Auburn Comes to Athens

I feel like such a bad fan. It really is discouraging to face a football game at home against a rival, and believe that UGA will lose.

Part of the challenge of having a Blog is to force myself to go on the record and predict the outcome of upcoming games. I'm the biggest "homer" that there is, and ordinarily I would always pick UGA to win games, no matter what the sport, no matter which team the opponent.

However, on a Blog I feel like I must be intellectually honest, and choose which team will win, regardless of my hopes and natural inclinations.

So here it is...

I will be pulling like crazy for the Dawgs, but I don't see a way for us to win. Our defense isn't strong. Our offense has been one-dimensional. I can't see any of that changing today.

There will be no black-out in Sanford Stadium and no victory either. Auburn wins by at least a touchdown, something like 21 to 14.

Where Are They Now? Kendrick Johnson

Kendrick Johnson, of Morton, Texas, has been playing at South Plains College. He averaged 4 points and 4 rebounds in the 2007/2008 year, which saw SPC win the national championship for the NJCAA.

Considered at one time to be a top ten player nationally during his high school career, Johnson's was later hampered by chronic ankle problems. Johnson signed with UGA, but due to his injuries, played only one season. He averaged 2 points per contest.

Johnson will play at Abilene Christian University for the 2008/2009 season.

The Lion King

Since I mentioned Demario Mayfield's academic achievements, I decided to follow up by posting the link below.

Mayfield

The article gives some insight into Mayfield's personality and includes some quotes from Mayfield's coach.

Demario averaged 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists as a sophomore.

Demario Mayfield gets it done in Classroom

He was recently named to the Franklin County High Merit List.

Scholar Athlete

Note: Scroll down about halfway in the link to find Demario's name.

Congratulations, Demario!

Wonder if UGA can make a run at this guy?

Tamir Jackson recently de-committed from UAB. Who knows why? Who cares?

I guess it does matter, but if he has decided to de-commit so he can be sure he has the right school, then maybe he needs to consider UGA.

http://www.hoopsreport.com/news/interviews/oneononewithtamirjackson


Jackson scored almost 30 points against Oak Hill. He can play.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2007-12-14-stbenedicts-oakhill_N.htm


And the description from ESPN sounds almost exactly like Sundiata Gaines.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=43176&season=2009&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d43176%26season%3d2009

Felton did wonders with Gaines' game, and Gaines is from the same general area of the country. I bet Felton could make an effective pitch to Jackson.

Since the guy also reportedly has a 3.6 gpa and wants a coach to push him, he'd fit in with Felton's academics-first focus. He's a tough defender and a scorer, which is just what UGA needs. While we are considering big men, we might ought to take Jackson.

Sundiata Gaines to Play in Italian League

Sundiata Gaines has signed to play in Italy.

Gaines played for UGA from 2004 to 2008. During his senior season, he averaged almost 34 minutes per game, recording 15 pts, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals each contest. He ended his career as Georgia's all-time leader in steals, second in assists, 9th in scoring, and 11th in rebounding. He was named Second-Team All SEC two years in a row.

Gaines was the heart and soul of Georgia's team, playing hard night in and night out, helping to build Georgia's program and propel it toward last year's NCAA berth and SEC Tournament Championship. Recognized for his outstanding play, he was named the SEC Tournament MVP.

Gaines will continue his playing career with Pallacanestro Cantu, a team based in the city of Cantu. Cantu is located in the Province of Como, toward the foot of the Alps in Italy. Cantu is known for furniture-making and great food, and is located not far from beautiful Lake Como, the third largest lake in Italy.

Not to make us all jealous, but here is some information about the Lake Como area.

http://www.initaly.com/regions/lombardy/como.htm

We are sure that Gaines will do a great job with his new team and continue to represent UGA well.

Congratulations, Sundiata!

Recruiting Update: Derrick Favors

Don't know whether we will be successful in recruiting Derrick Favors, but Dennis Felton is certainly putting forth the effort.

