Georgia loses to Florida by 12. They were up 17, I think, during the last couple of minutes.
The one time we put on a press, we got a turnover.
Why doesn't Fox at least try different defenses? What about a press? What about the 1-3-1? We're down 10 points late in the second half and we just let them walk the ball up the floor? I can coach better than that!
We're 13 and 11 overall. At 4 and 7 in the league, Georgia is in next to last place in the SEC.
Fox takes the credit for the 20 win seasons. He has to take the blame for this one. Sure, we've had some bad breaks, but if your team never wins close games, never beats higher ranked teams, then something is wrong with the recruiting and the in-game coaching.
I don't know what everybody else was expecting in year 8 of the Fox regime, but this wasn't it. No NCAA wins in 8 seasons? Lower reaches of the SEC? Sure his guys are graduating, but I can field an intramural team with grad students. Doesn't mean I'm a good coach.
Fox looked pretty good with Felton's players, Trey Thompkins, Travis Leslie, Dustin Ware and Jeremy Price. But with his own guys, Fox looks totally out-matched by some of the other good coaches.
We finally beat Tech. Other than that, I can't think of any highlights for the season.
Meanwhile, the other coaches are starting to recruit better. Alabama and Avery Johnson will be a great looking squad next year. Tennessee will be better. Florida and South Carolina are at the top of the league now.
Georgia seems to be heading in the opposite direction.
This game might have forced McGarity's hand.
Showing posts with label Travis Leslie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travis Leslie. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Georgia is Close
The high water mark for Fox basketball was when he had the athletes. Doesn't get much better than this.
Fox could put on the floor a point guard who would protect the ball and shoot clutch free throws (Dustin Ware), a shooting guard who defended well and was reliable from deep (Ricky McPhee), a bulky guy with a big butt in the low post (Jeremy Price), a tall athlete at the high post (Trey Thompkins), and a sky-walking small forward (Travis Leslie).
UGA gobbled up rebounds with Thompkins, Price, and Leslie, and we could employ the match-up zone effectively with a long athletic guy at the top of the zone.
The problem is that all the athletes were Felton recruits. When they left, the cupboard wasn't exactly bare, but it definitely was not well stocked.
Dawg fans have been waiting for the glory days to come back. Meanwhile, we won the best we could. Lost games we should have won. Endured ugly basketball.
Well, guys. I think Georgia is close. Given the 2015 signing class and the 2016 commitments, we may be able to mix and match pieces and deploy some guys who will bring the excitement back.
Next year Fox can put on the floor two point guards who will give us some of the contributions that Dustin Ware made.
Charles Mann will be a senior. With better athletes around him and reduced minutes, he won't have to force the action. This will cut down on his turnovers and boost his assists. Mann is a career 69 percent free throw shooter. If he can improve those numbers to hit 75 to 80 percent, Georgia will close out some games with victories that we previously would have lost.
J.J. Frazier won't have to start, though he might. He'll man the point whenever Chuck doesn't. He is a clutch free throw shooter already, averaging 83 percent from the line. He shoots it well (40 percent) from behind the arc. He even gets more rebounds, four per game, than you would think. Don't know how much his wrist injury impacted his shooting late in the season, but if he heals in the off-season and gives us any part of what he delivered against Mississippi State, look out.
At shooting guard will be Kenny Gaines. Between being sick and the shoulder injury and the ankle injury (did I miss one?), it was amazing that we got as much this year out of Gaines as we did. A healthy senior class Kenny Gaines will continue to defend well and will find that the shots and drives to the basket come easier for him.
Behind Gaines will likely be combo guard Turtle Jackson. Jackson is perhaps not the shooter that McPhee was, but when he's on, Turtle can hit it from deep. Even better, McPhee was primarily a catch and shoot guy, while Jackson can shoot it, take the ball to the rim and finish, or dish it to teammates.
Derek Ogbeide is a more athletic Jeremy Price. Not as skilled offensively around the bucket, but he has all the tools. Yante Maten is more skilled, but not as physical as Ogbeide. Either way, Georgia has some pretty good options at low post.
As for the tall high post? Yante Maten and E'Torrion Wilridge are our best bets there for now. Wilridge is not as tall as Trey Thompkins and he doesn't have the range to step out and hit the three, but he will give Georgia good moments. If Fox seals the deal with Mike Edwards, he would be the perfect candidate to fill the Thompkins role.
What UGA has been lacking is the Travis Leslie-type athlete. They don't come around every day. That's why we're close, rather than already there. Can Yasir Rosemond bring in Jaylen Brown? If so, then we're there. If not, then 2015 will have to wait until 2016. Jordan Harris is a skywalker and defender like Leslie, and a better shooter at the same point.
Georgia is close.
Fox could put on the floor a point guard who would protect the ball and shoot clutch free throws (Dustin Ware), a shooting guard who defended well and was reliable from deep (Ricky McPhee), a bulky guy with a big butt in the low post (Jeremy Price), a tall athlete at the high post (Trey Thompkins), and a sky-walking small forward (Travis Leslie).
