Before we get into anything negative, I want to say that I love Georgia basketball and the program and have ever since I donned my first Harrick's Hounds shirt (which I still wear once a week, much to the delight of my wife who has tried to throw the shirt away about 4 times). I followed the Dawgs through the high years of Harrick then through the lean years of Felton. I got excited in 2008 during the SEC tourney and didn't change my socks for four straight days. Too bad that just delayed Felton's firing for about 6 months.
Then I got excited again when Mark Fox really seemed to turn things around last year. They competed hard and showed how talented tehy could be with a legit coach. Thompkins and Leslie were actually living up to their potential. Price played well and Zac Swansey and Daniel Miller look like dopes. 2010-11 was supposed to be magical.
And it still might be.
But let's be real. Ealier this year in the AJC, a dope that will remain unnamed said this was the best Georgia team in 25 years (I am guess that he is trying to calculate how long it was since the Final Four team. GET AN ABACUS!) Then this last Wednesday night a fellow Georgia grad texted me to say what a shame it was that the best team in 20 years would likely go to the NIT.
Are you people SERIOUS? As much as I love Mark Fox (I hope he stays because he can build a winner here) and while I Love watching Leslie's highlight dunks, this team couldn't hold the jock of the 2002-03 squad that was pulled out of the SEC and NCAA tourney despite a top ten ranking because Jeremy Schaap tried to live up to his father's shadow by pretending to be an investigative journalist and killed the Georgia season. (Well Tony Cole helped too)
That squad had Jarvis Hayes as the superstar wing with Rashad Wright running point, Ezra Williams bombing threes, Chris Daniels at the 4 (able to bring the ball up to beat the press) and Steve Thomas in the post. Oh, you want to go to the bench? Jonas Hayes was your big with Damien Wilkins coming in for either Williams or Hayes or even Wright. Wehunt was the "sharpshooter" off the bench and Peavy was the token white guy big off the bench. Wayne Arnold and Tony Cole also got some reps before Cole became a douche. I think that team was No.6 in the country when Michael Adams pulled them out of the Dance. Oh, that's only a No.2 seed. Thanks. The team was a No.3 seed the season prior and that was without Wilkins.
This team is good but Dustin Ware is no Rashad Wright. Ezra Williams wasn't as athletic as Gerald Robinson Jr, but he was a much better shooter from 3 and the FT line. Leslie is VERY good, a future first round pick; Jarvis was a lottery pick. Thompkins is going to be in the lottery but he pouts too much when things don't go his way. Chris Daniels wasn't flashy but he tried hard every time down. While Jeremy Price might be my favorite current player, I've got a feeling that Steve Thomas would more than take him out of the game, draw fouls and get Barnes into the game.
As for the bench, Brantley is supposed to be the sharpshooter off the bench but I haven't been that impressed this season. I'm not saying Wehunt is Steve Kerr but I'd say they are about a wash.
The top back-ups would have to be Thornton and Williams for this squad and Hayes and Wilkins for the 03 squad. While I think Thornton and Williams will grow INTO huge contributors and eventual starters for Mark Fox, Wilkins in the NBA and Hayes was so great around the basket and Williams just isn't there yet. Thornton could have gotten some big time reps on that 03 squad, but I don't think Williams would have been ready.
With all due respect to the current team, the '03 team would beat them four games to one in a best-of-seven series. Perhaps Trey Thompkins would get hot for one game, but Hayes and company would easily cruise to a series win. The current Bulldogs just don't seem ready for primetime for whatever reason. I keep wanting them to step up and claim an NCAA spot but they nearly blew a 23-point lead to South Carolina, nearly lost to Auburn and then blew the 14-point second half lead to Vandy by not scoring a field goal over the last 8 minutes of the game Wednesday....at home. The '03 squad wouldn't have had that happen. They weren't as defensively sound as this Georgia team is but the 03 squad could fill it up.
I hope I am wrong and this Georgia team goes on a deep run in the SEC and makes a run to the Sweet 16 in the Big Dance. But at this point, unless Georgia finds a way to beat either bama, florida or tennessee (I am give the Dawgs LSU and South Carolina) they'll finish with an 8-8 record and it might take two wins in the SEC tourney to make the NCAA. You finish 8-8 and you are the SECEast 5, facing FLorida in the second round (I believe that's how it would be seeded. Don't quote me on that)
That is a tall task. I hope I'm wrong. I hope Trey stops pouting and Price stays out of foul trouble and Ware keeps knocking down threes and Robinson can find what he had to start the year. But I am a little disappointed.
I'll still root my butt off tomorrow though at Tennessee. Come on Fox. Let's go Baby!
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