And Maria Sharapova is even taller than I thought. Heels or no heels. This is ESPN E:60's Extreme Makeover where Maria Sharapova works with Matthew Stafford.
April 30, 2009
Richt and Fox at the Rome Bulldog Club
The Rome News-Tribune has a very solid recap of the local Bulldog Club meeting last night. The linked page has three videos from the evening including one on one interviews with Richt and Fox.
Hoop fans will especially enjoy the first video where Fox outlines his expectations and view of the program. The third video includes a great zinger at Bama's expense and a great line about our free throw shooting.
Good stuff.
PWD
Hoop fans will especially enjoy the first video where Fox outlines his expectations and view of the program. The third video includes a great zinger at Bama's expense and a great line about our free throw shooting.
Good stuff.
PWD
April 28, 2009
NCAA Tennis Draws Released
The tennis teams are back from the SEC tournaments. The girls won their championship by beating Tennessee 4-0 in the final. The guys didn't have such luck against the Vols, losing in the semis 4-1. It wasn't an upset because the Vols were actually rated a spot ahead of us in the rankings, but still. So, the girls charge into the NCAAs while the guys limp.
The NCAA brackets were released this afternoon. The guys will face South Carolina State in the first round Friday, May 8. They are the #4 national seed and will host the first and second round. The Vols and Texas are the seeds in the bottom half of our quarter of the bracket and #1 seed Virginia is the top ranked team on our side of the tournament.
The girls are the #2 national seed and also host South Carolina State on the 9th. Florida, one of only two teams to beat the girls this year, is a possible third round opponent. Of the two teams, one would reasonably conclude the best chance for a championship is with the girls. They already won the SEC, made it to the finals in national indoors, and have only lost twice. But, they are going to have to beat both the teams that topped them this year in all likelihood, Florida and Northwestern, to get that championship.
Quinton
Coach Fox Lands First Recruit
UGASports.com reports that Mark Fox has landed his first commitment (premium content). Homestead (Fla.) South Dade point guard Vincent Williams will play basketball for the Bulldogs next year.
Williams averaged 26 points and 5 assists per game last year. As we profiled a few weeks ago, he fell through the recruiting process due to qualifying extremely late. He had offers from UAB and several other mid-majors, and he was drawing significant interest from NC State and a few high majors.
The three greatest gaps in next year's team are/were:
Signing Williams is not a cure all. The roster still has deep fundamental flaws for 2009-2010, but the risk of posting another momentum-less 20 or so loss season has been dramatically reduced with this signing. I think a 9-4 non-conference and 6-10 SEC record is very manageable, and that would put the team on the cusp for a Tier 3 post-season tourney like the CBI. Given where the team was last year, that would be solid Year 1 improvement. It would buy Fox more time to recruit players for 2010 and 2011.
Separately...another target on the radar for next year was Derrio Green, a JUCO soph point guard. Green announced today that he's signing with UNC-Charlotte. They had been recruiting him longer, and we got in very late on him due to the coaching transition. Green's strength was three point shooting.
It wouldn't shock me to see UGA hold its remaining scholarships for next season. There just isn't much left that's unsigned. We will have at least four scholarships to give in 2010 plus natural attrition.
PWD
Williams averaged 26 points and 5 assists per game last year. As we profiled a few weeks ago, he fell through the recruiting process due to qualifying extremely late. He had offers from UAB and several other mid-majors, and he was drawing significant interest from NC State and a few high majors.
The three greatest gaps in next year's team are/were:
- No proven scholarship shooting guards -- Demario Mayfield is coming in as a Felton recruit and Ebuka Anyaorah (redshirt last season due to injury) may help there, but we needed more potential answers. Williams is slight of build, but he gives us more offensive options here.
- No back-up point guard -- Assuming Dustin Ware cuts down his turnovers, he should experience a great deal of improvement next year. However, there was no point guard on the roster to push him to improve. Heaven forbid Ware get hurt, there was nobody to run the team. Williams addresses a major gap here.
- Major questions at small forward -- With Travis Leslie's documented academic issues and Drazen's questionable upside, we have issues here. Signing Williams gives us the flexibility to potentially play/test Anyaorah and/or Mayfield on the wing in a three guard offense. Both are listed at 6'3"-6'4".
Separately...another target on the radar for next year was Derrio Green, a JUCO soph point guard. Green announced today that he's signing with UNC-Charlotte. They had been recruiting him longer, and we got in very late on him due to the coaching transition. Green's strength was three point shooting.
It wouldn't shock me to see UGA hold its remaining scholarships for next season. There just isn't much left that's unsigned. We will have at least four scholarships to give in 2010 plus natural attrition.
PWD
UGA considering game in the Georgia Dome?
Georgia is in preliminary discussions with the Georgia Dome about participating in their new kickoff classic style season opening game in 2010 (source: Athens Banner-Herald). Per the article:
"Richt said somebody currently on Georgia's schedule would have to agree to come off the schedule to make the deal work, and he wasn't optimistic that would happen."
When you look at the 2010 schedule, Georgia currently has only four home games scheduled with two open slots left for home games. In even numbered years, Georgia only gets three SEC home games due to "hosting" the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. For a variety of financial and political reasons, Georgia needs six home games.
In other words, Mark Richt is likely alluding to the possibility of moving or cancelling the Colorado game in Boulder which is currently scheduled for 2010. Georgia has schedule flexibility to play a road or neutral site game vs. the Buffs in 2011; however, UGA's available dates are likely either Week 4 or Week 5 of that season. Colorado already has four non-conference games for 2011, and it would be extremely difficult to move their games around.
Basically, Georgia would need Colorado to look at their 2010 schedule and think that playing UGA is just too much competitively, and let us out of the deal.
It's very possible that Richt is referring to UCLA as the team that the Dawgs might play in the Dome next year. The Bruins tried to book a game with Auburn to open next season in the Dome, but the Tigers couldn't/wouldn't do the deal.
I think the much easier option for getting into the Georgia Dome season opener would be in 2011. That would require talking to Louisville about moving the season opening game with them to 2010, moving it later in the season in 2011, or canceling the entire series against what is now a glorified cupcake.
At the end of the day, Richt is right. Playing in the Dome in 2010 is a long shot.
See Also:
-- Dawgs to play game in Dome - AJC
-- UGA vs. UCLA Game Recap from '83 (Life After Herschel) - SI
-- Auburn walks away from UCLA - FanBlogs
PWD
"Richt said somebody currently on Georgia's schedule would have to agree to come off the schedule to make the deal work, and he wasn't optimistic that would happen."
When you look at the 2010 schedule, Georgia currently has only four home games scheduled with two open slots left for home games. In even numbered years, Georgia only gets three SEC home games due to "hosting" the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. For a variety of financial and political reasons, Georgia needs six home games.
In other words, Mark Richt is likely alluding to the possibility of moving or cancelling the Colorado game in Boulder which is currently scheduled for 2010. Georgia has schedule flexibility to play a road or neutral site game vs. the Buffs in 2011; however, UGA's available dates are likely either Week 4 or Week 5 of that season. Colorado already has four non-conference games for 2011, and it would be extremely difficult to move their games around.
Basically, Georgia would need Colorado to look at their 2010 schedule and think that playing UGA is just too much competitively, and let us out of the deal.
It's very possible that Richt is referring to UCLA as the team that the Dawgs might play in the Dome next year. The Bruins tried to book a game with Auburn to open next season in the Dome, but the Tigers couldn't/wouldn't do the deal.
I think the much easier option for getting into the Georgia Dome season opener would be in 2011. That would require talking to Louisville about moving the season opening game with them to 2010, moving it later in the season in 2011, or canceling the entire series against what is now a glorified cupcake.
At the end of the day, Richt is right. Playing in the Dome in 2010 is a long shot.
See Also:
-- Dawgs to play game in Dome - AJC
-- UGA vs. UCLA Game Recap from '83 (Life After Herschel) - SI
-- Auburn walks away from UCLA - FanBlogs
PWD
April 27, 2009
UGA Day 2 Draft Stuff and Free Agent Signings
You probably have already read about Corvey Irvin, Asher Allen and Jarius Wynn getting drafted, and the Athens Banner Herald also reports that Dannell Ellerbe, Brannan Southerland, Demiko Goodman and Kenneth Harris also signed free agent contracts.
Two non-Dawgs who fell dramatically in the draft really shocked me...James Davis of Clemson going in Round 6 to the Browns, and Ricky Jean-Francois of LSU going in Round 7 to the 49ers.
What shocked you the most on draft day?