UGA gobbled up rebounds with Thompkins, Price, and Leslie, and we could employ the match-up zone effectively with a long athletic guy at the top of the zone.
The problem is that all the athletes were Felton recruits. When they left, the cupboard wasn't exactly bare, but it definitely was not well stocked.
Dawg fans have been waiting for the glory days to come back. Meanwhile, we won the best we could. Lost games we should have won. Endured ugly basketball.
Well, guys. I think Georgia is close. Given the 2015 signing class and the 2016 commitments, we may be able to mix and match pieces and deploy some guys who will bring the excitement back.
Next year Fox can put on the floor two point guards who will give us some of the contributions that Dustin Ware made.
Charles Mann will be a senior. With better athletes around him and reduced minutes, he won't have to force the action. This will cut down on his turnovers and boost his assists. Mann is a career 69 percent free throw shooter. If he can improve those numbers to hit 75 to 80 percent, Georgia will close out some games with victories that we previously would have lost.
J.J. Frazier won't have to start, though he might. He'll man the point whenever Chuck doesn't. He is a clutch free throw shooter already, averaging 83 percent from the line. He shoots it well (40 percent) from behind the arc. He even gets more rebounds, four per game, than you would think. Don't know how much his wrist injury impacted his shooting late in the season, but if he heals in the off-season and gives us any part of what he delivered against Mississippi State, look out.
At shooting guard will be Kenny Gaines. Between being sick and the shoulder injury and the ankle injury (did I miss one?), it was amazing that we got as much this year out of Gaines as we did. A healthy senior class Kenny Gaines will continue to defend well and will find that the shots and drives to the basket come easier for him.
Behind Gaines will likely be combo guard Turtle Jackson. Jackson is perhaps not the shooter that McPhee was, but when he's on, Turtle can hit it from deep. Even better, McPhee was primarily a catch and shoot guy, while Jackson can shoot it, take the ball to the rim and finish, or dish it to teammates.
Derek Ogbeide is a more athletic Jeremy Price. Not as skilled offensively around the bucket, but he has all the tools. Yante Maten is more skilled, but not as physical as Ogbeide. Either way, Georgia has some pretty good options at low post.
As for the tall high post? Yante Maten and E'Torrion Wilridge are our best bets there for now. Wilridge is not as tall as Trey Thompkins and he doesn't have the range to step out and hit the three, but he will give Georgia good moments. If Fox seals the deal with Mike Edwards, he would be the perfect candidate to fill the Thompkins role.
What UGA has been lacking is the Travis Leslie-type athlete. They don't come around every day. That's why we're close, rather than already there. Can Yasir Rosemond bring in Jaylen Brown? If so, then we're there. If not, then 2015 will have to wait until 2016. Jordan Harris is a skywalker and defender like Leslie, and a better shooter at the same point.
Georgia is close.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Travis Leslie Playing in Lithuania
Leslie is playing in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. He suits up for Lietuvos Rytas, a team owned by one of the prominent newspapers.
Here's the video of him flying high in last season's All-Star Game.
No defense, but still fun to follow his career.
For more info on Leslie's career (Lithuania, France, Santa Cruz, etc.), click on his name in the blue hypertext.
Here's the video of him flying high in last season's All-Star Game.
No defense, but still fun to follow his career.
For more info on Leslie's career (Lithuania, France, Santa Cruz, etc.), click on his name in the blue hypertext.
Friday, November 22, 2013
No more Kool-Aid, please
I know when I'm at my limit.
Approaching the UGA hoops season I saw Wofford at Stegeman, Georgia Tech at Stegeman, and a mid-major on a neutral court. That early schedule said to me a UGA record of 3 and 0. Maybe 2 and 1 if we started the season slow.
Mark Fox pronounced to the world that Georgia was a Top 25 team. I attributed Fox's comments to salesmanship, a coach trying to buoy his players. Although I couldn't see Top 25, I willingly went along with the implied notion that we would be pretty good this year. Solid in the fundamentals. Competitive, beating the teams we should.
Last night a winless Davidson squad took it to us. Beat us by double digits. Now in the cold light of reality, we are 1 and 2.
In that same light, I scan our roster. We don't have pure shooters, elite defenders or dominant post players. No Jeremy Price, Ajax, Chris Barnes, Ricky McPhee, Travis Leslie or Trey Thompkins. We got a fat zero on the fall recruiting trail. No obvious help on the horizon.
My hope is that UGA will get better. That Brandon Morris is the missing link. That we will beat Temple tonight.
I'm a homer, but even the most ardent hoops supporters have to face facts. We're not a top 25 team. We're not a pretty good team. We're in last place in the SEC, on the brink of yet another losing season.
We need to turn things around tonight. I have hope, but that's about all. I want Fox to show us he can coach, that he can win on the court and on the recruiting trail. I'm done with Kool-Aid.
