Mark Fox’s ‘process’ at Georgia just went into high gear
Trey Thompkins (21 points) and the Dogs have reached unexpected heights already (AP photo)
ATHENS – Until the tournament berths, Mark Fox sells hope. Until some of the five-star basketball recruits who have been drifting out of the state stop and think, “Wait, why not Georgia?” the Bulldogs’ new coach will talk about concepts like commitment and work ethic and building a program the right way.
And he’ll tell stories like this: “I had dinner with Ramon Sessions in the fall. He just signed a four-year, $16 million contract [with Minnesota] Here’s a guy we signed at Nevada two weeks before his freshman year. Nobody wanted him. But he turned into a great player. The key is finding players willing to commit to the process.”
But nobody could have figured the process would produce results this dramatic. Or this soon. Why not Georgia?
Midway through Fox’s first season, the Bulldogs just upset a top-10 team for the first time in six years and played before a home sellout for the first time in three.
Mark: Any thoughts on the economy? Global warming? Football games in Jacksonville?
The Bulldogs leveled eighth-ranked Tennessee 78-63 at a packed Stegeman Coliseum. There’s your implausible double of the season. They led much of the second-half by 20-plus points, boat-racing a Tennessee team that came into the game with a 15-2 record and a win over top-ranked Kansas.
“They probably thought it was going to be a cakewalk,” said guard Ebuka Anyaorah.
It’s only one win, much like the upset over Georgia Tech was only one win, much like the upset of Illinois was only one win. But together, that’s three improbable results in a 9-8 season that, well, didn’t figure to be a 9-8 season at this stage.
So much baggage in the program. Seemingly so little talent on the roster. The sense of dread looming so large. Can one coach change things this quickly?
“I’m excited because there’s some excitement around the program,” said athletics director Damon Evans, who hired Fox. “People have responded to what coach Fox is doing. We’re still building. But when you get a signature win like this, it says a lot about the commitment of this team. It says a lot about Mark Fox and his staff, and to have the fans here.”
Senior center Albert Jackson knows what last place and an empty arena look like. He was there a year ago when a 26-point loss at Florida, and all that preceded it, led to coach Dennis Felton’s firing. Even with an 0-3 start this season in the SEC, he never sensed doom.
“It was about this time last season when we lost our first [four] SEC games, and we went to down to Florida and got blown out,” Jackson said. “This year, it was [a similar] situation against a top-10 team. But it was a whole different demeanor. Guys are confident in the system and confident in the coach. Guys were upbeat.”
They passed the ball with efficiency. They dominated the paint (20 of their 42 first-half points came on dunks or layups). Trey Tompkins (21 points, eight rebounds) and Travis Leslie (19 points, nine rebounds) were a combined 17-of-24 from the floor.
Stegeman was electric. Who knew that was even a scientific possibility?
When Leslie jammed home a rebound to make the score 72-48 with 6:28 left, the building rocked.
“This is one of the reasons I came to Georgia,” Fox said, referencing the crowd. “We just had a great college basketball game at Stegeman.”
It couldn’t have hurt the football program, either. Mark Richt, Mike Bobo and Rodney Garner were in the building, seated in the recruits section.
Who imagined a basketball game could give football a competitive advantage?
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183 comments Add your comment
Boca Baby
January 23rd, 2010
10:34 pm
Last year when Damon Evans fired Felton it was abrupt and very decisive. At the time it was his opinion that it could not go on any longer. Last year’s season was a real disappointment. Kudos for bringing in Fox. Kudos to Fox for wanting to come to UGA. To his credit even the Lizard of Westwood, Jim Harrick, understood the potential at Georgia. After all, there is a wealth of BB talent in the state with a population approaching ten million. Could it be that Fox realized this as well? Now all Fox has to do is keep his nose clean and convince some of that talent to stay home.
IRAQI DAWG
January 23rd, 2010
10:36 pm
I GOT A QUESTION????? When was the last time Bruce Pearl and Pat Summitt lost to the same team within a week???? Can anyone answer that??? I love the look on their faces!!!! PRICELESS!!!!!
Boca Baby
January 23rd, 2010
10:37 pm
And don’t forget to bring in the coaches of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at UT. The Dawgs pasted them earlier today in a dual meet! A clean sweep for the week!
Dawgs Run This State!
January 23rd, 2010
10:41 pm
If Mark Fox kicks a pre-game 50 yard field goal and the football team beats UT by 15 pts, it should be a pretty good 2010 in UGA sports.
