Only 48 hours now until decision day for high school football stars across the nation. Most of course have already made their decisions, it is just a matter of them making it official by signing on the dotted line. But, for some high profile kids, Wed is the the big day where they announce and sign. Of course UGA awaits a few decisions, probably the biggest one will be at 1:30 when Isiah Crowell makes his decision between UGA and Bama. This year more than any I can EVER remember it seems that most of the elite kids in the state of Ga were down to Georgia and Alabama. I realize that Saban made it a high priority when he took over that job to make sure he recruited our state second only to his home state. It really does make a lot of sense but it is good to see our coaches digging in strongly this year and winning most of the battles. Because our state is SOOOO loaded with division one talent, and only have two D1 schools in state (and no offense to GT but the elite kids have various reasons not to attend there), we are always going to have to fight off out of state schools. You have SCarolina with two big schools battling and not nearly the talent base, you have Tenn with two school and very little talent, you have Alabama with two big schools and not enough talent-Ga helps supply every neighboring state with a lot of talent. Even UF, in a state LOADED with talent moreso than Georgia, will still come up and try hard to get our elite kids. So, with that being said again you have to just really give our coaches a lot of credit for the job they have done thus far this recruiting season. You know a lot of schools are doing a lot of negative recruiting against us with our head coach truly being on the hot seat. Matter fact, check out this article by Chris White I found on Seth Emerson's blog, where the Carver head coach is talking about Isiah Crowell being the savior to a program, or saving a coach's job and feeling that pressure.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/01/29/1440044/crowell-shuts-out-media-as-pressure.html
Ok, well, where do I start. Pressure to save a coaches job? This kid has NEVER set foot on our campus as a college football player-why does he or his coach think he alone will determine Coach Richt's fate. I think Crowell will really help us should he decide to come to Athens but I don't think he will have the Lattimore impact, at least not right off the bat. Still, you KNOW where that information is coming from-Nick Saban, Kirby Smart anyone. This is an example of the negative recruiting going against us, and the fact we are beating Bama on these recruits is VERY satisfying because I have a feeling Saban/Smart are two of the best when it comes to putting these negative thoughts in a kids head. I think that was part of Drew's call out when he made his announcement on Friday-he was basically telling the kids are you up for the challenge. A kid with the talent of Crowell and as highly recruited is going to face pressure from day 1. Now, maybe less pressure at Bama because they already have a stable of backs over there so he will not be expected to be the man right away, but in this day and age I believe most kids WANT the challenge and pressure to come right in from high school and make an immediate impact as a college freshman. Hopefully Crowell realizes his opportunity-not to be a savior but to be a key ingredient to getting our running game back in gear.
Here is a video from Dawgpost, most of you probably have already checked out but in case you are here and don't go to Dawgpost, here is a link so you can view the new additions to the Butts-Mehre building-the indoor facilty, the new weightroom, new computer system, player lounges, coaches offices etc-there is no doubt this facility is top notch and very impressive to recruits. Some will scoff at the size of the indoor facility but I don't. Let's face it, how often will that be needed? I believe basically it will be used for walk throughs, maybe get some drills in but unless there is a lightning storm, the coaches are still going to want to practice a good bit outdoors because you neve know when you will have rain in a ballgame-so you really need to practice in all types of weather. The facility serves the purpose it was intended, to provide an indoor spot at the complex to get some work done-instead of having to go to the student center. Check it out below.
http://georgia.scout.com/2/1044130.html
So now to look at our recruiting numbers, from my count we have 61 kids on scholarship, that total includes Reuben Faloughi and Ty Frix, both former walkons. I would think both could have their status revert back to walkon if need be-especially Frix since we have a long snapper as part of this recruiting class. That being said, I would imagine since Frix has done a great job his first two years, he will snap this fall and Theus would redshirt-that to me is a no brainer. But still, walkons know that they are truly on a year to year basis, especially when they do get extended the full ride. Faloughi looks to be part of special teams and may also get some snaps this season as OLB but what works in his favor is that he is a gifted student and thus can qualify for academic scholarship money if need be. Anyhow, I will bump the number back to down to 60, that gives us a full 25 spots open on the roster. The rule as I understand it, although I admit I really don't understand the rules especially since so many schools oversign every year, is you can sign 28 kids each year, maximum 85 on scholarship at a time. The theory goes, I ASSume, you sign 28 (or over 30 if you are Ole Miss, Bama, AU, Ark, LSU, SCarolina) and figure several will not qualify. You also figure on some additional attrition (in the case of many schools, kids deciding to transfer on their own-wink, wink) or a kid deciding to give up the sport due to a medical reason. Now, if you have early enrollees, they don't count toward the 28 number you can sign. Ok, confused yet? If I have it figured correctly, we have 23 commitments, 2 of which have already signed and are enrolled in classes-Christian LeMay and Chris Conley. This means we have 21 technically for this year so we can sign up to 7 more kids although that does not seem likely at this point. I do firmly believe we sign 25-26 though. From all indications, we will have at least one kid likely headed to Prep or JUCO, that being Chris Mayes from Spalding High school-that is not the official word, just what I have heard.
So, with all that in your head, here are the kids I think UGA will be in play for on signing day. First of all, of course you have Isiah Crowell. Also, Jeoffrey Pagan from Asheville, NC, strong rumors are he will sign with us. Also, Kent Turene out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla, just decommited from Southern Cal and now will decide between UGA, Texas Tech, Nebraska and Southern Cal. Antonio Richardson out of Nashville, Tenn will decide between Tenn and UGA most likely. There is still some speculation that Xzavier Dickson could switch although that to me seems unlikely. You also have Jonathan Jenkins, the big NT out of JUCO who is expected to sign on Saturday, the 5th. IF and that is a big IF, we land Crowell, Pagan, Jenkins, Turene and Richardson, that would be of course 5 spots which might just be class closed. If we lose a couple of those kids-likely to be Richardson and Turene, it will be very interesting to see who might be plan B guys that I am sure our coaches have been in contact with, the Kenarious Gates of the 2011 class if you will. Many will agrue we already have a couple Gates in this class, those being Sanford Seay and Quintavious Harrow but there could be another under the radar guy coming our way on Wed. Stay tuned.
Tomorrow I will break down the Razorbacks but here is a little bit of information about our next hoop opponent. They have the same exact record we do at 14-6 but they are a game better in SEC play, 4-3. As I mentioned yesterday, they just went into Nashville and beat Vandy-VERY impressive I have to say-not only to win but to win by 11. This team has NOT lost a home game all year, that being said, this is a game where we really need to bounce back. Do you realize we only have 10 regular season games left. For us to have a chance to make the NCAA tourney, we have to be at least at 20 wins, perhaps 21 before the SEC tourney. This means going 6-4 or better down the stretch. We do have some very winnable games coming up-home againt AU, Xavier, SCarolina, Vandy and LSU. Out of that group, Xavier and Vandy look to be the toughest. We have road games at Arkansas, South Carolina, Tenn, Fla and Bama. I am thinking we need two wins out of that 5. If we lose a another home game, we need 3 road wins in my opinion. I love Coach Fox and I really do like our team but they MUST find a groove here soon and go on a nice run to down the stretch. I would hate for us to miss the dance this year and have Thompkins and possibly Leslie, along with Price and Barnes, leave Athens without a NCAA appearance-Price and Barnes I believe went their FR years but that team was NOTHING compared to this team. Time to step it up boys.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Time to step it up in Hog land
Wow, what an ugly performance yesterday in Lexington. Let me just say first, I think that 2OT loss really took a lot out of our team, both mentally and physically. I think if you look at UF, it also took a lot out of them as how do you explain losing to Miss State on the road but beating UGA in Athens and UT in Knoxville, basically UF had won EVERY road game this year I do believe-yet lost at Miss State. As for our loss, the fact we only loss by 6 with Trey and Travis BOTH having their worst games of the season in the same game. So, in that sense it is hard to expect a win in that place with those guys playing not up to their normal game. I thought Jeremy Price and Dustin Ware played well, Gerald was ok but again his passing ability is not that of a true point guard-a couple crucial times yesterday when we had a shot to cut the lead down, his entry passes to both Trey and Travis were NOT good at all. Still, we had it within striking distance late, thanks to our pesky nature and quite honestly, UK being a team of mostly young players-the fact they are young and also they truly have no depth, I don't think they will make it very far in the NCAA tourney. But, yesterday is gone and now we have to look ahead and try to get a win in Arkansas. We have had some success over there, in fact in recent history I think we have played better there than just about any away venue exept maybe AU. You would have to think that both Trey and Travis will rebound strongly from their disappointing UK performances but then you look at Arky and they just went on the road to Nashville last night and won the game-sure didn't see that coming. I will be previewing Arkansas on Tuesday as the game approaches. I admit I know very little about them as of now so I will take a very hard look and break down the numbers soon.
This is the last weekend before signing day and all appears quiet, UGA hosted a junior day this weekend matter of fact. We now just wait on the final pieces of the "G" puzzle as Ray Drew said on Friday. Isiah Crowell, Jeoffrey Pagan, Jonathan Jenkins-possibly Richardson and Turene could be signing day or beyond boosts to what is already possibly the best recruiting class in the Mark Richt era. Now of course comes the speculation of will he be coaching these guys when they are upperclassmen, I think next year is the year to find out. I have said before and will say again, if we don't have a 9-3 or better regular season, I do believe Mark Richt will be fired. I am not saying I totally agree with that but I do really believe that to be case and I think Richt knows it. I do not think he will hold a FR kid back if he thinks that kid will help him win football games in 2011. So, last week I said 10 or 11 true FR could play, it could be more than that I guess but I just think kids on the OL and secondary, due to depth it makes little sense to burn a year for them. But I think he will NOT be afraid to play a kid, meaning I don't see a Knowshon situation happening next year, a kid that is blowing up the scout team, chances are he will be promoted up to the varsity rather than spend that year on the practice squad. The first two games of 2011 will really be the key to his chances to survive. I know Boise returns the QB but I honestly think our D in year two will be a LOT better than last year, I imagine we will really get after the QB playing without his top two wideouts. Boise's D, well, let's just say I feel really confident that UCF is a much tougher D than Boise. In week 2, Lattimore will not surprise us this year, that game is going to be TOUGH but I think our boys will be really up and prepared for that game-with it being early, our coaches will have the summer to essentially prepare for both of the first two games because the D game plans will certainly be MUCH different for week 1 compared to week 2.
Well, all for now, I will update the blog tomorrow with some recruiting information and then on Tuesday with the Arkansas preview. Stay tuned and again, for those reading, thanks for stopping by and PLEASE drop me a line if there is something you would like to tell me about the blog, or a topic you want me to discuss or do some research on. If you have any questions or comments, please share. The comment section below my posts, just click on comments and then type away. You do not have to identify yourself, you can post anonymously and that is just fine.
This is the last weekend before signing day and all appears quiet, UGA hosted a junior day this weekend matter of fact. We now just wait on the final pieces of the "G" puzzle as Ray Drew said on Friday. Isiah Crowell, Jeoffrey Pagan, Jonathan Jenkins-possibly Richardson and Turene could be signing day or beyond boosts to what is already possibly the best recruiting class in the Mark Richt era. Now of course comes the speculation of will he be coaching these guys when they are upperclassmen, I think next year is the year to find out. I have said before and will say again, if we don't have a 9-3 or better regular season, I do believe Mark Richt will be fired. I am not saying I totally agree with that but I do really believe that to be case and I think Richt knows it. I do not think he will hold a FR kid back if he thinks that kid will help him win football games in 2011. So, last week I said 10 or 11 true FR could play, it could be more than that I guess but I just think kids on the OL and secondary, due to depth it makes little sense to burn a year for them. But I think he will NOT be afraid to play a kid, meaning I don't see a Knowshon situation happening next year, a kid that is blowing up the scout team, chances are he will be promoted up to the varsity rather than spend that year on the practice squad. The first two games of 2011 will really be the key to his chances to survive. I know Boise returns the QB but I honestly think our D in year two will be a LOT better than last year, I imagine we will really get after the QB playing without his top two wideouts. Boise's D, well, let's just say I feel really confident that UCF is a much tougher D than Boise. In week 2, Lattimore will not surprise us this year, that game is going to be TOUGH but I think our boys will be really up and prepared for that game-with it being early, our coaches will have the summer to essentially prepare for both of the first two games because the D game plans will certainly be MUCH different for week 1 compared to week 2.
Well, all for now, I will update the blog tomorrow with some recruiting information and then on Tuesday with the Arkansas preview. Stay tuned and again, for those reading, thanks for stopping by and PLEASE drop me a line if there is something you would like to tell me about the blog, or a topic you want me to discuss or do some research on. If you have any questions or comments, please share. The comment section below my posts, just click on comments and then type away. You do not have to identify yourself, you can post anonymously and that is just fine.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Drew countdown is on....
Well, in about 15 minutes (probably not), finally we will know if top defensive player in Ga will become a Dog. From all indications, he will indeed bring only the "G" hat to his announcement. I will update this post sometime after he makes his annoucement, scheduled for 10am but probably be more like 10:30 because Ray Drew likes to talk and he does have 5 finalists and I feel quite sure he will drag it out, also will have to thank school, friends, coaches and of course family. I am waiting on his announcement to give you my thoughts on our D for next year because I think he WILL be involved in the discussion. Also think John Jenkins will be and so I will throw him in the mix as well, just can't make his position with us 100% secure until he signs the papers a week from tomorrow.
My post today will be about our D, as well as a brief recap/update on Kentucky, our opponent tomorrow on the hardwood.
Well by now those visiting probably already know it but Ray Drew put on the red hat with the black "G" on it about 10:20 this morning. In doing so, he mentioned the type man Coach Richt is and how confident he is that CMR can improve him as a man in all aspects. Also, he mentioned the communications school in Athens being one of the best in the nation, I agree as I graduated from the Grady school back in 1991. Ray is a very articulate young man if you listen to him speak, he should respresent UGA well in the future. Congrats again to our coaches for securing this outstanding football talent and person, at a school where typically FSU rules. We now turn our recruiting attention the following names, all of which Ray Drew mentioned during his speech today-Isiah Crowell, Antionio Richardson, Kent Turene, John Jenkins and Jeoffrey Pagan. Simply put, if we get all those kids along with what we already have, this class will rival any in the nation, to me it will rival the D class UF put together last year. Grantham might not have mature talent next year but certainly will have talent on his hands in the years to come.
Quickly to the hoops game tomorrow, 4pm on ESPN. Course the game is at Lexington which is always a tough place to play, not only because UK is always VERY talented but also it appears some guys in blue seem to find a way to slip a few bills into the zebras pockets prior to tip. UK is known to get ALL the calls in that building so that combined with the talent, you get the idea. As I mentioned yesterday, they had this week off to get ready for us. We beat them earlier in the year by 7, a game we pretty much were in control of save a few minutes in the second half. Last time we played them, Trey went off for 25pts, Gerald for 17 and Travis for 15. We hit 30 of 34 free throws, they only took 16 FT's, look for that to be the reverse this time. Terrence Jones led them in scoring in that game with 24 and 10 boards, and leads them overall at 18.3 pts and nearly 9 boards a game. Last game, he was in foul trouble and only played 23 minutes. It would be very beneficial to get him in foul trouble again because there is no question he is the best on the UK roster. Course he is also the kid that Coach Cal blew up, which was caught on camera, during the Cats loss to Bama. The reason, so I have read, is because Jones can and will be a very selfish player. Sometimes that is the case when kids are used to be the man and are not used to playing team basketball. The week off will probably do Cal and Jones some good to get it all ironed out. The fact remains, UK sits at 15-4 on the season and 3-2 in the SEC. They beat SCarolina in Columbia their last time out, before that had the loss at Bama. They also beat LSU and AU in conference play. So, I would have to say, we are the most talented conference team they have played to this point and we beat them. Not saying we win again but certianly if we can keep it close, we should have a shot. They only play 6 guys, I mean they REALLY do not go to the bench. If we can get one or two guys in foul trouble, BIG advantage for us. I look for Trey to have another big game as Harrellson although big at 6'10" and 275, simply doesn't have the ability to handle a player like Trey. Hopefully we have shaken off the tough loss to UF and are ready to play ball on Saturday. Kentucky has NOT lost a home game all season so let's hope we can be the first one to pull it off.
Now moving on to my preview of the defense. A big key to our defense next year will be a young man we are still waiting on, that being John Jenkins. He truly should be a difference maker and here is why. First of all, as much as Grantham said we didn't need a big NT for his version of the 3-4, I firmly believe you DO need a very good NT for a true 3-4. If the center can pretty much handle the nose by himself, that leaves 4 other guys to block. We need a nose that can really clog the middle and cause the OL a lot of trouble, that will then free up our DE's to make more plays and more importantly than that, free up both our OLB and ILB-in other words, the more manpower it takes for the OL to handle that big NT, the more freedom EVERYONE else in the front seven has to come after the QB. Considering we plugged Tyson at NT last year, it really did not work. No offense to Tyson as he did the best he could but he is a great looking DE, NOT a NT. So, you plug Jenkins in the middle, that puts SR DeAngelo Tyson and JR Abry Jones at the DE positons-very solid. Now, for depth, you have Garrison Smith and Derrick Lott, could also see Thornton playing at DE or NT some. Then you have Geathers and Bean Anderson-I personally believe that if we get Jenkins, we see one of those guys head back to OT. They are both HUGE guys, at 6'5 and both over 320. A typical NT is going to be more squatty than 6'5" and that is why I think Geathers didn't get more PT last year, it was hard for him to get low. Now, Jenkins is listed at 6'4" but NT is his natural position, that is not the case for Anderson and I don't think Geathers played NT in HS, probably more likely DT. Bottom line is I don't think we need both Geathers and Anderson as backup at NT because I suspect Thornton will get some time there in a backup role. Of the recruits coming in, the only one that would look to be definite for the DL would be Chris Mayes and from all accounts I have heard he will head off to Ga. Military for a year or two. Drew and Bailey, even Pagan, to me look more like OLB, they all have Justin Houston size and speed-in fact Drew mentioned he will playing Justin Houston's position at UGA.