Approaching the UGA hoops season I saw Wofford at Stegeman, Georgia Tech at Stegeman, and a mid-major on a neutral court. That early schedule said to me a UGA record of 3 and 0. Maybe 2 and 1 if we started the season slow.
Mark Fox pronounced to the world that Georgia was a Top 25 team. I attributed Fox's comments to salesmanship, a coach trying to buoy his players. Although I couldn't see Top 25, I willingly went along with the implied notion that we would be pretty good this year. Solid in the fundamentals. Competitive, beating the teams we should.
Last night a winless Davidson squad took it to us. Beat us by double digits. Now in the cold light of reality, we are 1 and 2.
In that same light, I scan our roster. We don't have pure shooters, elite defenders or dominant post players. No Jeremy Price, Ajax, Chris Barnes, Ricky McPhee, Travis Leslie or Trey Thompkins. We got a fat zero on the fall recruiting trail. No obvious help on the horizon.
My hope is that UGA will get better. That Brandon Morris is the missing link. That we will beat Temple tonight.
I'm a homer, but even the most ardent hoops supporters have to face facts. We're not a top 25 team. We're not a pretty good team. We're in last place in the SEC, on the brink of yet another losing season.
We need to turn things around tonight. I have hope, but that's about all. I want Fox to show us he can coach, that he can win on the court and on the recruiting trail. I'm done with Kool-Aid.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Travis Leslie Interview
Loved this. Great interview.
Travis is the kind of guy who would be a good friend. Not cocky. Not overly impressed with himself or his talent. Sure, he wanted to be nominated for the D-League Allstar Game, and he hopes to get called back up to the NBA, but he still manages to be modest about it all. The interviewer had to mention it herself that Leslie won the MVP award.
Maybe next year Travis can find a good fit for himself on some NBA squad's roster.
Leslie
Travis is the kind of guy who would be a good friend. Not cocky. Not overly impressed with himself or his talent. Sure, he wanted to be nominated for the D-League Allstar Game, and he hopes to get called back up to the NBA, but he still manages to be modest about it all. The interviewer had to mention it herself that Leslie won the MVP award.
Maybe next year Travis can find a good fit for himself on some NBA squad's roster.
Leslie
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Leslie's Mom Receives First Call
No surprise there. Still a nice story about an NBA player and his mother.
Beyond Happy
I liked the big smile on Leslie and the quote that his Mom was beyond happy, screaming and very excited about the news that Travis was going to get another shot at the NBA. It's also great that Leslie got called up by the Utah Jazz, a team with other players from Georgia and the franchise that gave Sundiata Gaines his first NBA opportunity.
Good luck, Travis!
Beyond Happy
I liked the big smile on Leslie and the quote that his Mom was beyond happy, screaming and very excited about the news that Travis was going to get another shot at the NBA. It's also great that Leslie got called up by the Utah Jazz, a team with other players from Georgia and the franchise that gave Sundiata Gaines his first NBA opportunity.
Good luck, Travis!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Leslie Staying Humble, Working on his Game
Great attitude.
Wish we'd had the privilege of seeing Travis in a Dawgs uniform one more season, but I certainly don't blame him for staying in the draft. If you know you're going to be a lottery pick no matter what, then deciding when to come out is a matter of how much you enjoy the college game (and how comfortable you are with the risk of injury). But if you're on the bubble for being drafted, you have to make the jump to the NBA whenever you can. And so it was.
Leslie was drafted, but that's just the first step. During his one year with the Clippers, he rarely saw the floor. The issue now is whether he can get to the NBA and stay.
Well, Travis has certainly helped himself this week. After being named the MVP of the D-League All-Star Game he is in a stronger position than ever before. The Red and Black newspaper reported that out of the 20 players who competed in last year's D-League All-Star Game, 6 were later called up to the NBA.
Path to NBA
Leslie has the athleticism and the attitude, now he just has to keep working. He averages less than 2 assists per game and he has generally needed someone to set him up for scores. I'd like to see him distribute the ball effectively and gain more ability to create his own shots off the dribble. At the same time, I realize that Leslie gets just 27 minutes per game. If he were on the floor for 35 or more minutes like some of the other D-League leaders, his ppg (16), rebounds (7), assists (1.7) and other stats would no doubt go up.
The key for Travis, as I've said before, is developing more side-to-side quickness. He's great at leaping and running straight ahead, but the true elite guys mix in a strong left-handed move, spins, hesitations, pump fakes and the like to their repertoire. If he learns to go around defenders just as easily as he goes over them, Leslie could have a long NBA career.
Wish we'd had the privilege of seeing Travis in a Dawgs uniform one more season, but I certainly don't blame him for staying in the draft. If you know you're going to be a lottery pick no matter what, then deciding when to come out is a matter of how much you enjoy the college game (and how comfortable you are with the risk of injury). But if you're on the bubble for being drafted, you have to make the jump to the NBA whenever you can. And so it was.