Favors has a ton of talent. UGA is in the mix, and I'm optimistic.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2008-07-24-basketball-notebook_N.htm

Recruiting Update: Torin Walker

Torin Walker has been in the news of late.

1. Rivals Article

You have to scroll down a bit in the attached article, but Walker did get some good press for his play down in Orlando at the Super Showcase.

http://rutgers.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=830602


2. ESPN Article

Bob Gibbons gives Walker some love at the very bottom of this article.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=3507751


"Unlimited upside" sounds fantastic. If he can mix it up down low and shoot the ball from up high, he might be a great addition to UGA's class of 2009.

Where Are They Now? Rashad Wright

Rashad Wright recently signed with ALBA Berlin. His contract is for 1 year with a team option for a second season.

Originally drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 59th pick of the 2004 NBA draft, Wright has played professionally in Serbia, Greece, Belgium and Turkey.

Wright's last season with the Efes Pilsen team in Turkey was cut short by a knee injury. Prior to his tenure in the Turkish League, Wright played for the Oostende team in Belgium, where he averaged 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Rashad Wright was born in 1982 in Statesboro, Georgia. He played for UGA from 2000 until 2004, and was described by Coach Jim Harrick as "a hardballer," a term Harrick reserved for those players he coached who never missed a practice, played through pain, and gave it all every time on the court.

Wright was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He averaged 9 points and 4 assists for his career, and broke the all-time assist record for UGA.

Congratulations, Rashad!

Can this guy provide some scoring help?

Maybe. Just maybe. If the guy can go up to Chapel Hill and virtually outscore Tyler Hansbrough (he had 21 pts in 20 minutes, vs Hansbrough's 21 pts in 28 minutes), then he might just be able to give Georgia a spark off the bench.

Gardner Webb vs. UNC

Ricky McPhee must have played his best game ever. He was absolutely huge with 6 of 8 from the field, including 4 of 6 from downtown, and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. It looked like he would be the star of Gardner Webb's biggest victory of all time. But it was not to be. After McPhee hit a 3 with 11 seconds left, UNC won on a last second three-pointer.

Nonetheless, it was a big stage and McPhee responded with a big, big game. McPhee also played well in games against other high level opponents, scoring 22 against a Bobby Knight-coached Texas Tech squad, and 17 against Wisconsin.

After sitting out last year due to the NCAA's transfer rules, McPhee will be ready to play for the 2008/2009 season. What does he give the Dawgs?

Well, the 3-point line was moved back a foot this year. Just one foot doesn't seem like it's too much of a difference, but the new distance will have a significant impact on three-point shooting percentages.

Georgia is pretty confident in its rotation of big men. Albert Jackson played well in the SEC Tournament. Chris Barnes should be healthy again and ready to contribute big minutes. Jeremy Price is a big, skilled power forward. And Howard Thompkins will be ready to compete.

However, the team needs guards that can advance the ball against pressure, play good defense, and shoot the ball well, including at the new distance for the arc. Terrance Woodbury has some ability from the mid-range out to the three-point line, but in my opinion, the designated sniper role falls to Dustin Ware, Troy Brewer, Ebuka Anyaorah and Ricky McPhee.

I hope McPhee is training hard and expanding his game. If he shows anything like the game he took up to North Carolina, he might just get his opportunity to shine again.

Recruiting: Shawn Kemp, Jr.

Hmmm. Blogging before dawn. I seem to be working on this early morning posting thing, covering the center prospects for the class of 2009. Might as well keep going, huh?

Well, over the last few days, we looked at Torin Walker, and then Daniel Miller. Today, it's Shawn Kemp, Jr.

Out of the 3 centers, Kemp has already won the name recognition battle. Of course, it's not easy to bear the name. His Dad was really good.

I saw a few good links on Shawn Kemp, Jr. The one directly below discusses the famous name and the relationship between Jr. and his Dad.