At LB, we have a lot of bodies there but not so much experience. We lost Dent, Gamble, Houston, Hebron, and Dowtin, a lot of tackles and experience. That being said, I am very excited about the players we have back-especially Richard Samuel and Jarvis Jones. Of course I also really like Cornelius Washington and I expect that he will really start to blossom this year, his JR season. His size is close to that of Houston and he has a lot of speed to go with it. Christian Robinson returns and if nothing else, he is a kid that knows how to play within the system and seems to be a coach on the field. I do not think he is our best option at LB but he is steady and you know exactly what you are going to get from him. If TJ Stripling comes back from his injury strong, I think he also can make an impact on the outside because of his size and especially speed around the corner. Mike Gilliard will have a shot in the middle but to me he seems destined for more playing time on special teams. Two total unknows will be Dexter Morant and Brandon Burrows-Morant left the team last year but then came back, Burrows is coming off a hurt knee from HS. I would imagine they could factor into some possible PT but they will have to beat out Ray Drew and Sterling Bailey. If we get Pagan, with him coming off his injury, I would imagine he might be headed for a redshirt. Bailey might also get one, because out of the group of young DE/LB coming in, I firmly believe Drew is the safest bet to get playing time in 2011. Let us not forget about Chase Vasser, this kid has good size but he could be lost in the numbers. He will continue to help out on special teams-I know these guys probably get down when they are delegated to special teams but quite honestly, special teams is a HUGE factor in football games-you need to have talented kids playing on special teams because if you give up a huge kick return, it can truly impact a game. Another name to remember is Ramik Wilson, the kid already has the size to come in and play right away, and depending on health of Samuel, Jones, Robinson, he might have a shot on the inside. Same goes for Amarlo Herrera, another kid with the size to play right away. Their problem simply will be depth and fighting their way up the depth chart. I do see that maybe one ILB could contribute in a reserve role, just not sure which will do it. If we get Turene, you could also throw him in the mix for the inside slot. When kids are already tipping the scales as a LB at nearly 230 coming out of high school, in my mind they are physically able to make the jump, just a matter of being mentally ready and then of course the depth chart.
Moving to the secondary, I feel like this is the strongest part of our defense, especially when Boykin returned. He of course means a lot to us in special teams with his kickoff returns but without question he is our best corner. I was impressed with the play of Sanders Commings this year. I think he will hold down the other corner slot, of course at the safety positions you have Rambo and Alec Ogletree-I said this last year about "Tree", once he gets the starting job, he will have it until he leaves Athens. Simply put, he is a special player and a impact player on defense. He is only going to get better and better and that is exciting. Rambo had some lapses last year for sure but is still solid. We have depth all around the secondary as well. Shawn Williams is a good backup safety, Derek Ownes, Jakar Hamilton, and Jordan Love also very capable reserves and critical parts of our special team units. Then you have Branden Smith-he played mostly nickle back last year, and quite honestly he disappointed me. I know he had a concussion that kept him out some time but I still say, with his amazing speed can be more an asset on the offensive side of the ball. I think the depth we have already in place, coupled with the young kids coming in-Swann, Mitchell, Marshall, Bowman, there is certainly enough depth to where he COULD be moved to WR on a permanent basis if needed. Not saying that will happen but I personally believe it is possible. As for the young kids, because of our depth, unless these kids just simply too good to keep off the field, I think the majority will redshirt. Mitchell is a kid to watch for, I think he will play somewhere for sure. I think Swann has a shot as well. I think Bowman, Marshall, Corey Moore and Chris Sanders are headed for redshirts. Mitchell and then Swann get my vote for best chances to see the field in 2011.
Of course, we return both kickers, both all american candidates, enough said there. Butler dropped off a bit this year but still was solid. Walsh, other than the critical miss against Colorado, was just outstanding this year. Always great to have a nearly 100% chance of getting 3 points once you get to your opponents 35.
Ok, so there you have it. I do believe as many as 5-7 of our young defenders could come in and battle for PT. Jenkins for sure, he has a shot to start but after that, I would say Drew, and then one or maybe two of the following-Herrera, Wilson or Turene, then Mitchell and Swann. Because of the importance this year holds for Mark Richt and company, I suspect that if a kid can play and contribute, he will play them. Last year we played Mason, Zander and Alec Ogletree, Gates, Smith, Stripling, and Owens. By my count, 7 true FR. Along with Crowell and maybe a WR, also maybe LeMay (would rather him redshirt unless Murray gets seriously hurt), I can see about 10-11 total kids having a shot to play out of the DREAM TEAM class.
What do you all think, let me know your thoughts if you would like. I think playing 10-11 kids from a class this talented is just about right. One of these days when I have time, I will try to look back and see how many true freshmen we have played the past few years. Like I say, last year by my count we played 7 but I might be off. Because this class has SOOO much talent, I thin 10-11 is a pretty safe bet.
My post today will be about our D, as well as a brief recap/update on Kentucky, our opponent tomorrow on the hardwood.
Well by now those visiting probably already know it but Ray Drew put on the red hat with the black "G" on it about 10:20 this morning. In doing so, he mentioned the type man Coach Richt is and how confident he is that CMR can improve him as a man in all aspects. Also, he mentioned the communications school in Athens being one of the best in the nation, I agree as I graduated from the Grady school back in 1991. Ray is a very articulate young man if you listen to him speak, he should respresent UGA well in the future. Congrats again to our coaches for securing this outstanding football talent and person, at a school where typically FSU rules. We now turn our recruiting attention the following names, all of which Ray Drew mentioned during his speech today-Isiah Crowell, Antionio Richardson, Kent Turene, John Jenkins and Jeoffrey Pagan. Simply put, if we get all those kids along with what we already have, this class will rival any in the nation, to me it will rival the D class UF put together last year. Grantham might not have mature talent next year but certainly will have talent on his hands in the years to come.
Quickly to the hoops game tomorrow, 4pm on ESPN. Course the game is at Lexington which is always a tough place to play, not only because UK is always VERY talented but also it appears some guys in blue seem to find a way to slip a few bills into the zebras pockets prior to tip. UK is known to get ALL the calls in that building so that combined with the talent, you get the idea. As I mentioned yesterday, they had this week off to get ready for us. We beat them earlier in the year by 7, a game we pretty much were in control of save a few minutes in the second half. Last time we played them, Trey went off for 25pts, Gerald for 17 and Travis for 15. We hit 30 of 34 free throws, they only took 16 FT's, look for that to be the reverse this time. Terrence Jones led them in scoring in that game with 24 and 10 boards, and leads them overall at 18.3 pts and nearly 9 boards a game. Last game, he was in foul trouble and only played 23 minutes. It would be very beneficial to get him in foul trouble again because there is no question he is the best on the UK roster. Course he is also the kid that Coach Cal blew up, which was caught on camera, during the Cats loss to Bama. The reason, so I have read, is because Jones can and will be a very selfish player. Sometimes that is the case when kids are used to be the man and are not used to playing team basketball. The week off will probably do Cal and Jones some good to get it all ironed out. The fact remains, UK sits at 15-4 on the season and 3-2 in the SEC. They beat SCarolina in Columbia their last time out, before that had the loss at Bama. They also beat LSU and AU in conference play. So, I would have to say, we are the most talented conference team they have played to this point and we beat them. Not saying we win again but certianly if we can keep it close, we should have a shot. They only play 6 guys, I mean they REALLY do not go to the bench. If we can get one or two guys in foul trouble, BIG advantage for us. I look for Trey to have another big game as Harrellson although big at 6'10" and 275, simply doesn't have the ability to handle a player like Trey. Hopefully we have shaken off the tough loss to UF and are ready to play ball on Saturday. Kentucky has NOT lost a home game all season so let's hope we can be the first one to pull it off.
Now moving on to my preview of the defense. A big key to our defense next year will be a young man we are still waiting on, that being John Jenkins. He truly should be a difference maker and here is why. First of all, as much as Grantham said we didn't need a big NT for his version of the 3-4, I firmly believe you DO need a very good NT for a true 3-4. If the center can pretty much handle the nose by himself, that leaves 4 other guys to block. We need a nose that can really clog the middle and cause the OL a lot of trouble, that will then free up our DE's to make more plays and more importantly than that, free up both our OLB and ILB-in other words, the more manpower it takes for the OL to handle that big NT, the more freedom EVERYONE else in the front seven has to come after the QB. Considering we plugged Tyson at NT last year, it really did not work. No offense to Tyson as he did the best he could but he is a great looking DE, NOT a NT. So, you plug Jenkins in the middle, that puts SR DeAngelo Tyson and JR Abry Jones at the DE positons-very solid. Now, for depth, you have Garrison Smith and Derrick Lott, could also see Thornton playing at DE or NT some. Then you have Geathers and Bean Anderson-I personally believe that if we get Jenkins, we see one of those guys head back to OT. They are both HUGE guys, at 6'5 and both over 320. A typical NT is going to be more squatty than 6'5" and that is why I think Geathers didn't get more PT last year, it was hard for him to get low. Now, Jenkins is listed at 6'4" but NT is his natural position, that is not the case for Anderson and I don't think Geathers played NT in HS, probably more likely DT. Bottom line is I don't think we need both Geathers and Anderson as backup at NT because I suspect Thornton will get some time there in a backup role. Of the recruits coming in, the only one that would look to be definite for the DL would be Chris Mayes and from all accounts I have heard he will head off to Ga. Military for a year or two. Drew and Bailey, even Pagan, to me look more like OLB, they all have Justin Houston size and speed-in fact Drew mentioned he will playing Justin Houston's position at UGA.
At LB, we have a lot of bodies there but not so much experience. We lost Dent, Gamble, Houston, Hebron, and Dowtin, a lot of tackles and experience. That being said, I am very excited about the players we have back-especially Richard Samuel and Jarvis Jones. Of course I also really like Cornelius Washington and I expect that he will really start to blossom this year, his JR season. His size is close to that of Houston and he has a lot of speed to go with it. Christian Robinson returns and if nothing else, he is a kid that knows how to play within the system and seems to be a coach on the field. I do not think he is our best option at LB but he is steady and you know exactly what you are going to get from him. If TJ Stripling comes back from his injury strong, I think he also can make an impact on the outside because of his size and especially speed around the corner. Mike Gilliard will have a shot in the middle but to me he seems destined for more playing time on special teams. Two total unknows will be Dexter Morant and Brandon Burrows-Morant left the team last year but then came back, Burrows is coming off a hurt knee from HS. I would imagine they could factor into some possible PT but they will have to beat out Ray Drew and Sterling Bailey. If we get Pagan, with him coming off his injury, I would imagine he might be headed for a redshirt. Bailey might also get one, because out of the group of young DE/LB coming in, I firmly believe Drew is the safest bet to get playing time in 2011. Let us not forget about Chase Vasser, this kid has good size but he could be lost in the numbers. He will continue to help out on special teams-I know these guys probably get down when they are delegated to special teams but quite honestly, special teams is a HUGE factor in football games-you need to have talented kids playing on special teams because if you give up a huge kick return, it can truly impact a game. Another name to remember is Ramik Wilson, the kid already has the size to come in and play right away, and depending on health of Samuel, Jones, Robinson, he might have a shot on the inside. Same goes for Amarlo Herrera, another kid with the size to play right away. Their problem simply will be depth and fighting their way up the depth chart. I do see that maybe one ILB could contribute in a reserve role, just not sure which will do it. If we get Turene, you could also throw him in the mix for the inside slot. When kids are already tipping the scales as a LB at nearly 230 coming out of high school, in my mind they are physically able to make the jump, just a matter of being mentally ready and then of course the depth chart.
Moving to the secondary, I feel like this is the strongest part of our defense, especially when Boykin returned. He of course means a lot to us in special teams with his kickoff returns but without question he is our best corner. I was impressed with the play of Sanders Commings this year. I think he will hold down the other corner slot, of course at the safety positions you have Rambo and Alec Ogletree-I said this last year about "Tree", once he gets the starting job, he will have it until he leaves Athens. Simply put, he is a special player and a impact player on defense. He is only going to get better and better and that is exciting. Rambo had some lapses last year for sure but is still solid. We have depth all around the secondary as well. Shawn Williams is a good backup safety, Derek Ownes, Jakar Hamilton, and Jordan Love also very capable reserves and critical parts of our special team units. Then you have Branden Smith-he played mostly nickle back last year, and quite honestly he disappointed me. I know he had a concussion that kept him out some time but I still say, with his amazing speed can be more an asset on the offensive side of the ball. I think the depth we have already in place, coupled with the young kids coming in-Swann, Mitchell, Marshall, Bowman, there is certainly enough depth to where he COULD be moved to WR on a permanent basis if needed. Not saying that will happen but I personally believe it is possible. As for the young kids, because of our depth, unless these kids just simply too good to keep off the field, I think the majority will redshirt. Mitchell is a kid to watch for, I think he will play somewhere for sure. I think Swann has a shot as well. I think Bowman, Marshall, Corey Moore and Chris Sanders are headed for redshirts. Mitchell and then Swann get my vote for best chances to see the field in 2011.
Of course, we return both kickers, both all american candidates, enough said there. Butler dropped off a bit this year but still was solid. Walsh, other than the critical miss against Colorado, was just outstanding this year. Always great to have a nearly 100% chance of getting 3 points once you get to your opponents 35.
Ok, so there you have it. I do believe as many as 5-7 of our young defenders could come in and battle for PT. Jenkins for sure, he has a shot to start but after that, I would say Drew, and then one or maybe two of the following-Herrera, Wilson or Turene, then Mitchell and Swann. Because of the importance this year holds for Mark Richt and company, I suspect that if a kid can play and contribute, he will play them. Last year we played Mason, Zander and Alec Ogletree, Gates, Smith, Stripling, and Owens. By my count, 7 true FR. Along with Crowell and maybe a WR, also maybe LeMay (would rather him redshirt unless Murray gets seriously hurt), I can see about 10-11 total kids having a shot to play out of the DREAM TEAM class.
What do you all think, let me know your thoughts if you would like. I think playing 10-11 kids from a class this talented is just about right. One of these days when I have time, I will try to look back and see how many true freshmen we have played the past few years. Like I say, last year by my count we played 7 but I might be off. Because this class has SOOO much talent, I thin 10-11 is a pretty safe bet.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
One day until Drew
All signs lead me to predict Ray Drew is a Dog. From what I have read/heard, he dropped Clemson from his list when he returned from that visit last weekend, so we are down to four. It was rumored AU was his second choice behind UGA but now it appears AU is full at his position. Anyway, regardless, at least tomorrow we will find out and I really believe Drew is a man of his word and so if he says UGA, he signs with UGA. I am hoping then, we can have people stop stalking his facebook account!
Since my title yesterday was about bubble bursting, here is the Joe Lunardi Bracketology from ESPN. Good news, he has us a #9 seed playing Cincy in round one, bad news is twofold, round 2 is against #1 seed Kansas AND this was released on the 24th, the day before we lost to UF. I will be keeping a watchful eye on this as we move forward.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology
I will get into this more in the coming weeks but just doing a very preliminary look at our returning players, combined with those we have signed, I think you can find some spots the young guys can come in and play right away. Today I will focus on the offense, tomorrow will be the defense.
First, at QB, no offense to Hutson Mason, but he is going to have a very hard time holding off Christian LeMay as backup QB. That being said, I wouldn't mind LeMay taking a redshirt year, or at least that being the plan unless Murray goes down with an injury. It would be awfully nice to have two years of class seperation for our QB's, so that when Murray leaves after his senior year (I see Murray as a 4 year starter), we have a junior waiting to take over. That truly is the ideal situation at QB, it is much better that way than to have to rely on true or redshirt FR to come in and lead your team.
At RB, I think it is fairly obvious that we need an upgrade in talent. Nothing against Ealey or King, and we still don't know what to expect out of Malcome (he has received some positive press), but we have not had a stud RB since Moreno left campus. I was a HUGE fan of Caleb King as I got to watch him a few times while he played at Parkview, I really did think he was going to be special. He has had some moments, especially down the stretch in 2009, but overall between injuries and suspensions-let us not forget he basically was suspended his redshirt FR year when he missed a block against UF and Stafford got sacked, he just has not panned out. Right now I am not even sure if he will return in the fall-all I have read is that he is on track to return in the fall. I hope he does come back and have a great senior season. Ealey, again with his suspension and then fumble problems, I am just not sure what to think. He does have some talent but he doesn't appear to have the breakaway speed like our top recruit Isiah Crowell does. This is why if we secure Crowell, he instantly challenges for the starting job day one on campus. This is not to say he earns it but I can almost 100% gurantee we will see him toting the ball against Boise at the Ga Dome game 1. Fullback, there is a mess of a situation potentially. We have had a great line of FB's under Richt, Verron Haynes, JT Wall, Southerland, Chappas, and now we are left with Zander Ogletree as the possible starter. I think the bowl switch where Figgins was lining up at FB is something to keep an eye on. Bruce is known for his blocking ability and of course he can catch the ball well. We have never seen him actually take a handoff but I would imagine with practice he can do that as well. A guy at 6'4" and 270lbs would make for a tough guy to bring down in short yardage. I believe the lack of a true FB here, I think Zander is a very good football player but is a bit undersized for a true FB at 5'9" 205, leads many to believe Malcome could be a candidate to be our next FB as well, with him being listed last year at 6'0" and 218. Certainly if Crowell comes in and assuming Caleb is back with us, I can see Malcome getting a look at FB.
At TE, depth and more depth. As good as Jay Rome is as a TE prospect, I truly believe he is likely headed for a RS year. Looking at our depth there, Figgins is a SR this year, Charles a JR (and likely will be gone after this season assuming he has a good season) Lynch is a redshirt soph, Aron White will be a SR this year. Seems to me, it would make logical sense to redshirt Rome and get him bigger and not rush him when he is not at a position of need right now. I think a RS year would also allow him to play hoops if he wanted to do so-and our hoops team will need big bodies next year-not sure if Jay will want to do that or not but next year might be his best chance to play basketball if he ever is going to play with him likely to redshirt and as I mentioned the basketball team loses Price, Barnes and Thompkins.