Leslie was drafted, but that's just the first step. During his one year with the Clippers, he rarely saw the floor. The issue now is whether he can get to the NBA and stay.
Well, Travis has certainly helped himself this week. After being named the MVP of the D-League All-Star Game he is in a stronger position than ever before. The Red and Black newspaper reported that out of the 20 players who competed in last year's D-League All-Star Game, 6 were later called up to the NBA.
Path to NBA
Leslie has the athleticism and the attitude, now he just has to keep working. He averages less than 2 assists per game and he has generally needed someone to set him up for scores. I'd like to see him distribute the ball effectively and gain more ability to create his own shots off the dribble. At the same time, I realize that Leslie gets just 27 minutes per game. If he were on the floor for 35 or more minutes like some of the other D-League leaders, his ppg (16), rebounds (7), assists (1.7) and other stats would no doubt go up.
The key for Travis, as I've said before, is developing more side-to-side quickness. He's great at leaping and running straight ahead, but the true elite guys mix in a strong left-handed move, spins, hesitations, pump fakes and the like to their repertoire. If he learns to go around defenders just as easily as he goes over them, Leslie could have a long NBA career.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Travis Leslie Named MVP of D-League All-Star Game
Leslie scored 19 points with 7 rebounds in the game.
Highlights
Leslie was a last-minute addition to the game after Andrew Goudelock couldn't play due to injury. Travis came in and put on a show. Sure, there wasn't much defense played in the game, but that's true of all the all-star games. The key is that Leslie showed what he can do out there.
Leslie is averaging 16.2 points and 7 rebounds with 2 steals in 27 minutes a night in the D-League. He's shooting 50 percent from the floor overall and 40 percent from behind the arc.
Highlights
Leslie was a last-minute addition to the game after Andrew Goudelock couldn't play due to injury. Travis came in and put on a show. Sure, there wasn't much defense played in the game, but that's true of all the all-star games. The key is that Leslie showed what he can do out there.
Leslie is averaging 16.2 points and 7 rebounds with 2 steals in 27 minutes a night in the D-League. He's shooting 50 percent from the floor overall and 40 percent from behind the arc.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Where is the UGA Basketball Program Headed?
I thought I understood during the Felton years. Seemed like we were building something. We weren't great, mind you, but considering the trash dump of the NCAA investigation and the self-imposed sanctions, at some point during Felton's tenure I was starting to feel good about the program again.
Over his five full seasons, Felton's SEC win loss record was
7 and 9
2 and 14
5 and 11
8 and 8
4 and 12, not counting four wins in SEC Tournament championship run
That next year, Felton was fired after going 9 and 11 overall and 0 and 5 in the SEC. Felton won a total of 26 regular season SEC games. He lost 61. Felton got us to the NCAA's and Dawg fans enjoyed winning the SEC Tournament. Considering what he had to start with, Felton performed admirably, but a 30 percent record in the SEC is not good enough.
Mark Fox came in and his teams went
5 and 11
9 and 7
5 and 11
0 and 3
Of course there's still a lot of basketball to be played this year. But if Fox could somehow match Felton's last full year mark of 4 and 12, that would be a huge accomplishment. I seriously doubt that even if we win 4 games, we would follow that up by winning the SEC Tournament.
Recruiting:
Felton hit the ground with tough issues to face. Coach Harrick could get guys committed, but getting them into school was another matter (ex., Julius Lamptey, Larry Turner, Alexander Johnson, etc.). In his last class, Harrick had a marginal class of signees, all of whom asked to be released when the NCAA investigation hit, and none of whom did anything much in college basketball.
Therefore, when Harrick was fired, Felton had seniors, but no freshmen and just a couple of scholarship sophomores and juniors. Battling scholarship limitations and the clould of NCAA sanctions, Felton beat the bushes, brought in some low-ranked guys and took a chance on some others.
Over time Felton was able to generate some recruiting momentum. Starting with Levi Stukes and Steve Newman, Felton started to hit his stride by bringing in Sundiata Gaines and Dave Bliss. Things got better from there. UGA basketball had some really important misses, too. 5-star recruit Lou Williams went to the NBA instead of suiting up for the Dawgs (a huge, huge loss). Felton rebounded by replacing Williams with Billy Humphrey, a talented shooter, but he had no stand-in when Derrick Favors decided to go to Tech instead of UGA.
By and large, however, Felton brought in some pretty good players-- guards like Sundiata Gaines, Levi Stukes, Mike Mercer, Billy Humphrey, Ricky McPhee, Dustin Ware and Travis Leslie. We got an even better haul of big men: Trey Thompkins, Jeremy Price, Dave Bliss, Takais Brown, Chris Barnes, Ajax.
Wins and Losses
Felton got the team to perform in his first year, going 16 and 14 overall, 7 and 9 in the SEC, and making the NIT. The second year, in which Felton had just seven scholarship players, the overall record was 8 and 20. Note: There was a significant drop-off in year two, the year when a new coach generally lives and dies with his predecessor's players.