1. SI

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/luke_winn/07/09/shawn.kemp/


2. USA Today

USA Today has somewhat of a similar "famous name" angle.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/2008-06-26-hoops-legacies_N.htm


3. Demling Blog

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/2008/01/meet-shawn-kemp-jr.html


4. NorthwestGeorgia.com

http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/sports/local_story_053234109.html


5. YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t_P8mLnJu0&feature=related

Although the USA Today article is not very complimentary of Kemp, Jr., the YouTube clip shows several things I like:

a) Good hands.

How many big men fail because they can't catch the entry pass? The video shows that Shawn Kemp, Jr., has great hands. He can catch the awkward pass, the low fastball, and the lob.

b) Hops

Well, his dad had insane hops. Jr. not so much, but he has enough that you can clearly see that he is an above-the-rim player.

c) Dunks

Shawn Kemp, Jr. dunks the ball. He goes up strong in traffic. He dunks with either hand. He has enough elevation to take contact and still complete the power play.

d) Go-to Moves

Kemp, Jr., already has the jump hook, drop step and bank shot in his repertoire. Combine that with power dunks and you don't want to mess with it too much. Looks like he'd be a decent free-throw shooter, too.

e) Build

The USA Today and SI articles talk about Kemp's height and wingspan. He's 6' 9" and just going into his senior year. Kemp has the big feet that indicate that he has more growing to do, and according to the Demling blog, he is likely to add another 3 to 5 inches before he tops out, perhaps at 7' 2". He could put a lot more weight on his frame, too. He runs well, and note the calf muscles. Big, almost like his Dad's.


6. DaugMan's Take

I like Shawn Kemp, Jr., a lot. Rivals.com apparently did, too, giving Kemp Jr. a 5-star rating just months ago. Since that time, Rivals has dropped Kemp from #25 to #83. Maybe that's a sign that Kemp is leaning toward UGA. Ha!

If it were up to me, I'd probably rank Kemp equal to or even above Torin Walker and Daniel Miller. Billy Gillespie up at the University of Kentucky likes Kemp enough to pursue him agressively. I think UGA should step up his recruitment. Kemp does not name UGA amongst his favorites, at least not that I could tell. It's a long shot at this point, but it would be well worth the effort if we can get him.

Recruiting: Daniel Miller

As I mentioned in my last recruiting highlights post, Georgia has three scholarships to give in 2009, and between Demario Mayfield, and hopefully, Derrick Favors, two of the scholarships are spoken for.

Torin Walker was the subject of the last review. Walker is big and athletic, though still somewhat flying below the radar. Now I turn my attention to an even bigger sleeper, Daniel Miller. Miller is a 6' 10", 235 lb center at Loganville Christian.

According to Scout.com, Miller is the #19 ranked center in the class of 2009. Rivals.com has Miller as an unranked prospect.

Georgia recently offered Daniel Miller a scholarship. Now, given Georgia's limited available scholarships, how should that offer be analyzed? Has Georgia spotted a true diamond in the rough? Or is Miller just an unknown quantity, who may or may not be a good Division 1 basketball player? Has Coach Felton just given up on recruiting the more talented players in the 2009 class?

Here are some links that give some of the available background information on Miller.

1. ESPN

ESPN had this to say:

#8 Ranking


2. Walton Tribune

The Walton Tribune recently wrote an article on Miller.

AAU and Offers


3. Rivals

Miller said earlier that his top three are Georgia, Georgia Tech and Stanford, but that Stanford has not offered a scholarship.

Note: Since link has expired, I removed it from this post.


4. Another ESPN Article

Wasn't sure what to make about the reference to Miller working on his hands. That's not a good sign for a big man. But then I read the article below.

