[Photo: Players mob Levi Stukes after game winner in overtime]
On Saturday, Felton's Dawgs did what few other Georgia basketball teams have done in recent years. They went into Columbia and found a way to win. We are now 3-12 in Columbia since the Gamecocks joined the Southeastern Conference.
The Dawgs (11-5, 1-2 SEC) get Kentucky in Athens on Tuesday night.
For a great read from another Dawg blogger try Steve Lindell's column.
Some observations from the Game:
- Newman never played in this one. I was bouncing between the radio and a sports bar for coverage so I missed the reason why. Regardless, Woodbury started in his place. Woodbury is much more athletic, but his stat line is probably one he'd like to forget. 0-5 shooting. I'm very curious to see how his game will develop once he gets his legs back under him.
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[Photo: Watch the legendary "West Wing" episode "Commencement" sometime, and then watch Bliss run the court. The similarities are striking.]
- When I see Mike Mercer take one of his patented ultra high arcing three point shots, I find myself looking around the court for a pot of gold. He spends more time around rainbows than any other non-Leprechaun. If the guy ever goes pro, he may end up endorsing Lucky Charms.
He says that he and Felton may work together this offseason on a complete retooling of his jumper. I'm eager to see the result of that work. The guy has a great running shot from 8 feet in, he plays good defense, and he's got a clear knack for big plays. But his shot is god-awful from beyond 10 feet. Plus, I promise you that he doesn't consistently look at the rim before he shoots his free throws. He's just scratching the surface, but his defensive play at the end of regulation and in overtime saved the day for Georgia in this one.
-- Kendrick Johnson - God bless him for trying, but Felton should've just pushed for the surgery this year. He isn't physically able to help us much right now. In football terms, playing him this year is as wasteful as Neil Callaway playing Ken Shackleford as a FR.
-- Levi Stukes - He went 6-14 from beyond the arc, and he basically shot us to victory. If we could harness his ability on a more consistent basis from game to game or possession to possession, we'd really have something. He's the kind of shooter that an offensive oriented coach like Harrick would get much more productivity from. Felton needs to work on keeping/getting Stukes more involved.
Good road win for the Dawgs at a critical juncture in the season.