Thereafter, however, performance was trending up. The team went from the SEC basement to the top of the SEC tourney field, from NCAA sanctions to the NCAA Tournament. Felton couldn't sustain it, however, and he was fired mid-season. My point is that although we weren't ever great in basketball, we were respectable and reasonably competitive. In five full years under Felton we went to three post-season tournaments (two NIT's and one NCAA).
Comparison to 2013
We're definitely not trending up.
Recruiting
Recruiting is in trouble, in my opinion. I look up and down the roster and wonder, where's the beef? There's no low post scorer. I thought Donte Williams was going to have a great year, but now that he has been slow out of the gate, we don't have anyone who can finish reliably. Nobody with a big butt and good hands. No Trey Thompkins, no Jeremy Price, no Chris Barnes. Not even a troubled but talented guy like Takais Brown.
Hate to say this, but we don't have makers on the perimeter either. A Ricky McPhee, Levi Stukes or Billy Humphrey sure would make a huge difference to this team. KCP is a great all-around player and Vincent Williams had a nice game against Missouri. Maybe the guys coming in next year will help, but it's the combination that we lack. We need a low post guy who can score and a consistent three-point threat when defenses collapse.
Wins and Losses
Fox has an overall winning percentage in the SEC of 37 percent. The high-point for Fox was in year two, in which he had the benefit of Felton's recruits. Now that Fox is in year four with a roster full of his own players, we are definitely struggling. It's hard for me to watch a game and see us barely show up at Florida, and end up losing by 33 points. Our pre-conference record included defeats at home to teams I had hardly ever heard of.
Even counting the extremely challenged 2004/05 team, Felton went 22 and 42 in the SEC in his first four years. Fox will have to go 3 and 10 in the SEC from this point forward just to match Felton's record. Fox can do it, but if your current coach can hardly match the record of the last coach who was fired, that's a bad sign. Especially so when the current coach makes over twice the salary of the last guy.
Where are we headed? I hope Tony Parker comes to town, or we get a big-time JUCO low post scorer somehow for next year. Otherwise, looks like given our downward trajectory, a change is in the wind. 30 percent wasn't good enough in 2009 and it's certainly not good enough now.
Over his five full seasons, Felton's SEC win loss record was
7 and 9
2 and 14
5 and 11
8 and 8
4 and 12, not counting four wins in SEC Tournament championship run
That next year, Felton was fired after going 9 and 11 overall and 0 and 5 in the SEC. Felton won a total of 26 regular season SEC games. He lost 61. Felton got us to the NCAA's and Dawg fans enjoyed winning the SEC Tournament. Considering what he had to start with, Felton performed admirably, but a 30 percent record in the SEC is not good enough.
Mark Fox came in and his teams went
5 and 11
9 and 7
5 and 11
0 and 3
Of course there's still a lot of basketball to be played this year. But if Fox could somehow match Felton's last full year mark of 4 and 12, that would be a huge accomplishment. I seriously doubt that even if we win 4 games, we would follow that up by winning the SEC Tournament.
Recruiting:
Felton hit the ground with tough issues to face. Coach Harrick could get guys committed, but getting them into school was another matter (ex., Julius Lamptey, Larry Turner, Alexander Johnson, etc.). In his last class, Harrick had a marginal class of signees, all of whom asked to be released when the NCAA investigation hit, and none of whom did anything much in college basketball.
Therefore, when Harrick was fired, Felton had seniors, but no freshmen and just a couple of scholarship sophomores and juniors. Battling scholarship limitations and the clould of NCAA sanctions, Felton beat the bushes, brought in some low-ranked guys and took a chance on some others.
Over time Felton was able to generate some recruiting momentum. Starting with Levi Stukes and Steve Newman, Felton started to hit his stride by bringing in Sundiata Gaines and Dave Bliss. Things got better from there. UGA basketball had some really important misses, too. 5-star recruit Lou Williams went to the NBA instead of suiting up for the Dawgs (a huge, huge loss). Felton rebounded by replacing Williams with Billy Humphrey, a talented shooter, but he had no stand-in when Derrick Favors decided to go to Tech instead of UGA.
By and large, however, Felton brought in some pretty good players-- guards like Sundiata Gaines, Levi Stukes, Mike Mercer, Billy Humphrey, Ricky McPhee, Dustin Ware and Travis Leslie. We got an even better haul of big men: Trey Thompkins, Jeremy Price, Dave Bliss, Takais Brown, Chris Barnes, Ajax.
Wins and Losses
Felton got the team to perform in his first year, going 16 and 14 overall, 7 and 9 in the SEC, and making the NIT. The second year, in which Felton had just seven scholarship players, the overall record was 8 and 20. Note: There was a significant drop-off in year two, the year when a new coach generally lives and dies with his predecessor's players.
