to Arkansas. Final score: 85 to 67.
J.J. shot 5 of 15 from the floor. He was pretty gassed, and battled foul trouble.
No other back court player picked him up. Juwan Parker was 2 for 10. Tyree Crump was 2 for 10. Turtle Jackson was 2 of 7. Throw in Jordan Harris at 0 for 1, and Pape Diatta at 0 for 2, and Georgia's other guards were 6 for 30 (20 percent).
Derek Ogbeide played well, and Mike Edwards was effective off the bench, but when they shoot 55 percent as a team compared to our 31 percent, a twenty-point loss or thereabouts is what you expect.
Sure could have used Yante Maten.
Can't see Georgia getting to the NCAA's unless we win the SEC Tournament.
Showing posts with label Turtle Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turtle Jackson. Show all posts
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Dawgs Edge LSU
LSU is really, really struggling. Hard to even think of how they were set up for success last year with Ben Simmons running point guard. Antonio Blakeny was in that same recruiting class. He has been performing pretty well over the last few games, but I had no idea that the very next year LSU would beat Missouri in a race to last place in the SEC.
So glad the Dawgs pulled this one out. Wasn't able to watch the game, but from all I understand, J.J. was huge yet again. 29 points, 8 assists. Dude is incredible.
Well, I guess Mark Fox is your coach for next year. If we had lost to LSU, I'm not sure he would have survived.
However, after losing Yante Maten to injury, and has recently been revealed, Jordan Harris to a bone chip, Mark Fox has coached us to a win in the next two games. Sure, we lost to Kentucky in that game that Yante was hurt, but we were neck and neck to the end. Alabama and LSU aren't that great (Alabama will be a top three SEC team next year, though), but the point is that UGA finally was able to win close games.
I'm thinking Yante will be back next year, and you have to like a front court of a seasoned and healthy Maten with Derek Ogbeide in the middle, and a multi-skilled Hammonds at the three. You still have Mike Edwards and Nicolas Claxton off the bench. Our back court will be challenged after J.J. graduates, but a rotation of Crump, Harris, Jackson, Hightower, and Parker might be okay if any of those five can advance the ball against pressure and drive the ball to the rim.
Can we bring in Isaiah Miller or Isaiah Banks? I'd love Miller, since he could give us help at point guard. But if for any reason Miller isn't the guy, then Banks from the metro Atlanta area is a 6' 5" shooting guard/small forward who can defend multiple positions. Neither one of them are being heavily recruited, but both are super-athletic, and would be great additions.
As far as closing the 2017 season out, Georgia could indeed go on a run. Have to figure that Auburn, our opponent in the last home game, won't be able to exploit the lack of Yante in the middle. They mostly dribble-drive and shoot three pointers.
We wouldn't play Kentucky until the end, and though we have Florida in our side of the bracket, they're not the same team without Egbunu.
Felton did it. Perhaps Fox can harness the "Tornado Terriers" spirit and somehow win the SEC Tournament. Let's play hard to end the season and see what happens.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Georgia Beats Texas: Ten Good Signs
Georgia beat Texas by 2 yesterday evening. Boy, did we ever need that win. Fox needed that win. Not sure he would have survived a third consecutive loss. Since some UGA fans have wanted UT coach, Shaka Smart, to come to Athens, it was good to see Fox get the W.
There were numerous good signs in the game.
1. J.J. Frazier has good second half
Frazier didn't shoot the ball well. If memory serves me, he was 0 for 5 from the field in the first half.
His stats for the game weren't great. I think he ended up shooting 5 for 16. The key, however, is that he came back in the second half and hit some key buckets. Frazier also resisted the urge to do it all by himself, passing up at least one long-range jumper and getting the ball to Maten.
2. Maten had a good game
Yante seems to play well against big physical line-ups. Shaquille Cleare, the Texas center, is a huge man at 6' 8", 275. Jarrett Allen is 6' 11", 235, and they bring Georgia native, James Banks, off the bench at 6' 10", 240.
Yet with all of their physicality, Maten was able to post up and still not get knocked out of position by the Texas front line. Yante finished with 21 points and 7 boards, outscoring the combined total of their big guys.
3. Georgia won the turnover battle
Texas had 14 turnovers. UGA had just 12. That's huge.
4. We broke the press
Late in the game, when the Longhorns threw their press against us, Georgia maintained composure.
The way we played against A&M, you would think that we never practice against the press. Well, we did enough this game, using J.J. as a decoy, getting the ball in to Turtle and having him attack from one side, then J.J. from the other. We narrowly avoiding a J.J. Frazier turnover toward the end, but we didn't give the ball back to them, and they didn't have any fast-break opportunities off of our sloppiness. I don't think they got a single turnover off of their press. Good work, Dawgs.
5. Turtle Jackson played well
His stats won't overwhelm you, but he had 2 points, 2 steals, 2 assists and 0 turnovers. I like Jordan Harris and his athleticism, but late in the game when you need someone to bring the ball up court, Turtle Jackson is a better option.
6. Fox gave Tyree Crump some time
Crump has to get used to playing. We'll need him before the year is out, and he will absolutely have to play major minutes next year. No sense for Fox to keep sitting him at the end of the bench. Granted, Crump played only 4 minutes, but that's more than he's been getting, and the experience will help him later on.
7. Enough contributions from other guys
Jordan Harris hit two long-range shots. Juwan Parker scored 9, including two huge buckets late in the game. Derek Ogbeide and Mike Edwards were physical enough against their guys. Derek needs to learn to set screens, though.
8. Fans showed up
Well, the Steg didn't look full from what I could tell, but there was enough of a crowd. The commentators said that all the tickets were sold.
9. The clock issues continued, but...
When the officials went to the monitor to check on whether Derek Ogbeide got the ball up before the shot clock expired, I had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Derek's bucket was disallowed. Yet up two, Georgia tightened up on defense and found a way to win.
10. Georgia got lucky
Looked like the shot by their guy was going in. The refs could have called a foul on Yante. But neither happened. The shot went in, then twisted out. Lady Luck smiled on us instead of her usual scowl. Dawgs won by 2.
Georgia is now 13 and 8, heading into a tough stretch of opponents, including Kentucky, South Carolina, and Florida. Would be amazing if Fox can win two out of these next three. It can happen.
Go Dawgs!
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Apologies, Kudos, and Credit
My apologies to the timekeeper down at Texas A&M. From all I understand after reading the statement from the SEC, it was not the timekeeper's fault, but rather a malfunction of equipment.
Kudos to UF Basketball Coach Mike White
After Florida lost a close game to Vanderbilt, Coach White said that he "put (his player) in a difficult situation. It's my fault."
Has Coach Fox ever said anything similar? I could have missed it, of course, but humility stands out to me.
Fox has to shoulder some of the blame for UGA's late game collapse. How could you not put Turtle Jackson in? Jordan Harris is not a good ball-handler. If you have Wilridge in the game, then sub in Jackson for Geno.
Credit goes to Turtle Jackson for the good game. Instead of launching three-pointers, Jackson took the ball to the basket and shot a mid-range jumper, things I have wanted him to do. He went 2 for 2 from the floor in the contest.
Kudos to UF Basketball Coach Mike White
After Florida lost a close game to Vanderbilt, Coach White said that he "put (his player) in a difficult situation. It's my fault."
Has Coach Fox ever said anything similar? I could have missed it, of course, but humility stands out to me.
Fox has to shoulder some of the blame for UGA's late game collapse. How could you not put Turtle Jackson in? Jordan Harris is not a good ball-handler. If you have Wilridge in the game, then sub in Jackson for Geno.
Credit goes to Turtle Jackson for the good game. Instead of launching three-pointers, Jackson took the ball to the basket and shot a mid-range jumper, things I have wanted him to do. He went 2 for 2 from the floor in the contest.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Texas A&M Game Shows we need to Recruit another Guard
It was so obvious watching the Texas A&M game today that Jordan Harris is a small small forward, and Tyree Crump is a small shooting guard. Maybe we can help both freshmen with their ball-handling skills over the summer, but for the present, at least, these guys aren't able to advance the ball against SEC-level defenses.
As it stands, we will have Turtle Jackson as our point guard next year. I'm not convinced that Teshaun Hightower has point guard skills.
