Georgia Sports Blog

SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot - Week of February 5th

Mon, 02/06/2012 - 15:05

Yeah, we have a new bottom team.

1. Kentucky - Game of the season looming with Florida going to Lexington. 'Cats are going to be challenged in this one.
2. Florida - We are about to see just how big the boys from Gainesville are with the trip to Lexington looming.
3. Vandy - Good news, Vandy gets to play two at home this week. Bad news, Kentucky is one of those two games.
4. Alabama - Strong RPI+bad losses+a winning streak=bubble talk.
5. Mississippi State - I probably penalized Mississippi State too much for the loss to Florida and the uninspired win over Auburn. 
6. Arkansas - The Hogs are winless on the road. Much like was for the Spartans, the trip to Athens will cure that.
7. Ole Miss - The best team you've never heard of or the worse team you keep hearing about?
8. LSU - Can the Tigers make the NIT? Their remaining schedule sets up well for them to make a run at the postseason.
9. Tennessee - Still struggling. The Vols get a break with Georgia-South Carolina back to back at home, which is the metaphorical equivalent of having access to a beach house and a morally casual friend in town.
10. Auburn - Auburn is playing its best basketball of the season right now. Of course, that bar isn't set too high.
11. South Carolina - Movin' on up...by default. They still suck, but Georgia sucks more.
12. Georgia - Not a hard choice after the worse game of basketball played by Georgia in four seasons at Auburn. The Dawgs are a team going the wrong direction fast. Just like their offense.

Vandy, Mississippi State, Alabama and Arkansas are very close right now.  I gave Vandy the nod due to RPI being nearly 30 points higher than Mississippi State's, even though the Bulldogs beat them. Honestly, I spent more time on these four than I have all season on any one ballot.  
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

Lest We Forget Those That Do Well

Fri, 02/03/2012 - 13:04

I know it is the fashionable thing to do, but don't get so caught up in what happened with the three that are now gone that you forget those that are still representing the Dawgs well.

Brandon beat out Arkansas' Joe Adams, Oregon's LaMichael James and Toledo's Eric Page for the award.

Congrats Brandon. You are a DGD.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

Georgia and Auburn Set Basketball Back 65 Years

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 14:02

I was wrong. Very, very wrong. Georgia basketball is not far removed from the Felton days right now. We have more talent. Regretfully, the team is playing like it doesn't have more coaching than it did.

Last night, I wanted to do a very long rundown of all that went wrong. Now, suffice it to say that list is depressingly long. If we win any more, beyond South Carolina, it'll be a surprise. Losing to South Carolina won't be a surprise.

TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

Joshua Harvey-Clemons Can Be Commented On

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 08:46

Kipp Adams continuing the great coverage:

Just told Josh Harvey-Clemons has submitted his letter of intent to #UGA.
— Kipp Adams ESPN (@KippLAdams) February 2, 2012

Or maybe wait on commenting:

Per sources in Athens, they are expecting the LOI of Josh Harvey-Clemons to arrive in next few minutes. #dayaftersigningday
— Kipp Adams ESPN (@KippLAdams) February 2, 2012And it is in.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

NSD Review

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 07:43

Nothing really to talk about? Another top 10 class. Big gets on defense. Punter and kicker of the future. Some offensive line help. We could have signed a couple of more, but over all the 2013 class looks deeper, especially in state, than the 2012 class does. As long as we take care of business in 2013, a smaller class this year isn't that big of a deal.

So, anything else blog worthy going on about signing day? Oh, Joshua Harvey-Clemons.  My take: Give the kid...and his family...a break. Before you start with the 'you don't want to win' and 'be a Florida fan you f$*@$*g,' understand this: They are making a decision about where their family member will always be associated with.

As a Bulldog fan, I am mad that his grandfather would hold him up from his dream. As a parent, I understand. I believe Josh when he says he is 100% Dawg and is coming to Athens. I believe he is coming to Athens. His family will understand that his desire to succeed at the place of his choosing will, and should, win over any concerns of distance (or whatever it is that the Clemons are concerned about). Plus, his family can't keep him from enrolling at Georgia, so even if the LOI never gets signed, he can show up on time and play on scholarship.

Finally, I am not calling shenanigans, but why would the family want him at Florida with Coach Boom MF over Georgia with Coach Richt? Any ideas, other than the distance thing?

TD

PS. Yes, I know the mystery recruit never materialized. I have thought all along the mystery recruit was someone who hadn't really mentioned UGA, so if he'd have decided to come to Georgia, it would have been beyond a shock.

PSS. Blutarsky has art.