At WR, certainly we have suffered some HUGE losses here with AJ and Kris leaving. I look for Tavarres King and Marlon Brown to step up big time, also Rantavious Wooten needs to pick it up as well. I have heard rumor that Israel Troupe might end up giving up football and play baseball, a sport he was drafted out of high school. While I have always thought Troupe has not really been given a fair chance in football, for his professional future, the move to baseball might very well be his best move at this point. Don't forget about Logan Gray as well, I think he could have an impact this upcoming season at the WR position. We have the redshirted Michael Bennett who I have read is going to be a solid player, then have some good looking WR's coming in this class. Chris Conley is already enrolled and will go through spring practice, that really does give him a leg up on the other recruits coming in and from what I have read about him, he does have the potential to get some snaps this fall. I feel pretty safe saying Sanford Seay will redshirt, also Justin Scott-Wesley could potentially redshirt although with his incredible speed, he might get some PT on special teams. Another couple to watch for that come from the defensive side of the ball, Branden Smith and Malcolm Mitchell. In fact, I think it is quite possible that one of those two convert over to WR full time because of our depth at corner and the talent we are bringing in with this class at defensive back. Branden Smith to me has shown more potential with the ball in his hands than he has with his coverage skills. The only thing that concerns me with him at WR is how skinny/small he truly is. I can't see him being a great blocker at WR and would he be able to get off the line, get past the jam of the db. I don't worry about him getting hit, let's face it, as a PR he gets hit by guys much bigger than those likely to hit him catching passes, that being corners and safeties.
On the OL, getting Sturdivant and Glenn back was VERY good news, considering we already were losing Boling and Josh/Chris Davis. I am not so worried about losing either Davis but obviously Boling is a big loss-I just looked at the 2011 mock draft and he was listed as a 3rd round pick-not too bad for a kid we all questioned coming out of Chattahochee HS as a TE. Obviously you plug Sturdivant at LT, and Ben Jones at center. After that, you have Glenn who could play LG, RG or RT. You also have Kenarious Gates who likely will play a G position but has the size and ability to also line up at RT. This means we have one position wide open for a young lineman. Will it be AJ Harmon, Brent Benedict, Chris Burnette-he will be our next center likely after Jones but he could play some G this year, maybe Kolton Houston. If we somehow land Antonio Richardson, I could see him getting in the mix for a spot but otherwise, the OL kids we have coming in, I honestly can't see any of them playing this year. They all could certainly use a year in the weightroom, I am excited about the size of the guys coming in, especially guys like Dantzler and Ward-great height for OT's, Watts just needs to get much stronger and Ward needs to fill out some and get stronger-he has the frame to get up over 300lbs but right is listed at 270. Zach Debell is another one I think has a bright future but again, he has height going for him but not the bulk as of yet. Of course with us getting a new OL coach, all the current and new players will all be starting fresh which could give some guys that maybe Searels didn't like so much, a better shot at getting playing time this upcoming fall. But, as I have said before and will say again, in MOST cases I think it is best for OL to redshirt their first year both for physical and mental reasons. In high school, these OL typically just dominate their opposition becuase they are just so much bigger but when they get to college, the guy across from them is almost as big and probably stronger or at least as strong.
Ok, so there you have my offensive preview. I will probably do another one of these before spring practice of after it but that is my initial thought on how the depth chart will shake out come August/September. Tomorrow I will take a look at the D, that side of the ball I can see a few more of our recruits having a shot to play immediately.
If anyone has any comments about my blog or about my opinions here, feel free to share. I THINK I have it set up now where posting comments should be quick and easy. I am always interested to hear from those that stumble across this blog, and if you have any topic you want me to share my opinions on or do some research, let me know. Thanks for reading.
Since my title yesterday was about bubble bursting, here is the Joe Lunardi Bracketology from ESPN. Good news, he has us a #9 seed playing Cincy in round one, bad news is twofold, round 2 is against #1 seed Kansas AND this was released on the 24th, the day before we lost to UF. I will be keeping a watchful eye on this as we move forward.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology
I will get into this more in the coming weeks but just doing a very preliminary look at our returning players, combined with those we have signed, I think you can find some spots the young guys can come in and play right away. Today I will focus on the offense, tomorrow will be the defense.
First, at QB, no offense to Hutson Mason, but he is going to have a very hard time holding off Christian LeMay as backup QB. That being said, I wouldn't mind LeMay taking a redshirt year, or at least that being the plan unless Murray goes down with an injury. It would be awfully nice to have two years of class seperation for our QB's, so that when Murray leaves after his senior year (I see Murray as a 4 year starter), we have a junior waiting to take over. That truly is the ideal situation at QB, it is much better that way than to have to rely on true or redshirt FR to come in and lead your team.
At RB, I think it is fairly obvious that we need an upgrade in talent. Nothing against Ealey or King, and we still don't know what to expect out of Malcome (he has received some positive press), but we have not had a stud RB since Moreno left campus. I was a HUGE fan of Caleb King as I got to watch him a few times while he played at Parkview, I really did think he was going to be special. He has had some moments, especially down the stretch in 2009, but overall between injuries and suspensions-let us not forget he basically was suspended his redshirt FR year when he missed a block against UF and Stafford got sacked, he just has not panned out. Right now I am not even sure if he will return in the fall-all I have read is that he is on track to return in the fall. I hope he does come back and have a great senior season. Ealey, again with his suspension and then fumble problems, I am just not sure what to think. He does have some talent but he doesn't appear to have the breakaway speed like our top recruit Isiah Crowell does. This is why if we secure Crowell, he instantly challenges for the starting job day one on campus. This is not to say he earns it but I can almost 100% gurantee we will see him toting the ball against Boise at the Ga Dome game 1. Fullback, there is a mess of a situation potentially. We have had a great line of FB's under Richt, Verron Haynes, JT Wall, Southerland, Chappas, and now we are left with Zander Ogletree as the possible starter. I think the bowl switch where Figgins was lining up at FB is something to keep an eye on. Bruce is known for his blocking ability and of course he can catch the ball well. We have never seen him actually take a handoff but I would imagine with practice he can do that as well. A guy at 6'4" and 270lbs would make for a tough guy to bring down in short yardage. I believe the lack of a true FB here, I think Zander is a very good football player but is a bit undersized for a true FB at 5'9" 205, leads many to believe Malcome could be a candidate to be our next FB as well, with him being listed last year at 6'0" and 218. Certainly if Crowell comes in and assuming Caleb is back with us, I can see Malcome getting a look at FB.
At TE, depth and more depth. As good as Jay Rome is as a TE prospect, I truly believe he is likely headed for a RS year. Looking at our depth there, Figgins is a SR this year, Charles a JR (and likely will be gone after this season assuming he has a good season) Lynch is a redshirt soph, Aron White will be a SR this year. Seems to me, it would make logical sense to redshirt Rome and get him bigger and not rush him when he is not at a position of need right now. I think a RS year would also allow him to play hoops if he wanted to do so-and our hoops team will need big bodies next year-not sure if Jay will want to do that or not but next year might be his best chance to play basketball if he ever is going to play with him likely to redshirt and as I mentioned the basketball team loses Price, Barnes and Thompkins.
At WR, certainly we have suffered some HUGE losses here with AJ and Kris leaving. I look for Tavarres King and Marlon Brown to step up big time, also Rantavious Wooten needs to pick it up as well. I have heard rumor that Israel Troupe might end up giving up football and play baseball, a sport he was drafted out of high school. While I have always thought Troupe has not really been given a fair chance in football, for his professional future, the move to baseball might very well be his best move at this point. Don't forget about Logan Gray as well, I think he could have an impact this upcoming season at the WR position. We have the redshirted Michael Bennett who I have read is going to be a solid player, then have some good looking WR's coming in this class. Chris Conley is already enrolled and will go through spring practice, that really does give him a leg up on the other recruits coming in and from what I have read about him, he does have the potential to get some snaps this fall. I feel pretty safe saying Sanford Seay will redshirt, also Justin Scott-Wesley could potentially redshirt although with his incredible speed, he might get some PT on special teams. Another couple to watch for that come from the defensive side of the ball, Branden Smith and Malcolm Mitchell. In fact, I think it is quite possible that one of those two convert over to WR full time because of our depth at corner and the talent we are bringing in with this class at defensive back. Branden Smith to me has shown more potential with the ball in his hands than he has with his coverage skills. The only thing that concerns me with him at WR is how skinny/small he truly is. I can't see him being a great blocker at WR and would he be able to get off the line, get past the jam of the db. I don't worry about him getting hit, let's face it, as a PR he gets hit by guys much bigger than those likely to hit him catching passes, that being corners and safeties.
On the OL, getting Sturdivant and Glenn back was VERY good news, considering we already were losing Boling and Josh/Chris Davis. I am not so worried about losing either Davis but obviously Boling is a big loss-I just looked at the 2011 mock draft and he was listed as a 3rd round pick-not too bad for a kid we all questioned coming out of Chattahochee HS as a TE. Obviously you plug Sturdivant at LT, and Ben Jones at center. After that, you have Glenn who could play LG, RG or RT. You also have Kenarious Gates who likely will play a G position but has the size and ability to also line up at RT. This means we have one position wide open for a young lineman. Will it be AJ Harmon, Brent Benedict, Chris Burnette-he will be our next center likely after Jones but he could play some G this year, maybe Kolton Houston. If we somehow land Antonio Richardson, I could see him getting in the mix for a spot but otherwise, the OL kids we have coming in, I honestly can't see any of them playing this year. They all could certainly use a year in the weightroom, I am excited about the size of the guys coming in, especially guys like Dantzler and Ward-great height for OT's, Watts just needs to get much stronger and Ward needs to fill out some and get stronger-he has the frame to get up over 300lbs but right is listed at 270. Zach Debell is another one I think has a bright future but again, he has height going for him but not the bulk as of yet. Of course with us getting a new OL coach, all the current and new players will all be starting fresh which could give some guys that maybe Searels didn't like so much, a better shot at getting playing time this upcoming fall. But, as I have said before and will say again, in MOST cases I think it is best for OL to redshirt their first year both for physical and mental reasons. In high school, these OL typically just dominate their opposition becuase they are just so much bigger but when they get to college, the guy across from them is almost as big and probably stronger or at least as strong.
Ok, so there you have my offensive preview. I will probably do another one of these before spring practice of after it but that is my initial thought on how the depth chart will shake out come August/September. Tomorrow I will take a look at the D, that side of the ball I can see a few more of our recruits having a shot to play immediately.
If anyone has any comments about my blog or about my opinions here, feel free to share. I THINK I have it set up now where posting comments should be quick and easy. I am always interested to hear from those that stumble across this blog, and if you have any topic you want me to share my opinions on or do some research, let me know. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Bubble about to burst??
WOW, that was a tough one last night. Give UF credit, if you look at the box score for the game, just look at how many minutes their starters played, especially the three that KILLED us the most, Walker, Boynton and Parsons. Boynton was strong in regulation, Walker in OT #1 and Parsons in OT #2. We have Thompkins and Leslie play 47 minutes, for those of you that don't know, that would be all but ONE minute when you add 20+20+4+4. WOW. I think that could have had something to do with Trey missing the front end of the 1-1 in the first OT. That was costly of course as was the decision NOT to foul Walker-that little guy was their leading 3 point shooter, even though he only hit 2-8, that second one just killed us. The other one he hit would have been behind the NBA arc as well. I think Mark Fox is an outstanding basketball coach, but last night I do question that move. I honestly expected him to call a timeout after Price made his second free throw to set up his defense and instruct his guys to foul Walker before he got within shooting range. What would have then happend is, there is like about 3-4 seconds left in the game when we foul him. He then has to hit the first FT and purposely miss the second and hope UF can get the rebound and either get fouled or make the basket. If we get fouled, say another second ticks off the clock-so you have us shooting a FT with 3 seconds left, if we make both, great but even a miss they have to grab the rebound and basically heave it and hope for miracle. As it happened, they got a VERY good look at the basket and the kid hit a big shot. In the second OT, Parsons was on fire. Hitting shots, getting offensive boards, he just seemed to have a lot more energy than anyone else on the court. Again, it is easy to second guess after the fact but I would have liked to have Marcus Thornton out on the floor defending him instead of having Price/Barnes or even Leslie trying to guard him-Travis had played 47 minutes as I mentioned before. Marcus only played 4 minutes last night and I think his fresh legs on the defensive end would have helped us in the OT periods.
Another HUGE factor in the game was the foul trouble of our guards. Let's face it, after Ware and Robinson, we don't have a lot of depth at guard. Vincent Williams did score some points and didn't play horribly, Brantley didn't shoot well percentage wise but did have some shots just rim out. But, Ware and Robinson are critical pieces for our team and without them, (Ware fouling out in the first OT hurt big time for the second OT), it was asking a lot. Even with those guys, we turned the ball over 20 times which for a team that led the SEC in assist to turnover ratio, that was a killer. But, as I put in my preview post on the Gators, that might be the only team we play in conference that actually has more experience that we do. Walker is a Jr, Parsons, Macklin and Tyus are all seniors. Boynton is a soph but started for them last year. I mentioned that we needed to get Macklin in foul trouble and that did happen late in the game, but we could not get him fouled out after he picked up #4 with about 5 minutes to go in regulation.
So, now we are going to have to hope that our guys can get a couple more wins on the road. They have two opportunities coming up, against two teams that have traditionally been VERY tough to beat at their place but yet two places our teams seem to always compete at a high level. Lexington on Saturday and then Fayetteville next Wednesday. Of course we have already played UK this season so I will not do much of a preview on them later this week but needless to say, they will be ready for us. They have been off all week to prepare for us and we beat them earlier so they will certainly be up for the game. What we have going in our favor is the experience factor and knowing we can compete with them, after beating them earlier this year and the core of our team remembers the VERY close game we played up there last year. As for Arkansas, they are 3-3 in conference play after beating AU at home last night and play @Vandy on Saturday. They have not lost a conference game at home all year, in fact have only lost one game at home all year, that to UAB a team we squeaked by earlier this season at home. I feel the next two games will be tough to pick up a win but I feel like we really do need to split the road trip as that would put us at 4-4. If you look at the remainer of our schedule, you have to like our chances at winning out at home. We have AU, Xavier, Vandy, SCarolina and LSU left. IF we can win all those games, that gives us 7 wins in conference. That means we need to win 2 of the following on the road: UK, Ark, SCarolina, Tenn, Fla, and Bama. To me, our best chances at wins on the road would be Ark, SCarolina and Bama. If we can win 2 of those 3 and finish the year 9-7 in the SEC, that might get us in. It would be nice though to get a win at a place like Knox, Lex or Gainesville because those are teams we are likely to be battling with to get a spot in the dance. I am not ready to start talking NIT at this point, far from it, but if we go 0-2 on this road trip, the pressure is going to start mounting for our guys. I think there is far too much talent on this team for us to not make the dance this year, it will be a real big disappointment if we come up short. If we do, I think we can all point to these two home losses as being a BIG reason we didn't make it. But, we are only 6 games into the 16 game schedule so again, much too soon to be talking about why we didn't get in. That Xavier game will also be a biggie, because that team does have some national recognition and they are currently sitting at 13-5 and 5-0 in their league.
Only two more days until Ray Drew becomes a Dog, Tiger (LSU or AU) or Cane. From all indications, he will be saying UGA on Friday but until I hear him say it, I will not believe it. Also rumors Crowell will not take his AU visit, that would be fine with me. I still think he will pick UGA-I hear now that he will make his annoucement on signing day at 1:30pm. John Jenkins also might be a signing day decision but then I have read today he will not sign until the Saturday after signing day, 2/5. From all accounts, I think we land him as well. There are other kids with rumors right now but until I have more reliable information, I am not going to speculate. Let's just say, even without the rumors, if we get Drew, Crowell and Jenkins I will be one happy camper because I honestly believe all three of those guys will get PT this fall, Crowell and Jenkins I think will be starters at some point.
I find it funny that some people get so upset about recruiting, as in, why do people follow recruiting so much etc etc. Well, to me, how different is recruiting for college football fans than the NFL draft combine and draft itself for NFL fans. NFL fans have draft day parties, the draft is on TV, they have experts giving their opinions and rankings of players and projecting where they might be drafted or what team might select them. Bottom line, recruiting is the same thing because in both cases, you never know if the kid will pan out, but there is always fun in the speculation. You might not think Tebow is a first round pick or worthy of being a 5 star recruit etc, but for the team that gets him, they are thrilled and believe he will be the turning stone of their franchise/school. The only difference is of course, the NFL selects their players while in college, the player selects the school. So, that makes it different because a power school can put together a high school all star team and recruit them all to their school, much like our dream team concept. The NFL is a little more complex in that they have to evaluate all the players, and then slot who they want and wait and see if that player is still around. Still though, whether it be recruiting or NFL draft, I don't think fans of either are in the wrong for being excited about the process and following it with keen interest. The kids you sign today, will be playing for you as soon as the fall. In the pros, the kid you draft first, no doubt will be playing or expected to play for you in the fall.
Another HUGE factor in the game was the foul trouble of our guards. Let's face it, after Ware and Robinson, we don't have a lot of depth at guard. Vincent Williams did score some points and didn't play horribly, Brantley didn't shoot well percentage wise but did have some shots just rim out. But, Ware and Robinson are critical pieces for our team and without them, (Ware fouling out in the first OT hurt big time for the second OT), it was asking a lot. Even with those guys, we turned the ball over 20 times which for a team that led the SEC in assist to turnover ratio, that was a killer. But, as I put in my preview post on the Gators, that might be the only team we play in conference that actually has more experience that we do. Walker is a Jr, Parsons, Macklin and Tyus are all seniors. Boynton is a soph but started for them last year. I mentioned that we needed to get Macklin in foul trouble and that did happen late in the game, but we could not get him fouled out after he picked up #4 with about 5 minutes to go in regulation.