Southern Invitational Tournament


5. Youth Prepstars Ranking

Youth Prepstars has Miller tabbed as the #11 player in the state, ahead of Torin Walker and Shawn Kemp, two centers that the other services have highly ranked. Miller is even ranked ahead of UGA commit Demario Mayfield.


6. DanielMillerbball.com

I will say this, Miller gets top ranking for self-promotion. I don't mean this in a bad way. If you're a sleeper looking to gain exposure and win a high-level scholarship, it makes sense to make use of technology. And Miller has a really nice website, with video, other pictures, and information on his stats over the last year. Miller's website even posts his unofficial transcript.

Miller's Website


7. DaugMan's Take

So, who is Daniel Miller and how do I view him as a recruit?

I think he's an intriguing prospect, great student, has really good form for a big man on his shot, and is 6' 10", 235 lbs, and still growing.

Felton likes big men, and if Favors and Miller sign on, UGA's line-up for 2009 would slot Favors at power forward, while Miller learns the center spot for a year behind Albert Jackson.

If Miller develops anything like Albert Jackson has, then a Miller signing could be a real coup for UGA.

Recruiting: Torin Walker

Okay. Georgia's got three 'ships available for 2009. One has been claimed by Demario Mayfield, and one is ostensibly being saved for Derrick Favors.

Who gets the last one?

Since UGA has just one center, Albert Jackson, on the roster, Georgia is apparently pursuing several big men, including Shawn Kemp, Jr., Terrance Shannon and Daniel Miller. Ari Stewart, an athletic wing, is also in the mix.

Another possible signee is Torin Walker. Walker is out of Columbus, Georgia, and you don't hear too much about him. But according to this link, the kid has some serious athleticism.

http://sparqtraining.com/features/2007/10/12/nstc-the-patriots-look-to-dominate-their-competition/

Justin Young, basketball analyst for the Rivals network, seems to like him. Scroll down a bit in the attached article to get Justin's take.

http://georgiahoops.blogspot.com/2008/01/watch-out-for-jordan.html

Walker may not be the total package yet, but you can do a lot with a 6' 9", 230 lb guy who leaps over 30 inches and has great speed. The picture from the Sparqs website indicates that Walker might have his best physical development days ahead of him. If he hits the weights and convinces himself that he needs to play physically all the time, he could end up as a real enforcer down low. I am reminded of Steve Thomas, who was an anchor for a very good Georgia team that also included Jarvis Hayes, Ezra Williams and Chris Daniels.

If Torin Walker has a good attitude and grades, he could be a great signee. We'll see how this all turns out.

Anyaorah Analysis

ESPN's scout, Antonio Williams, apparently thinks Anyaorah is pretty good. I was particularly impressed with what Williams had to say about Anyaorah on the defensive end.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?page=briefingroom&recruitId=56997&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3fpage%3dbriefingroom%26recruitId%3d56997

After seeing the ESPN analysis, I looked back at the historical stats for Gwinnett County. Turns out that Anyaorah figures pretty prominently there.

I. Gwinnett County All-Time Statistics

Anyaorah's 43-point game last season ranks in the top ten all-time for most points scored in a game.

Anyaorah is in the top 15 for points scored in a career. Anyaorah's total of 1459 points is just shy of Billy Humphrey's career point total.

Anyaorah also shot seven 3-pointers in a game (twice). That puts him in the top 5 all-time for three-pointers in a single game.

II. Gwinnett County 2007/2008 Stats

On a seasonal basis, Anyaorah's scoring average this past year (26 ppg) was second in the county to Howard Thompkins (30.2 ppg). One site indicates that Anyaorah's average ranked in the top ten for the whole state.

III. Anyaorah Compared to Other Scorers

Anyaorah scored more per game than other highly ranked players, such as juniors Terrance Shannon, Mfon Udofia and Noel Johnson. I'd love to see UGA successfully recruit any of those guys, and they Were just juniors this past year, but the fact that we did sign one who scored more per game than they did is still significant to me.