See Also:
-- I was right about Tech's Michael Johnson - PWD (April '08)
PWD
Two non-Dawgs who fell dramatically in the draft really shocked me...James Davis of Clemson going in Round 6 to the Browns, and Ricky Jean-Francois of LSU going in Round 7 to the 49ers.
What shocked you the most on draft day?
See Also:
-- I was right about Tech's Michael Johnson - PWD (April '08)
PWD
UGA vs. GT Baseball at Turner Field (Tickets)
On Tuesday, May 12th at 7:00 pm, the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will face off at Turner Field with a chance at hosting one of the larger crowds to ever watch a college baseball game. You can be a part of the action, and help raise money to support Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).
Tickets ($10/each) to the Spring Classic for Kids are available via the CHOA web site, Ticketmaster or on game day starting at 5:00 pm. The event is essentially a fundraiser for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and last year they sold more than 23,000 tickets and raised more than $200,000. Here's where the money goes:
Proceeds from this event will go toward operating expenses for the intra-operative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) system, used to treat children with brain tumors and other neurological conditions.I have friends who've relied on CHOA for treatment of rare infant illnesses, and they sing the praises for this organization. That's why the Georgia Sports Blog is sponsoring this year's event at the "Double Sponsor" level.
Children's is one of only a few pediatric hospitals in the world to house this innovative, high-field strength technology, and was the first in the Southeast.. This sophisticated new technology enhances the view of a child's brain during surgery, which ultimately benefits both doctor and patient. But the machine is expensive and scarce, which is why fundraisers like the Spring Classic are so important. Children's is one of only a few pediatric hospitals in the world to house this innovative new technology.
Top 10 Regular Season Attendance Dates (Per NCAA.com)
- 40,106—SDSU (4) vs. Houston, 2004, PETCO Park, San Diego
28,836—GT (12) vs. UGA (5), 2004, Turner Field, Atlanta
27,673—LSU (9) vs. Tulane (5), 2002, Superdome, New Orleans
27,134—Triple Header, 2006, Minute Maid Park, Houston
25,175—Long Beach St. (5) vs. SDSU, 2004, PETCO Park, San Diego
23,984—Triple Header, 2007, Minute Maid Park, Houston
21,995—Triple Header, 2005, Minute Maid Park, Houston
21,724—Texas (6) vs. Rice (3), 2004, Minute Maid Park, Houston
21,620—UGA (10) vs. GT (7), 2007, Turner Field, Atlanta
21,343—LSU (9) vs. Tulane (5), 2004, Superdome, New Orleans
PWD
April 26, 2009
Dawgs Get One, But Could Have Had More
I know what I said Friday. We should be happy with Friday night's 6-3 win, powered by Holder's great pitching and Joey Lewis's grand slam. I suppose we can't complain too much about losing the series. The Diamond Dawgs still lead the SEC, but they are now tied for first instead of leading the league by a few games. Given what could have happened, I guess we should still be OK with the weekend. The problem is it should have been a series win for us. Even if I ignore that we blew a 5-1 lead Saturday, it was still 8-7 after the seventh. Bryce Massanari was the second Bulldog to hit three HRs in a single game this week and powered UGA with five RBIs. It still wasn't enough. A whirl of walks, wild pitches, and a pass ball helped Ole Miss, who is already a good team, score three runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 10-8. Justin Earls just couldn't keep it together out there and it cost us a big road win and the series. Saturday's game was there for the taking and we blew it. I don't know what was wrong with Dean Weaver there, but I'd rather blow it with our ace reliever.
Not that I expected to beat Scott Biddle today, but Ole Miss led 2-1 after the first on a Chase Davidson drop in rightfield and Perno pulled him shortly thereafter. I'm not sure when he'll be back. Peter Verdin looked alright out there in the first two games. Justin Grimm pitched fine, but just got a bad matchup with Biddle and, hence, no run support. Ole Miss was just better Sunday.
Given the performances turned in when the Dawgs have played top teams, one would have to agree that Georgia is a good team. But, you can also conclude that we make too many mistakes to win a championship, conference or otherwise. The lower part of our order is unreliable. We walk too many batters. We strike out too much. Our defense is average to below average. Despite these flaws, we've been leading the SEC most of the year. You just wonder how much longer that can last.
The series loss coupled with LSU's sweep of Auburn puts the Dawgs and Tigers in a tie for first in the league. Three teams are stalking, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Florida. The Rebs and Gators are only a game back and the Gators get both UGA and LSU before the season's over. The Dawgs get a chance to avenge last week's loss at Jacksonville State Wednesday night before the Gators come in for another big home series this weekend.
Quinton
Knowshon Answers Denver's Call
Knowshon Moreno (Image: Jim Hipple)
It's a great situation for Knowshon. A quality franchise that respects players with Knowshon's ability and approach to the game. The media aggressively covers the team, but they're not totally unforgiving like the NY or Philly press. In other words, he can keep them at arms length without ever giving much of a quote, and they won't hold as much of a grudge.
Without Cutler, they are going to build the entire offense around Moreno. The only downside for KM being a jersey number change because Champ Bailey already has #24.
The Broncos on the other hand had bigger problems than running back. It's a good pick, but they'll need to continue to draft more guys like Ayers, Smith and McBath and less back-up Tight Ends who only caught 12 passes in college to remake the franchise.
Elsewhere:
Massaquoi went #50 to the Cleveland Browns who took another WR earlier in the draft. I feel bad for Mo Mass. A team that's going no where picks two WRs in the first two rounds.
Open Thread for the rest of the Draft:
Feel free to comment on the Falcons or Dawgs on this post the rest of the day about the draft. I'm out BBQ'ing today.
See Also:
-- The Impact on UGA / Moreno Leaves - NY Times
-- Denver picks local product - NJ Star-Ledger
-- Broncos Reverse Draft Field - Denver Post
-- Picking Knowshon was a No-No - Denver Post
-- Ready to Bowl them Over - Denver Post
-- Questioning the Browns Draft - Cleveland Plain Dealer
-- Mangini sends Stallworth a Message - GoErie.com
PWD
April 25, 2009
Stafford to Detroit in $41.7 million deal
Image by Dennis Hodges
There are worse things for recruiting than having your starting quarterback become the #1 pick of the NFL Draft. Personally, I'm hoping they use their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks on offensive linemen. It's extremely hard to be a good quarterback when you're in the hospital. Here's the reaction to Stafford's deal from around the country:
- -- Stafford to be new Lions QB - AJC
-- Lions show how much they value Stafford - Detroit Free Press
-- No room for debate - MLive
-- Pressure will be intense - NFL Blogs
-- Here comes the losing - AP
-- 5 things I think - Peter King
PWD
April 24, 2009
Ole Miss Series Sketch
The big crowds in Oxford.
The Diamond Dawgs travel west this weekend for a three game set with the Ole Miss Rebels. Ole Miss (30-11, 11-7) looks a lot like Georgia in terms of their record and their stats. They've lost two cof their conference series, at LSU and against South Carolina. Their numbers are almost identical to ours, with only a couple of notable exceptions. Average, ERA, opponent's average, and fielding percentages for both teams are within a few tenths of a point. The exceptions, though, show the difference in these two teams.
Georgia has a big edge in power hitting. UGA's slugging percentage is .548, compared to .445 for the Rebs. But, the Rebs have a pitching edge. As we know, walks have been a problem for our staff this year and Ole Miss walks significantly fewer batters than UGA. They've also struck out out 44 more batters than our staff. Like most power lineups, strike outs are a problem for us and we'll need to get good at bats against one of the best staffs in the SEC. Despite those numbers, Ole Miss's collective ERA is still a bit higher than UGA's (4.02 compared to 3.89).
Ole Miss's pitchers are no joke. I've already mentioned that their Sunday starter, Scott Biddle, was an All-American reliever last year and has been fantastic since moving into a starting spot (3-0, 1.29 ERA). Biddle isn't the only solid pitcher for the Rebs. Sophomore Drew Pomeranz, who will face Holder tonight, is coming off a complete game against Florida which pushed his record to 4-1. The pitching match up that favors us the most is Saturday's as McRee faces Phillip Irwin. That's not to say Irwin is weak, because he isn't (5-3, 3.57 ERA), but McRee should be able to outpitch him. All our guys must exercise control, especially McRee. Walks have been killing us and the staff has to minimize free base runners.
The history of this series is terrifying. Georgia has one series win in Oxford, ever. It happened in 1989, twenty years ago. A realist would say we're hoping to get a single game over there. A series win would, of course be a titanic step toward the SEC crown. I'd be happy with one and Perno has said that is about as good as he can hope for.
Oh yeah, Michael Palazzone won't make the trip due to some sort of finger injury. So, we'll be one short in the pen for this weekend, too.