So, now we are going to have to hope that our guys can get a couple more wins on the road. They have two opportunities coming up, against two teams that have traditionally been VERY tough to beat at their place but yet two places our teams seem to always compete at a high level. Lexington on Saturday and then Fayetteville next Wednesday. Of course we have already played UK this season so I will not do much of a preview on them later this week but needless to say, they will be ready for us. They have been off all week to prepare for us and we beat them earlier so they will certainly be up for the game. What we have going in our favor is the experience factor and knowing we can compete with them, after beating them earlier this year and the core of our team remembers the VERY close game we played up there last year. As for Arkansas, they are 3-3 in conference play after beating AU at home last night and play @Vandy on Saturday. They have not lost a conference game at home all year, in fact have only lost one game at home all year, that to UAB a team we squeaked by earlier this season at home. I feel the next two games will be tough to pick up a win but I feel like we really do need to split the road trip as that would put us at 4-4. If you look at the remainer of our schedule, you have to like our chances at winning out at home. We have AU, Xavier, Vandy, SCarolina and LSU left. IF we can win all those games, that gives us 7 wins in conference. That means we need to win 2 of the following on the road: UK, Ark, SCarolina, Tenn, Fla, and Bama. To me, our best chances at wins on the road would be Ark, SCarolina and Bama. If we can win 2 of those 3 and finish the year 9-7 in the SEC, that might get us in. It would be nice though to get a win at a place like Knox, Lex or Gainesville because those are teams we are likely to be battling with to get a spot in the dance. I am not ready to start talking NIT at this point, far from it, but if we go 0-2 on this road trip, the pressure is going to start mounting for our guys. I think there is far too much talent on this team for us to not make the dance this year, it will be a real big disappointment if we come up short. If we do, I think we can all point to these two home losses as being a BIG reason we didn't make it. But, we are only 6 games into the 16 game schedule so again, much too soon to be talking about why we didn't get in. That Xavier game will also be a biggie, because that team does have some national recognition and they are currently sitting at 13-5 and 5-0 in their league.
Only two more days until Ray Drew becomes a Dog, Tiger (LSU or AU) or Cane. From all indications, he will be saying UGA on Friday but until I hear him say it, I will not believe it. Also rumors Crowell will not take his AU visit, that would be fine with me. I still think he will pick UGA-I hear now that he will make his annoucement on signing day at 1:30pm. John Jenkins also might be a signing day decision but then I have read today he will not sign until the Saturday after signing day, 2/5. From all accounts, I think we land him as well. There are other kids with rumors right now but until I have more reliable information, I am not going to speculate. Let's just say, even without the rumors, if we get Drew, Crowell and Jenkins I will be one happy camper because I honestly believe all three of those guys will get PT this fall, Crowell and Jenkins I think will be starters at some point.
I find it funny that some people get so upset about recruiting, as in, why do people follow recruiting so much etc etc. Well, to me, how different is recruiting for college football fans than the NFL draft combine and draft itself for NFL fans. NFL fans have draft day parties, the draft is on TV, they have experts giving their opinions and rankings of players and projecting where they might be drafted or what team might select them. Bottom line, recruiting is the same thing because in both cases, you never know if the kid will pan out, but there is always fun in the speculation. You might not think Tebow is a first round pick or worthy of being a 5 star recruit etc, but for the team that gets him, they are thrilled and believe he will be the turning stone of their franchise/school. The only difference is of course, the NFL selects their players while in college, the player selects the school. So, that makes it different because a power school can put together a high school all star team and recruit them all to their school, much like our dream team concept. The NFL is a little more complex in that they have to evaluate all the players, and then slot who they want and wait and see if that player is still around. Still though, whether it be recruiting or NFL draft, I don't think fans of either are in the wrong for being excited about the process and following it with keen interest. The kids you sign today, will be playing for you as soon as the fall. In the pros, the kid you draft first, no doubt will be playing or expected to play for you in the fall.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Ward now part of the DREAM
Wow, the recruiting world never fails to surprise you and Xzavier Ward committing to UGA yesterday certainly surprised me. I have been following his story for a while now and it really did appear his indecision was hurting him in the process. He was part of the original Dream Team, seemed to have lost some luster for whatever reason, was interested in UGA along with others, then seemed UGA had kind of backed off him. As of 1/17, his final three were Auburn, Bama, and Florida. He also took a visit to Middle Tenn State, then last week visited Miss State. GaTech had an in home visit with him last week, Georgia was interested but had said they wanted him to greyshirt. I am guessing UGA decided they wanted to offer one more tackle, thus agreed to let Antonio Richardson visit when he asked, then found out he was not going to consider UGA so then Sunday morning made an offer to Taylor Gadbois who was committed to Miami. When Gadbois came back and said he was sticking with the Canes, Richt and company went to Ward and offered him the spot and it appears he took it on the spot almost. I am NEVER against offering and signing a lot of OL and DL because I truly believe that is where games are won or lost and also, those positions are the ones that most coaches have trouble really knowing if a kid will pan out. Let's face it, most OL are redshirted because they need more size and strength. DL kids have a better shot at playing early but many of them are also redshirted. In the case of Ward, at 6'7" and 270lbs, there is no doubt he has the frame to add at least another 30-40lbs and could be a force on our OL by 2012 or 2013. Amazingly, we had an OL prospect to our list without having an OL coach. I think that speaks volumes for the confidence our recruits have in Coach Mark Richt. Here is a bio of Ward from Rivals.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Xzavier-Ward-105824
I already previewed the Gators yesterday so I will just say take a look at that post to read up on our SECe rivals. Should be a great crowd tonight, 4th sellout in a row. Game is set for 7pm and can been seen on ESPN tonight as part of the SEC/Big10 Big Tuesday. Would be great to get this win, we need it badly after the tough loss to the Vols last Tuesday. Here is an article from the Dawgpost about how our new AD is really evaluating our basketball program, as in how to make it a better experience for our fans that are maybe not as into hoops as they are football. As the article states, winning will help draw fans to the games, but also the local Athens/Oconee county area needs to be excited about going to watch exciting SEC basketball. It is TOUGH for those of us in the metro ATL to make trips to games in Athens during the week so the key to weeknight sellouts will be the locals and of course students. I can't believe students would not want to attend the games, college basketball is a lot of fun and the tickets are cheap for students. I attended all I could when I was a student, course we had some really good players back then in Alex Kessler and Litterial Green. Sounds like people are starting to take notice to our hoops team and program which can only help when it comes to national recognition and more importantly, recruiting.
http://georgia.scout.com/2/1042510.html
A week from today, it will be the final countdown to signing day 2011. From all accounts, this has been an outstanding class so far for us and we stand a good shot at getting some very elite guys in the next week or so. IF we can land the last three pieces to the puzzle, Drew (announcing this Friday), Crowell on signing day and Jenkins (could be at anytime), I think all UGA fans can say our coaches have done an INCREDIBLE job putting this class together considering all the negative from the local media as well as negative from within our own fanbase. Time will tell but the experts are predicting we get Drew and Crowell, sounds like we have a great shot at Jenkins as well.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Xzavier-Ward-105824
I already previewed the Gators yesterday so I will just say take a look at that post to read up on our SECe rivals. Should be a great crowd tonight, 4th sellout in a row. Game is set for 7pm and can been seen on ESPN tonight as part of the SEC/Big10 Big Tuesday. Would be great to get this win, we need it badly after the tough loss to the Vols last Tuesday. Here is an article from the Dawgpost about how our new AD is really evaluating our basketball program, as in how to make it a better experience for our fans that are maybe not as into hoops as they are football. As the article states, winning will help draw fans to the games, but also the local Athens/Oconee county area needs to be excited about going to watch exciting SEC basketball. It is TOUGH for those of us in the metro ATL to make trips to games in Athens during the week so the key to weeknight sellouts will be the locals and of course students. I can't believe students would not want to attend the games, college basketball is a lot of fun and the tickets are cheap for students. I attended all I could when I was a student, course we had some really good players back then in Alex Kessler and Litterial Green. Sounds like people are starting to take notice to our hoops team and program which can only help when it comes to national recognition and more importantly, recruiting.
http://georgia.scout.com/2/1042510.html
A week from today, it will be the final countdown to signing day 2011. From all accounts, this has been an outstanding class so far for us and we stand a good shot at getting some very elite guys in the next week or so. IF we can land the last three pieces to the puzzle, Drew (announcing this Friday), Crowell on signing day and Jenkins (could be at anytime), I think all UGA fans can say our coaches have done an INCREDIBLE job putting this class together considering all the negative from the local media as well as negative from within our own fanbase. Time will tell but the experts are predicting we get Drew and Crowell, sounds like we have a great shot at Jenkins as well.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday morning notes and previewing the Gators
Hope everyone had a great weekend. Super Bowl set, two of the most traditional franchises in NFL history playing for the title. Green Bay-Pittsburgh. That was the matchup I expected and hoped for, I just think those are the best two teams, great D's, very solid QB's (although can't say I am a fan of Big Ben considered how he spent his off season in Middle Ga last year), great WR's. I think Pitt has the edge at RB with Mendenhall over Starks but hey, Starks has come out of nowhere to really be a force for the Pack, giving just enough of a run threat to make that passing game really click. Should, repeat SHOULD be a very good Super Bowl. I am pulling for the Pack because the Steelers have won it twice recently while the Pack have not won it since Brett Farve was maybe 2-3 years into his GB run.
From all indications, all our recruiting targets had very good visits over the weekend. Of course 1A and 1B being Isiah Crowell and John Jenkins. We need both, as both help fill a need that we were missing in 2010. Crowell is the break away back that we have not had since Moreno, and Jenkins plugs up the middle, allowing Tyson to move back to his natural DE position. Hopefully we get both these guys. A few interesting notes from the weekend, recruiting wise, Kent Turene, LB 6'3" 230, allegedly committed but then said no I didn't. He currently remains a verbal to Souther Cal. Here is his profile from Rivals-
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Kent-Turene-106363
Also making an official visit was Antonio Richardson, OT from Nashville, Tenn, made a surprise visit. I listened to his interview and he said the visit was great. Course he couldn't remember the recruit that hosted him, had trouble remembering Bobo's name etc, so I think he took the visit just to take it. I give us ZERO shot at this kid, but what was interesting was him saying that the biggest person recruiting him to Athens, was not even on campus this weekend, Ray Drew. Now, Mr. Drew continues to be a mystery in his recruitment but I will get to that later. Here is a profile on Richardson from Rivals-big kid.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Antonio-Richardson-89115
Also, on Sunday, Mark Richt picked up the phone and offered Taylor Gadbois a schlorship. Gadbois is from East Paulding HS, didn't play football his junior year and then his recruitment caught fire towards the end of his senior season. He currently is a Miami, Fla, verbal but has admitted an offer from UGA would really interst him. I am fine with offering this kid and maybe getting him, in my mind you never have enough OL but I do find it interesting we offer him the same day Richardson is leaving town, have recently let Xzavier Ward we want him to greyshirt, and before that had said we would not be taking another OL in this class after bumping up Theus offer from greyshirt to real offer for this class. Here is a rivals profile for Gadbois.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Taylor-Gadbois-119183
On a note about OL, sounds like Richt has a lot of options, as the currently OL recruits have all said they still will be coming to Athens, with or without and OL coach named before signing day. From what I have read, sounds like Coach Richt wants to have one named before signing day but who really knows. I have no idea which way CMR is leaning when it comes to the OL, one name I have read about and seems to make sense is Dave Johnson who did not have his contract reniewed after serving as OL coach the last three years at West Va. Of course he as a member of Richt's initial staff in Athens, leaving in 2007 for the WVU job. He was tight ends coach here before. I have also heard the names Robbie Caldwell, Hugh Nall, Sly Croom, Brent Key, Greg Adkins (another former UGA assistant under Coach Donnan), Matt Luke, and several others. Course there was also the rumor on the Dawgpost that Ralph Friedgen was spotted in Athens over the weekend. I checked his resume, from what I could tell, he has NEVER been an OL coach his entire career. More than likely, the big boy got hungry and wanted a good dinner, he lives pretty close to campus I have heard, I know he has a lake house on Oconee. I feel very confident that Mark Richt will find a very quality OL coach but when he makes that decision/hire is anyones guess at the moment. This is BUSY time for coaches and the head man this year seems even more involved with recruiting than ever before. I guess that is what happens when you truly feel the fire on your seat.
Back to Ray Drew for a minute, I am 100% for these kids enjoying the recruitment process. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for them, they get to be treated like royality for an entire weekend. I am sure they get great food, entertainment, get to hang with current players, get introduced to very attractive coeds etc. BUT, this kid, and I will call out all these people feeding the fire by checking his facebook page as well, is really annoying me. I do not have a facebook account and would never "friend" a high school kid I do not know, that seems very bizzare/scary to me. This kid evidently continues to stir the pot of his finalists by his comments on his facebook. One day he says sweet home alabama (although I don't even think Bama is one of his 5 finalists) now evidently he has WDE, as in the Auburn saying. One thing he constantly does is make negative statements about UGA. Now most say he is just doing that to mess with folks, that is fine and dandy but I can never remember a kid doing this so much before. This kid is a very spiritual young man and I can respect that but I think because that aspect of his character, his "playing the game" or "joking" really seems like odd behavior. Anyway, I will just be glad when Friday rolls around and he makes his decision-even if he selects another school, I am just ready to move on from the "jokes" on the recruiting trail. I guess I must just be getting too old to understand it all.
One more note, my son and I went to the Grayson-Brookwood hoops game on Friday night as he plays for the Grayson Athletic Association rec league and it was GAA night. It was my first high school basketball game in quite some time, think the last one was South Gwinnett-Brookwood at Gwinnett arena when Lou Williams and Mike Mercer were at SGwinnett. That is the rivalry game in my household with my wife being a South Gwinnett alum, myself Brookwood. Anyway, back to this past Friday night. It was a great game, back and forth, ended up going to OT and Grayson won. I actually now pull for Grayson since we are in the Grayson district, over my high school, funny how you can do that but I could NEVER pull against my college alma mater. Well, long story short, Grayson has a STUD football player that also plays on the hoops team. The kid, well, he is a soph in freaking high school and he is a MAN. Remember this name folks because this kid is going to be a national recruit his SR year, he led Gwinnett County in sacks this year as a soph with 19. His name is Robert Nkemdiche, 6'5" 260lbs, you know he is good as UGA, Bama and GT have already offered him. He was a good basketball player, the basketball looked like softball in his hands, he had a nice slam and probably scored about 10 points off the bench.
Ok, on to the UF basketball preview. Currently UF leads the SECe, with a 4-1 conference mark, 15-4 overall. Losses thus far, at home vs. #1 ranked Ohio State, @Central Florida, home vs. Jacksonville, and the conference loss at home vs. SCarolina. They have some good wins, @FSU (who just beat Duke last week btw), home vs. Kansas State, @Xavier, and @Tenn. What does that tell me, this team CAN and will play us tough Tuesday night. They have more losses at home than away. This is a very good team and this will provide us with a very difficult challenge because they have some talented guards but also a couple good big men in the middle. Let's look at the starters, first up leading scorer and point guard Erving Walker, averaging 13.7 pts per game, followed by shooting guard Kenny Boynton averaging 12.8 per game, center Vernon Macklin at 10.8, forward Chandler Parsons at 10 even, last is forward Alex Tyus at 9.3 but the two years previously he has been a double figure scorer, 12.5 as a soph, 11.8 as a junior. Besides Tyus, all other starters are averaging over 30 minutes per game, what does this mean, they don't turn to the bench very often. When they do, Erik Murphy leads the way at 5.9pts a game. Interesting to note, Walker is hitting nearly 42% of his threes, also to note, the kid is only 5'8" but VERY quick. Robinson likely will be defending him. Chandler Parson shoots at a nearly 37% clip from three point land, Boynton is about 30%. Macklin is a HORRIBLE free throw shooter, at 40%, but his FG percentage is 57%, so we need to be smart with him, don't get Trey, Price or Barnes in foul trouble but DO NOT let him have easy lay ups either-make him earn it. Three starters shoot FT's in the 70's while Macklin and Parsons are 50's or below.
The Gators are a team that can be really good or really bad. They have the inside/outside game that can give you fits but they have two guards in Walker and Boynton that like to shoot it. A big concern again will be rebounding. Tyus and Macklin are very good getting offensive boards and putting shots back up, Parsons also can be dangerous in that regard. The rebounding performance against Miss State was outstanding and that will need to continue for us to win this very critical game. Trey needs to step up and play big for us, maybe getting Macklin or Tyus in some foul trouble, certainly wouldn't hurt. We also need to make sure we defend this team well on the perimeter, getting hands in their faces on every shot because if left open, these guys will not miss. They do have size, a bunch of guys in the 6-8 to 6-10 range but they don't have anyone physically imposing like Ezeli from Vandy, Williams from UT or Sidney from Miss State. So, we need our big guys to body these tall lanky guys and prevent the offensive rebounding. They do not have big guards but Ware is going to have his hand full with Boynton, because I think we almost have to put Robinson on the quick Walker. I think a guy like Thornton can be a big force in this game defensively, also Williams can play against these guys maybe more than against Miss State because they are not so physically imposing. What they do have going for them however is experience. It is almost unheard of to have 3 seniors starting for a school in mens hoops. But, the Gators do with Parsons, Macklin and Tyus. Walker is a junior. SO, for maybe the first time this year, we will face a team as experienced as us with our 4 juniors and 1 senior lineup.
As I have said before and will say again, this game is crucial for us because of our schedule after this game. Because of the loss to Tenn at home, because we have @Kentucky and @Arkansas to follow, this game becomes a very pivotal game on our schedule. UF is sitting a game ahead of us, they pick up a win on our floor, not only does it put them two full games ahead of us in the east, it also means we have to win at least one more road game to finish 8-8 in conference play. This game also marks the halfway point in our home schedule, only 4 home games left, which means out of our last 10 conference games, we of course have 6 road to 4 home, then of course also the non conference game against Xavier. We have 14 wins, I still maintain the for us to be a lock to get in the tourney, we have to go 9-7 in what is viewed as a very down SEC. Yes, the east is pretty darn good but I just can't see the SEC getting more than 5 teams in the dance. It could be that all 5 come from the east but it could also be 4 from the east and 1 from the west. Simply put, I believe we need to win 6 more conference games and also the game against Xavier-that puts us at 21 wins, 9 losses, 9-7 in SEC play. I think that could get us in regardless of the SEC tourney but you never feel safe until your name is called.
