Hoops: New Practice Facility Update

Groo over at UGASports.com scanned a rendering of the new Practice Facility for hoops and posted it on his DawgsOnline site. The image is below (click to enlarge). This is the first time that I've seen a quality picture of the building. I like how it incorporates some of the lines of Stegeman in the look.

They've been discussing the building over at UGAsports.com hoops board for much of the week.



Georgiadogs.com also has a small color photo.



Per GeorgiaDogs.com and the Athens Paper the facility includes:

The 120,000 square foot two-story practice facility will include 18,325 square feet for both the men's and women's basketball programs that will includes practice courts, locker rooms and offices.

The plan calls for 22,235 square feet for gymnastics, including a 15,600 square foot practice gym. There also will be a 16,100 square foot multi-sport strength and conditioning facility.

The project is expected to be completed by June, 2007. Funding sources for the $30 million facility will include the men's basketball ticket priority designated for basketball enhancements.

The men's and women's basketball programs occupy the second floor. Gymnastics gymnastics will occupy the entire first floor, along with a brand new Strength and Conditioning Weight Room for Olympic Sports.

For gymnastics, the new practice area will be twice as large as the practice area at the Ramsey Center. There will be three vaulting stations, four balance beams with ample space for mounting and dismounting, three sets of bars, an in-ground trampoline and tramp bar, a trench bar, a tumbling area, and a practice area for floor routines that does not overlap with the other areas.

- - - - - - My Thoughts - - - - - -
When you see the photos, you get a real sense for how ambitious the project really is. Felton has been telling anyone that would listen that it would compare favorably to any in the country. I'm no guru on other school's hoops programs, but I can't see how they could be dramatically more impressive than this.

This building has to be built before Stegeman can be renovated. Our men's and women's hoops programs use Stegeman's main gym to practice. Once this facility is operational in 2007, UGA can look at a major overhaul to Steg. Without this facility, the team would have nowhere to practice while Steg gets spruced up.

However, I will say that if you haven't seen Steg this year, then you should. The improvements to the lighting, scoreboards and banners have really helped. At this point, 90% of what is wrong with Stegeman is that the men's hoops team isn't better than it is. lol.

It's amazing how much better it looks when you beat UK, GT and UF in there.



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