See Also:
-- NCAA Regional Projections (Dawgs #6 National Seed) - CBB
Oh yeah, Michael Palazzone won't make the trip due to some sort of finger injury. So, we'll be one short in the pen for this weekend, too.
See Also:
-- NCAA Regional Projections (Dawgs #6 National Seed) - CBB
Quinton
Caption This Photo!
Here's a few to get you started:"I'm just going to take some of your excess points and spread them around a little bit to the teams who don't have as many."
or
Obama covets Tebow's "What Would I Do" bracelet.
Country Club Update - Championship Edition
The SEC Tennis Tournament begins for Georgia's teams today, in Auburn for the guys and Fayetteville for the girls. The girls are living up to the Georgia tradition of tennis excellence. They won the regular season crown and enjoy the #1 seed for the tournament. With a win, coach Jeff Wallace will grab his third consecutive SEC Tournament title. Freshman Chelsey Gullickson has played the #1 court this year and rarely lost. She was named All-SEC, along with six other Dawgs, and tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the Year. They face Alabama at 9:30 this morning.
The guys had a "disappointing" regular season only when compared with the last couple of years. A narrow 4-3 loss at Ole Miss put the Dawgs behind the Rebs in the conference standings and Ole Miss never faltered, going perfect in league play. Only that single court proved the difference in the SEC race. Georgia didn't lose another match all season either and extended its home court winning streak to 60 matches. For a team picked to place third in the East, that's not a disappointment at all. The team has gutted out some exciting matches and considering the type of players we lost from last season, it's been a wondrous year. The Dawgs are the two seed in Auburn and face Auburn this afternoon at 4 PM.
On the other side of the country club, the men's golf team was rated #1 most of the year and looked it at last week's SEC championship tournament. The golfers destroyed the field on Saturday and Sunday, beating runner-up Arkansas by 13 strokes. All five of UGA's golfers ended in the top 15. The girls, didn't fare as well, finishing sixth. Freshman Marta Silva Zamora won the tournament's individual title, the eighth Georgia golfer to do so.
Quinton
April 22, 2009
SEC vs. Big East Challenge: UGA vs. St. John's
The Lexington Herald-Leader (Ht - MemphisDog) gives us a heads up that UGA's participation in the 2009 SEC / Big East Challenge has been confirmed. The Georgia Bulldogs will face St. John's in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9th. Our game will be the under card to the UConn vs. Kentucky game that will be part of the New York City double header.
The other double header site will be Tampa where UF will face Syracuse and DePaul will meet Mississippi State.
This is the third and final year of the current SEC/Big East/ESPN Contract. The format each year had included two double headers hosted in different cities. Birmingham ('07), Philadelphia ('07), Nashville ('08), and Cincy ('08). Eleven of the SEC schools participated with Arkansas somehow being left out and MSU participating twice.
I'm hoping that the series gets renewed, expanded and adjusted in the future to include more teams per year and a switch to home games instead of neutral site match-ups.
Georgia's known basketball schedule for 2009-2010 include:
PWD
*As correctly pointed out in the comments, this clearly isn't a neutral site game despite the intent of the Big East/SEC Challenge. However, the crowd won't look like a traditional SJU game.
The other double header site will be Tampa where UF will face Syracuse and DePaul will meet Mississippi State.
This is the third and final year of the current SEC/Big East/ESPN Contract. The format each year had included two double headers hosted in different cities. Birmingham ('07), Philadelphia ('07), Nashville ('08), and Cincy ('08). Eleven of the SEC schools participated with Arkansas somehow being left out and MSU participating twice.
I'm hoping that the series gets renewed, expanded and adjusted in the future to include more teams per year and a switch to home games instead of neutral site match-ups.
Georgia's known basketball schedule for 2009-2010 include:
Home:
Georgia Tech
Hawaii (tentative)
Away:
Missouri
Virginia Tech
Neutral:
Illinois (Gwinnett)
St. John's (NYC*)
Also a rumored pre-Coach Fox tourney in Hawaii.
Georgia Tech
Hawaii (tentative)
Away:
Missouri
Virginia Tech
Neutral:
Illinois (Gwinnett)
St. John's (NYC*)
Also a rumored pre-Coach Fox tourney in Hawaii.
PWD
*As correctly pointed out in the comments, this clearly isn't a neutral site game despite the intent of the Big East/SEC Challenge. However, the crowd won't look like a traditional SJU game.
April 21, 2009
UGA hoops signee released from letter of intent
Daniel Miller (#5 in the video above) has been released from his letter of intent at Georgia. Per the release:
"The family of Daniel Miller expressed a desire for Daniel to be released from his letter-of-intent," said Fox. "After meeting with them over the weekend, I have granted Daniel his complete release. I wish him well in the career path he chooses for himself."I expect him to sign with Georgia Tech almost immediately. This is a bit of an unusual situation, and it really comes down to what version / rumor do you want to believe?
Do you want to believe ESPN.com who calls him a Top 100 player (#98) who is a 6'8" 240 lb center ranked at #11 in his position nationally? Or do you want to believe Rivals.com who list him as a 3 star center at 6'10" and 235 lbs who is unranked. Or do you ignore rankings because they are meaningless, but look at offers. Well...his other offers were GT, Minnesota, UT-C, Furman and Davidson?
Or do you look at stats? The AJC (who thinks he's 6'11") reports that he averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a senior. Granted, he left games early because of big leads, but that's common among quality players.
So...do you want to believe the best or the worst of this situation?
Did we lose a big time recruit who wanted to go to UGA badly last week only to ask out of his LOI days later? Or do you want to believe this isn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, and it's not going to move the needle either way next year.
I'm of the opinion that no one in the Fox or Miller household is going to lose any sleep about this one going forward. He wasn't going to beat out Jeremy Price, AJax, Trey Thompkins or Chris Barnes next year anyway. And he's not going to beat out the front court talent stacked up at Tech next year either.
I've heard that this is a simply a situation of "fit," and it's not clear that it's as simple as he doesn't want to come to UGA or that Mark Fox doesn't think he's good enough.
So I'm writing it off to a typical transition period.
I will just add this....in the video above, he is playing one of his peer schools in the "Independent Christian Schools of Georgia and Alabama" league. For those of you unfamiliar with the I.C.S.G.A, that's a league lower than G.I.S.A. private schools in terms of athletic competition. The level of play depicted in that video and described to me by guys who've seen those teams play would be..."the lowest level of basketball competition available in this state...against males" (Update: GWA....Miller's opponent in the video above....is in GISA. Which doesn't change my point except to make me look less knowledgeable about ICSGA.)
Regardless, a Top 100 Center doesn't pull down 21 points and 8 rebounds a game against those guys.
It could end up being a blessing in terms of scholarship numbers, or it could be a kid that blossoms at Tech and haunts Fox. That's why recruiting is interesting for fans and a gigantic headache for coaches. I know I was pleased when he initially signed...then again...I didn't know what the ICSGA was either.
You could safely say that I'm assuming the best on this one.
PWD
(Note: I tried really hard not to sound like a sour grapes guy on this one. If that's how you read this, I wrote it wrong.)
April 20, 2009
UGA Bulldog Club Tour -- Road Show Dates
The Athletic Department recently announced the latest dates for the 2009 Georgia Bulldog Club Tour. Interestingly, Coach Mark Fox will be joining Richt for at least 8 of the 9 scheduled events. I don't remember any UGA basketball coach investing that much time promoting the program...ever.