Thereafter, however, performance was trending up. The team went from the SEC basement to the top of the SEC tourney field, from NCAA sanctions to the NCAA Tournament. Felton couldn't sustain it, however, and he was fired mid-season. My point is that although we weren't ever great in basketball, we were respectable and reasonably competitive. In five full years under Felton we went to three post-season tournaments (two NIT's and one NCAA).
Comparison to 2013
We're definitely not trending up.
Recruiting
Recruiting is in trouble, in my opinion. I look up and down the roster and wonder, where's the beef? There's no low post scorer. I thought Donte Williams was going to have a great year, but now that he has been slow out of the gate, we don't have anyone who can finish reliably. Nobody with a big butt and good hands. No Trey Thompkins, no Jeremy Price, no Chris Barnes. Not even a troubled but talented guy like Takais Brown.
Hate to say this, but we don't have makers on the perimeter either. A Ricky McPhee, Levi Stukes or Billy Humphrey sure would make a huge difference to this team. KCP is a great all-around player and Vincent Williams had a nice game against Missouri. Maybe the guys coming in next year will help, but it's the combination that we lack. We need a low post guy who can score and a consistent three-point threat when defenses collapse.
Wins and Losses
Fox has an overall winning percentage in the SEC of 37 percent. The high-point for Fox was in year two, in which he had the benefit of Felton's recruits. Now that Fox is in year four with a roster full of his own players, we are definitely struggling. It's hard for me to watch a game and see us barely show up at Florida, and end up losing by 33 points. Our pre-conference record included defeats at home to teams I had hardly ever heard of.
Even counting the extremely challenged 2004/05 team, Felton went 22 and 42 in the SEC in his first four years. Fox will have to go 3 and 10 in the SEC from this point forward just to match Felton's record. Fox can do it, but if your current coach can hardly match the record of the last coach who was fired, that's a bad sign. Especially so when the current coach makes over twice the salary of the last guy.
Where are we headed? I hope Tony Parker comes to town, or we get a big-time JUCO low post scorer somehow for next year. Otherwise, looks like given our downward trajectory, a change is in the wind. 30 percent wasn't good enough in 2009 and it's certainly not good enough now.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Leslie Named D-League Player of the Month
Great honor for Travis Leslie.
Dawg fans no doubt remember that Leslie has tremendous hops. Don't think I've ever seen a play quite like Leslie's dunk over Demarcus Cousins (in UGA's game against Kentucky at Rupp Arena).
There was some concern over how Travis would fare after he left UGA early to go to the NBA. He didn't play much last season after getting drafted by the Golden State Warriors. Then at the beginning of this year, the Warriors cut him. To make matters worse, Leslie had to work hard to rehab from an injury.
Well, the video below shows that Travis can still play at a high level. He's still posterizing big men. Still playing great defense. On one play he leaps from just inside the free throw line on the steal and flush.
Travis will compete in the D-League Slam Dunk Contest tomorrow night.
Leslie
Notwithstanding the dunks, perhaps a more impressive part of Leslie's performance has been his all-around game. Shooting 55 percent from the field, 43 percent on threes, leading his team in rebounds.
With all his athleticism, Travis never showboats. He smiles when teammates celebrate, but other than that, he almost looks unimpressed. Great teammate. Player of the Month. Yeah, he'll get called up.
Dawg fans no doubt remember that Leslie has tremendous hops. Don't think I've ever seen a play quite like Leslie's dunk over Demarcus Cousins (in UGA's game against Kentucky at Rupp Arena).
There was some concern over how Travis would fare after he left UGA early to go to the NBA. He didn't play much last season after getting drafted by the Golden State Warriors. Then at the beginning of this year, the Warriors cut him. To make matters worse, Leslie had to work hard to rehab from an injury.
Well, the video below shows that Travis can still play at a high level. He's still posterizing big men. Still playing great defense. On one play he leaps from just inside the free throw line on the steal and flush.
Travis will compete in the D-League Slam Dunk Contest tomorrow night.
Leslie
Notwithstanding the dunks, perhaps a more impressive part of Leslie's performance has been his all-around game. Shooting 55 percent from the field, 43 percent on threes, leading his team in rebounds.
With all his athleticism, Travis never showboats. He smiles when teammates celebrate, but other than that, he almost looks unimpressed. Great teammate. Player of the Month. Yeah, he'll get called up.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Helpless
That's the first word I thought of when I saw the picture of Travis Leslie rising high over the poor defender who tried to stop him. All resistance was futile.
Leslie
Travis has been a stat stuffer in his stint with the D-League. In addition to his highlight reel dunks, Leslie has been showing the complete package. In this last game he notched 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. He shot 8 of 12 from the field.
That latest output for Travis was right on his average of 16 points and 8 boards per game. He is also shooting 56 percent from the field and an impressive 46 percent from behind the arc. Leslie has led the Santa Cruz Warriors to first place in the League, with a 9 and 2 record.
I think Leslie will make it back to the NBA some time soon.