North Gwinnett also played Norcross fairly well. Anyaorah scored 20 points against Norcross and its star-studded line-up-- more that Aminu scored for that particular game.

Maybe Anyaorah will turn out to be a Rennie Curran in sneakers, a freshman who earns playing time during the year and really makes the most of it. UGA needs a scorer and it looks like we might have one in Anyaorah.

Dustin Ware's Play

Dustin Ware's performance this year will be absolutely critical to UGA's hoops success.

We have a sophomore point guard in Zac Swansey, and then there's Dustin Ware. No one else is currently on the horizon as a point guard. Since Billy Humphrey will not be available for spot duty, UGA is really thin at the most critical position on the court. What had been UGA's strength, with Sundiata Gaines, is now the team's most glaring weakness.

Now, if Brandon Boykin comes over from the football team, that's another matter, but the realistic scenario is that UGA will be relying on a sophomore and a freshman to man the point. I posted previously on what I would consider as Zac Swansey's strengths and weaknesses, and now I turn to his competition for playing time, Dustin Ware. How well can Dustin Ware perform?

Hard to say, since Dustin Ware has not played a minute of college ball. However, I decided to look again at Dustin Ware's stats for his last season at North Cobb Christian, and glean whatever information I could.

http://www.maxpreps.com/FanPages/Player.mxp/AreaID-a6673070-5906-41b6-b4a7-86ff35c1bdf1/AthleteID-D725E0D7-70E3-4940-A2F2-1D25D23CE275/SchoolID-d5eccd84-e874-4a81-a89d-1d7e761b7ef0/Boys_Varsity_Basketball_Winter_07-08/Georgia

I am concerned with the number of three-pointers that Ware shoots. Granted, he shoots over 35% on threes, which is an impressive percentage. But he still shoots too many of them, in my opinion. His three-point attempts to two-point attempts is about even. I also don't like the fact that he gets to the line only about 3 times per game. That's not enough. UGA will need Ware to penetrate and dish, but also to take it to the hoop enough to get fouled and get to the line on a consistent basis.

With my concerns duly stated, I have to admit that I am optimistic that Ware will end up playing a lot of minutes for Georgia. Looking at the MaxPreps stats, there's a bunch to like here. Ware averaged 20 pts and 8 assists per game. He shot right at 90% from the free throw line, and had an almost 4 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He averaged 4 steals a game and had no technical fouls on the year.

And you have to like North Cobb's undefeated record. NCC went 35 and 0 on the year. Since the competition level in the GISA is not as high as the other classifications in the state, the best way to assess Ware's performance is in looking at the games during the year in which NCC played against the more elite teams.

Going head to head against Cashmere Wright and James Fields, two really talented guards (Wright had offers from a ton of fantastic programs before eventually signing a scholarship with the University of Cincinnati), Ware scored 24 points. As I remember, Veritas and United Faith were two talented teams in North Carolina, with at least one Division One signee on each team (Clemson and Auburn, respectively). In three games against those two teams, Ware scored 25, 28 and 30 points.

In the GISA championship game, playing against Andre Young and an undefeated Deerfield Windsor team, Ware notched 24 pts, 12 assists and 6 rebounds. Then after winning the state championship, North Cobb kept playing, competing in the NACA national tournament.

NCC reached the finals to face Riverdale Baptist. Riverdale, which featured 4-star forward Thomas Robinson, as well as a number of other talented players was ranked in the top 10 teams in Maryland, and in the top 20 in the entire D.C. metropolitan area.

After scoring 33 points with 10 assists in the semi-finals, Dustin Ware scored 27 pts with 10 assists to lead NCC to the victory over Riverdale. Dustin Ware was named the MVP of the NACA Tournament.

On balance, I'm optimistic that Ware can do the things that we need a point guard to do in the SEC. Ware is a leader, comes from a great program, and has the fundamentals to perform well. I'll be pulling for him this year.

Does Georgia still have a shot at Udofia?