Per the SID's Office:
Per the SID's Office:
This year’s Bulldog Club tour begins Wednesday, April 22, with the Roswell Bulldog Club being held at the Atlanta Athletic Club. All club meetings begin with a social hour at 6 p.m. followed by the program at 7:00 p.m.PWD
Following is the complete schedule with information on each:
Wednesday, April 22, Roswell
Atlanta Athletic Club, 1930 Bobby Jones Drive, Johns Creek, Georgia
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Program (Richt)
Free Admission
Contact: Lee Patrick - 404-509-8571
trummie@trummie3.com
Thursday, April 23, Greenville, SC
Poinsett Club, 807 East Washington Street, Greenville, South Carolina
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
Free Admission
Contact: Blake Coleman, 864-553-7222
bcoleman@fgp.com
www.upstatescdawgs.ning.com
Monday, April 27, Augusta
St. Mary’s on the Hill Gym, Arsenal Avenue. Augusta, Georgia
6:00 pm Social and Buffet Dinner
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
$25.00 Adults/ $10.00 Children 12 and under
Contact: Augusta Bulldog Club
augustabulldogclub.org
Wednesday, April 29, Rome
Coosa Country Club, 110 Branham Avenue, Rome, Georgia
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
Free Admission
Contact: Russ Gates 706-506-8351
JRGPDG@aol.com
Wednesday, May 6, Macon
Walnut Creek Shooting Preserve, 271 Stagecoach Road, Macon, Georgia
6:00 pm Social and BBQ Dinner
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
Cost: $20.00 per person
Contact: Stebin Horne - 478-474-8478 (H)
Thursday, May 7, Columbus
Columbus Convention/Trade Center, 801 Front Avenue, Columbus, Georgia
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
Cost: $15.00 Individual
$25.00 Family
Contact: Bryan Bonner - 706-327-8636 (H)
bsbon@knology.net
Wednesday, May 13, Savannah
Savannah Golf Club, 1661 East President Street, Savannah, Georgia
6:00 pm Social and Heavy Hors d’oeuvres
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
Cost: $25.00 per person
Contacts: Frank Hardeman - 912-658-1839
frank@thehardemanco.com
Brian Foster - 912-629-2907
bfoster@firstchatham.com
Wednesday, May 20, Albany
Doublegate Country Club, Old Dawson Rd., Albany, Ga.
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Program (Richt and Fox)
Free Admission
Contact: Dee Matthews - 229-436-7390
Monday, July 27, Greater Atlanta
“A Celebration of Georgia Athletics”
Cobb Galleria Centre
-UGA Football Coach Mark Richt
-UGA Basketball Coach Mark Fox
-UGA Athletic Director Damon Evans
6:00 pm Social
7:00 pm Program
Free Admission
Contact:
Carolyn Center - 706-542-9220 (w)
Dave Muia - 706-542-6607 (w)
Dawgs Take Series, Still Lead SEC
Justin Grimm's line for yesterday's game was impressive: seven innings, six strikeouts, only one walk, and two runs given up, only one of which was earned. That should get you a win in college baseball. Grimm's great game, though, was countered by Brett Eibner's complete game one-hitter for the Hawgs. The Dawgs were baffled all day by Eibner, who gave up a single hit (to Matt Cerione, who else?) and struck out twelve. The team strikes out in bunches and Eibner took advantage. With no offense and overeager hitters, the Dawgs wasted Grimm's fine performance, losing 2-0. It was the first shutout of the year for a potent Georgia offense. It happens. You're going to run into a guy who has his all his stuff working every once in a while. You just hate to have it happen when your pitcher is mowing them down too.The day wasn't completely wasted. Tennessee won their series in Baton Rouge and Ole Miss beat UF. So, Georgia still leads the conference by two games despite yesterday's loss. The coming week sees the Dawgs travel to Jacksonville State and Ole Miss after Tuesday's home game with Kennesaw State. Ole Miss has some very capable starting pitchers, including 2008 All-American Scott Biddle. The Rebs moved Biddle into a starting role this year and he's been nasty.
We got what we needed this weekend and even opened up a little lead in the conference standings. We're going to need it. Every conference team left on our schedule can take a series from us.
See Also:
-- SEC Weekend Update - JimFromDuluth
Quinton
April 18, 2009
Matt Cerione Does It Again
For the second game in a row, Matt Cerione got a walk-off hit to guide Georgia to a 4-3 win over Arkansas. The final play involved Miles Starr scoring from first. After the game Perno said sending Starr home was a dumb play, but it worked out after the Arkansas catcher bobbled the perfect throw to the plate. Regardless, it was a helluva clutch hit by Cerione.
The Dawgs got excellent pitching today and some big breaks. Weather permitting the final game is tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
PWD
April 17, 2009
PERFECT 10: Suzanne Yoculan Goes out on Top
Tonight in Lincoln, Neb., Suzanne Yoculan's Gym Dogs won their 10th National Title. It was Suzanne's fifth consecutive national championship as a head coach. At this point, it's safe to say that Bear Bryant is the Suzanne Yoculan of football.
The Dawgs were in good, but not great shape entering their final event. With three gymnasts left on the vault, Georgia posted consecutive scores of 9.95, 10.0, and 9.95 to end it in overwhelming fashion. Georgia had a bye for the final rotation, and Utah (who was 2nd at the time) would've needed to average 9.935 on their final event just to tie. The girls simply nailed this.
Courtney Kupets rocked a perfect 10 on the Vault and the Bar.
Congrats to Suzanne. She earned this, and now she retires from the sport as its unquestioned best ever. The Gym Dogs are one helluva team and program.
See Also:
-- 2009 National Champ Georgia Bulldogs T-Shirt
PWD
(image: Georgiadogs.com)
April 16, 2009
SEC Football on TV in 2009: CBS speaks....
David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times-Free Press interviewed CBS executive vice president Mike Aresco about the network's plans for televising SEC football games in 2009.The article mentions that CBS will televise every UGA vs. Florida game for the next 15 years. The SEC and the schools agreed to this in order to avoid playing the Cocktail Party at night.
Also interesting:
CBS has two doubleheaders and will use them Oct. 10 and Nov. 14. The network gets the first two picks Oct. 10 — Aresco labels the Florida-LSU game a “99 percenter” for prime time — and has the first and third or fourth pick Nov. 14.Based on that info and the projections included in the article, I'd put our estimated TV schedule for 2009 as:
| Date | Opponent | TV Network | Kickoff Time | Confirmed? |
| Sept. 5 | at Oklahoma St. | ESPN/ABC | Night | Estimated |
| Sept. 12 | vs. South Carolina | ESPN2/ESPNU | Twilight | Estimated |
| Sept. 19 | at Arkansas | ESPN2/ESPNU | Night | Estimated |
| Sept. 26 | vs. Arizona State* | CBS | 3:30 | Estimated |
| Oct. 3 | vs. LSU | CBS | 3:30 | Estimated |
| Oct. 10 | at Tennessee** | ESPN2/ESPNU | Night | Estimated |
| Oct. 17 | at Vanderbilt | ESPN Regional | Noonish | Estimated |
| Oct. 24 | BYE WEEK | |||
| Oct. 31 | vs. Florida (Jax) | CBS | 3:30 | Yes |
| Nov. 7 | vs. Tenn. Tech | PPV | 1:00 | Estimated |
| Nov. 14 | vs. Auburn*** | ESPN | Night | Estimated |
| Nov. 21 | vs. Kentucky | ESPN2/ESPNU | Twilight | Estimated |
| Nov. 28 | at Georgia Tech | ABC | 3:30 | Estimated |
When the games get confirmed, I'll update this chart.
- * ASU at UGA - Could be a night game if ESPN prefers Ole Miss at South Carolina; however, I'd wager that CBS would like a cross regional game.
** UGA at UT - I agree with Paschall. Bama vs. Ole Miss and LSU vs. UF will be bigger CBS games.
*** AU at UGA - If ESPN were to take Tennessee at Ole Miss with the second pick of the day (after UF vs. SC), we would fall to CBS's noon slot for this double header.
-- JimFromDuluth's TV projections from Feb
-- PWD's TV projections from Feb
PWD
April 15, 2009
Weird
Update: Today will be like yesterday. More meetings less posting.
Anyway. Dawgs lost last night to Tech. Perno desperately needs to find a fourth starter for these mid-week games, and he said as much on the post-game show last night. I'm in meetings all day. Be safe out there.
Anyway. Dawgs lost last night to Tech. Perno desperately needs to find a fourth starter for these mid-week games, and he said as much on the post-game show last night. I'm in meetings all day. Be safe out there.
April 14, 2009
Excellent news on basketball recruiting
Kipp Adams of UGASports.com reports that coaches Mark Fox and Kwanza Johnson were in Homestead, Florida on Easter Sunday to work out and recruit Vincent Williams a 6'1" high school point guard (premium article).
Williams averaged 26.5 points and six assists per game last year. He apparently fell through the cracks of the recruiting system. Initally, his SAT scores needed enough work that he anticipated going to prep school for a year; however, he made his qualifing score a week or two ago. His recruitment has since exploded.
Prior to qualifying, his only hard offers appear to have been UAB and St. Louis; however, other reports suggest that Kentucky, Oklahoma, NC State, Missouri and others made contact with him once he qualified. Kipp's article talks about the incredibly positive impression Fox and Johnson made on the young man and his high school coach.
Oh...and UGA now leads in his recruitment. He's working to schedule a visit to Athens as quickly as possible.
When you go from completely off the radar to in first place after a four hour conversation with a kid, his dad and his coach, that's impressive. Especially when he has started getting calls from Oklahoma.