WRDawg
January 23rd, 2010
10:44 pm
Is it just me or could Trey Tompkins win a Damon Evans look alike contest?
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:45 pm
DawgMania: Show.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:46 pm
Beeeg Boy — Right you are, and I see to recall the Women of Orange were highly ranked as well.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:46 pm
MoeRock — Travis Leslie is a terrific athlete. Sometimes not under control but if he can maintain some consistency he’s going to be a great player.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:47 pm
Herschel — Thank you, kindly. And good luck in MMA next week.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2010/01/23/you-go-herschel-and-please-do-better-than-canseco/
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:47 pm
Nerd Central — Thanks. I think. For part of that.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:49 pm
Mr. Charlie — No kidding. Kornheiser makes WAY more money than I do.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:51 pm
Something’s a foot — Can’t you slam or step? I’ll think about that and maybe change.
CvilleDawg
January 23rd, 2010
10:53 pm
travis leslie reminds me of lebron james I know thats a big comparison but with his size and quickness and his dunks I swear he looks like him.
Boca Baby
January 23rd, 2010
10:54 pm
Jeff I do not remember so many consecutive comments by you. Did you stop by Starbucks on your way back from Athens? Went for the espresso eh? Double?
UGAVIII
January 23rd, 2010
10:56 pm
Foxy you are the man! I predict Sweet 16 your first year.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:57 pm
TROG — there were some empties but the Coliseum was pretty full.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:58 pm
OK headline critics: I just changed it (to high gear, took out gas reference, slammed or stepped… Hey maybe I should do a separate live blog on suggested headlines. … Naw, too late.
Jeff Schultz
January 23rd, 2010
10:59 pm
Boca Baby — Actually when I answer, I answer in bunches. But just up for a couple of more mins, then going night-night.
Legend of Len Barker
January 23rd, 2010
11:02 pm
Tennessee women were ranked #3.
Cross your fingers, Dawg fans. Ashley Houts came out with the t-shirt cannon. One foot was in a walking boot. I hope it’s just preventative as she took a pretty good whack Thursday.
This Bulldog crew is a completely different one than I saw in the season’s opener. I realize we’re probably playing way over our heads, but they’ve already beaten what I predicted for them after seeing that game (8-9 wins, perhaps one in the SEC).
Fan of the night: The guy in the front row who smeared his hair and torso with peanut butter (Yes, peanut butter. I watched him stick his hand in the bottle and scoop it out.). I think the Vols were a bit disturbed by it. I know I would be.
Boca Baby
January 23rd, 2010
11:03 pm
When I was in Athens it wasn’t Colombian Coffee that keep us up all night. However, it did have a Colombians reference. Oh the foolish deeds of the young and restless. How did it go . . . 25 or 6 to 4?
Go Home UT!
January 23rd, 2010
11:18 pm
UT is overated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The worst team in the SEC defeated them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They should be number 2000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
bad boy51
January 23rd, 2010
11:21 pm
LeBron, CvilleDawg ? Really? Seriously? LeBron is like 6ft. 7in. Leslie is like 6ft 4in. Lebron is 250 at least Leslie is maybe 200. Slow down Katdaddy.
Tron Carter
January 23rd, 2010
11:23 pm
78-63
Where’s all your trash talk now, you toothless mountain douches?
BBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAA
OVERRATED clap clap clap clap clap
OVERRATED clap clap clap clap clap
Here’s what that means you uneducated brown jug whistlers
over·rate
Pronunciation: \ˈō-vər-ˌrāt\
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1610
: to rate, value, or estimate too highly
Gen Neyland
January 23rd, 2010
11:25 pm
Go Home UT : Which #1 team in the country have you knocked off this year..? Or last..? Or when..? You have a very slight understanding of ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ games, much less conference match ups. Congrats to the Dawgs, both men and women. Landers and Fox are doing good work. See ya’ll up in Knoxville.
saint simons
January 23rd, 2010
11:28 pm
i would pay good money to see UGA play a ACC basketball season!!!!
Jeff anyone can be good in the WEAK A$$ SEC!
Tron Carter
January 23rd, 2010
11:32 pm
I can’t wait to go to Knukeeseville to see the Dawgs humiliate the mountain folk again.
I’ll definitely fill my gas tank up before I get there.
Atlanta Jacket
January 23rd, 2010
11:32 pm
Fox won’t be in Athens long. Biggest win in years in Athens over 2 hours ago and I am the 76th poster – you dog fans are pathetic. Fox will prove his mettle in the SEC and graduate to the ACC in the next 3 years.