Leslie
Travis has been a stat stuffer in his stint with the D-League. In addition to his highlight reel dunks, Leslie has been showing the complete package. In this last game he notched 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. He shot 8 of 12 from the field.
That latest output for Travis was right on his average of 16 points and 8 boards per game. He is also shooting 56 percent from the field and an impressive 46 percent from behind the arc. Leslie has led the Santa Cruz Warriors to first place in the League, with a 9 and 2 record.
I think Leslie will make it back to the NBA some time soon.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Leslie Tearing Up the D-League
I think it's great that Travis Leslie is doing so well in the D-League. As readers of the Blog may remember, although he was cut by the Clippers, Travis became the 13th player picked in the D-League draft, getting a spot with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Although Leslie started off the year with an injury, he bounced back quickly. Right now, Travis is averaging a double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 48 percent from the floor, right at 34 percent from behind the arc, and 83 percent from the line.
I suppose he could get on an international league roster, but I think Travis is going to get another opportunity with an NBA team, perhaps before the year is out.
Although Leslie started off the year with an injury, he bounced back quickly. Right now, Travis is averaging a double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 48 percent from the floor, right at 34 percent from behind the arc, and 83 percent from the line.
I suppose he could get on an international league roster, but I think Travis is going to get another opportunity with an NBA team, perhaps before the year is out.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Leslie Cut by Clippers
The Clippers never were a good fit for Travis. Leslie was a high-flyer on a team that didn't need his skills. They already have Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to catch lobs, plus a slew of other guards to throw 'em.
I suppose that the question is whether any NBA team is a fit for Leslie. Does Travis Leslie have NBA talent?
Leslie is a guy with pretty good speed straight ahead and excellent athleticism up and down. What he has lacked is the side to side quickness and the handle to get around guys.
Some will attribute Leslie being cut to his decision to leave school early. But the fact is that another year with Coach Fox was not going to help his game. Although Fox has a reputation for developing players, in reality our guards played worse last year than the year before. Dustin Ware went from 44 percent in field goal percentage in 2010 to 34 percent in 2011. Gerald Robinson fell off from 44 percent to 43. Brantley managed to go from a paltry 31 percent shooting to 25. Similar story for three-point shooting and assists.
Shucks, Leslie could have injured himself a la Marcus Lattimore. Besides, chances are that Leslie had more of a chance to showcase his skills playing with Trey Thompkins than he would have had running with Marcus Thornton or Donte Williams at the power forward for last year's 15 and 17 squad. I don't begrudge Leslie for bolting to the pro's when he had the chance. Would have loved to see him in the red and black one more year, but after all, it is his career.
The issue going forward for Leslie is how to move that career forward now that he has been cut at the last possible second prior to the season. Other teams have pared their roster down. They're likely not looking to add a player at this point.
Couple of options: Leslie could go play internationally, or he could look for a good D-League team, one on which he can play every night and get better. Although international teams are paying a lot of money these days and Leslie is young enough to enjoy time overseas, I'd probably pick the D-League route, at least for now.
Several NBA guards will not stick this year, either through injury or bad decisions or something else. Leslie has to keep his head in the game, get good counsel from family and other advisors, and be ready.
Good luck, Travis.
DM
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Travis Leslie Interview
upon the occasion of his return to the NBA from his short stint with the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League.
The Clippers obviously believed that Travis would benefit from practicing with the team as much as any improvement in his game from playing against D-League competition. It was good to hear Leslie's take on the experience.
U-Turn
The Clippers obviously believed that Travis would benefit from practicing with the team as much as any improvement in his game from playing against D-League competition. It was good to hear Leslie's take on the experience.
U-Turn
Monday, March 12, 2012
That was Quick
After just four games down in the D-League, Travis Leslie has been recalled by the Clippers. Good for him.
The Clippers are playing the Celtics right now. The Clippers could use some help. They look a little stagnant in the half-court offense.
Congrats, Travis.
The Clippers are playing the Celtics right now. The Clippers could use some help. They look a little stagnant in the half-court offense.
Congrats, Travis.
Leslie Adjusting to D-League
Had 19 points on 9 of 12 shooting from the field, 1 of 1 from the free throw line. Also notched 2 rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes.
His team, the Bakersfield Jam, beat the Idaho Stampede Saturday night.
In 4 games so far, Leslie is shooting 56 percent, and averaging 13 points and 4 boards in 21 minutes per night.
His team, the Bakersfield Jam, beat the Idaho Stampede Saturday night.
In 4 games so far, Leslie is shooting 56 percent, and averaging 13 points and 4 boards in 21 minutes per night.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Milton High over Shiloh (7 thoughts)
In no particular order, here are my impressions after watching the Milton High game from Wednesday night.
1. Carlton French does a nice job on milton.sportzcast.com. It's great to be able to watch the videos on demand (I mention the web site here just in case any of the readers want to watch the game as well). Mr. French has a future in sportscasting if he gets the right breaks. If he doesn't then I suppose he can look for Buffy and Jodie and see if he can get paid for taking care of them.