Georgia is desperately in need of guard help. I see this kid being similar to Levi Stukes. Not in terms of style of play, but in terms of how he would fit into the program. Stukes qualified at the last minute, and he choose to play for Coach Felton during the transition year after Harrick's departure. Stukes came in and averaged 9.5 points and 30 minutes a game while landing Freshman All-SEC honors. If that's what we're getting here, I'd be thrilled.
This isn't a cure all, but it's directionally correct. Mostly, Kipp's article is a love letter to Coach Fox's recruiting. It's the most positive UGA hoops recruiting article I've read in a long time.
See Also:
-- Other kids that may be on the radar - DawgFiles
PWD
Williams averaged 26.5 points and six assists per game last year. He apparently fell through the cracks of the recruiting system. Initally, his SAT scores needed enough work that he anticipated going to prep school for a year; however, he made his qualifing score a week or two ago. His recruitment has since exploded.
Prior to qualifying, his only hard offers appear to have been UAB and St. Louis; however, other reports suggest that Kentucky, Oklahoma, NC State, Missouri and others made contact with him once he qualified. Kipp's article talks about the incredibly positive impression Fox and Johnson made on the young man and his high school coach.
Oh...and UGA now leads in his recruitment. He's working to schedule a visit to Athens as quickly as possible.
When you go from completely off the radar to in first place after a four hour conversation with a kid, his dad and his coach, that's impressive. Especially when he has started getting calls from Oklahoma.
Georgia is desperately in need of guard help. I see this kid being similar to Levi Stukes. Not in terms of style of play, but in terms of how he would fit into the program. Stukes qualified at the last minute, and he choose to play for Coach Felton during the transition year after Harrick's departure. Stukes came in and averaged 9.5 points and 30 minutes a game while landing Freshman All-SEC honors. If that's what we're getting here, I'd be thrilled.
This isn't a cure all, but it's directionally correct. Mostly, Kipp's article is a love letter to Coach Fox's recruiting. It's the most positive UGA hoops recruiting article I've read in a long time.
See Also:
-- Other kids that may be on the radar - DawgFiles
PWD
Swept Into First Place
The Diamond Dawgs swept up Lexington this weekend. All three games were close and low-scoring by college baseball standards (7-4 in both contests Saturday, 5-4 Sunday). Both teams played solid ball. The difference was the consistent power hitting of Georgia's lineup. Poythress, Allen, and Lewis were the big offensive performers, while relievers Will Harvil and Dean Weaver scattered four hits in a little over five scoreless innings. All our starters looked strong against a mild lineup of UK hitters. The best stat was only two errors the entire weekend.The sweep had some immediately tangible results. The Dawgs now lead the SEC by a half game and have reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Coaches's Poll. The only trouble is that the meat of our schedule lies before us. Tonight, #11 Georgia Tech visits Foley Field before #12 Arkansas comes calling this weekend. Arkansas is running second in the conference and, just like the LSU series, winning two of those games would be huge in the conference race.
From here until the end of the regular season, we'll see good conference teams, all capable of sweeping us. Arkansas may be the best of them all. So far, the Dawgs have feasted on the bottom dwellers, sweeping three teams that aren't great. We've got a gaudy overall record and led the SEC, but some people still think we have some things to prove. A series win against Arkansas should legitimize our lofty rankings. We need two wins this week at the least, preferably both against the Hawgs. Everybody hates Tech, but that game isn't really that important in the big picture. Beating Tech won't get UGA any credit if they then lose a home series to Arkansas.
Update: Tickets are still available for GT and Arkansas (except Saturday).
Quinton
April 13, 2009
Some G-Day Thoughts
I think it's Dawgnoxious that describes G-Day as like watching an Ant Farm. Everyone has a job, but it's not totally clear what you're watching. Was that a bad play or a good play? Someone caught a pass....so someone else got burned. Someone threw an INT, but someone also made a great ball hawking steal.
G-Day went about like I expected. I might live to see another 50 G-Days, and there will be few that give less insight into what kind of team we have. Not that G-Day is ever really a leading indicator of anything. There just weren't enough healthy bodies to give us a sense for what the team will be like in 2009.
That's why I all but ignored Spring Practice this year. All of that said, here are my thoughts:
- The QBs - I was pleasantly surprised by Logan Gray's performance. His arm looked stronger than Cox's, and he made good decisions with the ball. Cox looked unimpressive, but some of that is a reflection of his tool set. The idea put forth by many in the Dawg Nation that he throws a "more catchable ball than Stafford" is ridiculous to me. Just because you can't throw a bullet doesn't mean you shouldn't. That said, he'll look better when surrounded by all his complimentary players (ie: Moore, Sturdivant, Vance, C. Davis, Marlon, etc.).
I've seen glowing praise for Aaron Murray's performance on message boards. I'm high Murray, but the kid completed three passes on Saturday. Anointing him as The Chosen One seems a bit much at this point. Note to Aaron Murray...do not stand next to Mettenberg on the sidelines. Zach's sheer enormity reflects poorly on you side by side. You should pay Carlton Thomas to always stand next to you. - The Drops - The 10 or so dropped passes don't concern me because most of the guys dropping balls will rarely be targets once the season rolls around. Aron White misjudged a few, but he's got time to work it out.
- Defensive Ends - One of my biggest worries entering next season is DE. Martinez's system requires a strong pass rush generated by the front four. With the youth at cornerback, it will be difficult to create pressure with extreme LB or CB blitzes that put DBs on an island. So, the dominating performance by Justin Houston was especially encouraging. If he can make big time plays from the Rush End, our entire scheme will look better in '09.
- Running Backs - I've been concerned all off season with the running back situation, and Saturday did predictably little to settle my nerves. Carlton Thomas looked promising; although, his stats were inflated on the last drive by virtue of Bobo having a more star studded line-up on the field than Martinez. It'll be interesting to see how the competition in the Fall impacts the play of Caleb King. It'll quickly become painfully obvious to all 5 backs how few snaps there will be to go around. That should raise the level of play. There is talent there. It just needs to materialize on the field.
- Brandon Boykin - Boykin got a lot of hype during Spring practice, and he lived up to the billing. I was particularly interested in lining him up on offense. Intriguing.
- Overall Defense - They looked good. What else can you say? They didn't allow a TD until the game was decided. If they had allowed a 24-21 type game, I'd be much more nervous.
- Mark Fox - I was happy to see the Athletic Department fully leverage G-Day to create exposure for Coach Fox. The promotional opportunity was handled flawlessly.
PWD
Didn't Hawaii try that?
I remember walking around the streets of New Orleans on New Year's Eve 2007 seeing green "UNDEFEATED" shirts all over the place. I thought, "you Hawaiians are jumping the gun a bit aren't you?"I thought of that shirt while reading about the Utah Utes gymnastics team. The Utes have printed t-shrits for their players declaring themselves "2009 National Champs." They are also wearing gold leotards to symbolize first place.
That takes huge
In reading the article, you can tell Yoculan probably gets a kick out of their shirt. After all, she's no stranger to brash and bold statements. My favorite being this classic about Alabama's Sarah Patterson:
I don't believe in failure. I'd rather go out on a limb now and have it break once and a while than to never go out there. That's just my approach. It's offensive to some people, but it wins for Georgia. So I recruit athletes who can embrace going for it.The Gym Dogs go for the National Title in Lincoln, Nebraska from April 16-18.
[snip]
I don't use nouns when I can use verbs. I don't call my team "underachievers." I say that they are "underachieving." I don't call Sarah Patterson a "loser," I said "don't gripe about losing." I don't hate anything but cauliflower and turnips.
PWD
April 10, 2009
Then Who'll Buy These Fat-Armed Girls?
"This Georgia Bulldog is available for endorsements ... most of the time. 'No Florida Gators gear. That's something I would never endorse.'"
Well done, John.
Quinton
Kentucky Series Sketch
The Diamond Dawgs head to Lexington this weekend for a three game set with the Wildcats (18-13, 4-8 in SEC play). UK lost most of their offensive weapons from last year and their power numbers show it. Their slugging percentage is almost .150 below UGA's mark. They have 27 homers this year, compared with UGA's 60.
One thing UK is better than Georgia is fielding percentage. But, then again, most teams are. The Dawgs currently rank 149th in fielding percentage and have 46 errors. Their 11th in the SEC. Actually, those stats only run through last Sunday and don't include Wednesday's four errors against Winthrop, so make it 50 errors on the year. The Dawgs have to pick it better.
The Cats have a solid, but not spectacular, set of starters. Freshman Alex Meyer takes the hill tonight and is the only righty starter UK will throw this weekend. Their best pitcher goes Saturday, as All-SEC lefty Chris Rusin faces Alex McRee. Sophomore lead-off man Chris Bisson has been UK's best offensive weapon, hitting .369 with 45 hits and 28 RBIs. It's usually not good when your lead-off man leads the team in RBIs, but at least it implies that the bottom of their lineup is getting on base.