From all indications, all our recruiting targets had very good visits over the weekend. Of course 1A and 1B being Isiah Crowell and John Jenkins. We need both, as both help fill a need that we were missing in 2010. Crowell is the break away back that we have not had since Moreno, and Jenkins plugs up the middle, allowing Tyson to move back to his natural DE position. Hopefully we get both these guys. A few interesting notes from the weekend, recruiting wise, Kent Turene, LB 6'3" 230, allegedly committed but then said no I didn't. He currently remains a verbal to Souther Cal. Here is his profile from Rivals-
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Kent-Turene-106363
Also making an official visit was Antonio Richardson, OT from Nashville, Tenn, made a surprise visit. I listened to his interview and he said the visit was great. Course he couldn't remember the recruit that hosted him, had trouble remembering Bobo's name etc, so I think he took the visit just to take it. I give us ZERO shot at this kid, but what was interesting was him saying that the biggest person recruiting him to Athens, was not even on campus this weekend, Ray Drew. Now, Mr. Drew continues to be a mystery in his recruitment but I will get to that later. Here is a profile on Richardson from Rivals-big kid.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Antonio-Richardson-89115
Also, on Sunday, Mark Richt picked up the phone and offered Taylor Gadbois a schlorship. Gadbois is from East Paulding HS, didn't play football his junior year and then his recruitment caught fire towards the end of his senior season. He currently is a Miami, Fla, verbal but has admitted an offer from UGA would really interst him. I am fine with offering this kid and maybe getting him, in my mind you never have enough OL but I do find it interesting we offer him the same day Richardson is leaving town, have recently let Xzavier Ward we want him to greyshirt, and before that had said we would not be taking another OL in this class after bumping up Theus offer from greyshirt to real offer for this class. Here is a rivals profile for Gadbois.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Taylor-Gadbois-119183
On a note about OL, sounds like Richt has a lot of options, as the currently OL recruits have all said they still will be coming to Athens, with or without and OL coach named before signing day. From what I have read, sounds like Coach Richt wants to have one named before signing day but who really knows. I have no idea which way CMR is leaning when it comes to the OL, one name I have read about and seems to make sense is Dave Johnson who did not have his contract reniewed after serving as OL coach the last three years at West Va. Of course he as a member of Richt's initial staff in Athens, leaving in 2007 for the WVU job. He was tight ends coach here before. I have also heard the names Robbie Caldwell, Hugh Nall, Sly Croom, Brent Key, Greg Adkins (another former UGA assistant under Coach Donnan), Matt Luke, and several others. Course there was also the rumor on the Dawgpost that Ralph Friedgen was spotted in Athens over the weekend. I checked his resume, from what I could tell, he has NEVER been an OL coach his entire career. More than likely, the big boy got hungry and wanted a good dinner, he lives pretty close to campus I have heard, I know he has a lake house on Oconee. I feel very confident that Mark Richt will find a very quality OL coach but when he makes that decision/hire is anyones guess at the moment. This is BUSY time for coaches and the head man this year seems even more involved with recruiting than ever before. I guess that is what happens when you truly feel the fire on your seat.
Back to Ray Drew for a minute, I am 100% for these kids enjoying the recruitment process. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for them, they get to be treated like royality for an entire weekend. I am sure they get great food, entertainment, get to hang with current players, get introduced to very attractive coeds etc. BUT, this kid, and I will call out all these people feeding the fire by checking his facebook page as well, is really annoying me. I do not have a facebook account and would never "friend" a high school kid I do not know, that seems very bizzare/scary to me. This kid evidently continues to stir the pot of his finalists by his comments on his facebook. One day he says sweet home alabama (although I don't even think Bama is one of his 5 finalists) now evidently he has WDE, as in the Auburn saying. One thing he constantly does is make negative statements about UGA. Now most say he is just doing that to mess with folks, that is fine and dandy but I can never remember a kid doing this so much before. This kid is a very spiritual young man and I can respect that but I think because that aspect of his character, his "playing the game" or "joking" really seems like odd behavior. Anyway, I will just be glad when Friday rolls around and he makes his decision-even if he selects another school, I am just ready to move on from the "jokes" on the recruiting trail. I guess I must just be getting too old to understand it all.
One more note, my son and I went to the Grayson-Brookwood hoops game on Friday night as he plays for the Grayson Athletic Association rec league and it was GAA night. It was my first high school basketball game in quite some time, think the last one was South Gwinnett-Brookwood at Gwinnett arena when Lou Williams and Mike Mercer were at SGwinnett. That is the rivalry game in my household with my wife being a South Gwinnett alum, myself Brookwood. Anyway, back to this past Friday night. It was a great game, back and forth, ended up going to OT and Grayson won. I actually now pull for Grayson since we are in the Grayson district, over my high school, funny how you can do that but I could NEVER pull against my college alma mater. Well, long story short, Grayson has a STUD football player that also plays on the hoops team. The kid, well, he is a soph in freaking high school and he is a MAN. Remember this name folks because this kid is going to be a national recruit his SR year, he led Gwinnett County in sacks this year as a soph with 19. His name is Robert Nkemdiche, 6'5" 260lbs, you know he is good as UGA, Bama and GT have already offered him. He was a good basketball player, the basketball looked like softball in his hands, he had a nice slam and probably scored about 10 points off the bench.
Ok, on to the UF basketball preview. Currently UF leads the SECe, with a 4-1 conference mark, 15-4 overall. Losses thus far, at home vs. #1 ranked Ohio State, @Central Florida, home vs. Jacksonville, and the conference loss at home vs. SCarolina. They have some good wins, @FSU (who just beat Duke last week btw), home vs. Kansas State, @Xavier, and @Tenn. What does that tell me, this team CAN and will play us tough Tuesday night. They have more losses at home than away. This is a very good team and this will provide us with a very difficult challenge because they have some talented guards but also a couple good big men in the middle. Let's look at the starters, first up leading scorer and point guard Erving Walker, averaging 13.7 pts per game, followed by shooting guard Kenny Boynton averaging 12.8 per game, center Vernon Macklin at 10.8, forward Chandler Parsons at 10 even, last is forward Alex Tyus at 9.3 but the two years previously he has been a double figure scorer, 12.5 as a soph, 11.8 as a junior. Besides Tyus, all other starters are averaging over 30 minutes per game, what does this mean, they don't turn to the bench very often. When they do, Erik Murphy leads the way at 5.9pts a game. Interesting to note, Walker is hitting nearly 42% of his threes, also to note, the kid is only 5'8" but VERY quick. Robinson likely will be defending him. Chandler Parson shoots at a nearly 37% clip from three point land, Boynton is about 30%. Macklin is a HORRIBLE free throw shooter, at 40%, but his FG percentage is 57%, so we need to be smart with him, don't get Trey, Price or Barnes in foul trouble but DO NOT let him have easy lay ups either-make him earn it. Three starters shoot FT's in the 70's while Macklin and Parsons are 50's or below.
The Gators are a team that can be really good or really bad. They have the inside/outside game that can give you fits but they have two guards in Walker and Boynton that like to shoot it. A big concern again will be rebounding. Tyus and Macklin are very good getting offensive boards and putting shots back up, Parsons also can be dangerous in that regard. The rebounding performance against Miss State was outstanding and that will need to continue for us to win this very critical game. Trey needs to step up and play big for us, maybe getting Macklin or Tyus in some foul trouble, certainly wouldn't hurt. We also need to make sure we defend this team well on the perimeter, getting hands in their faces on every shot because if left open, these guys will not miss. They do have size, a bunch of guys in the 6-8 to 6-10 range but they don't have anyone physically imposing like Ezeli from Vandy, Williams from UT or Sidney from Miss State. So, we need our big guys to body these tall lanky guys and prevent the offensive rebounding. They do not have big guards but Ware is going to have his hand full with Boynton, because I think we almost have to put Robinson on the quick Walker. I think a guy like Thornton can be a big force in this game defensively, also Williams can play against these guys maybe more than against Miss State because they are not so physically imposing. What they do have going for them however is experience. It is almost unheard of to have 3 seniors starting for a school in mens hoops. But, the Gators do with Parsons, Macklin and Tyus. Walker is a junior. SO, for maybe the first time this year, we will face a team as experienced as us with our 4 juniors and 1 senior lineup.
As I have said before and will say again, this game is crucial for us because of our schedule after this game. Because of the loss to Tenn at home, because we have @Kentucky and @Arkansas to follow, this game becomes a very pivotal game on our schedule. UF is sitting a game ahead of us, they pick up a win on our floor, not only does it put them two full games ahead of us in the east, it also means we have to win at least one more road game to finish 8-8 in conference play. This game also marks the halfway point in our home schedule, only 4 home games left, which means out of our last 10 conference games, we of course have 6 road to 4 home, then of course also the non conference game against Xavier. We have 14 wins, I still maintain the for us to be a lock to get in the tourney, we have to go 9-7 in what is viewed as a very down SEC. Yes, the east is pretty darn good but I just can't see the SEC getting more than 5 teams in the dance. It could be that all 5 come from the east but it could also be 4 from the east and 1 from the west. Simply put, I believe we need to win 6 more conference games and also the game against Xavier-that puts us at 21 wins, 9 losses, 9-7 in SEC play. I think that could get us in regardless of the SEC tourney but you never feel safe until your name is called.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Great win
Very impressive win for the hoop team today over the Imposter Dogs. I can tell what the emphasis was in practice for Coach Fox this week, REBOUNDING, after the performance against UT. Simply put, we DOMINATED Miss State rebouding the ball, I think we were a +15 rebouding which is outstanding. Our offensive rebounding was even more impressive. I don't have the stats in front of me but that effort rebounding was quite amazing compared to the effort against UT. Our bad free throw shooting came back today, fortunately though it didn't cost us anything this afternoon. We were 11-21 I believe from the line. I continue to be impressed with the play of Marcus Thornton. He already could rebound and play solid D, now he is starting to score some points as well. He was super aggressive today with his offensive rebounds, hit a nice three and just continues to gain more confidence-you can just see it in the way he plays now and also the fact Coach Fox is starting to insert in the lineup earlier each game it seems. Brantley is also getting better and better, he is starting to hit his open looks and I feel he can be a HUGE missing ingredient for us down the stretch, giving us another solid shooter coming off the bench. Also, I like the move of Barnes starting and Price coming off the bench, he responded with 11 points today and seemed to be motivated playing defense and rebouding the ball.
Up next is the Florida Gators as we conclude a 3 game homestand. UF has a 14-4 record entering play today, but has struggled lately, losing to SCarolina at home and the barely beating AU on the road. They play Ark tonight, going on right now so I will go try to catch the end of the game. Needless to say, we NEED to win that game heading to back to back road tests at UK and Ark. One trend I have noticed for sure, when UGA wins the game, they start amazingly fast and usually are in complete control early and hold on to that-the UK game was different in that UK actually came back and took a lead but we just seem to be in control of that game regardless of the situation. Miss and Miss State, just total domination from start to finish. The two losses, even though we led UT at home, you just got the sneaky feeling that something was just not right. Sure enough, we could never get over that hurdle, bad calls or not, and lost what could end of being a huge game for us. I hope it doesn't come back to haunt us but there is no doubt if we are sitting on the bubble, we will all remember that game come March. I will preview the UF game on Monday. Tomorrow is the NFC and AFC title games, still disappointed the Falcons are not there but hey, what can you do when a QB plays like Rodgers did last week. I am not a fan of either the Pack or the Bears but since the Pack beat the Falcons, I am hoping they represent the NFC, really don't care about the AFC rep. Hopefully we will find out some info tomorrow about how the visits went for Isiah Crowell and John Jenkins. I know I read the students were chanting Isiah at the hoops game. Signing day is a week from this upcoming Wed, WOW.
Up next is the Florida Gators as we conclude a 3 game homestand. UF has a 14-4 record entering play today, but has struggled lately, losing to SCarolina at home and the barely beating AU on the road. They play Ark tonight, going on right now so I will go try to catch the end of the game. Needless to say, we NEED to win that game heading to back to back road tests at UK and Ark. One trend I have noticed for sure, when UGA wins the game, they start amazingly fast and usually are in complete control early and hold on to that-the UK game was different in that UK actually came back and took a lead but we just seem to be in control of that game regardless of the situation. Miss and Miss State, just total domination from start to finish. The two losses, even though we led UT at home, you just got the sneaky feeling that something was just not right. Sure enough, we could never get over that hurdle, bad calls or not, and lost what could end of being a huge game for us. I hope it doesn't come back to haunt us but there is no doubt if we are sitting on the bubble, we will all remember that game come March. I will preview the UF game on Monday. Tomorrow is the NFC and AFC title games, still disappointed the Falcons are not there but hey, what can you do when a QB plays like Rodgers did last week. I am not a fan of either the Pack or the Bears but since the Pack beat the Falcons, I am hoping they represent the NFC, really don't care about the AFC rep. Hopefully we will find out some info tomorrow about how the visits went for Isiah Crowell and John Jenkins. I know I read the students were chanting Isiah at the hoops game. Signing day is a week from this upcoming Wed, WOW.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Up next, the OTHER Dogs
Again, for those just finding my blog, do not be offended when I refer to our favorite school as Dogs or Bulldogs. I have been a UGA fan since about age 5 or 6, have watched us win a national title in 1980, attended school in Athens, had season tickets for 10 straight years until my kids got older and started having Sat activities (not to mention I could no longer afford to pay the money+ticket price), but have NEVER liked the spelling DAWGS or BullDAWGS. I do NOT like stereotypes, and to me where I see that spelling I think bad things, I will leave it at that.
So, now that we have that cleared up, let's take a look at our next basketball opponent, the Miss State Bulldogs, as I like to call them, the IMPOSTER Dogs. I hate that we have two Bulldogs in the same conference but it is what it is-a phrase I find myself using a lot these days, but kind of annoys me because EVERYONE says it these days.
Miss State is a pretty steady NCAA tourney caliber team from the SECw, in fact, I believe they probably have the most consistent winning percentage in the west since Rick Stansbury has been the coach. When I think of that side of the division, they are the first team that comes to mind, second would probably be Arkansas. Bama back in the Wimp days but not any longer, LSU is up and down like a yo yo, Auburn, usually pretty bad. Miss has been as LSU, up and down. So, Miss State would be my pick as toughest west opponent and I don't think that changes this year. This is a talented bunch coming to Athens tomorrow. The record might not indicate it but this team is very good. Record wise they currently stand at only 10-7 but are 2-1 in the SEC. Great, they had a week to get ready for us as they last played 1/16, a win over Auburn. They also of course won in Oxford, but lost their conference opener at home against Bama, and by a LARGE margin 75-57. One reason for the slow start of Miss State is the NCAA suspensions of probably their best two players, Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney. Bost was just recently named player of the week, after he averaged 17pts, 4.5 rebounds and 8 assists a game in the Miss and AU wins. To read more about the suspensions, I found this article-Sidney was part of the brawl in Hawaii back in December but also was sitting out time because of improper benefits during his HS days. Bost was suspended for the first part of this season (first semester) because of academic issues.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/sec/2010-12-21-renardo-sidney-mississippi-state-suspended_N.htm
So, now that you know about the best two players on the Miss State roster, let's break down their record and their stats a little bit. First off, record of 10-7 but with a grain of salt because as the link above points out, those guys really have only played for a few games to this point. Looking at their non confernce schedule, they lost to Fla Atlantic at home, East Tenn State at home, at VaTech, at Washington St (actually in Hawaii-Diamond Head Classic), at Hawaii (also in tourney), home against St Mary's, and then of course Bama at home. Wins, well, the Ole Miss win probably qualifies as their best win of the season to this point. As for starters, here we go-
Ravern Johnson leads them in scoring at 18.5 pts a game, followed by Bost at 16, Sidney at 14.4 and Augustus at 12.4, also 8 boards a game. The other starter is Riley Benock, he averages 7.6 pts a game but is shooting 45% from behind the 3pt line. Off the bench, best players look to be Brian Bryant who averages 6.4 pts a game, Elgin Bailey averaging 5.8pts and 4.3 boards (big dude here at 6'9" 276), and Jalen Steele also averaging 5.8pts. Johnson will be a tough matchup at guard as he goes 6'7" and can be a streaky shooter. Bost of course is a very strong player and then Sidney. I mentioned him before, highly touted recruit coming in and just a BIG MAN, at 6'10" 270lbs. Obviously he has the size advantage on us but, he is a big guy and still not in perfect shape, he can and will likley get winded-out of all their starters, he averages the fewest minutes per game at 25. The starters FT percentage is around 72%.
This game worries me in the fact that Miss State is coming off back to back wins, they have had a week to practice and work on what we do, their best players are now back and getting into playing shape, simply put Miss State is a dangerous team. That being said, we need come out and set the tone early again as we have in the two SEC wins so far. If they put Sidney on Trey, he needs to be constant motion, if they man up, Sidney will get tired early and often and fouls are committed a lot of times because a guy is tired. He gets beat and then has to foul. From looking at the stats, Miss State does not appear to be a live or die 3 point shooting team, besides Benock, none of their players shoot the 3 very well. They are athletic and again rebounding will be key, Augustus is a very good rebounder and as we found out in the UT game, rebounding can be a big factor in whether you win or lose a game, especially important is preventing offensive rebounds. We need Price/Barnes and Trey to control the boards and then also attack on the offensive end to make Sidney work hard and tire him out. We will need Ware and Robinson to be consistent and avoid costly turnovers, fortunately they have been doing a great job thus far in the at regard, especially in SEC play-but let me say, Gerald, please make the pass on the fast break instead of attepting the tomahawk dunk, leave the spectacular dunks for Travis Leslie.