Gen Neyland
January 23rd, 2010
11:33 pm
Schultz : Your bloggers are punch drunk. You need to explain the NCAA/SEC game to these guys. Some of ‘em are expecting a national ranking with a 9-8, 1-3 record. Stuff happens and UGA is playing way better and over their head under Fox than at any time under Felton…Good game Dawgs…
Atlanta Jacket
January 23rd, 2010
11:36 pm
Dawg2012 – Fox will leave Athens before you do, but have fun with it the next 2 years. Clearly uga doesn’t really care about basketball – “something to do when it is too cold to play football.”
Tron Carter
January 23rd, 2010
11:39 pm
73-66
Tron Carter
January 23rd, 2010
11:39 pm
30-24
Tron Carter
January 23rd, 2010
11:40 pm
60-39-5
We Run This State Trekkies
coloradobulldog
January 23rd, 2010
11:42 pm
We should note that these DAWGS have already played some of the toughest games of their SEC schedule already – Kentucky and Miss ST on the road. Yes, they could be 4-0 but still not bad being 1-3 with who they have played – 3 of them ranked. Looks good that they were in every game. If they play this well against the rest of the conference, they will make the Dance. Non-Conference wins over Illinois and (more importantly) Tech will be in their favor in they are on the bubble. The way they played tonight, no one would want to face them: good D, solid guard game, range from behind the arc and size & muscle down low. They will be a hard out for most teams. Thompkins is a huge match-up problem for most teams. It is looks like Tim Duncan. Hope he stays through his Senior year like Duncan did and that Fox stays put for a long time.
Tron Carter
January 23rd, 2010
11:43 pm
Free Hotdogs and Cokes and still no one comes to your games.
Even though you are located in the downtown area of the largest city in the State.
You are as big of a joke as PJ’s triple failure.
Atlanta Jacket
January 23rd, 2010
11:47 pm
Tron Carter demonstrates it completely – a column about basketball and the typical ugag fan reverts to football. Tron – enjoy Fox. Heck that dude might be gone in 12 to 24 months. Why coach basketball at a school where “fans” like Tron just really don’t care.
Hairy Dawg
January 23rd, 2010
11:58 pm
Great game for the Fox and Hounds! I think with the basketball we have seen recently (not counting the SEC championship a couple of years ago), we deserve to crow a little. Having said that, I think we realize we are building and still a long way from where we want to be.
Coach Fox deserves all the credit with his assistants for coaching up these players and changing the mindset. The players deserve the credit for buying in and working hard.
I was a critic of the money spent for the search firm. As of today I have to admit that I was very wrong. They deserve whatever they charged. Now let’s take care of this up and coming coach so he will not be tempted to jump ship. I cannot understand why recruits would not be ready to listen to him and come to UGA. If we keep this coach, I think great things will happen with this program.
Go Dawgs!
hind tit
January 23rd, 2010
11:59 pm
one of the best coaches to come to this part of the county in along time. what fox is doing at ga is more than just luck. any fool can see that. fox knows what he’s doing. he knows the game and got these guys playing as a team believing they can play with anyone in the country and they can. i just wish these kids that think they have to leave the state to play a good brand of basketball would take notice and stay here. if they don’t out of state kids will because that’s where fox will go to get what he needs. this guys going to put a well coached team on the floor that’s going to get better every year.it takes more than just 4&5 star players to make a team they have to become a team first and fox knows how to do this.players from this state on other teams see what fox has done with a few good players so wise kids the nba takes notice of well coached team.
hind tit
January 24th, 2010
12:11 am
they play basketball at gt when it’s to cold to get mugged.
Barkin'Dog
January 24th, 2010
12:29 am
Atlanta Jacket – you’ve got a lot of nerve talking about fans being pathetic… UGA has a 10 to 1, if not 20 to 1 ratio of fans over your team. Are there a few A-holes from both fan bases who blog here? Sure, but that pretty much makes up for most of your fans. And they all hang out at anything resembling a Georgia blog… just to post snotty comments. The funny thing is, very few Dawg fans go to a Tech blog, regardless of the sport. Get over yourself, and your idea of what makes up a great, loyal fan base. The Dawgs beat Tech– convincingly! Get over it. Good luck the rest of the year. Oddly enough, I can see the Dawgs playing Tech again this season… and kickin’ your whining butts again… maybe round 2 or 3 in one of the tourneys at year’s end. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the woof-woof!
