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
realistic dawg fan
January 24th, 2010
1:39 am
Fox was a great hire for UGA. He will turn them into a consistent team with solid fundamentals. That’s about all you can ask for.
ButlerDawg
January 24th, 2010
1:54 am
This is front-page news because Georgia is better than Tech…Georgia beat Tech head to head. Tech beating Carolina just isn’t a big deal, since everyone is beating Carolina.
And next year both Georgia and Carolina will destroy Tech so get used to being back-page news, nerds!
DMR
January 24th, 2010
1:59 am
Too early to put him in the HOF, but you have to enjoy the process and what Mark Fox has done with Georgia’s team so far. You need a full season for a real evaluation, but you can sense a difference in the way this team prepares and plays. Fox has instilled confidence and discipline. I remember the hiring process and the length of time it took to find Fox. When UGA hired him, most people were asking “Who is this guy?” We may be saying Coach of the Year in the SEC when this season is over.
If the Todd Grantham hire is going as well, this early into football as the Fox hire is going at this early stage, I think things will really be looking up in Athens.
Congratulations to the TEAM for a hard-fought and well deserved victory over the Vols. You worked hard and you earned it.
Bulldog Basketball Bandwagon
January 24th, 2010
2:03 am
Misplaced enthusiasm from Dawg fans that could barely tell what a basketball looked like if you asked them. Basketball always has been and always will be a 2nd tier sport at Athens Finishing School.
The puppies luck up and win a couple of games, and all of a sudden you guys are talking NCAA tournament playoffs……playoffs…..Playoffs?????
Tech Buzzer
January 24th, 2010
3:28 am
After a good year or two, Fox will hit the road and leave for a real BB program, that plays in a decent arena. Ga fans should be embarrassed to play in that dump, which used to be a rodeo barn. Will they sell out for an NIT game this year? Doubtful.
p
January 24th, 2010
4:17 am
I can’t believe we wasted 5 years with Felton. Worst hire ever.
Reptillicide
January 24th, 2010
4:52 am
LMAO at all these techies saying Fox will be gone in a year or less. Are they already that terrified of us? Wow, that didn’t take long. But then again, it doesn’t take much to get those weak-spined nancies to quake in their boots. Run and hide, nerds. We’re going to dominate you in both football AND basketball now.
BOO!
Reptillicide
January 24th, 2010
4:55 am
TechBuzzer,
you should be embarrassed that your nationally-ranked team got beaten soundly by a team that plays in what used to be a rodeo-barn.
Actually you should be embarrassed that you’re a Tech fan altogether. Loser.
Reptillicide
January 24th, 2010
4:55 am
Oh, and lest I forget –
4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 cokes…
#2 BAMA FAN
January 24th, 2010
5:20 am
It is fun to beat the vols in basketball!! The football team needs to take notice and beat the vols in october of 2010!! RTR
boses
January 24th, 2010
6:00 am
Great game. Go DAWGS!
I love the radio guys who were doing the game. Fun to listen to.
jc_dawgs
January 24th, 2010
6:06 am
Fox is turning out to be a stellar x’s and o’s head coach. His system is designed perfectly to match up with the strengths of this Goergia team. They pound the ball inside and collapse down toward the glass on almost every possession. Defensively….they know there roll. They are a big and deep team…matching up very well and even over powering and pounding on other big teams.
They are in every game and if the opponent has a lack luster performance…this Ga team will make you pay! Now if we can just start grabbing 1 or 2 four star recruits each year. Go Dawgs!
Judge Judy
January 24th, 2010
6:06 am
UGA 78
BIG ORANGE BONDING CO. 63
Smokey
January 24th, 2010
6:08 am
Monte & Lane
Bruce & Steven
FL DAWG
January 24th, 2010
6:12 am
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. A great game indeed, but one game does not make a season. It’s ok to be excited bit let’s not set the dawgs up to dissappoint us. Mark Fox is certainly pushing all the right buttons and credit is due the team. We have a long way to go this year…good luck coach and go dawgs!
The Whole Truth
January 24th, 2010
7:11 am
Concerning Damon,an old country saying is “Even a blind hog can find a acorn”….
So goes Damon. I don’t like the guy.
heeldawg
January 24th, 2010
7:14 am
Atlanta Jacket, dream on. I know that the prospect of Mark Fox being in Athens for a while is disquieting, but we’ve been through mediocrity in basketball for too long. Damon Evans is committed to having a broad-based athletic program and is willing to pay for it. Fox has been a great hire and I suspect he will be in Athens for a while. You see, unlike Tech, our athletic department is in the black–substantially so, as a matter of fact. There’s plenty of cash to throw around. So I don’t see us letting Mark Fox get away any time soon.
Paul Hewitt, on the other hand, may be gone from Tech soon. But it won’t be because he’s a great coach. Quite the opposite…
tech fans = flagboy baton twirlers
January 24th, 2010
7:44 am
great article jeff , most of your stuff resembles sesame street material but you finally wrote a good article
those games meant nothing to Tech
January 24th, 2010
7:45 am
73-66, 24-14, 30-24… course as Paul’s Johnson and Al Grows Nads say…..”what has Georgia done since 1980″
Sunday Links 24Jan « Leather Helmet Blog
January 24th, 2010
7:49 am
[...] Coach Fox and the Hoop Dawgs are impressive. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Sunday 27 Dec LinksSunday LinksSunday Morning Links Published in: [...]