If the Diamond Dawgs are going to keep pace in the SEC with Arkansas (who beat new #1 Arizona State twice this week), this is a series we need to sweep. If we can avoid unearned runs and an abundance of walks, everything favors us. Saturday's game will be televised on FS South at 7 EST, so check your local listings and tune in.
Quinton
April 9, 2009
960theRef interview with Mark Fox
The Athens sports talk station 960theRef spent about 15 minutes today with Coach Fox talking about his vision for the UGA program. It's a confidence inspiring discussion. The MP3 interview file is 4.9 Mbs, but it's worth the slow download.
A few days ago, Dave Johnson and the 960 crew also spent some time with Mark Slonaker. Slonaker is a former UGA player and assistant who currently works in a fund raising capacity for UGA following his time as head basketball coach at Mercer. Slonaker talked with Johnson about how Coach Fox is being received on the AAU circuit and what type of person he is. Good stuff.
PWD
A few days ago, Dave Johnson and the 960 crew also spent some time with Mark Slonaker. Slonaker is a former UGA player and assistant who currently works in a fund raising capacity for UGA following his time as head basketball coach at Mercer. Slonaker talked with Johnson about how Coach Fox is being received on the AAU circuit and what type of person he is. Good stuff.
PWD
Kris Durham to miss 2009 season
Kris Durham vs. GSU (Image: Hipple)
The good news for Durham is that he still has a redshirt season available to him. The bad news is obviously the need for surgery. David Hale has the details.
On the other side of the ball, Hale talks about our DBs making progress with fewer dropped interceptions.
PWD
UGA splits with Winthrop in baseball
In typical mid-week form college baseball form, UGA split a double header with Winthrop on Wednesday. I can't look up the details right now because Georgiadogs.com is experiencing technical difficulties, but the scores were:
In SEC action, top 10 ranked Arkansas beat top 5 ranked Arizona State twice this week in Fayetteville. The Hogs are having one heck of a season, and they come to Athens for another monster series April 17-19th.
See Also:
-- UGA RPI Info - Warren Nolan
PWD
- Game 1: Winthrop 7 - UGA 4
Game 2: UGA 13 - Winthrop 2
In SEC action, top 10 ranked Arkansas beat top 5 ranked Arizona State twice this week in Fayetteville. The Hogs are having one heck of a season, and they come to Athens for another monster series April 17-19th.
See Also:
-- UGA RPI Info - Warren Nolan
PWD
April 8, 2009
Confirmed: Mark Fox names Philip Pearson as Assistant Basketball Coach
The AJC has confirmed what we projected yesterday. Mark Fox has named Philip Pearson, former Alabama interim head coach and assistant for 11 years, as an assistant head coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. The Birmingham News also confirmed the hire.
As we outlined yesterday, Pearson had more success recruiting highly rated high school talent from the state of Georgia over the past 10 years than Dennis Felton and Jim Harrick's staffs combined.
Early this morning, Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News spoke glowingly of the rumored Pearson to Bama move.
This could be the best assistant coaching move for UGA basketball since Hugh Durham hired Tevester Anderson. Old time UGA hoops fans know that was a compliment.
UPDATE: The team had their first practice with Fox, Pearson and Kwanza Johnson today.
PWD
Georgia Sports Blog
As we outlined yesterday, Pearson had more success recruiting highly rated high school talent from the state of Georgia over the past 10 years than Dennis Felton and Jim Harrick's staffs combined.
Early this morning, Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News spoke glowingly of the rumored Pearson to Bama move.
"Everybody who thinks Georgia didn't get it when it went outside the conference, the region and the box to hire new basketball coach Mark Fox, get this:
Fox gets it. He's thinking of hiring Philip Pearson.
Sealing that deal would be the smartest move the Georgia coach has made since accepting a job that'll pay him $1.3 million a year for six years."
This could be the best assistant coaching move for UGA basketball since Hugh Durham hired Tevester Anderson. Old time UGA hoops fans know that was a compliment.
UPDATE: The team had their first practice with Fox, Pearson and Kwanza Johnson today.
PWD
Georgia Sports Blog
Shouldn't Cinderella have to earn her place?
Blutarsky found an interesting article about the NCAA Tourney in the Christian Science Monitor of all places. The article suggests that the non-power conference schools aren't giving the mid-majors realistic access to the throne:
But let's put that aside as Blutarsky did and address that this issue of "fairness" and accessibility argument exists for the football and the BCS as well. The bothersome issue to me is the media rarely looks back and acknowledges the simple fact that:
All powerful programs weren't always powerful
The following schools were considered mid-majors or non-BCS members not that long ago:
Closer to home...remember that UGA had a smaller stadium, fewer SEC titles and less regional or national recognition in football than Georgia Tech when Vince Dooley took over the program in 1964. In the 1950s, I've heard that you couldn't give away tickets to UGA games. As late as 1965, UGA was still giving up away games to schools like Michigan without return trips.
It was only 11 years after the trip to Ann Arbor that UGA played for the national title against Pitt, and we won the title 15 years after the win vs. Michigan.
The point -- There is a path to consistent national relevance. All you need is fan support and money. Fan support comes from hiring great coaches, winning games that interest your fans and investing in your program. Money comes from fan support and TV revenue.
Fan Support:
Since 1980, the only programs to win a share of the National Title while averaging less than 50,000 fans per game were Georgia Tech ('90), Colorado ('90) and Miami (multiple). I can't find the BYU attendance for '84, but I'd wager they were over 50,000 on average given the size of the facility that year.
Since 1990, the only schools to make the title game with a seating capacity of less than 70,000 were Georgia Tech (45k), Colorado (55k), Virginia Tech (54k). In basketball, the schools with arenas with capacities of less than 10k rarely win the NCAA title. The biggest exception being Duke.
You can't legislate your way to national relevance in football. You have to earn it on the field. Anybody, anywhere and anytime is how Bobby Bowden did it at FSU. He didn't go to his senator and say, "Life isn't fair. I need you to go back to Washington and make it easier for me to win football games."
We clawed our way to the top of the pile. Why shouldn't Boise, Utah, TCU and Fresno State do the same thing? Fighting your way to the top is much more fun than having it given to you.
PWD
But on the 30th anniversary of the nail-biter match up between Larry Bird's Indiana State squad and Magic Johnson of Michigan State that sparked the March Madness tradition, the big question for many basketball fans is whether the Cinderella era is gone for good – the victim of recruiting dynasties, revenue-sharing that favors power conferences, and a tourney selection committee that has to face the ratings pressures of a $6 billion TV contract.First off, every team in the NCAA tourney has to play six consecutive games. Home court advantage is minimal to coincidental, and there are no bye weeks. It's the flattest tourney structure imaginable. In one game, anyone can beat anyone.
But let's put that aside as Blutarsky did and address that this issue of "fairness" and accessibility argument exists for the football and the BCS as well. The bothersome issue to me is the media rarely looks back and acknowledges the simple fact that:
The following schools were considered mid-majors or non-BCS members not that long ago:
| Team | Joined Power Conference | Notes |
| Arizona | Pac 10 in '78 | Won NC in Hoops 20 Years Later. Five years after leaving the WAC, they hired Lute Olson. Five years after hiring Lute, they were in the Final Four. |
| Arizona State | Pac 10 in '78 | Played for NC in football 18 years later. |
| Florida State | ACC in '91 | Won NC in Football 3 seasons later. Was a laughing stock until mid to late '70s. Completely re-tooled in under 10 years. |
| Miami | Big East in '91 | Won NC in football same year. Considered giving up football in the late '70s. Built from nothing to dominance in under 10 years. |
| Virginia Tech | Big East in '91 | Played for NC in football nine seasons later. Also-ran until hiring Beamer in late '80s. |
| West Virginia | Big East in '91 | Played for NC in '88 before joining league. |
Closer to home...remember that UGA had a smaller stadium, fewer SEC titles and less regional or national recognition in football than Georgia Tech when Vince Dooley took over the program in 1964. In the 1950s, I've heard that you couldn't give away tickets to UGA games. As late as 1965, UGA was still giving up away games to schools like Michigan without return trips.
It was only 11 years after the trip to Ann Arbor that UGA played for the national title against Pitt, and we won the title 15 years after the win vs. Michigan.
The point -- There is a path to consistent national relevance. All you need is fan support and money. Fan support comes from hiring great coaches, winning games that interest your fans and investing in your program. Money comes from fan support and TV revenue.
