dave was a quality big. Especially so when you add in the fact that Dave achieved his production while battling chronic back issues (herniated disc) that limited him to around 20 minutes a night. Throw in the intangibles (co-captain, graduated with honors in three years) and his leadership when UGA was coming off of NCAA sanctions, hitting key buckets to help UGA win the SEC Tournament championship, and you have yourself one heck of a player.
It's been a while, given that Bliss graduated five years ago. Let's review the stats to refresh our memories.
In his senior year Dave averaged 8 points and 6 boards, shooting 54 percent from the field and 71 percent from the line.
Bliss vs. UGA Current Posts
Sad to say, but UGA's current team doesn't have a big man anywhere near Dave's stats. Here are the averages, scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, for our post players. I include this year's partial season and full season production from last year to capture the impact of SEC competition.
Dave Bliss: 8 and 6 (54 percent)
John Florveus: 3 and 3 (57 percent). 2 and 2 last year (43 percent).
Tim Dixon: 2 and 2. 0 and 1 last year (43 percent).
Donte Williams: 5 and 5 (47 percent). 40 percent from the line. 8 and 5 last year (47 percent).
John Cannon: 4 and 2 this year. 1 and 1 last year (38 percent).
Nemanja Djurisic: 8 and 4 (37 percent). 7 and 4 last year (40 percent).
Marcus Thornton: 4 and 4 (36 percent). 3 and 5 last year (28 percent).
Out of our six post players, the guy wirh production closest to Dave's is Nemi. Keep in mind that Nemi shoots a lot poorer percentage and and does not defend as well. For example, Nemi had 7 blocks for the full year last year. Dave had five times as many (34).
Bliss vs. Today's SEC Bigs
To not make the post too long, I'll spare readers the details, but suffice it to say that if you examined Dave's production against the 25 or so other post players in the SEC today, Dave would arguably be somewhere near the top five. He would trail Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky), Robert Chubb (Auburn), Reginald Buckner (Ole Miss) and Patric Young (Florida),-- but not by much.
For example, compare Patric Young, starting center for an elite Florida team. Young gets 11.5 and 6 so far in this young season. He averaged 10 and 6 for the full season last year. That's just one bucket more per game than Dave.
Bottom Line
Was Dave as skilled as Trey Thompkins? No. Thompkins would get you 17 points and 8 rebounds a game, while shooting close to 50 percent. Thompkins not only scored twice as much, he also was more versatile. Trey hit 79 3-pointers in three years, shooting 36 percent from behind the arc. Dave didn't shoot any. Thompkins and Jeremy Price were better finishers and rebounders. Was Bliss the best post player that Felton recruited? The answer is obviously, no.
However, when you look at Dave's production and compare it to the other guys on our team now and around the league this season, it's clear that Dave was a quality big. Especially so when you add in the fact that Dave achieved his production while battling chronic back issues (herniated disc) that limited him to around 20 minutes a night. Throw in the intangibles (co-captain, graduated with honors in three years) and his leadership when UGA was coming off of NCAA sanctions, hitting key buckets to help UGA win the SEC Tournament championship, and you have yourself one heck of a player.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Dawgs Lose to UCLA
We're now 1 and 4 for the season.
We did show a few flashes in keeping the game close. We had an 11 point lead in the first half. John Cannon seems to be our answer at the center position. He had 8 points on 4 of 8 shooting, with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. 0 turnovers.
Kentavious scored 16 points on 5 of 13 shooting. Not great, but not bad either, considering the defense focuses so much on him. He did pad his shooting percentage somewhat with two lay-ups in the final minute when UCLA knew they were going to win. Although KCP is not an efficient scorer, Fox has to be pleased with Caldwell-Pope's other stats-- 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
Donte had an effective game with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Marcus Thornton got a block and 9 rebounds, but he's just not a factor offensively. 0 points on 0 for 2 from the field and 0 of 2 from the line.
Brantley continues to bomb away from behind the arc. That's a coaching issue. I would not let him shoot only three-pointers. He doesn't make enough of them to be taking 8 three-pointers during the game. He hit 2 at the beginning of the game, but missed the other 6.
Said it before, but I'll say it again. I don't see why Brandon Morris does not get more minutes. There must be something else going on behind the scenes.
I guess my main take-away from this game is that if our big men, who are getting healthy amounts of playing time, can all develop about the same time, we'll have a nice rotation in the front court. We know what KCP can do. Nemi is a known quantity, pretty much. Gaines has yet to score a basket, but he will score a bunch of them in his UGA career. Mann is coming along and Donte is staring to look like his old self.