Categories: UGA Blogs

National Signing Day

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 07:05

Over night there were a couple of interesting developments:

1. Josh Harvey-Clemons didn't narrow his choices to two. Does it mean anything? Not sure. Some say it has to do with his cell phone being left on Nevin Shapiro's boat in Miami. If I had to guess, it makes me think Georgia and FSU aren't the slam dunk top two.
2. Eligwe narrows to two. UGA ain't one. Swing and a miss.

Follow Bernie or Hedges to Hardwood's live blogs.  Should be an interesting day.TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot - Week of January 29th

Tue, 01/31/2012 - 11:07

1. Kentucky - Nothing to see here. Move along.
2. Florida - Gators are rolling. They might not lose again until the season finale against Kentucky. 
3. Vandy - Teams are figuring out Vandy. Can Stallings get the Commodores back to playing top 15 basketball?
4. Mississippi State - This team really confuses me. I'm starting to think the coaches take long stretches of games off. Still they are in the discussion for the top of the conference.
5. Ole Miss - We'll find out just how good this team is this week with two tough road games.
6. Alabama - Plays down to the level of the competition too much to be a contender for anything more than an NCAA bubble team.
7. Arkansas - Starting to look like the team is wearing out playing the super up tempo game.
8. LSU - The Tigers are competing, but might not win another game until late February with their schedule. Will Johnson still have his team by then?
9. Tennessee - Reverting to pre-conference schedule form. Still a talented team, but seems to play younger than they are.
10. Georgia - Woo hoo! Dawgs didn't lose this weekend. What's that? They were off? Oh.
11. Auburn - At least they have played South Carolina.
12. South Carolina - I wanted to reward them for their win over 'Bama, so I am not ranking them 13th. This week.

This week, you could put teams 4-7 and 9-12 and just shake them up. It is that close.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

T minus 23 hours until National Signing Day

Tue, 01/31/2012 - 09:10

Here we find ourselves 23 hours before National Signing Day. NSD is the last shot of methadone given before we are kicked out of our program, at least until Spring football. I don't expound on recruiting much, other than giving a snarky, usually ill informed, opinion about the outcome, but that doesn't mean I don't follow it and want Georgia to win at this as much as I do everything from football to tiddlywinks.

Having said that, the rational Tyler (call him The Narrator, if you like) knows the actual Scout/Rivals/ESPN/randomeblogyouveneverheardofbuteveryoneswearsisthebestatrecruiting rankings are just tools for those sites to talk/write about something to feed the voracious appetites of their readers. Addressing need is much more important to The Narrator than winning recruiting rankings.

That being said, it is important for Georgia to close strong. There are several 4-5 star players out there that would fill needs. Recruiting sites often miss on a 3 star player's upside. They rarely miss on 4 and 5 star players' downsides. If a guy is a 4 or 5 star, they it is likely they are the real deal.

My dream list for Georgia (and how likely the Dawgvent will explode at how they are being underused we are to see them in Athens in the Fall):
Dalvin Tomlinson - 8:45 announcement; 30% likely a Dawg, likely going to Alabama
Jaquay Williams - 8:45 announcement; 60% likely a Dawg, 40% Auburn
Josh Harvey-Clemons - 9am announcement; 90% likely a Dawg
Brandon Greene - 9:00 announcement; 40% likely a Dawg, 60% Alabama
Kenderious Whitehead - 9:00 announcement; 2% likely a Dawg, he's going to NC State
Josh Dawson - 10:00 announcement; 50/50 with Vandy
Cordarrelle Patterson - 11:30 announcement; 90% likely a Dawg
Avery Young - 2:00 announcement; 60% likely a Dawg, Auburn and Florida are even if he doesn't come to Athens.

And....the mystery recruit. The white whale of recruiting. It is hard to say if the rumors are true or if Georgia having an easy two unspoken for spots mean the class is fuller than we know. Honestly, if I had to say, there is a guy out there that has publicly committed to another school, but has told Georgia's coaches they are still very much in the hunt. Like everyone, I think it is a Dback. I'd say someone that is totally unexpected like Deon Bonner (due to his situation during the visit), Chaz Elder (who has a SC hat on for his Rivals picture) or Ronald Dabry (who hasn't really even mentioned Georgia in his many discussions with the media). I'd also throw Eligwe and Dillon Lee (he's already enrolled at 'Bama) in the discussion, as both have been committed to their schools for quite a while and both could see some immediate playing time. If I were forced to guess, I'd say Eligwe or Darby (note that Eligwe has postponed his decision until Feb 6 and made less than positive comments about UGA).

TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

And The Genius Blinked

Mon, 01/30/2012 - 09:52

When Tech threatened to pull the scholly offer from Antonio Crawford if he visited Miami, I thought he would be going to Coral Gables.  Why would a kid want to go to a school that would threaten such a thing? Yes, Coach Johnson, Certified Genius, had pulled offers based on commits visiting other schools, so visiting Miami seemed like the mere prelude to him not having the offer to go to Tech when he got home.

But Tech still wants him. Not that he cares. He's going to Miami. 

I thought it was interesting they didn't threaten the Adams kid when he visited Auburn, which led me to think about the threat to pull Crawford's offer.  Why do that?

And why did the coach that was recruiting the kid from Lanier County who's offer was pulled get fired?

Strange days in the Flats.

TD

Blutarsky's take on the death of the Johnson Doctrine.

Categories: UGA Blogs

Alabama Fan Charged in BCS Case

Fri, 01/27/2012 - 14:59

I'm not going into the detail of what when down in the Bourbon Street Krystals, but Brian Downing has been charged with sexual battery in the incident.  Good.

His lawyers are a bit incredulous:
"The 18-year-old victim was never physically harmed and, in fact, was so intoxicated that he would have had no recollection of the incident, but for a video posted online," the lawyers wrote. "Any ‘harm' is entirely post hoc and amplified by media."Fine. It was the media's fault.  But the media didn't put their 32YEAROLD BALLSACKONACOMPLETESTRANGERSFACEINPUBLICWHILEHEWASPASSEDOUT. Yeah, I have some strong views on that.  My guess is Mr. Downing won't have any problems with keeping the boys inside his pants during his time in Angola.

Tell you what, let the LSU fan put a sack of his choosing on Mr. Downing's face, and his lawyers' faces, in public and on ESPN. They could get Jim Gray and make a whole hour out of it.  Then just for funsies, still charge him with sexual battery because YOUDONTPUTYOURSACKONACOMPLETESTRANGERSFACEASSHOLES.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

ESPN's Chris Low on UGA's Offseason

Fri, 01/27/2012 - 11:21

I think Low makes a variety of interesting comments as he highlights players to watch this offseason as the Georgia Bulldogs gear up for another run at the SEC Championship.  He lists these players as guys to watch:
Isaiah Crowell
David Andrews
Nick Marshall
Damien Swann
Derrick Lott

My list would be:
1. Isaiah Crowell - Competition and conditioning can solve most of his problems*
2. Will Friend - UGA must be able to establish a running game
3. Kenarious Gates - The only returning upper classman on the OL
4. Damien Swann - Leading candidate to replace Boykin at CB
5. Aaron Murray - Must reduce his turnovers. Particularly when running.

Who are your top players to watch in the Spring?  Who are the guys who most need to step up? 

PWD

*Losing the phone number to Jasper's weed guy wouldn't hurt either. Allegedly. Obviously.

Categories: UGA Blogs

On Football Recruiting

Thu, 01/26/2012 - 08:15

I typically don't write about football recruiting. I follow it with interest and need Georgia to do well, but I just don't like to write about it much. Yes, I know how important it is. Yes, it is interesting. I just can't get too worked up (at least until the week of signing day) about it.

There are plenty of very good places to get the information, including Michael Carvell's coverage for the AJC, or to see bloggers' takes on recruiting; I just don't have the inclination to devote my limited brain juice to it.

That being said, I find Coach Richt's approach very interesting. I have to say I haven't been happy over the past two months with the 'Georgia waited to offer' refrain we hear from some players. Now, for the second year in a row, it looks like the last week is setting up to be very interesting. Will Georgia get an in-home with Brandon Greene? If they do, will Saban, who is reportedly pissed at Greene's flirtation with UGA, fire him?

It is interesting that Saban, who cut a kid loose earlier because he was the '26th' guy in the class, would be mad at a kid re-evaluating his decision. That is the duplicity of the system we live in. Ask the Football Genius of North Avenue. That isn't to say Greene will forsake 'Bama for Georgia. That is to say the late push isn't a terrible counter strategy to the very early offer and push approach that other coaches employ. Will we continue to miss on very good players with our wait and see approach? Sure.

The next week will be very interesting, as we have a legit shot at significantly improving this signing class. It will also give an indication if the wait and see approach is worth continuing. Get one more offensive lineman and Josh Harvey-Clemons, that is a win. Get Greene and Young, plus Harvey-Clemons and some combination of either of the two Dawsons on defense, that is a huge win. Get those plus JaQuay Williams? Now I am dreaming.

TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

Georgia Plays Tough Against Cats

Wed, 01/25/2012 - 10:25

I'll not go into the break down of the game, except to say this: if Georgia plays with the same intensity and focus the rest of the season, we'll win nearly all of our home games and at least three road games.  We held Kentucky to their lowest point total since last season's national semi-final loss to UConn (when they scored two fewer points). We held Kentucky 20 points below their season average. Easily this was the best defensive game we have played all season.

Why did Georgia lose? Because we only have two (maybe three) players that would ever get significant playing time at UK.  At most. On any given night, one team can beat another. If we'd kept up the hot shooting, that would have happened last night. It didn't, and Kentucky's talented, deep, and more physically gifted players took over.  Between Davis' five blocks, his and Kidd-Gilcrist's eleven rebounds each, Georgia just had nothing to match the talent differential.

Now, this is a common refrain from nearly every team playing Kentucky. This isn't a post about Fox's success or lack thereof in recruiting. It does bear pointing out that recruiting has to be significantly improved if Georgia is going to consistently be in the NCAA tournament every year. We don't have to have six McDonald's All-Americans every year. Get a KCP every year and win recruiting battles with Tech, Clemson, FSU, 'Bama, Tennesee, and Vandy more often than not, we'll be a very strong tournament contender. And Auburn and Memphis. Especially Auburn and Memphis! Right now, we lose way more of those than we win.

For now, this team plays like the young team it is. That will improve, but we have to have another big recruiting win this season if we have any hope of being in the tournament discuss this time next year.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

SEC Hoops Power Poll - Week of January 22nd

Wed, 01/25/2012 - 09:37

This week's poll:


1. Kentucky Wildcats 96
2. Florida Gators 80
3. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 78
4. Vanderbilt Commodores 77
5. Alabama Crimson Tide 66
6. Mississippi Rebels 59
7. Arkansas Razorbacks 52
8. Tennessee Volunteers 41
9. LSU Tigers 34
10. Georgia Bulldogs 23
11. Auburn Tigers18
12. South Carolina Gamecocks 8

Unanimous agreement at number one and number 12. Near unanimous at 10 and 8. A jumble elsewhere.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot - Week of January 22nd

Tue, 01/24/2012 - 05:59

Another week of games, another week of parity in the middle of the conference.

1. Kentucky - Kentucky will lose a conference game this season. It won't happen this week with trips to Georgia and LSU.
2. Vandy - I am not sure how they lost at home to Mississippi State, but I am sure Stallings will figure a way to right the ship until the second game of the NCAA tournament.
3. Florida - With a trip to Oxford this week, we get to see if Florida's success is a product of the schedule to this point.
4. Mississippi State - The win at Vandy is a sign the Bulldogs are still relevant in the best of the rest discussion. Of course, there are four other teams that can say the same thing.
5. Alabama - It is hard to fault the Tide for a down week with three top 40 RPI teams on the schedule. Unfortunately, it does mean the have to be moved down with how closely matched the teams are.
6. Ole Miss - Col. Akbar's Bears better learn to close the deal or they will be a top seed in the NIT.
7. Arkansas - Youth was on display both with the good (a strong statement win over a tough Michigan team) and the bad (losing their will to live in a way worse than 20 point loss at Kentucky) this week.
8. LSU - Seriously, you could flip a coin on 8th. Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU are all that close right now. I went straight with RPI on these three.
9. Georgia - Too bad the Dawgs can't play the intensity they showed in the last 2 minutes against Mississippi for a full game. Since they don't, they find themselves in the bottom of the conference.
10. Tennessee - Dear Cuozno, that Stokes guy is good.
11. Auburn - Could have ranked them 8th, but conventional wisdom says they will revert to the team that only scored 35 points against Vandy.
12. South Carolina - How did they win 8 games? It's a miracle.

TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

A Simple Request

Sat, 01/21/2012 - 05:12

Beat Ole Miss this afternoon.  Col. Akbar's Bears haven't won on the road since the week after Thanksgiving. They've lost to Auburn...AUBURN...on the road. We need this win.

Play stout defense and do just enough with the offense, we win. Assle around with the ball and play slappnut defense, they win.  Pretty simple, right?

Tip is at 4pm at Stegeman.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

SEC Hoops Power Poll - Week of January 15th

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 08:55

The Power Poll is up.

