Songs from the Dawgs?

Wow.  I loved today's article from the AJC.

Sound of Music

Just in case the AJC ever gets rid of the link, here's a quote:

As soon as coach Mark Fox stepped inside the door on the lower-level concourse, he was engulfed in a sea of black jerseys who jumped up and down as they chanted something that sounded like “yeet, yeet, yeet!” Moments later, that noise morphed into a rendition of the school fight song, “Glory to Old Georgia.” Only this was an abbreviated, rap-style version. The celebration was finished with some loud, timed applause.

The message: The Bulldogs are starting to get this basketball business down, and they’re thoroughly enjoying it.

“We’re feeling good,” said Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who led the Bulldogs with 19 points. “There’s a lot of confidence going around. We’re helping each other and picking each other up. Everybody’s stepping up every night now.”

Asked about the musical postlude, Caldwell-Pope laughed and grinned wide.

“We’re just re-mixing a little bit,” he said. “We’ve got Houston Kessler providing a little beat box and Kenny Gaines singing for us. We’re just singing and having fun.”

Houston Kessler beat-boxing?  Are U kiddin' me?

Maybe anything is possible in this season.  Heck, if they can sing, perhaps they might find a way to get invited to the Big Dance.

Turn-Around Game for the Dawgs?

Maybe it was last game against Mercer.  Who knows?  All those kids could have brought the UGA hoops squad a season's worth of good luck. 

In any case, if the Mercer game wasn't the turn-around game for Georgia's 2012-2013 campaign, then the USC game tomorrow might be. 

Georgia is going up against an under-achieving Southern Cal team.  We're 3 and 7 on the year and they're 4 and 7.  We've had our share of bad losses and so have the Trojans.  In their last game, USC lost to the Cal-Irvine Anteaters (!) by a score of 71 to 64.

UGA definitely has a shot at winning this game.  We're at home.  They score just 63 points per game and their back-court play has been spotty.  USC went 6 and 26 last year, so if we jump on them early they might give up.

Winning won't be automatic, though.  They have some size, including 3 players at 7 feet or over, and some impressive athletes. 

Their big guys, however, aren't that impressive.  All three score 7 points or less per game.  Although USC can bring in off the bench two high-risers in Ari Stewart, a Metro Atlanta guy who transferred from Wake Forest, and Renaldo Woolridge, a UT transfer, Stewart and Woolridge have arguably regressed at USC.  Ari and Renaldo average 2 points between the two of them.

We can beat USC.  We'll have to play smart basketball, limit their second-chance shots, and get up and down the floor.  If Fox plays Charles Mann and Brandon Morris big minutes and Kenny Gaines provides a spark off the bench, then UGA should be at 4 and 7 by this time tomorrow. 

Beating a big-name team like USC might just be the catalyst for a UGA win streak.  Let's get it done.

Dawgs to Face Gamecocks, KCP to Return

South Carolina is weak where the Dawgs are weak. They don't have much scoring and from what I remember, don't have skilled post players. That gives the Dawgs a chance to pick up a road win.

UGA vs SC

Glad to see that KCP will be around for at least another year.

We ought to be able to beat the last place team in the SEC, so I'm picking Georgia on this one.

Dawgs Over USC (Prediction)

USC isn't very good, but that will be offset somewhat by the fact that the Dawgs are playing out west. Of course, Georgia hasn't played well either, but I think Fox and the hounds will benefit from the break they have had and finally play decently in the second half.

Think that Gerald Robinson will get going early again and Dustin Ware will hit free throws late.

Final score: 62 to 56.