So, to keep UGA from losing every game next year to teams which press, we have to recruit someone like Isaiah Miller. Better yet, find a way to bring in Avery Wilson as well. He can probably get in to UGA as a student, so maybe we can ask him to come in as a preferred walk-on.
I like Derrick Walker, and would welcome him, especially if Yante Maten goes to the NBA, but since we only have so many scholarship spots, we just have to get a couple of unsigned guys who can handle the ball.
As it stands, we will have Turtle Jackson as our point guard next year. I'm not convinced that Teshaun Hightower has point guard skills.
So, to keep UGA from losing every game next year to teams which press, we have to recruit someone like Isaiah Miller. Better yet, find a way to bring in Avery Wilson as well. He can probably get in to UGA as a student, so maybe we can ask him to come in as a preferred walk-on.
I like Derrick Walker, and would welcome him, especially if Yante Maten goes to the NBA, but since we only have so many scholarship spots, we just have to get a couple of unsigned guys who can handle the ball.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Painful to Watch
Yeah, I did it. Watched a bit of the replay of the Georgia-South Carolina game.
Feel like someone hit me with a body blow. Hurts and takes my wind away.
Offense
I guess we're committed to the 1-4 look, with J.J. at the point and four guys along the baseline. The problem is that it's too predictable. J.J. will always have the ball coming up the floor. All South Carolina needed to do was to wait on J.J., and pick him up high, and funnel him along the sidelines.
Contrast that with Kentucky's dribble drive offense. Three guys touch the ball. Any of them can drive the ball to the basket. Makes the defense react. The guards are allowed to play instinctively within the set offense. The weave action stretches the court horizontally (from side to side) and vertically (toward the basket). The defense cannot favor one side of the court, because the offense can come at them from any direction.
Okay, I know Kentucky has the athletes to make their system work. But Georgia's system would work better, too, if Fox allowed other guys to touch the ball early in the possession.
Meanwhile, the first option on UGA's offense is apparently a Yante Maten screen 25 feet from the basket. Leads to needless offensive foul calls against our best player. Sure enough, Maten was whistled for an offensive foul on our third possession.
Substitution Patterns
I knew Fox would take Ogbeide out of the game after Derek had only had two minutes on the floor. I would scream at the screen if I weren't numbed by the fact that Fox does it every game.
Not to pick on Houston, but I think it's important to state the case objectively because of what it tells us about Coach Fox.
Kessler shoots 22 percent from the field (lowest on the team), 50 percent from the free throw line (second lowest on the team), and 0 percent from behind the arc (lowest on the team). To make that 0 percent worse, half of his shots are three-pointers.
Houston averages 0.4 points per game, with just 1 rebound per contest. Though he has played in all 14 games, he has only 1 steal, 0 assists, and 0 blocked shots on the year. He has attempted just 4 free throws.
Bottom line is that Kessler isn't an offensive threat. He won't help us get bigs like Silva in foul trouble. He's not an effective distributor, nor is he a defensive stopper.
People aren't going to guard him. They'll just double up on Yante like South Carolina did.
Meanwhile, the person that Kessler replaces, Derek Ogbeide, shoots 62 percent from the field (highest on the team), has 23 blocked shots on the year (highest on the team), gets 6.4 rebounds a game (highest rebound per minute played on the team), even averages an assist per game, and finishes with authority if Yante is doubled.
Why replace one of our best players with one of our worst? Why do it game after game, early in the first half? When Derek Ogbeide does not have any fouls?
I guess every "gym is hot" (Fox's excuse for abruptly yanking Ogbeide out of the Vanderbilt game last year).
While I'm at it, bringing Kenny Paul Geno in early doesn't help. I suppose that being generous, one can say that Kenny defends well enough. He is in fact a scrappy rebounder (2 per game).
Unfortunately, Geno is also a "tweener." Not a good enough dribbler to be effective at driving the ball, and not big enough to have a legitimate post-up game. More than half of his shots are three-pointers. That propensity to loft up outside shots would be okay if Geno were a dead-eye shooter, but if you take away his performance against Division II Morehouse, Geno shoots right at 19 percent from behind the arc.
And if you do choose to play Geno, set him up for success. Please do not put him in at the 2-guard position.
It's not just Kessler and Geno. Turtle Jackson is struggling. He has just as many turnovers (13) as assists (13). He has made only 5 two-point baskets all year, and has attempted just 10 free throws. He went 0 for 3 from the field in the South Carolina game, with 0 assists.
At some point in time, Jackson needs to drive the ball to the basket and convert. Show fans and opponents alike that he has a floater or some semblance of a mid-range game.
Meanwhile, Tyree Crump, a former top 100 recruit combo guard, languishes on the bench. He's played just 63 minutes all year, which is with the exceptions of the two walk-on's, by far the fewest minutes played on the team.
Compared to Jackson, however, Crump has just as many two-point field goals made, and more free throws made, in 1/4th the minutes played. Again, if Jackson were tearing the place up, Crump's lack of playing time might make sense. But since Turtle and J.J. need breaks, and Crump is a player known for his shooting ability, why not give Tyree a chance to show what he can do? Fox plays just about everybody else.
I suppose that by leaving Crump on the bench, if Crump plays well next year, Fox can claim credit for developing him.
So there you have it. You don't have to be into fancy analytics. Objectively, measuring shooting, rebounding, blocked shots, assists, free throws, etc., the Fox substitution patterns make no sense.
Fox either doesn't know the simple metrics above, or he doesn't care. Making bad substitutions early in the first half takes our momentum away, and we end up losing games that we should win-- close contests, in which a possession or two makes all the difference.
If Fox actually believes that he is helping the team to win, then he sees something that no one else does. He may be smarter than the rest of us, but I doubt it. At some point, Georgia's Athletic Director needs to realize that the results (0 games won in the NCAA Tournament over 8 seasons) speak for themselves.
We really want UGA basketball, and even Coach Fox himself, to succeed. Right now, however, the best I can say is that the offensive structure and use of personnel make watching Georgia basketball painful. Even with decent talent on the roster, looks like our Coach is driving us toward another disappointing season.
Ugghh.
Feel like someone hit me with a body blow. Hurts and takes my wind away.
Offense
I guess we're committed to the 1-4 look, with J.J. at the point and four guys along the baseline. The problem is that it's too predictable. J.J. will always have the ball coming up the floor. All South Carolina needed to do was to wait on J.J., and pick him up high, and funnel him along the sidelines.
Contrast that with Kentucky's dribble drive offense. Three guys touch the ball. Any of them can drive the ball to the basket. Makes the defense react. The guards are allowed to play instinctively within the set offense. The weave action stretches the court horizontally (from side to side) and vertically (toward the basket). The defense cannot favor one side of the court, because the offense can come at them from any direction.
Okay, I know Kentucky has the athletes to make their system work. But Georgia's system would work better, too, if Fox allowed other guys to touch the ball early in the possession.
Meanwhile, the first option on UGA's offense is apparently a Yante Maten screen 25 feet from the basket. Leads to needless offensive foul calls against our best player. Sure enough, Maten was whistled for an offensive foul on our third possession.
Substitution Patterns
I knew Fox would take Ogbeide out of the game after Derek had only had two minutes on the floor. I would scream at the screen if I weren't numbed by the fact that Fox does it every game.
Not to pick on Houston, but I think it's important to state the case objectively because of what it tells us about Coach Fox.
Kessler shoots 22 percent from the field (lowest on the team), 50 percent from the free throw line (second lowest on the team), and 0 percent from behind the arc (lowest on the team). To make that 0 percent worse, half of his shots are three-pointers.
Houston averages 0.4 points per game, with just 1 rebound per contest. Though he has played in all 14 games, he has only 1 steal, 0 assists, and 0 blocked shots on the year. He has attempted just 4 free throws.
Bottom line is that Kessler isn't an offensive threat. He won't help us get bigs like Silva in foul trouble. He's not an effective distributor, nor is he a defensive stopper.
People aren't going to guard him. They'll just double up on Yante like South Carolina did.
Meanwhile, the person that Kessler replaces, Derek Ogbeide, shoots 62 percent from the field (highest on the team), has 23 blocked shots on the year (highest on the team), gets 6.4 rebounds a game (highest rebound per minute played on the team), even averages an assist per game, and finishes with authority if Yante is doubled.