I know that we have only one scholarship open as it stands today.

I know that we would love to snag Derrick Favors with that slot. And if he wants to attend UGA, you have to find a way to have room for Favors.

I know there are a lot of talented guys in the 2009 class, including Terrance Shannon and Ari Stewart.

But I also know that Mfon Udofia is a talent.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/sports/cavalier_insider/ci_recruiting_news/article/energetic_udofia_draws_attention/23868/

Line-up Look: Two-Guard

Well, the team has lost Billy Humphrey. Scratch a sure starter and insert...

That's it. I don't know. Who plays significant minutes at the 2-guard position?

Prospects are Drazen Zlovaric, Troy Brewer, Corey Butler, Ebuka Anyaorah, Ricky McPhee and Terrance Woodbury.

Woodbury did a nice job this year. He was somewhat of a question mark in certain games, but he really came on late. But I don't think he's the answer at the two-guard. If you have inexperienced point guards, you need someone who can help bring the ball up the floor at the shooting guard position.

Troy Brewer can shoot the three. I'd like to see him drive the ball for the entire off-season. Whenever he gets it in practice, drive the ball. No threes allowed. Work on jab steps, cross-over dribbles, jump-stops in the paint, dunks off one foot and dunks off of two feet. He's a 90 percent free-throw shooter, so if he can get to the paint and get fouled, it's easy money. If he can't beat people with foot speed, then at least develop a Paul Pierce, herky-jerky driving style, and force the refs to call a bumping foul.

Ricky McPhee is an unknown. For what it's worth, I'd have him take the same medicine as Troy.

Corey Butler is a solid defender. Put up a ton of points at Cross Keys. He had a huge drive and dish to Dave Bliss during the SEC tournament. For the '08 season, I'd challenge him to score the basketball.

Ebuka Anyaorah had some games with big numbers over at North Gwinnett. If he can dribble it and defend, I'd probably start him. Or maybe give him minutes behind Corey Butler and see what he can do.

Drazen Zlovaric. I think he gets minutes at the three position, rather than the two.

My best guess is Corey Butler to start, Ebuka Anyaorah to back him up, and Troy Brewer to play if he drives the ball.

Darrin Horn has got his work cut out for him.

Sounds a lot like Dennis Felton's situation when he first arrived.

http://www.thestate.com/gogamecocks/story/432706.html

The difference is significant nonetheless. Horn has somewhat of a bench, whereas Harrick left Felton with an empty one. Horn's team is not under the cloud of tons of negative publicity and upcoming NCAA sanctions. The 5/8 rule, which limited the number of players that could come in at any one time, is no longer in effect.

With that ssid, if Horn makes it to the NCAA's in five years, I will be very impressed.

Damien Wilkins still giving back.

Very proud of Damien. He's back in Washington, North Carolina, giving back to the community via his presence and his basketball camp. I'm posting links to three articles from his hometown newspaper. Each article gives a little different picture of the impact Wilkins is having.

http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2008/06/24/sports/sports01.txt

http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2008/06/23/sports/sports02.txt

http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2008/06/21/sports/sports01.txt

I wish him well this upcoming season.

It's not basketball against football

in some kind of ugly race to the bottom, but a little fairness is in order.

http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2008/07/01/News/Georgia.Football.Player.Suspect.In.Battery.Incident.wreport-3386725.shtml

Many people call for Felton's head if one of his guys has a problem. A recent example was Billy Humphrey's DUI arrest. I wonder if people will do the same for Richt now that multiple players have been arrested, such as Lemon in the attached article, and Sturdivant and Anderson in an unrelated incident during the same week.

I love Coach Richt, and am a devoted fan of UGA football. I just want the guys on some of the message boards to realize that coaches can't be with players all the time. If a player gets in trouble, you deal with it. Both Richt and Felton run as tight a ship as you will find in big-time college athletics, and am proud of both coaches and both programs.