I hope Coach Fox continues to use Thornton and Williams, as well as Connor Nolte-that kid makes things happen when he is in the game, and really can pass the basketball. Thornton can defend some elite offensive talent, I thought he did a pretty good job on Scottie Hopson the other night. Williams, he is always a threat to block shots and even though he is slight of build, I think he can hold his own defensively and help grab some boards. Speaking of boards, Barnes/Price, you guys must do better. There is this thing called jumping that a lot of basketball players do really well. When rebounding, against a guy your size or bigger, it might be a good idea to actually jump up to grab a rebound instead of standing flat footed. Yes, that WAS over the back on Brian Williams, pretty obvious call. But, did you see Barnes-GREAT job boxing the man out but he didn't appear to jump for the ball-or maybe that is just me. Anyway, hopefully Coach Fox is in his ear and Price about getting more rebounds. Rebounding is of course based on positioning but also based on EFFORT. You have to have a knack at it but a lot of the best rebounders are not the big guys but more the guys that bust their butts, hustle at all times.
Game is set for 4pm tomorrow, televised by SEC network which means it should be once again on Peachtree TV in the Atlanta area. For those attending, be loud and support our players as you have the last two home games. This is a must win, the road will be tough on every team in the SEC this year, this means winning at home is almost a must if we are to make it back to the dance.
One more note, I THINK I have not corrected the settings on this blog to allow people to comment without having register etc. If anyone would like to share a comment or ask me a question about any topic UGA related or anything else, feel free to do so. I hope you enjoy reading my blog, my opinions, hopefully some useful information as well.
So, now that we have that cleared up, let's take a look at our next basketball opponent, the Miss State Bulldogs, as I like to call them, the IMPOSTER Dogs. I hate that we have two Bulldogs in the same conference but it is what it is-a phrase I find myself using a lot these days, but kind of annoys me because EVERYONE says it these days.
Miss State is a pretty steady NCAA tourney caliber team from the SECw, in fact, I believe they probably have the most consistent winning percentage in the west since Rick Stansbury has been the coach. When I think of that side of the division, they are the first team that comes to mind, second would probably be Arkansas. Bama back in the Wimp days but not any longer, LSU is up and down like a yo yo, Auburn, usually pretty bad. Miss has been as LSU, up and down. So, Miss State would be my pick as toughest west opponent and I don't think that changes this year. This is a talented bunch coming to Athens tomorrow. The record might not indicate it but this team is very good. Record wise they currently stand at only 10-7 but are 2-1 in the SEC. Great, they had a week to get ready for us as they last played 1/16, a win over Auburn. They also of course won in Oxford, but lost their conference opener at home against Bama, and by a LARGE margin 75-57. One reason for the slow start of Miss State is the NCAA suspensions of probably their best two players, Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney. Bost was just recently named player of the week, after he averaged 17pts, 4.5 rebounds and 8 assists a game in the Miss and AU wins. To read more about the suspensions, I found this article-Sidney was part of the brawl in Hawaii back in December but also was sitting out time because of improper benefits during his HS days. Bost was suspended for the first part of this season (first semester) because of academic issues.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/sec/2010-12-21-renardo-sidney-mississippi-state-suspended_N.htm
So, now that you know about the best two players on the Miss State roster, let's break down their record and their stats a little bit. First off, record of 10-7 but with a grain of salt because as the link above points out, those guys really have only played for a few games to this point. Looking at their non confernce schedule, they lost to Fla Atlantic at home, East Tenn State at home, at VaTech, at Washington St (actually in Hawaii-Diamond Head Classic), at Hawaii (also in tourney), home against St Mary's, and then of course Bama at home. Wins, well, the Ole Miss win probably qualifies as their best win of the season to this point. As for starters, here we go-
Ravern Johnson leads them in scoring at 18.5 pts a game, followed by Bost at 16, Sidney at 14.4 and Augustus at 12.4, also 8 boards a game. The other starter is Riley Benock, he averages 7.6 pts a game but is shooting 45% from behind the 3pt line. Off the bench, best players look to be Brian Bryant who averages 6.4 pts a game, Elgin Bailey averaging 5.8pts and 4.3 boards (big dude here at 6'9" 276), and Jalen Steele also averaging 5.8pts. Johnson will be a tough matchup at guard as he goes 6'7" and can be a streaky shooter. Bost of course is a very strong player and then Sidney. I mentioned him before, highly touted recruit coming in and just a BIG MAN, at 6'10" 270lbs. Obviously he has the size advantage on us but, he is a big guy and still not in perfect shape, he can and will likley get winded-out of all their starters, he averages the fewest minutes per game at 25. The starters FT percentage is around 72%.
This game worries me in the fact that Miss State is coming off back to back wins, they have had a week to practice and work on what we do, their best players are now back and getting into playing shape, simply put Miss State is a dangerous team. That being said, we need come out and set the tone early again as we have in the two SEC wins so far. If they put Sidney on Trey, he needs to be constant motion, if they man up, Sidney will get tired early and often and fouls are committed a lot of times because a guy is tired. He gets beat and then has to foul. From looking at the stats, Miss State does not appear to be a live or die 3 point shooting team, besides Benock, none of their players shoot the 3 very well. They are athletic and again rebounding will be key, Augustus is a very good rebounder and as we found out in the UT game, rebounding can be a big factor in whether you win or lose a game, especially important is preventing offensive rebounds. We need Price/Barnes and Trey to control the boards and then also attack on the offensive end to make Sidney work hard and tire him out. We will need Ware and Robinson to be consistent and avoid costly turnovers, fortunately they have been doing a great job thus far in the at regard, especially in SEC play-but let me say, Gerald, please make the pass on the fast break instead of attepting the tomahawk dunk, leave the spectacular dunks for Travis Leslie.
I hope Coach Fox continues to use Thornton and Williams, as well as Connor Nolte-that kid makes things happen when he is in the game, and really can pass the basketball. Thornton can defend some elite offensive talent, I thought he did a pretty good job on Scottie Hopson the other night. Williams, he is always a threat to block shots and even though he is slight of build, I think he can hold his own defensively and help grab some boards. Speaking of boards, Barnes/Price, you guys must do better. There is this thing called jumping that a lot of basketball players do really well. When rebounding, against a guy your size or bigger, it might be a good idea to actually jump up to grab a rebound instead of standing flat footed. Yes, that WAS over the back on Brian Williams, pretty obvious call. But, did you see Barnes-GREAT job boxing the man out but he didn't appear to jump for the ball-or maybe that is just me. Anyway, hopefully Coach Fox is in his ear and Price about getting more rebounds. Rebounding is of course based on positioning but also based on EFFORT. You have to have a knack at it but a lot of the best rebounders are not the big guys but more the guys that bust their butts, hustle at all times.
Game is set for 4pm tomorrow, televised by SEC network which means it should be once again on Peachtree TV in the Atlanta area. For those attending, be loud and support our players as you have the last two home games. This is a must win, the road will be tough on every team in the SEC this year, this means winning at home is almost a must if we are to make it back to the dance.
One more note, I THINK I have not corrected the settings on this blog to allow people to comment without having register etc. If anyone would like to share a comment or ask me a question about any topic UGA related or anything else, feel free to do so. I hope you enjoy reading my blog, my opinions, hopefully some useful information as well.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Decision day
Well, today is the day hopefully our recruiting train begins to take off in a big way. Earlier today, Deion Barnes out of Philadelphia, Pa, selected Penn State. NO SURPRISE there, I gave us a 1% chance with him just because he did visit and because we were in his final 2. But, it is virtually impossible to grab a recruit out of that state that Penn State wants. Let's face it, it is hard for the northern schools to come south to get kids unless a kid grew up there or has family there (See Cam Heyward as an example). If you have lived in warm weather, in most cases you want to stay put. But, losing a kid to Penn State is not that hard to swallow, we likely will not meet them except in a Florida bowl game.
This evening at 5:30, Jay Rome announces his decision. One that he wanted to make at the Under Armour game but was told you waited to late to let us know??? Anyway, seems he has known his college choice for at least 2-3 weeks, most expect he lands at UGA. I suspect that as well but certainly he should come in knowing a possible RS is in his future. That is one position where we are simply loaded. Maybe he can take a redshirt his first year and play for the hoops team who can use a big guy his size to at least grab some boards, we will lose our beef in the middle after this season. At 7pm, Malcolm Mitchell decides at a local restaurant in Valdosta. I have long thought he was a lock to Bama but many insiders are really believing he will pick UGA tonight, fingers crossed as Mitchell to me could make an immediate impact for us this fall playing WR or in the return game, he has blazing speed. So, Rome we need for his future potential and keep us as tight end U, Mitchell we need because he is an outstanding athlete and if he is ready to play, we have a need at WR this upcoming year.
Now, I read that Rome is driving to Tallahassee to make his pick, which is 80 miles from Valdosta, because of the ESPNU hookup?? Anyway, Ray Drew has said he will attend both announcements, does that mean Ray will drive to Tally, then immediately jump in a car and head back to Valdosta?? I imagine you can make that trip in about an hour and a half but Ray will certainly be winded will he not? I am now hearing Drew will not make the trips to either annoucement.
Well, looks like Searels will be leaving, from what I have heard at least. I hate the timing of it but really am not sorry to see him go. I have not been overly impressed with him to be honest. Now, who to replace him. The obvious choices, as I heard Buck Belue say yesterday on his show, Mac McWhorter or Hugh Nall because they have UGA ties of course. In one regard that makes perfect sense because of the hot seat Richt sits on, perhaps a guy that just simply loves UGA or has ties would be a good fit. I like Nall because I thought he always did a great job coaching the OL at Auburn, but he has been out of football now for two years-still feel like he knows what he is doing though. He also was briefly the OC at Auburn, so he would bring that experience which is a plus. But, time will tell what Coach Richt decides but certainly if we are to replace an offensive coach, Searels would be the one I would have voted for first. More later today.
The dream team is still alive, unless you have been too busy to know (or hiding under a rock), Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell BOTH selected UGA this evening. Rome started it out on ESPNU and then Mitchell followed that with his announcement in Valdosta just after 7:30. Rome made a note to call out Isiah Crowell and Ray Drew when he made his verbal, saying Come on, be Dawgs. Great job, hopefully those two guys, along with John Jenkins will sign with us as well. Despite all the gloom and doom surrounding the program from so many fans and media members, great job by the coaches in recruiting these guys and now they need to keep recruiting them until the very end. We all remember all to well, Da'Rick Rogers from a year ago.
This evening at 5:30, Jay Rome announces his decision. One that he wanted to make at the Under Armour game but was told you waited to late to let us know??? Anyway, seems he has known his college choice for at least 2-3 weeks, most expect he lands at UGA. I suspect that as well but certainly he should come in knowing a possible RS is in his future. That is one position where we are simply loaded. Maybe he can take a redshirt his first year and play for the hoops team who can use a big guy his size to at least grab some boards, we will lose our beef in the middle after this season. At 7pm, Malcolm Mitchell decides at a local restaurant in Valdosta. I have long thought he was a lock to Bama but many insiders are really believing he will pick UGA tonight, fingers crossed as Mitchell to me could make an immediate impact for us this fall playing WR or in the return game, he has blazing speed. So, Rome we need for his future potential and keep us as tight end U, Mitchell we need because he is an outstanding athlete and if he is ready to play, we have a need at WR this upcoming year.
Now, I read that Rome is driving to Tallahassee to make his pick, which is 80 miles from Valdosta, because of the ESPNU hookup?? Anyway, Ray Drew has said he will attend both announcements, does that mean Ray will drive to Tally, then immediately jump in a car and head back to Valdosta?? I imagine you can make that trip in about an hour and a half but Ray will certainly be winded will he not? I am now hearing Drew will not make the trips to either annoucement.
Well, looks like Searels will be leaving, from what I have heard at least. I hate the timing of it but really am not sorry to see him go. I have not been overly impressed with him to be honest. Now, who to replace him. The obvious choices, as I heard Buck Belue say yesterday on his show, Mac McWhorter or Hugh Nall because they have UGA ties of course. In one regard that makes perfect sense because of the hot seat Richt sits on, perhaps a guy that just simply loves UGA or has ties would be a good fit. I like Nall because I thought he always did a great job coaching the OL at Auburn, but he has been out of football now for two years-still feel like he knows what he is doing though. He also was briefly the OC at Auburn, so he would bring that experience which is a plus. But, time will tell what Coach Richt decides but certainly if we are to replace an offensive coach, Searels would be the one I would have voted for first. More later today.
The dream team is still alive, unless you have been too busy to know (or hiding under a rock), Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell BOTH selected UGA this evening. Rome started it out on ESPNU and then Mitchell followed that with his announcement in Valdosta just after 7:30. Rome made a note to call out Isiah Crowell and Ray Drew when he made his verbal, saying Come on, be Dawgs. Great job, hopefully those two guys, along with John Jenkins will sign with us as well. Despite all the gloom and doom surrounding the program from so many fans and media members, great job by the coaches in recruiting these guys and now they need to keep recruiting them until the very end. We all remember all to well, Da'Rick Rogers from a year ago.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Still getting over that loss
Yep, that loss still hurts the next day, for us to be the team we all want and are growing to expect, we must win our home games. We already have a road win to take up the slack for last night but we can't afford any more home losses, and I am serious about that. We can't rely on this team to win on the road consistently in the SEC, a lot of really good teams struggle to win conference road games. To me we are not quite really good yet because we have not shown enough consistency day in and day out, close but not quite there yet. Friday I will be previewing the other Bulldogs but if you think Brian Williams is a big dude, wait until you see Sidney from Miss State. In case you didn't see the new look of Stegman, check it out.
http://dogbytesonline.com/uga-shows-off-stegemans-makeover-at-dedication-ceremony-41399/
Recruiting takes center stage tomorrow in Winnersville, USA, aka Valdosta, GA. Up first is Jay Rome, making his announcement at 5:30 on live TV, ESPNU I believe. Then at 7pm, Malcolm Mitchell announces at a local restaurant. All indications are that Rome will be wearing the hat with the big "G" while Mitchell, seems to be more speculation that he is headed to Bama. Ray Drew will be attending both, guessing he is friends with both these guys but that has lead many to speculate the two are attending the same school, along with Drew. I think at this point, most consider Rome more a lock to UGA than Mitchell to Bama, so maybe, just maybe we get both. Speaking of Drew, he has now moved up his announcement to January 28th. So, we might only be waiting on Crowell on signing day after all or waiting for some flips. Also, tomorrow a young man I admit I know very little about Deion Barnes from Philly, is expected to chose between Penn State and Ga. I would say the odds of UGA getting this kid would be about 1%, as how often does a kid in that state come down south to play college football, turning down the legend JoePa.
A number of our recruits/targets show up on the Rivals 250, see below. If we can close strong, this class can really be considered a "dream team" type class, although it would be nice to flip a few kids at the last minute. I still don't know how we are going to fill all our spots, Tanner Strickland just announced today he is not coming back for his last year. That opens up another sport. I have also read UGA is trying to talk Xavier Ward, the OT from Colquitt to "grayshirt" which means sign with us but then sit out a year, not enrolling until spring of 2012. Seems like he would just take a regular spot with another school, most expect him to land at AU. Ok, here is the Rivals 250.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-2602
Just read that Stacy Searels and his wife boarded a jet for Austin, Texas. Rumors are he is interviewing for the vacant OL job there. Now, I hate staff shakeup honestly but I have mentioned before to me the position on our team that did less with more would be our OL. So, if Searels want to go, I don't think that would be a bad move. Bring in a solid OL coach that maybe also has some experience with gameplanning, might help with Bobo as well. We shall see what happens with this one.
http://dogbytesonline.com/uga-shows-off-stegemans-makeover-at-dedication-ceremony-41399/
Recruiting takes center stage tomorrow in Winnersville, USA, aka Valdosta, GA. Up first is Jay Rome, making his announcement at 5:30 on live TV, ESPNU I believe. Then at 7pm, Malcolm Mitchell announces at a local restaurant. All indications are that Rome will be wearing the hat with the big "G" while Mitchell, seems to be more speculation that he is headed to Bama. Ray Drew will be attending both, guessing he is friends with both these guys but that has lead many to speculate the two are attending the same school, along with Drew. I think at this point, most consider Rome more a lock to UGA than Mitchell to Bama, so maybe, just maybe we get both. Speaking of Drew, he has now moved up his announcement to January 28th. So, we might only be waiting on Crowell on signing day after all or waiting for some flips. Also, tomorrow a young man I admit I know very little about Deion Barnes from Philly, is expected to chose between Penn State and Ga. I would say the odds of UGA getting this kid would be about 1%, as how often does a kid in that state come down south to play college football, turning down the legend JoePa.
A number of our recruits/targets show up on the Rivals 250, see below. If we can close strong, this class can really be considered a "dream team" type class, although it would be nice to flip a few kids at the last minute. I still don't know how we are going to fill all our spots, Tanner Strickland just announced today he is not coming back for his last year. That opens up another sport. I have also read UGA is trying to talk Xavier Ward, the OT from Colquitt to "grayshirt" which means sign with us but then sit out a year, not enrolling until spring of 2012. Seems like he would just take a regular spot with another school, most expect him to land at AU. Ok, here is the Rivals 250.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-2602
Just read that Stacy Searels and his wife boarded a jet for Austin, Texas. Rumors are he is interviewing for the vacant OL job there. Now, I hate staff shakeup honestly but I have mentioned before to me the position on our team that did less with more would be our OL. So, if Searels want to go, I don't think that would be a bad move. Bring in a solid OL coach that maybe also has some experience with gameplanning, might help with Bobo as well. We shall see what happens with this one.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Short but sweet
Not much time to blog today but just another quick plug, ESPNU tonight at 7p, UGA vs. Tenn in men's college basketball. Bruce Pearl did not make the trip, just in case you are looking for him tonight. Part of his 8 game SEC game suspension.
Kudos to the Lady Dogs, they are on quite a roll now at 4-0 SEC, cracked the rankings this week for the first time all year I believe. In at #24, men's team dropped out after losing to Vandy last week. They would come in at #27 based on those receiving votes. Bottom line, you can't lose a game when you are ranked in the 20's in the poll. If you are ranked 1 through probably 15, you can remain ranked even losing a game during the given week. If we win the next two at home, we more than likely jump back in the polls but honestly, WHO CARES about the polls in college hoops, they actually decide the champ on the floor, not based on polls. All you need to do is get in the dance and you have a shot, obviously some a lot more legit than others.