Why replace one of our best players with one of our worst? Why do it game after game, early in the first half? When Derek Ogbeide does not have any fouls?
I guess every "gym is hot" (Fox's excuse for abruptly yanking Ogbeide out of the Vanderbilt game last year).
While I'm at it, bringing Kenny Paul Geno in early doesn't help. I suppose that being generous, one can say that Kenny defends well enough. He is in fact a scrappy rebounder (2 per game).
Unfortunately, Geno is also a "tweener." Not a good enough dribbler to be effective at driving the ball, and not big enough to have a legitimate post-up game. More than half of his shots are three-pointers. That propensity to loft up outside shots would be okay if Geno were a dead-eye shooter, but if you take away his performance against Division II Morehouse, Geno shoots right at 19 percent from behind the arc.
And if you do choose to play Geno, set him up for success. Please do not put him in at the 2-guard position.
It's not just Kessler and Geno. Turtle Jackson is struggling. He has just as many turnovers (13) as assists (13). He has made only 5 two-point baskets all year, and has attempted just 10 free throws. He went 0 for 3 from the field in the South Carolina game, with 0 assists.
At some point in time, Jackson needs to drive the ball to the basket and convert. Show fans and opponents alike that he has a floater or some semblance of a mid-range game.
Meanwhile, Tyree Crump, a former top 100 recruit combo guard, languishes on the bench. He's played just 63 minutes all year, which is with the exceptions of the two walk-on's, by far the fewest minutes played on the team.
Compared to Jackson, however, Crump has just as many two-point field goals made, and more free throws made, in 1/4th the minutes played. Again, if Jackson were tearing the place up, Crump's lack of playing time might make sense. But since Turtle and J.J. need breaks, and Crump is a player known for his shooting ability, why not give Tyree a chance to show what he can do? Fox plays just about everybody else.
I suppose that by leaving Crump on the bench, if Crump plays well next year, Fox can claim credit for developing him.
So there you have it. You don't have to be into fancy analytics. Objectively, measuring shooting, rebounding, blocked shots, assists, free throws, etc., the Fox substitution patterns make no sense.
Fox either doesn't know the simple metrics above, or he doesn't care. Making bad substitutions early in the first half takes our momentum away, and we end up losing games that we should win-- close contests, in which a possession or two makes all the difference.
If Fox actually believes that he is helping the team to win, then he sees something that no one else does. He may be smarter than the rest of us, but I doubt it. At some point, Georgia's Athletic Director needs to realize that the results (0 games won in the NCAA Tournament over 8 seasons) speak for themselves.
We really want UGA basketball, and even Coach Fox himself, to succeed. Right now, however, the best I can say is that the offensive structure and use of personnel make watching Georgia basketball painful. Even with decent talent on the roster, looks like our Coach is driving us toward another disappointing season.
Ugghh.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Recruiting (Derrick Walker and Teshaun Hightower)
Teshaun Hightower and Derrick Walker are visiting Athens in January.
Hightower will come to Athens next week. Georgia should have a good shot at securing Teshaun's commitment, since Hightower is from the Atlanta area and prior to his prep year at Mt. Zion, played high school ball at Collins Hill. Our competition at this point is Middle Tennessee, La Salle, and Western Kentucky.
Walker will be on an unofficial on January 28th. He was reported as having a final three of Tennessee, St. John's, and UGA. Maybe Jonas and crew can get him committed. Of the three finalists, Georgia may be the only school with definite scholarship room. Besides, UGA is scheduled for his last visit, and Walker will have Yante Maten's big scoring outputs as examples.
Walker is a guy that could be a cross between Jeremy Price and Chris Barnes, power forwards recruited back in the Dennis Felton era. Derrick impresses me as someone who is not super-athletic, but has good hands, is a willing rebounder, and has developing post moves. There's a lot to work with, and he could end up as being a skilled big like Yante Maten.
If Yante stays for his senior year, we could have a starting front court of Maten, Derek Ogbeide, and Rayshaun Hammonds. The second unit front court would be Nicolas Claxton, Mike Edwards, and Derrick Walker. That rotation would be fun to watch, and Coach Fox would be able to substitute to his heart's content without huge drop-offs in talent.
As for the back-court, Georgia is not in as good shape. We will lose J.J. Frazier to graduation this year. That's huge. Frazier is our primary ball-handler and scoring guard.
So, we'd have Turtle Jackson and Jordan Harris as the likely starters at the point guard and shooting guard positions. Fox won't be able to keep Tyree Crump on the bench next year. Unless Turtle improves his shooting, we probably need Crump to improve his point guard skills so that Turtle can continue to come in as a back-up point guard.
I suppose Juwan Parker will stay for his second medical red-shirt year. That makes four guards who can be counted on as a reasonable rotation. Pape Diatta is more of a small forward, in my mind. I am focused on guys who can be counted on to bring the ball up the floor.
Per the Prep Showcase article above, Teshaun Hightower sees himself as a big point guard. One site has Hightower at 6' 4". Although Prep Showcase says he's 6' 6", I think the shorter of the two measurements is closer to reality. Either way, Georgia has recent history with a big point guard, Charles Mann, and that experience should be a selling point to Hightower.
Teshaun looks to have a pretty good handle and shoots the ball with confidence and arc. Don't know if he could run the point guard at the college level, but I'm satisfied enough that he can contribute and a give us a fifth quality guard. Hightower scored 31 against a pretty talented Norcross High team last year.
The good news is that Walker and Hightower are enough under the radar that Georgia can potentially sign them. They would likely stay all four years, too. Kind of guys we need.
Recruiting seems to be on an upswing. Jordan Harris, Tyree Crump and Pape Diatta were good additions for 2016, and I like the addition of Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton, the two signees for next year. Although Hammonds would be the only highly ranked guy, if we add Hightower and Walker, to Hammonds and Claxton, the 2017 class would arguably be the best ever for Coach Fox.
Let's get it done.
Hightower will come to Athens next week. Georgia should have a good shot at securing Teshaun's commitment, since Hightower is from the Atlanta area and prior to his prep year at Mt. Zion, played high school ball at Collins Hill. Our competition at this point is Middle Tennessee, La Salle, and Western Kentucky.
Walker will be on an unofficial on January 28th. He was reported as having a final three of Tennessee, St. John's, and UGA. Maybe Jonas and crew can get him committed. Of the three finalists, Georgia may be the only school with definite scholarship room. Besides, UGA is scheduled for his last visit, and Walker will have Yante Maten's big scoring outputs as examples.
Walker is a guy that could be a cross between Jeremy Price and Chris Barnes, power forwards recruited back in the Dennis Felton era. Derrick impresses me as someone who is not super-athletic, but has good hands, is a willing rebounder, and has developing post moves. There's a lot to work with, and he could end up as being a skilled big like Yante Maten.
If Yante stays for his senior year, we could have a starting front court of Maten, Derek Ogbeide, and Rayshaun Hammonds. The second unit front court would be Nicolas Claxton, Mike Edwards, and Derrick Walker. That rotation would be fun to watch, and Coach Fox would be able to substitute to his heart's content without huge drop-offs in talent.
As for the back-court, Georgia is not in as good shape. We will lose J.J. Frazier to graduation this year. That's huge. Frazier is our primary ball-handler and scoring guard.
So, we'd have Turtle Jackson and Jordan Harris as the likely starters at the point guard and shooting guard positions. Fox won't be able to keep Tyree Crump on the bench next year. Unless Turtle improves his shooting, we probably need Crump to improve his point guard skills so that Turtle can continue to come in as a back-up point guard.
I suppose Juwan Parker will stay for his second medical red-shirt year. That makes four guards who can be counted on as a reasonable rotation. Pape Diatta is more of a small forward, in my mind. I am focused on guys who can be counted on to bring the ball up the floor.
Per the Prep Showcase article above, Teshaun Hightower sees himself as a big point guard. One site has Hightower at 6' 4". Although Prep Showcase says he's 6' 6", I think the shorter of the two measurements is closer to reality. Either way, Georgia has recent history with a big point guard, Charles Mann, and that experience should be a selling point to Hightower.
Teshaun looks to have a pretty good handle and shoots the ball with confidence and arc. Don't know if he could run the point guard at the college level, but I'm satisfied enough that he can contribute and a give us a fifth quality guard. Hightower scored 31 against a pretty talented Norcross High team last year.
