Big game tonight, projected starters-interesting

Tonight is a big night for the mens basketball team. After winning a nail biter than never should have been last Saturday in Columbia, the Dogs are home for a second place SECe showdown with Vanderbilt tonight. Vandy is a ranked team, they have the highest RPI in the conference, they have won 3 straight (home games) and are certainly in much better shape for the NCAA than we are. That being said, the latest RPI for UGA puts us at 39, as I shared a couple days ago, most guys that predict the field have us in and not last 4 in but truly in-seeding in the 8 to 10 range. Needless to say, those guys are projecting that we will win a couple more games at least and when you get down to it, games like tonight can really be more about a potential seeding down the road both in the SEC and NCAA tourneys. Obviously, in SEC play, the winner of the game tonight takes over second place in the east. Considering we have back to back road contests at UT and UF following tonight, I think this is a must win for us. Course Vandy does go to AU on Saturday but I would rather go to AU on Saturday than to Knoxville. Not to mention, we have wins over UK and SCarolina in the east, it would be a nice resume builder to add the Vandy win, then take care of Carolina when they visit Athens as that would put our east record at 4-6 (that assumes we lose both road games coming up which I am not saying at all but reality says winning either of those will be an upset), not great but a lot better than 3-7. When it comes down to those last spots in, you never know what stat the selection committee will study. Some years it is strength of schedule, some years it is RPI, some years it is road wins, you just never know. Considering we lost tough home games to UT and UF already, it really gives us very little margin for error. The good news is, Coach Fox knows everything I have just typed. I don't know what the future holds the rest of this season, I don't know how next season will turn out either but I do know that I really like Coach Fox and the job he is doing. Granted, he must continue to build the relationships and recruit. He got Caldwell-Pope for the class of 2011, he needs a couple more studs for class of 2012 because if and when he starts getting the pick of the liter in this state, our basketball program can really take off. You have to remember, UGA hoops has NEVER dominated in-state recruiting. Even when Hugh Durham was around, or Tubby Smith, or Jim Harrick, we have never year in and year out recruited well in our home state. We will get a good player here or there but we have to consistently bring in top players every year-and not the one and done types either. Now if we get to the point of stable well put together basketball school, you can then bring in the one and done kid to make you even better but the best programs around are not built on one and done-just ask Paul Hewitt. UNC, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky (well minus last years class), UF, Pitt, Cuse, UConn, etc etc, those programs might have a one and done kid here and there but most of those programs get the top kids that will stay a couple years or more-that is what we need to get is the kids that are excellent basketball players but not the type that are thinking NBA right out of HS-the kids that if the rule existed where they could go out of HS, they would. A player like Trey Thompkins-very highly recruited but sticks around for 3 years-that is the ideal situation. I think that is what Fox is trying to go after to be honest and I hope he is successful. He recruiting efforts for 2011, not bad but not great just because the two big men he has signed are not that highly regarded-and the fact that we are in desperate need for big bodies with our big guys leaving after this year-it just means the guys he has signed better be ready to play right away-see below for our 3 hoop signees.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 5 stars

SG

Greenville, GAGreenville

6'6"

185

1 video

 

Tim Dixon 3 stars

C

Oldsmar, FLOldsmar Christian

6'10"

215

John Florveus 0 stars

C

Tampa, FLHillsborough C.C.

7'0"

220

Back to the game tonight, game time is 7pm on the ESPNU. Looking at Vandy over their current three game win streak, tonight will come down to our defense. John Jenkins has averaged 23pts a game over the streak, Ezeli 14, Taylor 13 and Tinsley 13. FG% averages out to 49 percent but 3pt shooting percentage, 52%-yes, that is right, 52%. Vandy has been shooting lights out, but those games have been at home of course. The last time we played them, final was 73-66, we held them to 42% FG and 35% from 3pt line, but our shooting was dreadful-34% FG and 23% from the 3pt line. Course against us, Ezeli had a double double, 18pts, 10 board. Jenkins had 18, Taylor had 14. For us, Travis led with 21 and 13 boards, Gerald with 20 and Trey with 13 and 13 boards, he was in foul trouble in that game I do believe. We actually out rebounded Vandy by 10. One VERY interesting stat, Vandy shot 20 more free throws than us, making 14 more than we did. They were 25-35 we were 11-15. I watched the game and although that is quite a big difference obviously, Vandy was more aggressive in the game and so some of that was justified. Bottom line though, we shot the ball horribly, dealt with the huge difference in FT attempts and yet only lost by 7 points. Granted Vandy didn't shoot lights out but you would like to think our D maybe had something to do with that. You also have to remember, Vandy was coming off the OT loss at SCarolina, a game where they blew a HUGE lead and thus that game against us was of vital importance to them and I think it showed in the effort they gave that night. We were coming in off our UK win btw. It will be very important we defend their 3 pt shot, something we have really struggled with our last two games at home for sure, against AU and Xavier. Auburn shot 50% from 3 land and Xavier only shot 35 but they got WIDE open looks all night long. Obviously we did a much better job in Columbia but if we can keep Vandy in the 30's percentage wise tonight, I really like our chances. Trey needs to play really well, get Ezeli on the bench, hopefully Gerald can also work on getting Jenkins in foul trouble-any advantage we can grab, we need to. Of course we really need to avoid getting our
top guys in foul trouble as well. It should be interesting and I am looking forward to a hard fought victory tonight.

I noticed this on scout, the writers there projected their starters for 2011 football team. I will offer mine as well, if you all want to share yours, feel free to do. In most cases, I agree with the other guys but I think Wooten and Samuel will be surprises. Now, I am not down on Marlon Brown, he very well might get the nod and I suspect we might run a lot of 3 wide sets, could even split Charles out as well. Amazingly, is past mid February now so it truly not that far until spring practice is here.

Pos	Seth	Fletcher	Dean                    Haney
QB	Murray	Murray	Murray                 Murray
RB	Crowell*	Crowell*	Crowell*              Crowell
FB	Ogletree	Ogletree	Figgins                 Figgins
WR	King	King	King                     King
TE	Charles	Charles	Charles                Charles
WR	Brown	Brown	Brown                 Wooten
LT	Sturdivant	Sturdivant	Sturdivant           Sturdivant
LG	Lee	Glenn	Gates                  Benedict
C	Jones	Jones	Jones                  Jones
RG	Glenn	Gates	Glenn                  Gates
RT	Gates	Benedict	Benedict             Glenn
DE	Tyson	Tyson	Tyson                Tyson
N	Jenkins*	Jenkins*	Jenkins*             Jenkins
DE	A. Jones	A. Jones	A. Jones           A. Jones
OLB	Washington	J. Jones	J. Jones            Washington
MLB	Robinson	Robinson	Robinson          Robinson
MLB	J. Jones	Gilliard	Gilliard              Samuel
OLB	Drew*	Washington	Drew*             J. Jones
CB	Boykin	Boykin	Boykin            Boykin
CB	Smith	Commings	Commings       Commings
S	Ogletree	Ogletree	Ogletree          Ogletree
S	Rambo	Rambo	Rambo            Rambo