For grown men that visit high school kids facebook pages, PLEASE STOP. I don't even have a facebook account but my gosh, I have no interest in read up on Ray Drew's facebook account. Last year, all the drama about Da'rick Rogers switching uniforms on his facebook page etc. I follow recruiting closely each year and I read a lot about the process, and have some folks I discuss it with and share predictions on here as well but the more I read about the process, the more I am reminded we are talking about 17-18 year old kids here. As much money as college football coaches make, it has to be scary when your job depends on what 17-18 year old kids decide. At least at the NFL level, you evaluate them and you select them. In college, you can evaluate a kid, recruit the heck out of him, build strong relationships with the kid and his family, and in the end they go somewhere else. Guess that is why I never have liked sales but some guys really excel at it.
Hopefully Fox and company continue their stellar play tonight, always nice to beat the ugly orange regardless of the sport. I will miss not watching Pearl rant and rave on the sideline but hopefully the team will play well and get this homestand off to great start.
***********************UGLY LOSS to the UGLY orange, team did not come out with the same energy level as they have in the two conference wins. UT is a talented bunch and this was far from a gimme, still I think this game will be one that haunts us. You can't lose games like this at home, regardless of how horrible some critical calls were-and they were BAD, the kind you expect the HOME team to get the benefit of and not the road team. The UT bench provided more spark than I expected and they won a tough game. The good news, if there is any for us, the season is still young and UT has a strong RPI and SOS, which means the loss is bad but not as bad as a loss to say Auburn at home. Move on to Miss State now, can't get that one back but can't afford more slip ups at home. *****************************************
Kudos to the Lady Dogs, they are on quite a roll now at 4-0 SEC, cracked the rankings this week for the first time all year I believe. In at #24, men's team dropped out after losing to Vandy last week. They would come in at #27 based on those receiving votes. Bottom line, you can't lose a game when you are ranked in the 20's in the poll. If you are ranked 1 through probably 15, you can remain ranked even losing a game during the given week. If we win the next two at home, we more than likely jump back in the polls but honestly, WHO CARES about the polls in college hoops, they actually decide the champ on the floor, not based on polls. All you need to do is get in the dance and you have a shot, obviously some a lot more legit than others.
For grown men that visit high school kids facebook pages, PLEASE STOP. I don't even have a facebook account but my gosh, I have no interest in read up on Ray Drew's facebook account. Last year, all the drama about Da'rick Rogers switching uniforms on his facebook page etc. I follow recruiting closely each year and I read a lot about the process, and have some folks I discuss it with and share predictions on here as well but the more I read about the process, the more I am reminded we are talking about 17-18 year old kids here. As much money as college football coaches make, it has to be scary when your job depends on what 17-18 year old kids decide. At least at the NFL level, you evaluate them and you select them. In college, you can evaluate a kid, recruit the heck out of him, build strong relationships with the kid and his family, and in the end they go somewhere else. Guess that is why I never have liked sales but some guys really excel at it.
Hopefully Fox and company continue their stellar play tonight, always nice to beat the ugly orange regardless of the sport. I will miss not watching Pearl rant and rave on the sideline but hopefully the team will play well and get this homestand off to great start.
***********************UGLY LOSS to the UGLY orange, team did not come out with the same energy level as they have in the two conference wins. UT is a talented bunch and this was far from a gimme, still I think this game will be one that haunts us. You can't lose games like this at home, regardless of how horrible some critical calls were-and they were BAD, the kind you expect the HOME team to get the benefit of and not the road team. The UT bench provided more spark than I expected and they won a tough game. The good news, if there is any for us, the season is still young and UT has a strong RPI and SOS, which means the loss is bad but not as bad as a loss to say Auburn at home. Move on to Miss State now, can't get that one back but can't afford more slip ups at home. *****************************************
Monday, January 17, 2011
Up next, the UGLY orange
Before last year, Tenn had come to Athens and basically turned the Steg into Knoxville South, they bussed fans down for the game, Slimy Bruce ran the concourse one year thanking Vol fans for making the trip I guess but basically just acting like the idiot he is. Now, idiot can't be confused with very good basketball coach, which he is. Still, the man should have been fired for his illegal recruiting tactics but was not for whatever reason, instead suspended for the first half of the SEC schedule. So, when UT arrives tomorrow they will do so will only one Pearl making the trip, Bruce's son that is averaging about 1 point a game.
On to the game, this should be interesting, game set for 7pm Tuesday night on ESPNU. UT is a very hard team to figure out. They are 11-6 on the season, 1-2 in the SEC. What stands out to me most is how many home games they have already lost on the season which is very shocking-and if you further breakdown the losses, not good at all. They lost at home to Oakland which has a 12-8 record, Southern Cal is 10-8, College of Charleston 12-5 and in conference to 13-4 UF. On the road, @Charlotte who is 9-8 and at Ark who is 12-4. On the flip side, they had wins over Villanova and @Pitt early in the season, both those schools are good. Now to look at their starting five.
First of all, they have a great scorer in Scottie Hopson-he is from Kentucky and I remember Felton tried hard to land him in Athens. Anyway, the guy is their leading scorer at 16.5 pts a game, he is a tall/rangy guard and will be a difficult matchup for us. I would imagine Travis Leslie will be asked to guard him primarily although watch for Marcus Thornton as well, he is tall and athletic and has provided some very solid defense and rebounding when he is in the game. Next up for the Vols is Tobias Harris, a 6-8 forward averaging 15.6pts a game and pulling down nearly 8 rebounds a game. Cameron Tatum is a Ga boy, averaging 10.5 pts a game, he is from Tucker, Ga. Tatum is also very quick/explosive and at 6-6, also figures to give us some defensive problems consider we have two guards on the small side. At point is Melvin Goins who averages 8.2pts a game and is a steady leader but small, much the same size as our own Dustin Ware. He is not a shoot first type point guard and I have not seen him shooting from the outside very often, he penetrates well and dishes the ball off. Rounding out the starting five is Brian Williams, dude is HUGE at 6-10 278lbs, scoring only 6 pts a game but slightly more than 8 boards a game. He is not the most athletic guy in the world but certainly could give us fits if he posts up down low. We need Price and Barnes(hopefully the big guy is back) to body him and keep him from getting offensive rebounds and getting easy baskets.
One thing you notice when looking at the UT stats, after the starting five, they don't really have a 6th man or really any one that makes a major impact off the bench. Trae Golden, the kid we tried to get out of the ATL area, leads them off the bench at 4 pts a game. So, as has been the case in both our SEC victories, we need to play aggressive and take it to them. With our improved free throw shooting, we are now up to 8th in the conference after starting at 12th, we need to get points where we can. UT is a dangerous team and now that they have that first win, we need to come out strong and take control as has been our way of playing in our 2 wins. Against Vandy, although we gave them a tough fight, we never led in that basketball game. Vandy came out strong and we simply could never catch them. If we can get them in foul trouble, that really does help our chances because I don't think they have a lot of confidence in their bench, or simply the bench has not been overly productive just looking at the stats. They could have a stud on their bench but if so, I am not seeing it just looking at it on paper. Not that we have an explosive bench either for that matter but we do have Barnes which offers 4 points, 4 rebounds a game. I think it is safe to say neither team can afford foul trouble.
Some interesting stats, UGA is #2 in the SEC in FG%, #1 in assists per game, #10 in turnovers per game-I don't have the percentages but I would imagine we are close to #1 in FT percentage in SEC games only after shooting 67/76 in our first three games, which is 88%. Now, something we need to work on is rebounding, we are 7th in rebounding although again, since SEC play began, we are averaging 44 rebounds a game, compared to 35 for our opponents, so I will take a +9 every day of the week. Still, UT is going to present us a tough rebounding challenge as will all three opponents on the 3 game homestand. As I have said before and will say again, we must protect the home court and if we can go 3-0 this homestand, we have 5 conference wins after one third of the season. This means we would need 5 more out of our last 12, along with a win over Xavier to get to the dance. I believe 10-8 SEC will be good enough but then again, if you start out 5-1 and then go 5-7 down the stretch, that certainly is not a positive. But, no sense looking ahead at this point because we play 3 games in a row at home against teams that have a LOT of talent and could easily make the dance.
Nothing much to report on the recruiting front, we offered Crowells HS teammate and friend/cousin recently, a package deal perhaps, but from all accounts this kid, http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Quintavious-Harrow-121751, is a pretty good player in his own right but had grade issues which kept schools away. It appears he has improved his grades and now UF and Bama have offered as well. Seems UGA is indeed trying to start a Carver-Columbus pipeline. This week, Thursday, Jay Rome and Malcom Mitchell are expected to make their college picks, hopefully we go at least 50% on there. Also, Jeoffrey Pagan evidently committed to Clemson per rivals, so much for him recruiting kids for UGA. This just goes to show you, when it comes to dealing with 17-18 year old kids, you never know what might happen. Some kids are loyal and mature about the process, others are wishy-washy and immature in the spotlight. Bottom line though, you take your talent on hand and coach them up when they arrive. This is something we need to do a better job of in my opinion but I will get more into that later on.
On to the game, this should be interesting, game set for 7pm Tuesday night on ESPNU. UT is a very hard team to figure out. They are 11-6 on the season, 1-2 in the SEC. What stands out to me most is how many home games they have already lost on the season which is very shocking-and if you further breakdown the losses, not good at all. They lost at home to Oakland which has a 12-8 record, Southern Cal is 10-8, College of Charleston 12-5 and in conference to 13-4 UF. On the road, @Charlotte who is 9-8 and at Ark who is 12-4. On the flip side, they had wins over Villanova and @Pitt early in the season, both those schools are good. Now to look at their starting five.
First of all, they have a great scorer in Scottie Hopson-he is from Kentucky and I remember Felton tried hard to land him in Athens. Anyway, the guy is their leading scorer at 16.5 pts a game, he is a tall/rangy guard and will be a difficult matchup for us. I would imagine Travis Leslie will be asked to guard him primarily although watch for Marcus Thornton as well, he is tall and athletic and has provided some very solid defense and rebounding when he is in the game. Next up for the Vols is Tobias Harris, a 6-8 forward averaging 15.6pts a game and pulling down nearly 8 rebounds a game. Cameron Tatum is a Ga boy, averaging 10.5 pts a game, he is from Tucker, Ga. Tatum is also very quick/explosive and at 6-6, also figures to give us some defensive problems consider we have two guards on the small side. At point is Melvin Goins who averages 8.2pts a game and is a steady leader but small, much the same size as our own Dustin Ware. He is not a shoot first type point guard and I have not seen him shooting from the outside very often, he penetrates well and dishes the ball off. Rounding out the starting five is Brian Williams, dude is HUGE at 6-10 278lbs, scoring only 6 pts a game but slightly more than 8 boards a game. He is not the most athletic guy in the world but certainly could give us fits if he posts up down low. We need Price and Barnes(hopefully the big guy is back) to body him and keep him from getting offensive rebounds and getting easy baskets.
One thing you notice when looking at the UT stats, after the starting five, they don't really have a 6th man or really any one that makes a major impact off the bench. Trae Golden, the kid we tried to get out of the ATL area, leads them off the bench at 4 pts a game. So, as has been the case in both our SEC victories, we need to play aggressive and take it to them. With our improved free throw shooting, we are now up to 8th in the conference after starting at 12th, we need to get points where we can. UT is a dangerous team and now that they have that first win, we need to come out strong and take control as has been our way of playing in our 2 wins. Against Vandy, although we gave them a tough fight, we never led in that basketball game. Vandy came out strong and we simply could never catch them. If we can get them in foul trouble, that really does help our chances because I don't think they have a lot of confidence in their bench, or simply the bench has not been overly productive just looking at the stats. They could have a stud on their bench but if so, I am not seeing it just looking at it on paper. Not that we have an explosive bench either for that matter but we do have Barnes which offers 4 points, 4 rebounds a game. I think it is safe to say neither team can afford foul trouble.
Some interesting stats, UGA is #2 in the SEC in FG%, #1 in assists per game, #10 in turnovers per game-I don't have the percentages but I would imagine we are close to #1 in FT percentage in SEC games only after shooting 67/76 in our first three games, which is 88%. Now, something we need to work on is rebounding, we are 7th in rebounding although again, since SEC play began, we are averaging 44 rebounds a game, compared to 35 for our opponents, so I will take a +9 every day of the week. Still, UT is going to present us a tough rebounding challenge as will all three opponents on the 3 game homestand. As I have said before and will say again, we must protect the home court and if we can go 3-0 this homestand, we have 5 conference wins after one third of the season. This means we would need 5 more out of our last 12, along with a win over Xavier to get to the dance. I believe 10-8 SEC will be good enough but then again, if you start out 5-1 and then go 5-7 down the stretch, that certainly is not a positive. But, no sense looking ahead at this point because we play 3 games in a row at home against teams that have a LOT of talent and could easily make the dance.
Nothing much to report on the recruiting front, we offered Crowells HS teammate and friend/cousin recently, a package deal perhaps, but from all accounts this kid, http://rivals.yahoo.com/uga/football/recruiting/player-Quintavious-Harrow-121751, is a pretty good player in his own right but had grade issues which kept schools away. It appears he has improved his grades and now UF and Bama have offered as well. Seems UGA is indeed trying to start a Carver-Columbus pipeline. This week, Thursday, Jay Rome and Malcom Mitchell are expected to make their college picks, hopefully we go at least 50% on there. Also, Jeoffrey Pagan evidently committed to Clemson per rivals, so much for him recruiting kids for UGA. This just goes to show you, when it comes to dealing with 17-18 year old kids, you never know what might happen. Some kids are loyal and mature about the process, others are wishy-washy and immature in the spotlight. Bottom line though, you take your talent on hand and coach them up when they arrive. This is something we need to do a better job of in my opinion but I will get more into that later on.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Finally an SEC road win for Coach Fox
WOW, what a performance, all five starters in double figures, led by Gerald Robinson's 22, the hoops team totally destroyed Ole Miss Saturday. As I mentioned previously, we needed our bigs to play well this game and Thompkins, Price and Leslie all responded. Also, we needed to stop Chris Warren and that was accomplished. Another amazing stat, 26-27 from the free throw line, OUTSTANDING. Much like the Kentucky game, we came out strong and just took control. Ole Miss is now 0-3 in the SEC but I don't think they are done for the year, I fully expect they will rebound and be a force in the west. When you look at that side, LSU leads at 2-1 but I watched them a little today against Kentucky and they just don't look too strong to me. Bama, well, they were 2-0 but lost today at Arkansas. Bottom line, the winner of that division might finish 8-8 or 7-9 in conference.
In the east, 4 teams are tied at 2-1. The surprise has to be SCarolina, a young team that everyone expected to finish 5th or 6th in the east (they beat UF at Gainesville today, WOW). Two of the stronger teams heading into the season, Vandy and Tenn, both sit at 1-2 after the Vols came back to win a nail biter in Knoxville today. Speaking of the Vols, that is our next opponent on Tuesday night in Athens, the first of three consecutive home games, homestand also includes Miss State next Saturday and then the Gators a week from Tuesday. This is really our chance to build up a lead in the SECe if we can take care of our business at home. As I have said all along, it is vital that our team win the games at home and then steal a few on the road. We got one today and hopefully will get 2-3 more as the season progresses. As for Tenn, they come in at 1-2 but this is a really talented team. They will still be without the slimy Bruce Pearl on Tuesday but there is no doubt they have enough talent to come to Athens and win. I will preview them on Monday, but I know they have won some big out of conference games earlier in the year and just picked up a much neeed win today. I am glad they won today to be honest, 0-3 Tenn is hard to imagine and they would be in desperation mode come Tuesday night. Still, you worry little about your opponents mindset and think about our mindset. Our guys should be very confident, we have not lost a home game all season, we played a good Vandy team tough on the road and then completely destroyed a pretty talented Ole Miss team on the road. We were also missing one of our key reserves today as Chris Barnes returned home because of a death in his family. Obviously prayers go out to Chris Barnes and his family, not sure who passed but always a tough situation to deal with.
As I expected, Justin Houston has decided to skip his final year of college to enter the NFL draft. I think most UGA faithful expected this but the fact he waited until the last minute, had given us some hope he might return. In the end, he just had to do what was best for he and his family. Now I just hope he has good workouts for the NFL and can improve his position in the draft. It would be great to have two first round draft picks again. Yes, you can say we are underachieving with that talent but still, in the game of recruiting it always looks good to have 1st round draft picks to brag about. You also have to hope his departure might help us land Ray Drew and maybe swing Dickson back our way or another guy that is highly rated that many recruiting insiders say is strongly considering UGA, Jeoffrey Pagan. We are heading down the home stretch of recruiting now, signing day is two weeks from this Tuesday.
Tough night for the Falcons, although this is a UGA blog, I do support and follow the hometown Atlanta teams. Being a native of Gwinnett county, I have always been a huge fan of all the ATL teams and I was very excited about this Falcons team. But, they ran into a buzzsaw tonight and now you have to know the Chicago Bears probably wish they would have beat GB in that final game of the regular season to knock them out of the playoffs. I can't see Seattle beating Chicago, so the Bears will likely play the Pack next Sunday and the way the Packers are playing, I think they will likely handle CHI by 10-14 pts next week. If SEA wins, I think GB might beat them by 21-28 points.
Well, again, great day for Mark Fox and the UGA mens basketball team. I am very excited about this team and how far they can go this year. Just got to keep taking it one game at a time and hopefully we will be back in what is to me the greastest sporting event every single year, the NCAA tourney. Hopefully UGA fans will come out in full force Tuesday night to help get a win over the UGLY orange.
To those that have visited my blog, thanks for stopping by. I would love to hear feedback from you if you are so inclined. I am still very new to blog scene but I am always open to suggestions on what I can do to make this place better. Feel free to leave comments, questions, suggestions or anything else.