The good news is that Walker and Hightower are enough under the radar that Georgia can potentially sign them. They would likely stay all four years, too. Kind of guys we need.
Recruiting seems to be on an upswing. Jordan Harris, Tyree Crump and Pape Diatta were good additions for 2016, and I like the addition of Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton, the two signees for next year. Although Hammonds would be the only highly ranked guy, if we add Hightower and Walker, to Hammonds and Claxton, the 2017 class would arguably be the best ever for Coach Fox.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Lost in all the Commotion
over the poor substitution patterns was this fact:
The Dawgs starters and key reserves had a pretty good outing against Oakland. I was particularly pleased that Juwan Parker seems to have his springs back. He shot 5 for 11 from the field, and 5 of 5 from the line, for 15 points, which was by far his best performance of the year.
J.J. had 18 points in the first half, if memory serves me. He was on target until Fox pulled him. When Oakland took the lead in the second half, he went iso-J.J., and started missing from long distance. The point is that J.J. found his touch, at least for a half.
Yante Maten didn't score much, and fouled out without hitting double figures, but Dawgs fans already know what he can do.
Derek Ogbeide is on a bit of a roll. Had a double-double for the game, 13 points on 6 of 8 shooting, and 12 rebounds. Will be a bit harder as he is matched with bigger players during the conference portion of the season, but Ogbeide is a force in the paint.
Turtle Jackson did a good job at the point. He looked fantastic, in fact, except for that air-ball three-pointer he shot when the Dawgs were trying to catch up late in the game. Still think he needs to work on his mechanics and focus on locking his elbow in tight and going straight up with his shot. Firing across his body will lead to bad misses to the left or the right.
In any case, Jackson had 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting. He was 2 of 4 from behind the arc, and had zero turnovers. That's great work for a back-up point guard.
Jordan Harris scored 9 points. Still turns the ball over too much. He needs to focus on scoring when he drives the ball. He is still getting used to added muscle, so as the season goes on, he will get better and better.
Mike Edwards had 4 points and 6 boards. Tyree Crump was only given one minute of PT.
Diatta, KPG, Kessler, and Wilridge did not play well. Thirty minutes between them, and zero points.
Bottom line: If J.J. follows the Oakland game with regained scoring ability, Yante has his normal outing, and Jordan, Derek, Juwan, Mike and Turtle keep giving solid contributions, Georgia may overcome the Fox crazy substitutions and still win its share of SEC games.
The Dawgs starters and key reserves had a pretty good outing against Oakland. I was particularly pleased that Juwan Parker seems to have his springs back. He shot 5 for 11 from the field, and 5 of 5 from the line, for 15 points, which was by far his best performance of the year.
J.J. had 18 points in the first half, if memory serves me. He was on target until Fox pulled him. When Oakland took the lead in the second half, he went iso-J.J., and started missing from long distance. The point is that J.J. found his touch, at least for a half.
Yante Maten didn't score much, and fouled out without hitting double figures, but Dawgs fans already know what he can do.
Derek Ogbeide is on a bit of a roll. Had a double-double for the game, 13 points on 6 of 8 shooting, and 12 rebounds. Will be a bit harder as he is matched with bigger players during the conference portion of the season, but Ogbeide is a force in the paint.
Turtle Jackson did a good job at the point. He looked fantastic, in fact, except for that air-ball three-pointer he shot when the Dawgs were trying to catch up late in the game. Still think he needs to work on his mechanics and focus on locking his elbow in tight and going straight up with his shot. Firing across his body will lead to bad misses to the left or the right.
In any case, Jackson had 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting. He was 2 of 4 from behind the arc, and had zero turnovers. That's great work for a back-up point guard.
Jordan Harris scored 9 points. Still turns the ball over too much. He needs to focus on scoring when he drives the ball. He is still getting used to added muscle, so as the season goes on, he will get better and better.
Mike Edwards had 4 points and 6 boards. Tyree Crump was only given one minute of PT.
Diatta, KPG, Kessler, and Wilridge did not play well. Thirty minutes between them, and zero points.
Bottom line: If J.J. follows the Oakland game with regained scoring ability, Yante has his normal outing, and Jordan, Derek, Juwan, Mike and Turtle keep giving solid contributions, Georgia may overcome the Fox crazy substitutions and still win its share of SEC games.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Kobi Simmons to Arizona
He could have helped at UGA. I wouldn't trade Jordan Harris for him, but a big point guard would have been a nice addition to the 2016 class.
Next year UGA will have four quality guards on the roster in J.J. Frazier, Turtle Jackson, Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris. That's good, but since J.J. Frazier is more like a short two-guard, and we have been going with a three-guard line-up, Kobi Simmons would have plugged right in and competed for a starting position.
We'll see if Simmons can develop his potential. Not an elite shooter at this point, but he has all the physical tools to contribute at a high level.
Can Georgia bring in a talented spring signee or two?
Next year UGA will have four quality guards on the roster in J.J. Frazier, Turtle Jackson, Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris. That's good, but since J.J. Frazier is more like a short two-guard, and we have been going with a three-guard line-up, Kobi Simmons would have plugged right in and competed for a starting position.
We'll see if Simmons can develop his potential. Not an elite shooter at this point, but he has all the physical tools to contribute at a high level.
Can Georgia bring in a talented spring signee or two?
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Why? Ten Things I Don't Understand
Got lots of questions. Maybe some of the readers can help me, 'cause I don't get Coach Mark Fox's strategy.
1) Why is Kessler still starting?
Nothing against him, but the centers in the SEC are bigger and stronger. I suppose that Kessler knows the offense better than Ogbeide or Edwards, but by the time of SEC competition, the freshmen should know the plays. I think Egbunu had 2 or 3 dunks on Kessler within the first two or three minutes in the game. That allowed Florida to play from ahead, and we were playing catch-up from there.
Besides that, when Kessler screened a defender, Florida would double-team the ball and just let Kessler run loose, knowing that he isn't an offensive threat. Kessler was 0 for 2 from the floor, with 0 rebounds, 0 assists and a turnover. We have to get some production from that position, or it's going to be a long year.
2) Why do we allow teams to walk the ball up the floor uncontested?
UF uses the 2-2-1 press as a staple to slow teams down. By the time we get into our offense, the 30 second clock is working against us. We have a press. Mike Edwards played for a high school team on which the full court press was used every game with Edwards on the ball. Why not press at least some?
3) Why don't we put at least two guys along the lane to rebound missed foul shots?
If Ogbeide is shooting a one and one, then put somebody along the lane to catch the long rebound. We generally don't have rebounders line up when we shoot free throws. If we were shooting 80 percent or above as a team, I guess it would make more sense to me. Predictably, Ogbeide missed the one and one, the ball caromed off the rim, but we didn't have anyone on that side of the line to rebound it.
4) Why run the zone when we need to speed up their offense?
We sat back and let them run clock. Made no sense to me.
5) Why not foul when we need to get more possessions?
They shot 57 percent from the line. Florida was already in the double bonus. Might as well use the hack-a-Gator strategy so we can get the ball back.
6) If Chuck is struggling, why not give Jackson more minutes?
Charles was 1 for 7 from the field with 3 turnovers and 0 assists. Jackson did not score, but he needs to get minutes if Charles is off. Most of Jackson's shot attempts were long ones at the end of the game when the clock was running out.
Chuck's free throws are better this year, but everything else seems off.
7) Why not try some 1-3-1?
Seems like Fox goes with the zone when I would play man, and he plays man when I would play zone. You can get some turnovers when you spring the 1-3-1 on opposing teams. I don't think I've ever seen us use the 1-3-1.
8) Why can't we get some rebounds?
I suppose this goes back to giving Ogbeide and Edwards more time. Do we need to start Wilridge and bring Chuck off the bench?
9) Why didn't we recruit Egbunu?
Egbunu went to school in the Atlanta area. I pushed for us to give him a look. Hard for me to believe that we couldn't have fought off USF for his recruitment.
10) Are we really bad, or did we just have a bad night?
Hate to lose to a first-year coach when Fox has been here seven years. I know you can lose a game down in Gainesville when they are shooting the ball well, but it just looked like they out-coached us.
Uggghh. We'll play better, but the SEC is tougher this year. Hope we can get things turned around. As for now, I just have a lot of questions.
1) Why is Kessler still starting?