Fan Support:
Since 1980, the only programs to win a share of the National Title while averaging less than 50,000 fans per game were Georgia Tech ('90), Colorado ('90) and Miami (multiple). I can't find the BYU attendance for '84, but I'd wager they were over 50,000 on average given the size of the facility that year.
Since 1990, the only schools to make the title game with a seating capacity of less than 70,000 were Georgia Tech (45k), Colorado (55k), Virginia Tech (54k). In basketball, the schools with arenas with capacities of less than 10k rarely win the NCAA title. The biggest exception being Duke.
You can't legislate your way to national relevance in football. You have to earn it on the field. Anybody, anywhere and anytime is how Bobby Bowden did it at FSU. He didn't go to his senator and say, "Life isn't fair. I need you to go back to Washington and make it easier for me to win football games."
We clawed our way to the top of the pile. Why shouldn't Boise, Utah, TCU and Fresno State do the same thing? Fighting your way to the top is much more fun than having it given to you.
PWD
April 7, 2009
LSU Fan Takes a Sunday Stroll
Friends of the Program has an amusing photo montage of an LSU fan quietly shuffling out of Foley Field Sunday. Dantzler and the GXtra cameras caught this episode in their broadcasts, but couldn't convey the entire story. For those of you in attendance, details would be appreciated.
Quinton
UGA Assistant Basketball Coach Rumblings
Georgia coach Mark Fox is searching for two assistant basketball coaches to round out his staff. He's expected to bring on coaches with ties to the region. In lieu of any confirmed stories...
The most rumored named out there is Philip Pearson. Pearson was a former Alabama player ('89-94) who spent 11 years as an assistant coach with the Crimson Tide. When Mark Gottfried was terminated earlier this season, Pearson served on an interim basis. From '02-'09 (as far back as Scout.com's database goes), Alabama signed the following kids from Georgia:
Six of those eight kids were listed as four stars according to Scout.com. As a point of reference, UGA only signed five kids rated four stars or higher (excluding Louis Williams) from Georgia during that time frame. And we live here.
It would be a solid hire.
The connection to Fox? One of Mark's former mentors is Tom Asbury. Fox worked for Asbury at Kansas State, and Asbury worked with Pearson for about four years as an assistant at Alabama. IF this is the direction they go...I like it.
I have a name for the other open position, but I'm less confident in putting it out there. If it's who I heard it might be, he's also a coach with SEC ties as a player who has coached in the region. I think that he's also been involved with some extremely high profile recruits. It would be another intriguing hire.
PWD
The most rumored named out there is Philip Pearson. Pearson was a former Alabama player ('89-94) who spent 11 years as an assistant coach with the Crimson Tide. When Mark Gottfried was terminated earlier this season, Pearson served on an interim basis. From '02-'09 (as far back as Scout.com's database goes), Alabama signed the following kids from Georgia:
'09 Shawn Kemp - Canton
'08 Tony Mitchell - Swainsboro
'07 Senario Hillman - Irwinton
'06 Avery Jukes - Snellville
'05 Ray George - GA Based JUCO (Originally NC)
'03 Shawn Taylor - Vienna
'03 Jamareo Davidson - Stone Mountain
'02 Evan Brock - Marietta
'08 Tony Mitchell - Swainsboro
'07 Senario Hillman - Irwinton
'06 Avery Jukes - Snellville
'05 Ray George - GA Based JUCO (Originally NC)
'03 Shawn Taylor - Vienna
'03 Jamareo Davidson - Stone Mountain
'02 Evan Brock - Marietta
Six of those eight kids were listed as four stars according to Scout.com. As a point of reference, UGA only signed five kids rated four stars or higher (excluding Louis Williams) from Georgia during that time frame. And we live here.
It would be a solid hire.
The connection to Fox? One of Mark's former mentors is Tom Asbury. Fox worked for Asbury at Kansas State, and Asbury worked with Pearson for about four years as an assistant at Alabama. IF this is the direction they go...I like it.
I have a name for the other open position, but I'm less confident in putting it out there. If it's who I heard it might be, he's also a coach with SEC ties as a player who has coached in the region. I think that he's also been involved with some extremely high profile recruits. It would be another intriguing hire.
PWD
April 6, 2009
Diamond Dawgs Shrink Under the Bright Lights
After two clutch midweek wins over Clemson, Georgia baseball hosted LSU this past weekend in the first heavyweight clash of the schedule. With the eyes of college baseball on Athens, the Diamond Dawgs came up short, one game to two. Friday night saw the UGA bats wither against LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo. The righty struck out ten and solved the white hot Rich Poythress, who struck out three times. When Ranaudo wasn't striking batters out, he was working out of jams, as the Dawgs stranded 11 baserunners. Trevor Holder made three bad pitches and the Tigers drove them way out of the park. The game was out of hand by the time Georgia rallied for four runs in the eighth and ninth innings, powered primarily by Bryce Massanari's two homers. Massanari went 3-for-5, breaking out of his conference play doldrums.
Saturday's game was more like a church softball game than a baseball contest. Georgia jumped out to a big 10-3 lead before LSU charged back for five in the eigth and ninth innings. Massanari stayed hot and Poythress bounced back to go 3-for-5. May, Cerione, and Lewis also had big offensive days. Alex McRee got into and out of some serious jams, but pitched well enough to hold the Tigers to a couple of earned runs. Lyle Allen hurt his leg Saturday and didn't play Sunday. Not sure when he'll be back.
So, Sunday's game was the all important rubber match and it lived up to the hype. The game was tight throughout, as UGA made two combacks to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth on a Matt Cerione homer. The next inning, Chase Davidson dropped a two out fly ball in right and LSU freshman Mikie Mahtook took Will Harvil deep on the next at bat. Those two unearned runs were the difference. LSU won 7-5 behind an impressive pitching performance by Louis Coleman, LSU's ace, who worked eight innings and must have thrown over 125 pitches. The Dawgs threatened in the bottom of the ninth, but Zach Cone struck out with two runners on.
The series saw some good and a lot of bad. Bryce Massanari (8-for-13), Colby May (6-for-9) and Matt Cerione (6-for-11) put up big offensive numbers. McRee and Grimm pitched well enough to win. Demperio, Davison and Cerione made some brilliant defensive plays. On the other hand, the defense made seven errors this weekend, including Davidson's critical drop. LSU made none. The pitching staff walked 17 batters. LSU walked eight. If you give good teams extra chances, you'll need to play a lot better than they do. We didn't this weekend. There were also several odd baserunning decisions that cost us.
I don't want to take anything away from the Tigers who pitched exceedingly well, but if we made that many mistakes and the rubber game was that close, it makes you think we gave the series away. We're still leading the SEC East by a game and trail Arkansas by two games for the league lead. The team has got to play better defense and stop walking batters. Winthrop visits Athens Tuesday and Wednesday before the Dawgs head to Lexington this weekend.
Quinton
April 4, 2009
Mark Fox: Profile Pieces
See...we've filled it before.
Getting to know Mark Fox and understanding his plans for the program starts with establishing his narrative. When you understand what makes the guy tick, it makes it easier to understand or visualize how he might address our basketball challenges.
I mostly enjoyed the initial press conference because Fox presented himself as a confident yet humble guy who said the magic words...he knows how to develop off the radar talent into NBA players.
However, the press conference didn't really get into issues like...how is he going to turn us around? Some of that may be attributable to the hastily arranged marriage between UGA and Fox, and some of it is due to the weak sauce series of questions about flight schedules, interview processes, etc. I'd rather have heard more about his approach and vision.
Anyway, the getting to know you process went into full gear Saturday:
- Driven to Excel - Steve Hummer of the AJC should write more about the UGA program. His feature story on Fox's entry into the profession and work ethic is solid.
- Fox's strengths could change the program - David Ching talks about the coach's established record of attracting and developing talent.
- Whirlwind Opportunity - David Hale talks about the hire.
- DawgPost.com's Video Interview - Good stuff from the press conference and more by Dean Legge. Not sure if that's subscriber content or not.
- Mark Fox as Pitchman - This is an article from last month about Mark Fox's evolution into more of an ambassador / front man for the Nevada program. Our program desperately needs a face, and it's going to have to be the coach until recruiting picks up. (ht - hot dawg)
- Tidbit on Mark's Wife - Cindy was actually born in Athens
PWD
April 3, 2009
From the Press Conference
Mark Fox (Image: Georgiadogs.com. Click to Enlarge)I watched the Mark Fox introductory press conference live on GXtra, and I'm lousy at taking detailed notes. However, here's my best shot at the sound bites that most interested me. I paraphrased a few lines, but you'll get the idea. I got as close as I could without a replay button.