In the east, 4 teams are tied at 2-1. The surprise has to be SCarolina, a young team that everyone expected to finish 5th or 6th in the east (they beat UF at Gainesville today, WOW). Two of the stronger teams heading into the season, Vandy and Tenn, both sit at 1-2 after the Vols came back to win a nail biter in Knoxville today. Speaking of the Vols, that is our next opponent on Tuesday night in Athens, the first of three consecutive home games, homestand also includes Miss State next Saturday and then the Gators a week from Tuesday. This is really our chance to build up a lead in the SECe if we can take care of our business at home. As I have said all along, it is vital that our team win the games at home and then steal a few on the road. We got one today and hopefully will get 2-3 more as the season progresses. As for Tenn, they come in at 1-2 but this is a really talented team. They will still be without the slimy Bruce Pearl on Tuesday but there is no doubt they have enough talent to come to Athens and win. I will preview them on Monday, but I know they have won some big out of conference games earlier in the year and just picked up a much neeed win today. I am glad they won today to be honest, 0-3 Tenn is hard to imagine and they would be in desperation mode come Tuesday night. Still, you worry little about your opponents mindset and think about our mindset. Our guys should be very confident, we have not lost a home game all season, we played a good Vandy team tough on the road and then completely destroyed a pretty talented Ole Miss team on the road. We were also missing one of our key reserves today as Chris Barnes returned home because of a death in his family. Obviously prayers go out to Chris Barnes and his family, not sure who passed but always a tough situation to deal with.
As I expected, Justin Houston has decided to skip his final year of college to enter the NFL draft. I think most UGA faithful expected this but the fact he waited until the last minute, had given us some hope he might return. In the end, he just had to do what was best for he and his family. Now I just hope he has good workouts for the NFL and can improve his position in the draft. It would be great to have two first round draft picks again. Yes, you can say we are underachieving with that talent but still, in the game of recruiting it always looks good to have 1st round draft picks to brag about. You also have to hope his departure might help us land Ray Drew and maybe swing Dickson back our way or another guy that is highly rated that many recruiting insiders say is strongly considering UGA, Jeoffrey Pagan. We are heading down the home stretch of recruiting now, signing day is two weeks from this Tuesday.
Tough night for the Falcons, although this is a UGA blog, I do support and follow the hometown Atlanta teams. Being a native of Gwinnett county, I have always been a huge fan of all the ATL teams and I was very excited about this Falcons team. But, they ran into a buzzsaw tonight and now you have to know the Chicago Bears probably wish they would have beat GB in that final game of the regular season to knock them out of the playoffs. I can't see Seattle beating Chicago, so the Bears will likely play the Pack next Sunday and the way the Packers are playing, I think they will likely handle CHI by 10-14 pts next week. If SEA wins, I think GB might beat them by 21-28 points.
Well, again, great day for Mark Fox and the UGA mens basketball team. I am very excited about this team and how far they can go this year. Just got to keep taking it one game at a time and hopefully we will be back in what is to me the greastest sporting event every single year, the NCAA tourney. Hopefully UGA fans will come out in full force Tuesday night to help get a win over the UGLY orange.
To those that have visited my blog, thanks for stopping by. I would love to hear feedback from you if you are so inclined. I am still very new to blog scene but I am always open to suggestions on what I can do to make this place better. Feel free to leave comments, questions, suggestions or anything else.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Another team in a near must win
Wow, we now go to Oxford to play a team coming off a home loss to the state rivals, that stinks. We really need to pick up a win on Saturday but I think Miss State just made our job even tougher. Ole Miss looks like a pretty solid team to me, Chris Warren the PG is VERY good. He had 25 pts last night (averages 18.9 a game on the season) and can really shoot the three. Defending him will be a big key to our game tomorrow. They also have a Ga kid, Zach Graham from my neck of the woods-Gwinnett county (Peachtree Ridge HS), who is their second leading scorer at 13.9. The rest of the lot is just a bunch of rangy athletic looking guys that don't score much but can hurt you if you let them. Trevor Gaskins, Terrance Henry and Nick Williams can all play well. They don't have a guy over 6-9 so not like they have a big bruiser down low like Vandy did or like the Sidney kid playing for Miss State-that guys was HUGE and very impressive I might add. What they do have is what they typically have, a lot of athletes and depth. This is a game where if we can get some production from Barnes/Price, and Trey plays as he is capable, we have a size advantage here. I would look for us to try to go inside to those three and also have Travis and Gerald penetrate but like I say, who ever draws the defensive assignment on Warren will have their hands full. Looks as though their primary players, starters, shoot around 80 percent from the FT line, including 94% for Warren and 85% for Graham.
Looking at the game last night, amazingly Miss State shot only 16 FT's making 13 but Ole Miss, at home shot only 5 making 4. Miss State sits now at 9-7 and I admit all I know about them is that they were supposed to be the best in the west but this year have struggled and even had two guys get in an ugly fight earlier in the season. Bama smoked them in their conference opener, 75-57 at that was in Starkville. So, needless to say, them coming to Oxford and winning last night was a shock. But, this is why we must come ready to play ball tomorrow and come away with a win on the road. Our first road SEC win since March of '09, at KENTUCKY-that was of course under Felton. As I have mentioned, we have the size advantage here, Miss States two big guys, Sidney and Augustus had good games last night, especially Sidney with 24 points. Miss State also got a big game from their stud guard Dee Bost who scored 25 but he is averaging nearly 20 a game. The key to a UGA victory to me appears to be our size/bulk advantage and hopefully we can defend Warren. Work the inside out offense and hold Warren under 20, I think we can pull off the win and head home 2-1 in the conference. Get beat on the boards, allow Miss open 3's and commit a lot of fouls allowing them FT chances, we lose.
Hopefully today we find out about Justin Houston. Most seem to think he is gone but the fact he has waited until the last possible minute, deadline is tomorrow, leaves hope that maybe he might come back and certainly this is a very tough decision for him. I read yesterday he got a 2nd-3rd round grade from the NFL, not sure that is accurate but if so, maybe he will return. I feel sure another year in our D can bring him to a 1st round grade. Either way, wish him the best with what I am sure is a very tough decision. *****No update on Houston yet, he has been in Athens this week and attended a team meeting but other than that, no one seems to know what his decision is-folks in his hometown don't know reading Seth Emerson's blog today.
Just remembered, I never mentioned game time or station for the Ole Miss game on Saturday, game is set for 5pm eastern, televised on Fox Sports Net in Atlanta. Tune in and hopefully the hoops team will get a big win and the Falcons will follow with a big win over the Packers.
Also, congrats to Andy Landers and the Lady Dogs, I refuse to say DAWGS so excuse me folks if you are offended, I just have personally NEVER liked DAWGS, prefering Dogs. Anyway, for the first time in 15 years, Lady Dogs on the road game against ranked opponents back to back, beat Kentucky last Sunday and then last night beating the Lady Hogs of Arkansas. They are now 13-3 and 3-0 in SEC play. Great job ladies.
Looking at the game last night, amazingly Miss State shot only 16 FT's making 13 but Ole Miss, at home shot only 5 making 4. Miss State sits now at 9-7 and I admit all I know about them is that they were supposed to be the best in the west but this year have struggled and even had two guys get in an ugly fight earlier in the season. Bama smoked them in their conference opener, 75-57 at that was in Starkville. So, needless to say, them coming to Oxford and winning last night was a shock. But, this is why we must come ready to play ball tomorrow and come away with a win on the road. Our first road SEC win since March of '09, at KENTUCKY-that was of course under Felton. As I have mentioned, we have the size advantage here, Miss States two big guys, Sidney and Augustus had good games last night, especially Sidney with 24 points. Miss State also got a big game from their stud guard Dee Bost who scored 25 but he is averaging nearly 20 a game. The key to a UGA victory to me appears to be our size/bulk advantage and hopefully we can defend Warren. Work the inside out offense and hold Warren under 20, I think we can pull off the win and head home 2-1 in the conference. Get beat on the boards, allow Miss open 3's and commit a lot of fouls allowing them FT chances, we lose.
Hopefully today we find out about Justin Houston. Most seem to think he is gone but the fact he has waited until the last possible minute, deadline is tomorrow, leaves hope that maybe he might come back and certainly this is a very tough decision for him. I read yesterday he got a 2nd-3rd round grade from the NFL, not sure that is accurate but if so, maybe he will return. I feel sure another year in our D can bring him to a 1st round grade. Either way, wish him the best with what I am sure is a very tough decision. *****No update on Houston yet, he has been in Athens this week and attended a team meeting but other than that, no one seems to know what his decision is-folks in his hometown don't know reading Seth Emerson's blog today.
Just remembered, I never mentioned game time or station for the Ole Miss game on Saturday, game is set for 5pm eastern, televised on Fox Sports Net in Atlanta. Tune in and hopefully the hoops team will get a big win and the Falcons will follow with a big win over the Packers.
Also, congrats to Andy Landers and the Lady Dogs, I refuse to say DAWGS so excuse me folks if you are offended, I just have personally NEVER liked DAWGS, prefering Dogs. Anyway, for the first time in 15 years, Lady Dogs on the road game against ranked opponents back to back, beat Kentucky last Sunday and then last night beating the Lady Hogs of Arkansas. They are now 13-3 and 3-0 in SEC play. Great job ladies.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tough loss but hey, Vandy is a quality opponent
Yes, UGA lost the game but I thought other than attempting too many three point shots early, played a very competitive game. They fought hard all night, constantly falling behind by 10 or so then clawing back to 3 a couple times, but Vandy had too much inside/outside for us last night. It was pretty obvious they had a little more pep in their step than we did, that being a direct result of blowing the 14 point lead at SCarolina last weekend. That team was simply not going fall to 0-2 in conference. The refs of course did their best with Vandy shooting 35 free throws to our 15, but quite honestly, Vandy was the more aggressive team last night and so that free throw difference is not off by that much. When you lose by 7 points, that stat tends to be magnified. Course look at our game against UK, we shot 34 FT's to their 16.
Last night I thought Travis Leslie and Gerald Robinson came up big for us. I figured Gerald would have a strong game coming back home but Leslie finished with a double-double, 21pts, 13 rebounds. Robinson had a blazing start, I believe he had 9-10 points before the first TV timeout, finished with 20 points. Trey had a tough night, scoring only 13 but he did grab 13 boards. The big guy for Vandy, Ezeli to me was the difference, he came in averaging about 12 points but had 18 last night and grabbed 10 boards-needless to say I think that was probably his best game of the young season. His power down low along with Taylor and of course Jenkins leads me to believe Vandy has the makings of a very solid team. The key will be how consistent Ezeli can be game in and game out. He certainly has the size and strength. Price and Barnes had trouble with him, they both struggled a lot last night, for them to be seniors that was a bit discouraging.
All things considered, this was not a loss that is really going to hurt UGA in regards to NCAA chances. Vandy is a quality opponent and they are VERY tough at home. The game this Saturday against Ole Miss is very big for us. I will try to do a preview on the Rebels tomorrow but right now they are the best team in the west. Record of 12-4 with 0-1 conference mark, losing by only 6 points at UF last weekend. They host Miss State tonight, so I will try to catch a little bit of that game. They have 4 losses, being to Dayton at home, @Miami, Fl, home against Colorado State, and then @UF. So, they can be beat at home as you can see but, they have wins over Penn St, Southern Miss and @Saint Louis-a common opponent we beat by 2, they beat by 8. Like I say more details coming at a later date about the Rebs.
Great news that Boykin and Glenn will be returning for their senior years, a wise move for both. Boykin to me is much like Asher Allen, I think Asher made a mistake but then again, he did get drafted in the third round and has been a starter on an NFL team for his first couple years, making a lot more money than I make in my job. That being said, Boykin did not have a stellar year in my opinion and can hopefully improve for next years draft. Glenn, same thing, he is not a name guy for most, he could have done a great job working out and improved his status but what likely improves his status more is having a strong senior year paving the way for an improved running game and hopefully improved team next fall. I think Houston will leave and I do believe he has a shot to be drafted in round 1, but also has a shot to slip to round 2. IF he comes back, I think he is a sure fire top 15 pick next year. Another year in our system, I think he could really up his already impressive stats. But, I can definately see him leaving, should find out soon. Getting 3 guys to come back, that is like winning 3 recruiting battles, actually better because these guys are all PROVEN players.
On the recruiting trail, I rely on articles I read and different sources that I trust, as well as just my opinion-based on nothing more than my gut. One recruiting source I trust is Lowndes25, who also posts on the UGA Dawgpost as well as sharing his thoughts in the AJC. So, when I talk about recruiting, you will know that while I don't pretend to have sources within the Butts-Mehre building, nor do I have actual connections or relationships with these young kids or their families, I do feel like that when I put information on this blog in regards to recruiting it is pretty accurate. So, that being said, lets talk about it for a minute.
With the 3 recent pledges, we are sitting at 18. Course LeMay and Conley are enrolled for spring semester (even if it has not started yet) so those guys can count toward last year. This means we sit at 16, and if we do sign 25 which should happen, especially with Nick Williams and Marcus Dowtin leaving, we have 9 spots left We have not really offered any other tailbacks, hmmmm, seems to me all eggs in one basket, Isiah. This leads me to believe our coaches know full well we have him. Jay Rome also seems like a lock, hopefully Mitchell comes with him. Ray Drew, well, I have heard he is a lock but I am far from ready to say he is when he is still complaining about our 3-4 defense. But, if you count him, there is 4. John Jenkins, again, what I read and hear is promising but he still is visiting AU and UF, if you count him that is 5. So, who will be the other 4, that is a good question. Will we switch a couple verbals to other schools. Pagan the DE/DL from North Carolina has been rumored, Dickson could still switch back, heck, Vaughters is rumored to be rethinking his pledge to Stanford-with GT back in the picture, why not UGA-his teammate is already coming to UGA and Tucker has always been a UGA stronghold. What about Ty Montogomery, another guy headed to Stanford but now maybe thinking again. I have no idea but this is certainly a different year for UGA recruiting. Typically by this date, we have our entire class, minus one or two spots, full. This is the first year in maybe the Mark Richt era that we have had so many signing day decisions we are waiting on. Now, Richt came from FSU where this was an every year deal but this is certianly new for him in Athens. Let's just hope we close strong, seems when we have had signing day decisions in the past, we usually lose out.
Last night I thought Travis Leslie and Gerald Robinson came up big for us. I figured Gerald would have a strong game coming back home but Leslie finished with a double-double, 21pts, 13 rebounds. Robinson had a blazing start, I believe he had 9-10 points before the first TV timeout, finished with 20 points. Trey had a tough night, scoring only 13 but he did grab 13 boards. The big guy for Vandy, Ezeli to me was the difference, he came in averaging about 12 points but had 18 last night and grabbed 10 boards-needless to say I think that was probably his best game of the young season. His power down low along with Taylor and of course Jenkins leads me to believe Vandy has the makings of a very solid team. The key will be how consistent Ezeli can be game in and game out. He certainly has the size and strength. Price and Barnes had trouble with him, they both struggled a lot last night, for them to be seniors that was a bit discouraging.
All things considered, this was not a loss that is really going to hurt UGA in regards to NCAA chances. Vandy is a quality opponent and they are VERY tough at home. The game this Saturday against Ole Miss is very big for us. I will try to do a preview on the Rebels tomorrow but right now they are the best team in the west. Record of 12-4 with 0-1 conference mark, losing by only 6 points at UF last weekend. They host Miss State tonight, so I will try to catch a little bit of that game. They have 4 losses, being to Dayton at home, @Miami, Fl, home against Colorado State, and then @UF. So, they can be beat at home as you can see but, they have wins over Penn St, Southern Miss and @Saint Louis-a common opponent we beat by 2, they beat by 8. Like I say more details coming at a later date about the Rebs.
Great news that Boykin and Glenn will be returning for their senior years, a wise move for both. Boykin to me is much like Asher Allen, I think Asher made a mistake but then again, he did get drafted in the third round and has been a starter on an NFL team for his first couple years, making a lot more money than I make in my job. That being said, Boykin did not have a stellar year in my opinion and can hopefully improve for next years draft. Glenn, same thing, he is not a name guy for most, he could have done a great job working out and improved his status but what likely improves his status more is having a strong senior year paving the way for an improved running game and hopefully improved team next fall. I think Houston will leave and I do believe he has a shot to be drafted in round 1, but also has a shot to slip to round 2. IF he comes back, I think he is a sure fire top 15 pick next year. Another year in our system, I think he could really up his already impressive stats. But, I can definately see him leaving, should find out soon. Getting 3 guys to come back, that is like winning 3 recruiting battles, actually better because these guys are all PROVEN players.
On the recruiting trail, I rely on articles I read and different sources that I trust, as well as just my opinion-based on nothing more than my gut. One recruiting source I trust is Lowndes25, who also posts on the UGA Dawgpost as well as sharing his thoughts in the AJC. So, when I talk about recruiting, you will know that while I don't pretend to have sources within the Butts-Mehre building, nor do I have actual connections or relationships with these young kids or their families, I do feel like that when I put information on this blog in regards to recruiting it is pretty accurate. So, that being said, lets talk about it for a minute.
With the 3 recent pledges, we are sitting at 18. Course LeMay and Conley are enrolled for spring semester (even if it has not started yet) so those guys can count toward last year. This means we sit at 16, and if we do sign 25 which should happen, especially with Nick Williams and Marcus Dowtin leaving, we have 9 spots left We have not really offered any other tailbacks, hmmmm, seems to me all eggs in one basket, Isiah. This leads me to believe our coaches know full well we have him. Jay Rome also seems like a lock, hopefully Mitchell comes with him. Ray Drew, well, I have heard he is a lock but I am far from ready to say he is when he is still complaining about our 3-4 defense. But, if you count him, there is 4. John Jenkins, again, what I read and hear is promising but he still is visiting AU and UF, if you count him that is 5. So, who will be the other 4, that is a good question. Will we switch a couple verbals to other schools. Pagan the DE/DL from North Carolina has been rumored, Dickson could still switch back, heck, Vaughters is rumored to be rethinking his pledge to Stanford-with GT back in the picture, why not UGA-his teammate is already coming to UGA and Tucker has always been a UGA stronghold. What about Ty Montogomery, another guy headed to Stanford but now maybe thinking again. I have no idea but this is certainly a different year for UGA recruiting. Typically by this date, we have our entire class, minus one or two spots, full. This is the first year in maybe the Mark Richt era that we have had so many signing day decisions we are waiting on. Now, Richt came from FSU where this was an every year deal but this is certianly new for him in Athens. Let's just hope we close strong, seems when we have had signing day decisions in the past, we usually lose out.
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