2. Missing out on Robert Carter was huge. Carter does not appear to play hard all the time, but the skills are definitely there. With the right coaching, he should be a good one for Tech.
3. Notwithstanding #2 above, hopefully we'll get serious consideration from Trayvon Reed. Dude is a 7-foot sophomore. By the time he's ready to graduate, he could be a top-25 recruit. Catches the ball well and finishes around the hoop. How many 7-footers fail because they can't catch and finish?
4. We should be all over Tevin Glass. He scored 25 points, doubling Robert Carter's output. Glass will no doubt be a perimeter player in college, but he looks like he can play SEC ball right now. I like his skills better than Evan Nolte's. As I have said previously, offer the guy (Glass) a scholarship, but ask him not to commit until we know what Tony Parker is going to do.
5. Shaq Johnson is the second coming of Travis Leslie. Unfortunately he will be playing for Auburn. Great burst of speed and incredible leaping ability. Doesn't have the outside shot just yet, but if he works hard on that, he could be a fantastic player.
6. Charles Mann is impressive. He drives the ball with authority and has nice release on his shot. Missed a few free throws, but his form was good on each one. Showed the ability to shoot the floater in the lane. Has the size of Vern Fleming with probably more upside if he continues to improve his overall speed and ball-handling. Love the look of him playing the point up top on the 1-3-1 zone. I also like the fact that he wants the ball, knows he's a point guard and seems to be able to drive it with equal speed going left or right.
7. Don't see any other team beating Milton. They have to be the favorite to win the state championship.
1. Carlton French does a nice job on milton.sportzcast.com. It's great to be able to watch the videos on demand (I mention the web site here just in case any of the readers want to watch the game as well). Mr. French has a future in sportscasting if he gets the right breaks. If he doesn't then I suppose he can look for Buffy and Jodie and see if he can get paid for taking care of them.
2. Missing out on Robert Carter was huge. Carter does not appear to play hard all the time, but the skills are definitely there. With the right coaching, he should be a good one for Tech.
3. Notwithstanding #2 above, hopefully we'll get serious consideration from Trayvon Reed. Dude is a 7-foot sophomore. By the time he's ready to graduate, he could be a top-25 recruit. Catches the ball well and finishes around the hoop. How many 7-footers fail because they can't catch and finish?
4. We should be all over Tevin Glass. He scored 25 points, doubling Robert Carter's output. Glass will no doubt be a perimeter player in college, but he looks like he can play SEC ball right now. I like his skills better than Evan Nolte's. As I have said previously, offer the guy (Glass) a scholarship, but ask him not to commit until we know what Tony Parker is going to do.
5. Shaq Johnson is the second coming of Travis Leslie. Unfortunately he will be playing for Auburn. Great burst of speed and incredible leaping ability. Doesn't have the outside shot just yet, but if he works hard on that, he could be a fantastic player.
6. Charles Mann is impressive. He drives the ball with authority and has nice release on his shot. Missed a few free throws, but his form was good on each one. Showed the ability to shoot the floater in the lane. Has the size of Vern Fleming with probably more upside if he continues to improve his overall speed and ball-handling. Love the look of him playing the point up top on the 1-3-1 zone. I also like the fact that he wants the ball, knows he's a point guard and seems to be able to drive it with equal speed going left or right.
7. Don't see any other team beating Milton. They have to be the favorite to win the state championship.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Leslie and Thompkins Discuss Life in the NBA
Good article from Seth Emerson.
Rookies
Leslie and Thompkins have done well for themselves financially and are supporting each other. Both are committed to watching their money, not going crazy with spending their salaries, which is a very positive sign.
Glad they got a chance to make it to the pro's and that they didn't get injured while playing for the Dawgs. Would have liked to see what Georgia would have done with those two guys, but you go to battle with the players you have.
Hopefully, Georgia can get the ship righted. The South Carolina game will be tough. The Gamecocks may not have won too many games, but Darrin Horn is a good coach and he'll have his guys ready to trap all around the floor. We'll have to limit turnovers and win the rebounding battle to emerge with the W.
Rookies
Leslie and Thompkins have done well for themselves financially and are supporting each other. Both are committed to watching their money, not going crazy with spending their salaries, which is a very positive sign.
Glad they got a chance to make it to the pro's and that they didn't get injured while playing for the Dawgs. Would have liked to see what Georgia would have done with those two guys, but you go to battle with the players you have.
Hopefully, Georgia can get the ship righted. The South Carolina game will be tough. The Gamecocks may not have won too many games, but Darrin Horn is a good coach and he'll have his guys ready to trap all around the floor. We'll have to limit turnovers and win the rebounding battle to emerge with the W.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thompkins and Leslie Featured on NBA.com
Good article about the Clippers rookies. They are looking forward to learning from the veterans and growing with the team.
Dynamic Duo
Dynamic Duo
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