Nothing against him, but the centers in the SEC are bigger and stronger. I suppose that Kessler knows the offense better than Ogbeide or Edwards, but by the time of SEC competition, the freshmen should know the plays. I think Egbunu had 2 or 3 dunks on Kessler within the first two or three minutes in the game. That allowed Florida to play from ahead, and we were playing catch-up from there.
Besides that, when Kessler screened a defender, Florida would double-team the ball and just let Kessler run loose, knowing that he isn't an offensive threat. Kessler was 0 for 2 from the floor, with 0 rebounds, 0 assists and a turnover. We have to get some production from that position, or it's going to be a long year.
2) Why do we allow teams to walk the ball up the floor uncontested?
UF uses the 2-2-1 press as a staple to slow teams down. By the time we get into our offense, the 30 second clock is working against us. We have a press. Mike Edwards played for a high school team on which the full court press was used every game with Edwards on the ball. Why not press at least some?
3) Why don't we put at least two guys along the lane to rebound missed foul shots?
If Ogbeide is shooting a one and one, then put somebody along the lane to catch the long rebound. We generally don't have rebounders line up when we shoot free throws. If we were shooting 80 percent or above as a team, I guess it would make more sense to me. Predictably, Ogbeide missed the one and one, the ball caromed off the rim, but we didn't have anyone on that side of the line to rebound it.
4) Why run the zone when we need to speed up their offense?
We sat back and let them run clock. Made no sense to me.
5) Why not foul when we need to get more possessions?
They shot 57 percent from the line. Florida was already in the double bonus. Might as well use the hack-a-Gator strategy so we can get the ball back.
6) If Chuck is struggling, why not give Jackson more minutes?
Charles was 1 for 7 from the field with 3 turnovers and 0 assists. Jackson did not score, but he needs to get minutes if Charles is off. Most of Jackson's shot attempts were long ones at the end of the game when the clock was running out.
Chuck's free throws are better this year, but everything else seems off.
7) Why not try some 1-3-1?
Seems like Fox goes with the zone when I would play man, and he plays man when I would play zone. You can get some turnovers when you spring the 1-3-1 on opposing teams. I don't think I've ever seen us use the 1-3-1.
8) Why can't we get some rebounds?
I suppose this goes back to giving Ogbeide and Edwards more time. Do we need to start Wilridge and bring Chuck off the bench?
9) Why didn't we recruit Egbunu?
Egbunu went to school in the Atlanta area. I pushed for us to give him a look. Hard for me to believe that we couldn't have fought off USF for his recruitment.
10) Are we really bad, or did we just have a bad night?
Hate to lose to a first-year coach when Fox has been here seven years. I know you can lose a game down in Gainesville when they are shooting the ball well, but it just looked like they out-coached us.
Uggghh. We'll play better, but the SEC is tougher this year. Hope we can get things turned around. As for now, I just have a lot of questions.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
What About This Guy?
Darius Hicks looks like a Yante Maten clone. Elite mid-range game, good hands, nice body control. Looks to be an inch or so shorter than Maten, but definitely more chiseled and explosive around the bucket.
Hicks was committed to Mississippi State, but has since re-opened his recruitment. Can Coach Jonas Hayes get geared up and bring Hicks in? Providence appears to lead, but if we show Hicks some film of how we use Maten, he might see himself fitting into what Georgia is building.
Best I can tell, UGA has four good options for its last remaining scholarship for 2016.
Deshaun Corprew. I like Corprew and he would be a great addition, skill-wise. 6'5" wing who can drive the ball and shoot from the outside. I saw it reported on Scout.com, however, that Corprew has narrowed his list to three or four schools. Georgia was not one of them.
Kobi Simmons. Simmons is a 5-star point guard. Not an elite shooter, but at 6' 5", he is a big point guard. Simmons might be a great fit, since Charles Mann will graduate this year, and UGA signees Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris are more in the shooting guard mode. Simmons is from Alpharetta, and might be willing to stay in-state. The problem is that he has already eliminated Georgia from consideration once. Seemed like he really wanted to go to Kentucky, but Kentucky accepted commitments from other guards. Could Simmons fall back to Georgia like Turtle Jackson?
Harold Baruti. Baruti is a good shooter and a willing defender. He would give Georgia depth on the wing. Baruti is another recruit at that 6' 5" height. Not as physically ready as Corprew, but might be a better fit for other reasons.
Hicks. Hicks is the lone big guy that I would see playing well at Georgia. I wanted Udoka Azubuike, the Shaq-like center from the Georgia Stars AAU team, but for some reason we never offered him. Looks like Azubuike will end up at Florida State.
So, do we need a point guard, a wing, or a big? Since we were apparently prepared to accept a commitment from John Fulkerson, the combo forward who committed to UT, it looks like Fox wants to balance the roster some with a recruit who can play the 3 or the 4 position. Hicks might just be the guy if we can make up some ground.
Hicks was committed to Mississippi State, but has since re-opened his recruitment. Can Coach Jonas Hayes get geared up and bring Hicks in? Providence appears to lead, but if we show Hicks some film of how we use Maten, he might see himself fitting into what Georgia is building.
Best I can tell, UGA has four good options for its last remaining scholarship for 2016.
Deshaun Corprew. I like Corprew and he would be a great addition, skill-wise. 6'5" wing who can drive the ball and shoot from the outside. I saw it reported on Scout.com, however, that Corprew has narrowed his list to three or four schools. Georgia was not one of them.
Kobi Simmons. Simmons is a 5-star point guard. Not an elite shooter, but at 6' 5", he is a big point guard. Simmons might be a great fit, since Charles Mann will graduate this year, and UGA signees Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris are more in the shooting guard mode. Simmons is from Alpharetta, and might be willing to stay in-state. The problem is that he has already eliminated Georgia from consideration once. Seemed like he really wanted to go to Kentucky, but Kentucky accepted commitments from other guards. Could Simmons fall back to Georgia like Turtle Jackson?
Harold Baruti. Baruti is a good shooter and a willing defender. He would give Georgia depth on the wing. Baruti is another recruit at that 6' 5" height. Not as physically ready as Corprew, but might be a better fit for other reasons.
Hicks. Hicks is the lone big guy that I would see playing well at Georgia. I wanted Udoka Azubuike, the Shaq-like center from the Georgia Stars AAU team, but for some reason we never offered him. Looks like Azubuike will end up at Florida State.
So, do we need a point guard, a wing, or a big? Since we were apparently prepared to accept a commitment from John Fulkerson, the combo forward who committed to UT, it looks like Fox wants to balance the roster some with a recruit who can play the 3 or the 4 position. Hicks might just be the guy if we can make up some ground.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Watched what I could of the live practice
Enjoyed seeing Jarvis Hayes again. Good to have the interviews, but I would have preferred to see the team do more drills. It was much more "Media Day" than "Live Stream of Practice." Guess we won't know about much about how the guys look until the exhibition game.
With that said, here are a few observations:
Kenny Gaines looks thicker. Without seeing him move around, it's hard to tell if he's put on good weight, or whether he has gained weight because he hasn't been able to participate fully in conditioning drills.
Juwan Parker has a brace on his leg. Likely means he won't play much at the beginning of the year.
Fox has Turtle Jackson learning the point. Great to be three-deep at the point guard position, especially in light of the two recruits scheduled to come in next year, but it makes me wonder what we will do this year if Kenny and Juwan don't heal completely. I guess that by learning the point, Jackson should be able to know where the two-guard is supposed to go, so it stands to reason that he could play the shooting guard position if needed.
E'Torrion Wilridge does indeed have a nice stroke. Elbow is locked in tight and good follow-through.
Derek Ogbeide is a man in the post. Once again, I am reminded of Cordy Glenn, a guy who got better and better every year on the O-line for the football Dawgs. It's rare to get a stocky guy who also plays above the rim. Jeremy Price and Takais Brown were two former Dawgs hoops players who had the beef, but lacked the explosiveness. Chris Barnes of a few years ago is probably the best comparison.
Fox seems to think that Kenny Paul Geno took a significant step forward in the off-season. KPG is such a "tweener" that I really don't expect him to get a lot of minutes. He can jump and has a fairly reasonable shooting motion if he gets his feet set. However, he doesn't seem big enough for the power forward position, nor quick enough for the wing. If he scores 5 points a night, I would be surprised. I would love to be wrong.