1. Kentucky Wildcats 132
2. Vanderbilt Commodores 108
3 (t). Florida Gators 104
3 (t). Mississippi St. Bulldogs 104
5. Alabama Crimson Tide 103
6. Arkansas Razorbacks 72
7. Tennessee Volunteers 60
8. LSU Tigers 58
9. Mississippi Rebels 43
10. Georgia Bulldogs 33
11. Auburn Tigers 29
12. South Carolina Gamecocks 13

Overall, we think there are five clear top teams and one clear bottom team.  I wasn't way out of consensus, either, which means either I'm getting better at this, or the other voters are getting worse.  Or both.

TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

Richt Approves...

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 08:46

Of Georgia's defensive minded win over Tennessee in OT last night.  
During the game, I kept thinking this is ugly basketball.  Then it hit me: As ugly as it was, it was the brand of basketball Georgia has to play to win right now.  Yes, the running game is much more exciting. The problem with the running game is one of depth and defenders for Georgia. We are getting deeper with Marcus' reintroduction, but we still have foul issues (both Neme and Marcus had four in regulation).  We did run some, but only when it was absolutely there (think the Florveus dunk on the half court feed by Ware). 
So, that leaves us with having to play smart offensively, both from shot selection and from a ball protection standpoints. We finally did that a whole game (actually, a game +5minutes).  We also have to play aggressive defense, something we can do a bit more with Marcus back. The up side is we created a season high 20 turnovers, also a season high in turnovers by Tennessee, netting a 17-8 point differential on points off turnovers. Between that and slowing down the game, we got a win. 
Georgia still has a long way to go, but this was easily the best total team effort we've seen defensively. With what we saw in the loss to Vandy and this win, I have hope that there is something to look forward to. Tennessee isn't as good as Vandy, but with Maymon and Stokes in, they are much better than the team that lost to Oakland and College of Charleston.  They beat Florida and gave Kentucky all they could handle. Overall, this is a good win for the Dawgs, as they came back from a deficit late and put a decent team away. 
We get to try to make it two SEC wins in a row Saturday afternoon at Stegeman against Ole Miss. 4pm tip on the SECNetwork.TD

Categories: UGA Blogs

SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot - Week of January 15th

Wed, 01/18/2012 - 06:04

New basement dweller. Same folks at the top. Majic 8ball in the middle and bottom. Road wins are kind of like Big 12 footbal defense: a great theory, but not a reality.

1. Kentucky - The 'Cats will lose a game in the conference at some point. They tried really hard to do so Saturday at Tennessee.
2. Vandy - Just win baby. Bet the Georgia game made Stallings hair fall out some more. 
3. Alabama - If this team learns to play consistent offense, they will be a tough out.
4. Mississppi State - I honestly thought they were over rated. A gutsy win over Alabama made me realize I might have been wrong.
5. Florida - Still not sure wins over the dregs of the conference should mean anything. At least they are beating the dregs of the conference.
6. Arkansas - Anderson will have big success at Arkansas. He has a young team that isn't mentally tough enough to both play his punishing style of basketball and focus on playing to win. They will be very dangerous the later it gets in the conference slate.
7. Mississippi - Not sure what to do with the Bears. On one hand, I think they are a talented basketball team. On the other, they sure don't play like it sometimes. They are 7th by default since I don't think they are in the top 6 or the bottom 5.
8. Tennessee - Starting to show signs of life. Martin has them playing to the top of their potential and that isn't a good thing for the teams that had the Volunteers marked as a sure win.
9. LSU - Rumors of Trent Johnson's demise were both exaggerated and premature. Which is what she said.
10. Georgia - I would like to say something positive about the Dawgs: I love their mascot.
11. Auburn - Well, at least I can use basketball instead of basektball for them.
12. South Carolina - Could have had them 8th. Could have had them 13th. The bottom of the conference is just that bad.

It isn't a stretch to say the SEC could have only 3 teams in the NCAA tournament. It isn't a stretch to say the SEC could have 8 teams in the NCAA tournament. 

Categories: UGA Blogs

BR-549

Tue, 01/17/2012 - 08:48

The one nugget about the Justin Taylor having to wait to sign with Alabama story that was interesting had nothing to do with Alabama. Saban deciding someone else is better than a kid that hurt his knee in August of his senior season, then telling him he'll have to wait until next year to sign a scholarship he's been relying on since last February, isn't news. Hell, it isn't even surprising. Effective, in that the kid shut down his recruiting and other schools left him alone. Not surprising.

Also not surprising? Tennessee's approach:  "Tennessee came through and I only talked to them one time. They gave me a number and the number didn’t even work."

Boy, that Dooley guy sure knows how to make folks feel the love.
TD

Categories: UGA Blogs