Facts about SEC vs. ACC basketball
January 24th, 2010
12:31 am
Always heard from ACC fans that the ACC is so much of a better conference than the SEC in basketball, but let’s go inside the numbers…
Current:
Top 25 teams in AP top 25: SEC (4), ACC (4)
Highest rated team, either conference: Kentucky 18-0, ranked 2
Conference RPI: virtually the same, looking at different publications
Past 5 years, National Championships: ACC (2), SEC (2)
Past 10 years, National Champs: ACC (4), SEC (2)
Past 15 years, Nat. Champs: ACC (4), SEC (4)
All Time, Nat. Champs: ACC (11), SEC (10)
I dunno…you decide for yourself if there’s much of a difference over any time period
PJ's Daddy
January 24th, 2010
12:36 am
I understand that all classes at Tech are now taught in Chinese… And PJ’s playbook is Greek… Ancient history… The players can’t even speak English… WTF!?!?
Hoops Dawg
January 24th, 2010
12:36 am
Ever notice what CMF often does when he pulls a player (even Trey)? He usually walks down the bench and talks with that player (coaching) rather than banishing him to the end of the bench as Felton often did. These kids are playing well, in part, because the game has become fun for them again. When they are coached, they can see themselves making progress, and soon good things begin to snowball. I can’t believe how much this team has grown since the first game with New Orleans (and since the loss to Wofford).
Second observation: Trey Tompkins is really a stablizing influence on the court. When he leaves, play declines noticably. I know he needs a blow every now and then, but I get kind of nervous if he is out for more than a minute or two.
Keep up the good work Dawgs. It is nice to go to the Stegasaurus cautiously optimistic for a change.
CvilleDawg
January 24th, 2010
12:41 am
I never said he was the next lebron, he just has the speed and the leaping ability something like lebrons. I guess we’ll have to see how he fares in the nba and this crap about how the acc is better than the sec didnt uga beat tech ? I think they did. If uga had a good bench then they’d be a great team honestly.
That70sGAdawg
January 24th, 2010
12:43 am
Great win, perhaps our boys can one day be as consistantly great as the Girls team. Everyone come out tomorrow support our Ladydogs- they WILL be a sweet 16 , or higher team – and most are freshmen and sophmores!!
NastyNate
January 24th, 2010
12:52 am
Congratulations to UGA on their win this evening……they were due for a win & the VOLS were playing uninspired basketball for some reason. See you up in K-town come mid February for a little payback. Question…..if Fox becomes successful in the upcoming years will Damon Evans actually spend the money necessary to build a better facility???
Robards
January 24th, 2010
12:58 am
Ask Mark if he has any thoughts on global cooling, Jeff.
Gary
January 24th, 2010
1:09 am
Great win. Nasty Nate, Damon has already said that the basketball program will either get a big renovation for Stegman or possibly a new building. That decision is still a year or two away. Fox will continue to bring success and in turn will demand an upgrade to the facilities.
Denver Dog
January 24th, 2010
1:11 am
Congrats Dogs, keep improving, keep winning!
Stegman's Legacy
January 24th, 2010
1:19 am
Again with the comments about Stegman being “bad”. What don’t people like? The lighting is good, every seat is decent to good because it is small, and its easy to get in and out. Is it beautiful? No. But have you seen Vandy? Awful. Rupp is nothing to write home about, but it seats 24k. The upgrades that are coming look promising, and it is very functional. I have seen a VERY nice on campus arena at Ohio State. It was big and very, very well-appointed. But I don’t think the Steg is the worst I have been in, not even close.
Stegman's Legacy
January 24th, 2010
1:28 am
Nasty Nate, UT had some weird things going on tonight you should be concerned about. When your team got down, they seemed to give up. For long stretches on offense, they all stood completely still while the pg dribbled for 10-15 seconds, then he would pull up for a 3. And you couldn’t shoot tonight. Second, you guys are really good when you are shooting well. But the games you can’t shoot, you seem to have no inside game. Tonight and USC games are big examples. UGA exploited these things all night, pounding the paint and letting you shoot threes all night. That doesn’t bode well for your tourney run.
As for the Dawgs, this team is actually being coached. It’s actually 4 SEC games against ranked teams, although MissSt wasn’t ranked when we played them…they got in this week and promptly lost. But they are a tourney team. UGA is better than South Carolina, Vandy, Alabama, Arky, Auburn, LSU and about equal with UF, amd Ole Miss and MissSt. KY is much better, but the way Fox has our guys playing, we can hang in there with anyone these days. We can beat UF at UF this wed, but we will have to play like we did in the first half tonight. SoCarolina almost beat them tonight, except for that lucky 3, they would have. But it will still be tough and I am looking forward to seeing how we play on the road.