They are referring to Mike Edwards as being 6' 10". Is that right? Whether he's 6' 9" or 10", if he runs the floor like they say he can, he will be a load for other teams to handle this year.
Looking forward to the season.
With that said, here are a few observations:
Kenny Gaines looks thicker. Without seeing him move around, it's hard to tell if he's put on good weight, or whether he has gained weight because he hasn't been able to participate fully in conditioning drills.
Juwan Parker has a brace on his leg. Likely means he won't play much at the beginning of the year.
Fox has Turtle Jackson learning the point. Great to be three-deep at the point guard position, especially in light of the two recruits scheduled to come in next year, but it makes me wonder what we will do this year if Kenny and Juwan don't heal completely. I guess that by learning the point, Jackson should be able to know where the two-guard is supposed to go, so it stands to reason that he could play the shooting guard position if needed.
E'Torrion Wilridge does indeed have a nice stroke. Elbow is locked in tight and good follow-through.
Derek Ogbeide is a man in the post. Once again, I am reminded of Cordy Glenn, a guy who got better and better every year on the O-line for the football Dawgs. It's rare to get a stocky guy who also plays above the rim. Jeremy Price and Takais Brown were two former Dawgs hoops players who had the beef, but lacked the explosiveness. Chris Barnes of a few years ago is probably the best comparison.
Fox seems to think that Kenny Paul Geno took a significant step forward in the off-season. KPG is such a "tweener" that I really don't expect him to get a lot of minutes. He can jump and has a fairly reasonable shooting motion if he gets his feet set. However, he doesn't seem big enough for the power forward position, nor quick enough for the wing. If he scores 5 points a night, I would be surprised. I would love to be wrong.
They are referring to Mike Edwards as being 6' 10". Is that right? Whether he's 6' 9" or 10", if he runs the floor like they say he can, he will be a load for other teams to handle this year.
Looking forward to the season.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Interesting Pieces
1, News Articles
Good to see some news about the basketball Dawgs. GeorgiaDogs.com has a video featuring Houston Kessler. Here's the one on Kenny Gaines.
There's more out on the Web. If you haven't checked it out already, you should visit the Dawgs' Twitter page.
2. Roster
I'm about as curious as anyone on how Fox will develop and use his players. Sure, Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines (if healthy) will lead the charge this season. Yante Maten, as the only post with significant experience, will start.
But will we get anything from Osahen Iduwe this year? How about Mike Edwards? Derek Ogbeide? How much will Turtle Jackson play? Where will J.J. Frazier get his playing time?
The 3-position has been a mystery for Georgia since Brandon Morris left. Does Wilridge have the talent to lock it down? Will Fox go big with Edwards? Is Juwan Parker recovered from surgery enough to give us minutes? How about KPG? Did he work hard enough during the off-season to contribute on the wing?
3. Recruiting
UGA commits Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris can play. Who else will we bring in? I figure we need at least one big, but Fox may have different ideas. How many spots will we have, anyway?
As I said, lots of interesting pieces.
Getting excited about basketball.
Good to see some news about the basketball Dawgs. GeorgiaDogs.com has a video featuring Houston Kessler. Here's the one on Kenny Gaines.
There's more out on the Web. If you haven't checked it out already, you should visit the Dawgs' Twitter page.
2. Roster
I'm about as curious as anyone on how Fox will develop and use his players. Sure, Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines (if healthy) will lead the charge this season. Yante Maten, as the only post with significant experience, will start.
But will we get anything from Osahen Iduwe this year? How about Mike Edwards? Derek Ogbeide? How much will Turtle Jackson play? Where will J.J. Frazier get his playing time?
The 3-position has been a mystery for Georgia since Brandon Morris left. Does Wilridge have the talent to lock it down? Will Fox go big with Edwards? Is Juwan Parker recovered from surgery enough to give us minutes? How about KPG? Did he work hard enough during the off-season to contribute on the wing?
3. Recruiting
UGA commits Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris can play. Who else will we bring in? I figure we need at least one big, but Fox may have different ideas. How many spots will we have, anyway?
As I said, lots of interesting pieces.
Getting excited about basketball.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Georgia Ranked 10th out of 14 in SEC Basketball Recruiting
The author ranks Kentucky as number 1 and LSU number 2. I'd probably agree with him that they have the top two classes, though I might reverse the order.
For numbers 3 through 6, he has Texas A&M, Florida, Mississippi State and Auburn. Then he ranks South Carolina, Arkansas, and Vandy ahead of Georgia. Maybe. Maybe not.
Article
Of course the author is biased, and Georgia's class might be overlooked because Turtle Jackson and E'Torrion Wilridge had knee injuries that impacted their play. I'm just enjoying the discussion. The bigger point is that the SEC has brought in real coaching talent and big-time recruits in the off-season.
Sure hope Big Mike and Derek are ready to play. Should be a fun year.
For numbers 3 through 6, he has Texas A&M, Florida, Mississippi State and Auburn. Then he ranks South Carolina, Arkansas, and Vandy ahead of Georgia. Maybe. Maybe not.
Of course the author is biased, and Georgia's class might be overlooked because Turtle Jackson and E'Torrion Wilridge had knee injuries that impacted their play. I'm just enjoying the discussion. The bigger point is that the SEC has brought in real coaching talent and big-time recruits in the off-season.
Sure hope Big Mike and Derek are ready to play. Should be a fun year.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Mack to Texas
Great recruiting job by Shaka Smart. Great effort by Mark Fox and staff.
Let's move on. We have better class separation without Mack, and I never was convinced that he would defend well. Always can use a "maker", but Fox has two of those committed for 2016. If he can hold onto Crump and Harris, UGA will have a really good line-up.
As far as 2015/2016 is concerned, without Mack I'm not sure who will play well at the three position, but we may go big with Mike Edwards out there, hope that KPG holds it down, put Charles Mann or Turtle Jackson with Kenny Gaines, or maybe sign James White and put him at the three. At any rate, we have some athletic big guys for the first time in recent memory. We can adjust the starting five as needed.
Let's move on. We have better class separation without Mack, and I never was convinced that he would defend well. Always can use a "maker", but Fox has two of those committed for 2016. If he can hold onto Crump and Harris, UGA will have a really good line-up.
As far as 2015/2016 is concerned, without Mack I'm not sure who will play well at the three position, but we may go big with Mike Edwards out there, hope that KPG holds it down, put Charles Mann or Turtle Jackson with Kenny Gaines, or maybe sign James White and put him at the three. At any rate, we have some athletic big guys for the first time in recent memory. We can adjust the starting five as needed.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Fox Bottom Five in SEC Coaches
according to Clay Travis, Fox Sports commentator.
Article
In answering a reader's question about the upgrade in talent in the SEC coaching ranks, Travis put two of the new guys in his top five coaching picks.
I. Top Five
1. Billy Donovan
2. John Calipari
3. Bruce Pearl
4. Rick Barnes
5. Ben Howland
Hard to challenge his top five, though I probably wouldn't put Bruce Pearl in there. Pearl can coach, but can he stay out of trouble? His margin for error is very thin, but he has some good recruits coming in. Will Auburn finish the year in the SEC's top five? I doubt it.
Billy Donovan can flat out coach. I wonder how his team will perform this year. Will his guys take a big leap forward? Will Chris Walker show why he was a five-star recruit? Donovan has Noah Dickerson coming in, but other than that, I don't remember any significant recruits. I expect Donovan to struggle next season. Maybe he runs off to the pro's.
John Calipari will ride his ridiculous recruiting classes until he leaves for the NBA. Jaylen Brown will probably end up in Lexington.
I believe that if Georgia gets Mike Edwards, we will win one of the two games against UK next year.
II. Next Four
6. Mike Anderson
7. Kevin Stallings
8. Andy Kennedy
9. Frank Martin
I think that Kevin Stallings is a good coach. Runs the motion offense. I still argue that the Vandy arena gives their guys an unfair home-court advantage. Even so, Stallings gets a lot out of his talent.
Disagree that Frank Martin over at South Carolina is any better than Fox. What has he done? I mean, other than yell at his guys.