Q: When did you first become aware of the UGA position?
A: "My interest in Georgia goes way back. I talked to a search firm a few years ago about another job. They wanted me to consider it, and I replied 'It's not like it's Georgia.'"
Q: How are you going to compete with the great coaches in the SEC?
A: "Well...Billy Donovan is a great coach, but Billy Donovan and I aren't playing one on one. Which is good because he's a better player than I am. Now, Calipari and his bad hip, I could probably take him."
Q: How do you get the local talent pipeline going:
A: "First, you have to let recruits know that their dreams can come true at this institution. Every young kid wants to play in the NBA, and every kid needs to realize that he'll have to work for 3 or 4 decades after basketball. We can help do both." (This is a heavy paraphrase. If I butchered the line, you'll see a better quote from the beat writers. But I liked what he said.)
Q: Are you going to get a local assistant?
A: "We will hire someone who is familiar with this area. That's not something we take lightly."
Q: Are you close with Trent Johnson?
A: "Trent Johnson and I are very close. He introduced me to my wife. 99 days out of 100 I thank him for that."
Q: What are your Offensive and Defensive philosophies?
A: "You can't always control what situations you get yourself into so you have to be flexible. Offensively, we want to play as fast as we can play well. Everything starts with defense and rebounding. Defensively, we're mainly a man to man team. You can't rebound if the other guy is making all of his shots. Offensively, we put a premium on shot selection, and we have to execute in the half court."
Overall, he was saying that it would depend on our talent level as to what the systems would look like initially vs. eventually.
Q: Are you bringing any assistants with you?
A: PWD NOTE: He's bringingtwo assistants one assistant. The most senior assistant will likely become head coach at Nevada. The one assistant he did name was Kwanza Johnson.
Johnson played for Tubby Smith at Tulsa. The guy has a Bachelor's degree in economics and a law degree from Tulsa. Fox said, "Johnson is a shooting star assistant in this profession. I'm thrilled to have him." He was a senior on Tubby's last team there and went to two consecutive Sweet 16s. He was Team Captain and an all conference defensive player at Tulsa. When you start your college career as a JUCO and walk away with an economics degree and a law degree, you are most certainly an overachiever. He's exactly the type of coach we need on the recruiting trail and setting an example for the player in terms of work ethic. (Note: that's me talking...not Fox)
A: "My interest in Georgia goes way back. I talked to a search firm a few years ago about another job. They wanted me to consider it, and I replied 'It's not like it's Georgia.'"
Q: How are you going to compete with the great coaches in the SEC?
A: "Well...Billy Donovan is a great coach, but Billy Donovan and I aren't playing one on one. Which is good because he's a better player than I am. Now, Calipari and his bad hip, I could probably take him."
Q: How do you get the local talent pipeline going:
A: "First, you have to let recruits know that their dreams can come true at this institution. Every young kid wants to play in the NBA, and every kid needs to realize that he'll have to work for 3 or 4 decades after basketball. We can help do both." (This is a heavy paraphrase. If I butchered the line, you'll see a better quote from the beat writers. But I liked what he said.)
Q: Are you going to get a local assistant?
A: "We will hire someone who is familiar with this area. That's not something we take lightly."
Q: Are you close with Trent Johnson?
A: "Trent Johnson and I are very close. He introduced me to my wife. 99 days out of 100 I thank him for that."
Q: What are your Offensive and Defensive philosophies?
A: "You can't always control what situations you get yourself into so you have to be flexible. Offensively, we want to play as fast as we can play well. Everything starts with defense and rebounding. Defensively, we're mainly a man to man team. You can't rebound if the other guy is making all of his shots. Offensively, we put a premium on shot selection, and we have to execute in the half court."
Overall, he was saying that it would depend on our talent level as to what the systems would look like initially vs. eventually.
Q: Are you bringing any assistants with you?
A: PWD NOTE: He's bringing
Johnson played for Tubby Smith at Tulsa. The guy has a Bachelor's degree in economics and a law degree from Tulsa. Fox said, "Johnson is a shooting star assistant in this profession. I'm thrilled to have him." He was a senior on Tubby's last team there and went to two consecutive Sweet 16s. He was Team Captain and an all conference defensive player at Tulsa. When you start your college career as a JUCO and walk away with an economics degree and a law degree, you are most certainly an overachiever. He's exactly the type of coach we need on the recruiting trail and setting an example for the player in terms of work ethic. (Note: that's me talking...not Fox)
Overall, I was impressed. He has a comfortable presence in front of the camera, and a strong dry wit. He wasn't doing slapstick on the podium, but he was disarmingly charming. When you compare a Dennis Felton press conference / filibuster to this it's night and day. He didn't need notes or a script. He just talked comfortably about the situation.
I'm encouraged.
PWD
(BTW -- He had the God given sense to wear what looked like a gray suit with a red and black tie. Thankfully)
April 2, 2009
UGA to Hire Mark Fox as Basketball Coach
Chip Towers of the AJC was the first to report that Mark Fox of Nevada will be named head basketball coach of the Georgia Bulldogs tomorrow at an 11:00 am press conference in Athens. Given what was available and willing to assume our challenge, this is a very strong hire.His resume as a head coach beats the hell out of the one owned by Anthony Grant, Frank Haith, Brad Stevens (Butler) or Brian Gregory (Dayton).
Specifically, he has more conference titles, more NCAA Tourney wins, more weeks ranked in the Top 25, and more wins against teams you've ever heard of than Anthony Grant by a long shot.
Highlights of Fox's Career:
- Career Record - 123-43 overall and 66-16 in the WAC. Never won fewer than 21 games in a season in five seasons.
- Championships - Won the WAC regular season title four times in five years, and he won the conference tourney once.
- NCAA Appearances - 3 NCAA Tourney appearances. He advanced to the second round twice including a huge win over Texas, and he beat Creighton in the tourney when they had a Top 25 team. His tourney losses were to Memphis, Illinois (when they were #1) and an upset loss to Montana. Also made the CBI twice (the other NIT).
- Mentor of Note - Coached under Trent Johnson of LSU at Nevada for several years. When Johnson went to Stanford, Fox took over as head coach. Johnson's system and style of play was very effective in the SEC last year.
Winner on the Road:
As a head coach he has won road games versus Kansas, Cal, Gonzaga, UNLV and Georgia. Given our program's problems winning road games the past few years, that's a quality list of wins for a mid-major program. He's also won home games against UNLV, Anthony Grant's VCU team (2009), Oregon State and UGA.
His record from Wikipedia:
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada (Western Athletic Conference) (2004–present) | ||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Nevada | 25-7 | 16-2 | 1st | NCAA 2nd Round | |||
| 2005–2006 | Nevada | 27-6 | 13-3 | 1st | NCAA 1st Round | |||
| 2006–2007 | Nevada | 29-5 | 14-2 | 1st | NCAA 2nd Round | |||
| 2007–2008 | Nevada | 21-12 | 12-4 | 1st (Tied) | CBI 1st Round | |||
| 2008–2009 | Nevada | 21-13 | 11-5 | 2nd | CBI 1st Round | |||
| Nevada: | 123-43 | 66-16 | ||||||
UPDATE Recruiting:
He put 4 players into the NBA in five years. For a mid-major, that's very strong. I would be embarrassed to tell you how far back you have to go to find four UGA players in the NBA.
He has a four star shooting guard committed for this season, but not signed yet (please oh please let him come here). He signed two four star kids last year, and he is credited with signing All-American Nick Fazekas at Nevada when he was an assistant coach.
UPDATE Profile Articles:
The NY Times put together a large profile piece on Fox's team in 2007. It talks about his background and views on life.
“The whole secret to our success has been finding kids that get better and kids that buy into how we operate here,” said Mark Fox, who is in his third season as Nevada’s coach. “They’ve all been really good kids that have allowed themselves to be coached and work hard.”The Nevada News recently talked with Mark and Cindy Fox about a class they taught on campus. In the interview, Mark talks about his first paycheck where he realized his check was only $6 more than his rent.
Interestingly, his wife Cindy is the #2 athletic director at Nevada. Her title is Executive Associate Athletic Director, Sports Support. She's like the Arthur Johnson of Nevada.
Overall:
Before you say....WTF? Or "Who?" Consider this....if you had never heard that unrealistic, dumbass idea that Jeff Capel was obtainable, and you actually read the guy's qualifications....would you be interested? Wait til you see who he has actually beaten. It's no joke.
See Also:
-- Mark Fox Bio - Nevada Athletics
-- More info - SicEmDawgs
PWD