The potential is there with this team, but when will it be realized? When will we see some real progress in terms of wins and losses?
Friday, November 2, 2012
Hoops Getting Started
Dawgs play exhibition game tonight against Young Harris. Pete Herrmann has those guys playing good basketball, but I expect it to be an easy win for Georgia.
The Red and Black article below talks about Coach Fox experimenting with different line-ups. I expect early in the year he will go with upper-classmen as his starters, which would be Donte Williams at center, Nemi Djurisic at power forward, Marcus Thornton at small forward, KCP at the two-guard, and Vincent Williams at the point.
Either way, the change of pace second team would be a good one, with Charles Mann, Kenny Gaines, Brandon Morris, Florveus and John Cannon.
The game will be broadcast live at 7:00 p.m. on georgiadogs.com. Admission to the game is free.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Mark Fox Interview for SEC Media Day
It's that time of year, folks. Basketball season is just around the corner, and SEC Basketball Media Day has primed the pump for what will be a fantastic year for the League.
I linked below the Mark Fox interview. The two most exciting bits of information for me are that Marcus Thornton is back to form, and that Coach Fox is as high as he is on Brandon Morris. Morris will not step back and rain threes on an opposing team. But that's not what we need. We need a long defender and a person who can take it to the hoop and finish.
Other than those highlights, I'll let the video speak for itself.
Note: Fans may be interested in seeing the other SEC coaches talk about their teams (Auburn scares me). After you watch the Mark Fox interview, the interview with Auburn Coach Tony Barbee follows. Enjoy.
Fox
I linked below the Mark Fox interview. The two most exciting bits of information for me are that Marcus Thornton is back to form, and that Coach Fox is as high as he is on Brandon Morris. Morris will not step back and rain threes on an opposing team. But that's not what we need. We need a long defender and a person who can take it to the hoop and finish.
Other than those highlights, I'll let the video speak for itself.
Note: Fans may be interested in seeing the other SEC coaches talk about their teams (Auburn scares me). After you watch the Mark Fox interview, the interview with Auburn Coach Tony Barbee follows. Enjoy.
Fox
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Rothstein Files (SEC Pre-Season Analysis)
Jon Rothstein ranks the Georgia hoops squad #9 in the conference. Kentucky, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas are his top 5. Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia and Texas A&M are ranked 6 through 10, and Vanderbilt, LSU, South Carolina and Mississippi State round out his list.
Rothstein
Kentucky and Florida should be good. UK will continue to "out-talent" the rest of the league and Billy Donovan down at Florida is a great coach. I was thinking that Florida was a year away from making a splash in basketball again, but Rothstein believes that Patric Young will take a huge step forward during the 2012/2013 season. Besides that, they didn't do too shabbily last year (Elite Eight loss to Louisville), and you can see from this article that Young and Prather are built to be ready to play.
The ranking for Georgia seems about right until we know whether Marcus Thornton is healthy. I'm concerned about the point guard position, too. Charles Mann and Vincent Williams will have to play a lot, and play well.
Rothstein named KCP as a member of his "Preseason First Team". He did not have any Dawgs in his "Ten Breakout Players", nor in his "Ten Freshmen to Watch". He had a total of five players listed in his "Under the Radar Freshmen" picks, so I'm not surprised that Morris, Gaines and Mann were not included. Our three new perimeter guys can play, though, so maybe they'll be motivated to go out and show that they are just as good as the other freshmen entering the SEC.
Rothstein
Kentucky and Florida should be good. UK will continue to "out-talent" the rest of the league and Billy Donovan down at Florida is a great coach. I was thinking that Florida was a year away from making a splash in basketball again, but Rothstein believes that Patric Young will take a huge step forward during the 2012/2013 season. Besides that, they didn't do too shabbily last year (Elite Eight loss to Louisville), and you can see from this article that Young and Prather are built to be ready to play.
The ranking for Georgia seems about right until we know whether Marcus Thornton is healthy. I'm concerned about the point guard position, too. Charles Mann and Vincent Williams will have to play a lot, and play well.
Rothstein named KCP as a member of his "Preseason First Team". He did not have any Dawgs in his "Ten Breakout Players", nor in his "Ten Freshmen to Watch". He had a total of five players listed in his "Under the Radar Freshmen" picks, so I'm not surprised that Morris, Gaines and Mann were not included. Our three new perimeter guys can play, though, so maybe they'll be motivated to go out and show that they are just as good as the other freshmen entering the SEC.
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