III. Bottom Five
10. Mark Fox
11. Johnny Jones
12. Billy Kennedy
13. Alabama's Vacant Spot
14. Kim Anderson
Wow. Johnny Jones will win his fair share of games this upcoming season. Jordan Mickey declaring for the pro's will hurt some, but the new kid Ben Simmons can flat out play. Jones won't be considered bottom five for long.
Alabama missed on Marshall from Wichita State. Don't know who they will get. I expect them to take a step back next year.
Fox is probably a year away from making a significant move. He's got the program stabilized, but the SEC is getting tougher almost overnight. The good news is that Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump from southwest Georgia are two 2016 recruits who will make a difference, assuming they sign their LOI's and enroll. Team those two guys with Turtle Jackson and UGA has a perimeter line-up that can go toe-to-toe with anyone. But that's year after next.
I expect 2015/16 will be pretty good. Our line-up top to bottom is probably the best that Fox has had.
Turtle Jackson is better than most people think. Fox may consider starting him at the point, keeping Charles Mann at the three and going to war with Kenny Gaines at the two, and Yante Maten and Derek Ogbeide in the post. Now if UGA gets anything from Osahen Iduwe, we might end up quite good. In any case, a healthy J.J. Frazier and Juwan Parker form a good guard rotation, and we are a recruit or two away from being competitive in the post.
If UGA ends up next season in the top five SEC teams for a third straight year, maybe move Pearl down and put Fox in his place.
Article
In answering a reader's question about the upgrade in talent in the SEC coaching ranks, Travis put two of the new guys in his top five coaching picks.
I. Top Five
1. Billy Donovan
2. John Calipari
3. Bruce Pearl
4. Rick Barnes
5. Ben Howland
Hard to challenge his top five, though I probably wouldn't put Bruce Pearl in there. Pearl can coach, but can he stay out of trouble? His margin for error is very thin, but he has some good recruits coming in. Will Auburn finish the year in the SEC's top five? I doubt it.
Billy Donovan can flat out coach. I wonder how his team will perform this year. Will his guys take a big leap forward? Will Chris Walker show why he was a five-star recruit? Donovan has Noah Dickerson coming in, but other than that, I don't remember any significant recruits. I expect Donovan to struggle next season. Maybe he runs off to the pro's.
John Calipari will ride his ridiculous recruiting classes until he leaves for the NBA. Jaylen Brown will probably end up in Lexington.
I believe that if Georgia gets Mike Edwards, we will win one of the two games against UK next year.
II. Next Four
6. Mike Anderson
7. Kevin Stallings
8. Andy Kennedy
9. Frank Martin
I think that Kevin Stallings is a good coach. Runs the motion offense. I still argue that the Vandy arena gives their guys an unfair home-court advantage. Even so, Stallings gets a lot out of his talent.
Disagree that Frank Martin over at South Carolina is any better than Fox. What has he done? I mean, other than yell at his guys.
III. Bottom Five
10. Mark Fox
11. Johnny Jones
12. Billy Kennedy
13. Alabama's Vacant Spot
14. Kim Anderson
Wow. Johnny Jones will win his fair share of games this upcoming season. Jordan Mickey declaring for the pro's will hurt some, but the new kid Ben Simmons can flat out play. Jones won't be considered bottom five for long.
Alabama missed on Marshall from Wichita State. Don't know who they will get. I expect them to take a step back next year.
Fox is probably a year away from making a significant move. He's got the program stabilized, but the SEC is getting tougher almost overnight. The good news is that Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump from southwest Georgia are two 2016 recruits who will make a difference, assuming they sign their LOI's and enroll. Team those two guys with Turtle Jackson and UGA has a perimeter line-up that can go toe-to-toe with anyone. But that's year after next.
I expect 2015/16 will be pretty good. Our line-up top to bottom is probably the best that Fox has had.
Turtle Jackson is better than most people think. Fox may consider starting him at the point, keeping Charles Mann at the three and going to war with Kenny Gaines at the two, and Yante Maten and Derek Ogbeide in the post. Now if UGA gets anything from Osahen Iduwe, we might end up quite good. In any case, a healthy J.J. Frazier and Juwan Parker form a good guard rotation, and we are a recruit or two away from being competitive in the post.
If UGA ends up next season in the top five SEC teams for a third straight year, maybe move Pearl down and put Fox in his place.
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.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Tookie Brown, Come on Down!
UGA might have a chance to successfully recruit Tookie Brown after all.
Some fans wondered why Fox did not go harder after Brown, since Brown is from Morgan County, just a short distance away from UGA's campus. When Tookie committed to Mississippi State, Dawgs hoops followers resigned themselves to hope that he would not be as effective at the college level as high school (over 3,000 points scored, including a recent 37-point outburst in a tournament game against #1 ranked Laney, and 25 points in the championship game against Jenkins).
Well, in perhaps a gift to UGA, Mississippi State has fired head basketball coach Rick Ray.
One of the school's commitments has already reacted by announcing that he is reopening his recruitment. What does that mean for Tookie Brown? We'll see over the next few days.
Bottom line: We need to look very seriously at bringing in Tookie Brown, should he decommit. The trend these days is that after a forced coaching change, the schools release their incoming recruits from their Letters of Intent, most of the time with no restrictions. We did it when Harrick, and later, Felton, were fired. It would be classy of Mississippi State to allow Tookie to sign with UGA, if he responded to the Ray firing by deciding to play closer to home.
That's basically how we got Marcus Thornton. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell left, and we picked up Thornton on the rebound. And where would UGA have been the last couple of years without Thornton?
Tookie Brown would be a fit for UGA. Although it could be argued that he is an undersized point guard, and UGA already has one in J.J. Frazier, Frazier himself showed us against Mississippi State that if the player gets hot, whatever his size, feed him the ball.
We've seen how the Dawgs play when one of our guards is injured. We just don't have a whole lot of options. Bringing Tookie Brown in would allow Turtle Jackson to be more of a combo guard. That would give Fox an effective five-guard rotation to work with, Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines as seniors, Frazier as a sophomore, and Brown and Jackson as freshmen. We could even make the press a staple of our defense, rather than a last minute catch-up tool.
While we're at it, the player who announced his decommitment from MSU is none other than 4-star shooting guard D'Marcus Simonds from Gainesville, Ga. Whatever Tookie Brown decides to do, let's be sure to let Simonds know that he is welcome as part of our 2016 class. Either he or Jordan Harris could slide to the 3 position, giving UGA a fantastic recruiting haul next year, consisting of three long, athletic perimeter players, Simonds, Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump.
Tookie and Turtle sounds good to me. If we can find a way to get Tookie and another big for the 2015 class, then let's do it. If we don't have the room, then I guess we would have to go with signing a big since we're losing Thornton and Nemi. In that case, be sure to get Simonds in the next class.
It's time to start making rapid steps up the basketball talent trajectory. Fox, make it happen.
Some fans wondered why Fox did not go harder after Brown, since Brown is from Morgan County, just a short distance away from UGA's campus. When Tookie committed to Mississippi State, Dawgs hoops followers resigned themselves to hope that he would not be as effective at the college level as high school (over 3,000 points scored, including a recent 37-point outburst in a tournament game against #1 ranked Laney, and 25 points in the championship game against Jenkins).
Well, in perhaps a gift to UGA, Mississippi State has fired head basketball coach Rick Ray.
One of the school's commitments has already reacted by announcing that he is reopening his recruitment. What does that mean for Tookie Brown? We'll see over the next few days.
Bottom line: We need to look very seriously at bringing in Tookie Brown, should he decommit. The trend these days is that after a forced coaching change, the schools release their incoming recruits from their Letters of Intent, most of the time with no restrictions. We did it when Harrick, and later, Felton, were fired. It would be classy of Mississippi State to allow Tookie to sign with UGA, if he responded to the Ray firing by deciding to play closer to home.
That's basically how we got Marcus Thornton. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell left, and we picked up Thornton on the rebound. And where would UGA have been the last couple of years without Thornton?
Tookie Brown would be a fit for UGA. Although it could be argued that he is an undersized point guard, and UGA already has one in J.J. Frazier, Frazier himself showed us against Mississippi State that if the player gets hot, whatever his size, feed him the ball.
We've seen how the Dawgs play when one of our guards is injured. We just don't have a whole lot of options. Bringing Tookie Brown in would allow Turtle Jackson to be more of a combo guard. That would give Fox an effective five-guard rotation to work with, Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines as seniors, Frazier as a sophomore, and Brown and Jackson as freshmen. We could even make the press a staple of our defense, rather than a last minute catch-up tool.
