Before I really get into what COULD be for the Georgia basketball team for 2011-12, I am going to assume that Mark Fox sticks around and isn't lured away by NC State and/or $3M per season.
The Georgia basketball team recently nailed down its fourth pledge of the 2011 signing class (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Dixon and John Florveus already signed) when Nemanja Djurisic said yes to Mark Fox. As weird as it sounds, only Tim Dixon is likely to start next season, despite Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being a McDonald's All-American and a five-star recruit. Follow me here. Though he hasn't said, Trey Thompkins is likely to leave for the NBA soon, but Travis Leslie has made remarks that he might still need to work on phases of his game. If Leslie returns, as a senior he'll likely start over KCP. They play the same position. Unless Georgia wants to go with four guards, KCP would be the first player off of the bench. Dixon meanwhile at 6-10, 215 would slide into the void left by the departure of JPrice, CBarnes and likely Thompkins. Marcus Thornton likely is inserted in there with his 6-8 frame. I doubt Donte Williams is a starter, more likely the first big off the bench along with Florveus. Djurisic will also likely see some PT too.
If Thompkins and Leslie both return, Georgia cannot sign any more players in the late signing period, but that is OK because Thompkins would be back, same with Leslie. Those two, PLUS KCP and Georgia would likely be preseason Top 25.
But if Thompkins leaves, an interesting situation has presented itself: Kevin Ware of Rockdale County signed with Tennessee but he has asked for his release since Bruce Pearl got the boot. He is open to GT and UGA (along with a few others) but he said that playing with Caldwell-Pope really intrigues him.
I know Georgia would like to add another big if Thompkins leaves, but I watched a BUNCH BUNCH BUNCH of Georgia high school basketball this year (GPB, GPB TV, Charter, etc) and Ware is the best perimeter defender I saw. He is 6'5 yet is listed as a guard. He can defend three positions and is a SICK athlete. If Thompkins goes, Fox needs to full-court press Ware.
If Leslie leaves as well, Caldwell-Pope moves into the lineup and Ware may even move in as well, supplanting Ware perhaps or at least making Fox think about a four-guard lineup.
Let's assume Leslie stays and Fox cannot get Ware
PG Dustin Ware
SG Gerald Robinson
W Travis Leslie
PF Marcus Thornton
C Tim Dixon
6th Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
7th Donte Williams
8th Sherard Brantley
9th Florveus
10th Djurisic
with Nolte, V Williams seeing time every now and then
Let's say Leslie stays but Fox DOES get Ware
D Ware
Robinson
Leslie
Thornton
Dixon
with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kevin Ware the backcourt tandem coming in at the same time. Williams and Florveus and Djurisic seeing time. Brantley every now and then
What if Leslie leaves? But Ware doesn't come
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
Thornton
Dixon
with Brantley and Williams coming in. The two other freshmen bigs will see time
If Leslie leaves and Ware DOES come....THIS is the most interesting possibility.
DWare
Robinson
Caldwell-Pope
KWare
Thornton
Dixon, Williams, two other freshmen for your bigs. Brantley off the bench in the backcourt.
(In this last "lineup" I am granting the premise that Dixon starts but down the stretch and in cruchtime, I would think that Fox puts his best five on the floor and goes small with the two Wares, Rob, KCP and Thonrton)
If Trey and Travis stay, cool. Top 25 preseason. If Trey leaves, Fox needs to get Ware. If both leave, Fox MUST get KWare and then have to go small. Develop Donte Williams and Marcus Thornton and make sure Dixon and/or Florveus can contribute in the post.
Fox has a nice foundation coming back and coming in. The last two scholarship possibilities will determine if they are Big Dancin' again in 2011-12.
2 comments:
Tourney Thoughts.....
Uconn wins it all. Congrats! The Ninth place Big East team (entering the conference tourney....) wins it all and I get to ONCE AGAIN ask if Jim Calhoun is better than Coach K. I know he'd have one fewer title, but you cannot count the 1991,1992 titles as two. Those are the with the same team=one.
As for UNC, too bad Harrison Barnes leaves. He should stay. So should Trey Thompkins but both will leave and both will be first round picks, though Barnes will go top 7 and Thompkins goes to the Spurs late in the first round. (actually good for Trey in that case. He can learn how to do the Tim Duncan WHAT? properly. he is already doing a poor impression now)
Carolina much like Georgia finished the year about the way they deserved to.
Same bad ending for Carolina though I’ll take Elite 8 with a mostly freshman completely raw team that can’t really shoot from the outside.
I still think Roy didn’t do his best job this year with what he had…. Primarily because they made the same mistakes over and over.
I think this year’s final will go the same way as last, the mid major going down close at the end to the historic powerhouse.
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