While we're at it, the player who announced his decommitment from MSU is none other than 4-star shooting guard D'Marcus Simonds from Gainesville, Ga. Whatever Tookie Brown decides to do, let's be sure to let Simonds know that he is welcome as part of our 2016 class. Either he or Jordan Harris could slide to the 3 position, giving UGA a fantastic recruiting haul next year, consisting of three long, athletic perimeter players, Simonds, Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump.
It's time to start making rapid steps up the basketball talent trajectory. Fox, make it happen.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
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.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Ten Reasons Georgia Basketball is Trending Up
Georgia basketball is trending up. Here's why:
1. Overall Win Record
Had a maddening overtime defeat to LSU, and I hate losing to Georgia Tech, but if we win at South Carolina, UGA will be 15 and 5, a very strong showing through the first 20 games.
2. RPI
In the 20's according to the various sites. Still plenty of ball to be played, but as for now, our schedule strength and win-loss record project that we should easily qualify for the NCAA tourney this year.
3. Competitive in the SEC
Georgia is now 5 and 2 in the SEC, ranked 2nd place in the Conference.
We don't have a stable of big guys like Kentucky, but no one else in the country does. Meanwhile, we match up pretty well with the rest of the teams in the SEC.
4. Handling Adversity
Brandon Morris was arrested, then dismissed from the team before the season started. Kenny Gaines was sick when the year began, then injured shortly thereafter. Kenny Paul Geno got injured and is likely lost for the year. Cameron Forte got sick. Marcus Thornton battled and overcame knee problems over the last couple of years. Yante Maten got hit by a car. Wow.
The team could have folded under pressure. Instead, Fox has adjusted his rotation, and UGA has made it work.
5. No new off-court issues
Sure, the guys aren't perfect, but the current squad has avoided the kinds of missteps that could distract from team performance and derail the season.
6. Win Streak
Georgia has won 5 in a row with a winnable game at South Carolina up next.
7. Balanced Scoring
The game at Mississippi State was an anomaly. No one played well except J.J. Frazier (and he was exceptional). The Vandy game was more typical. Although Charles Mann did not have a good outing, everybody else played well enough, and the Dawgs got the win.
And that's the UGA recipe for success. All five starters currently average double-figures in scoring. Really helps UGA win a game when multiple guys can step up and get a bucket when we need it.
8. Free Throw Shooting
Georgia shoots a lot of free throws. Part of that is because Charles Mann always attacks the rim. Georgia attempted 25 foul shots against Vandy and made 23. Now, we haven't been hitting that percentage (92%) every game, but if we keep going to the line and shooting a decent percentage, we can win more often than not.
9. 2015 Recruiting
We missed on some targets this year. Malik Beasley, a two-guard out of Alpharetta, was supposedly going to commit. Instead went with Florida State. High-scoring wing Tevin Mack was predicted to UGA by some web sites. Ended up choosing VCU, if I remember correctly. We didn't get Georgia high school big men Daniel Giddens or Doral Moore.
However, unlike previous years, when we didn't get our top level recruits, this time we came back and were able to get next tier guys that can definitely help right away. Georgia signed Turtle Jackson, a big point guard who can score; Derek Ogbeide, an improving post with good athleticism; and E'Torrion Wilridge, an athletic 3/4. If we keep winning, who's to say that we don't have a real shot at Jaylen Brown out at Wheeler High.
10. 2016 Recruiting
If Georgia gets a B or B- so far for 2015 recruiting, we're tracking A+ territory for 2016. Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris committed early. When was the last time that we got pledges from two key recruits almost a full two seasons early?
KCP committed early, but Fox wasn't able to turn that commitment into a magnet for other highly ranked players. Felton recruited the dynamic duo of Lou Williams and Mike Mercer, but Williams never made it to campus, opting instead to go straight to the NBA. As good as Williams and Mercer were, I like Crump and Harris better, because Mercer couldn't really shoot the ball. Harris has Mercer-type athleticism, and he can flat out stroke it.
Fox will have to fight like crazy to keep them, but if he can, Crump and Harris may help UGA bring in a couple of posts.
Georgia basketball is trending up. If we finish the SEC slate with a few victories and complete our recruiting 2015 and 2016 classes with a couple of studs, the bandwagon will be suddenly full. Georgia fans who "always really loved basketball," but were waiting on the side of the road hoping that UGA would somehow get the program rolling in the right direction, might want to jump on now, buy tickets, and support the team.
1. Overall Win Record
Had a maddening overtime defeat to LSU, and I hate losing to Georgia Tech, but if we win at South Carolina, UGA will be 15 and 5, a very strong showing through the first 20 games.
2. RPI
In the 20's according to the various sites. Still plenty of ball to be played, but as for now, our schedule strength and win-loss record project that we should easily qualify for the NCAA tourney this year.
3. Competitive in the SEC
Georgia is now 5 and 2 in the SEC, ranked 2nd place in the Conference.
We don't have a stable of big guys like Kentucky, but no one else in the country does. Meanwhile, we match up pretty well with the rest of the teams in the SEC.
4. Handling Adversity
Brandon Morris was arrested, then dismissed from the team before the season started. Kenny Gaines was sick when the year began, then injured shortly thereafter. Kenny Paul Geno got injured and is likely lost for the year. Cameron Forte got sick. Marcus Thornton battled and overcame knee problems over the last couple of years. Yante Maten got hit by a car. Wow.
The team could have folded under pressure. Instead, Fox has adjusted his rotation, and UGA has made it work.
5. No new off-court issues
Sure, the guys aren't perfect, but the current squad has avoided the kinds of missteps that could distract from team performance and derail the season.
6. Win Streak
Georgia has won 5 in a row with a winnable game at South Carolina up next.
7. Balanced Scoring
The game at Mississippi State was an anomaly. No one played well except J.J. Frazier (and he was exceptional). The Vandy game was more typical. Although Charles Mann did not have a good outing, everybody else played well enough, and the Dawgs got the win.
And that's the UGA recipe for success. All five starters currently average double-figures in scoring. Really helps UGA win a game when multiple guys can step up and get a bucket when we need it.
8. Free Throw Shooting
Georgia shoots a lot of free throws. Part of that is because Charles Mann always attacks the rim. Georgia attempted 25 foul shots against Vandy and made 23. Now, we haven't been hitting that percentage (92%) every game, but if we keep going to the line and shooting a decent percentage, we can win more often than not.
9. 2015 Recruiting
We missed on some targets this year. Malik Beasley, a two-guard out of Alpharetta, was supposedly going to commit. Instead went with Florida State. High-scoring wing Tevin Mack was predicted to UGA by some web sites. Ended up choosing VCU, if I remember correctly. We didn't get Georgia high school big men Daniel Giddens or Doral Moore.
However, unlike previous years, when we didn't get our top level recruits, this time we came back and were able to get next tier guys that can definitely help right away. Georgia signed Turtle Jackson, a big point guard who can score; Derek Ogbeide, an improving post with good athleticism; and E'Torrion Wilridge, an athletic 3/4. If we keep winning, who's to say that we don't have a real shot at Jaylen Brown out at Wheeler High.
10. 2016 Recruiting
If Georgia gets a B or B- so far for 2015 recruiting, we're tracking A+ territory for 2016. Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris committed early. When was the last time that we got pledges from two key recruits almost a full two seasons early?
KCP committed early, but Fox wasn't able to turn that commitment into a magnet for other highly ranked players. Felton recruited the dynamic duo of Lou Williams and Mike Mercer, but Williams never made it to campus, opting instead to go straight to the NBA. As good as Williams and Mercer were, I like Crump and Harris better, because Mercer couldn't really shoot the ball. Harris has Mercer-type athleticism, and he can flat out stroke it.
Fox will have to fight like crazy to keep them, but if he can, Crump and Harris may help UGA bring in a couple of posts.
Georgia basketball is trending up. If we finish the SEC slate with a few victories and complete our recruiting 2015 and 2016 classes with a couple of studs, the bandwagon will be suddenly full. Georgia fans who "always really loved basketball," but were waiting on the side of the road hoping that UGA would somehow get the program rolling in the right direction, might want to jump on now, buy tickets, and support the team.
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