Charles UGA 70
January 24th, 2010
7:59 am
It has been a long time (maybe Hugh Durham) since UGA had a coach who could. Sounds like he has the right approach–get the attitude under control and use good basketball techniques and walla!
Jim R
January 24th, 2010
8:10 am
There’s a small school in Spokane Wa (Gonzaga) that plays the game the way it should be played. No superstars just great “TEAM” play. Doesn’t play “street ball”. Wins every year and goes to the tourney every year. Ga under Mark Fox will do the same at Ga if they pay him. If this team learns how to close out games they will really be something. The running game needs some work and still has trouble getting the ball in when the other team presses but my bet is that we will learn to do both. Great job Mark. You’ve got my attention and it appears you are getting a lot more. As Calipari said ” If Ga is a last place SEC team this will really be a fun year”. Go Dawgs.
Iceman
January 24th, 2010
8:21 am
Game Ticket: $15
Pretzel: $3
Coke: $4
Seeing the Dawgs knock off a top ten team: PRICELESS
Paddy
January 24th, 2010
8:34 am
MoRock…..what does “no money for cloths” mean from JH?
Gotta start somewhere
January 24th, 2010
8:38 am
I can remember another new Coach named Mark in Athens that got his first signature win against a team from Tennessee.
Upstate Dawg
January 24th, 2010
8:38 am
My season tickets are behind the visitors’ bench. Watching Pearl whine and seeing the expressions on his face yesterday as the Vols were taken to the woodshed was PRICELESS. It almost made up for the UGA Police towing my car while parked in the same place I’ve been parking for 20 years.
Brad
January 24th, 2010
8:54 am
Great article Jeff. What coach Fox is doing is really exciting. Like most Georgia people I’m a football fan first but I want to see the Dawgs do well in all sports. This season has been a pleasant surprise and I can’t wait to see what we can do when recruiting picks up.
Brad
January 24th, 2010
8:59 am
All you Techies and naysayers negate your poopooing of the Dawgs by your compulsion to show up on UGA blogs and scream to whoever will listen about why it supposedly doesn’t matter. I will refrain from bashing your programs in gerneral. I’ll just single you out as the losers that you are.
Jake
January 24th, 2010
9:03 am
Peal Jr. can not hit a bull in the butt with a base fittle. Basis 101 in basketball is to hit your free throws. That’s why they call them “Free Throws”. I’ll hand it to Ga. their program does look like it’s headed in the right direction. They beat and owned the boards. This is one of the Vols strenghts but Ga. handled the boards. Great passes made by Ga. thus creating high percent field goals “dunks”, which the last time I reviewed was a high percentage shot. Vols can not handle a zone. This forces them to put shots up from the outside. Vols looked like they were not in the mood to play, seems Ga. took away the mood.
those games meant nothing to Tech
January 24th, 2010
9:06 am
besides..the ACC is a football conference..lmfao
Some Saturday in hoops, huh? at Mississippi State sports
January 24th, 2010
9:18 am
[...] then there were two other results to bring up this morning. For starters, Georgia thumped No. 8 Tennessee, 78-63, in Athens. This was the same Georgia team that had State on the ropes on Jan. 16 before State [...]
Gen Neyland
January 24th, 2010
9:24 am
#2 bama fan : There ain’t no rtr in BB at alabama so you gotta count on somebody else to do your bidding. lol
hope
January 24th, 2010
9:31 am
Go Dawgs!!
Dawgs Bball Blog
January 24th, 2010
9:34 am
Great blog dedicated solely to UGA basketball – http://hoopdawg.wordpress.com
Road Scholar
January 24th, 2010
9:46 am
Having read the above posts, UGA is fortunate to have made a great hire in Fox. He has come in a signed a few of his own players, but has gotten the others on the roster to buy into his coaching philosophy. While they aren’t the most talented, they play with heart, trust each other, each player doesn’t have to get their prescribed (in their minds) number of shots, and have very good chemistry. Chemistry is so important; look at how UGA won the SEC Championship a few years ago. Sure they had some A+ players, but the rest of the team accepted their roles, and at times had individual great games. Fox also appears to have laid out and enforces his rules, much like Paul Johnson… how many have had off the court problems?
Comparing Fox to Hewitt (sorry, but my point will be made) Hewitt’s teams play disjointed at times. Sometimes it appears the players have to be reintroduced to each other! Other times they force their shots to get “their numbers”; they don’t play as a team. They stand and watch, acting like they don’t know what to do. And Hewitt just stands there acting confused.
Congrats on your wins, and good luck in keeping Fox. While I cheer for Tech, I also recognize achievement.
» SEC links: Vandy stays unbeaten; Parsons delivers again John Clay’s Sidelines
January 24th, 2010
10:05 am
[...] Jeff Schultz of the AJC says it was a great atmosphere in Athens. [...]
D-Wood
January 24th, 2010
10:24 am
I love all the comments from Tech fans that Fox will not be in Athens long. These are the same nerds that were making fun of the hire last year. I think we have made a great hire, but I would slow down on the tournament talk. I don’t think we have the depth to compete night in – night out with the top teams in the SEC. Remember, we had a week off before this game. That being said, once Fox gets his players and we have the needed depth we will be a consistent invitee to the big dance.
Dawgs Bomb No. 8 Tennessee 78-63
January 24th, 2010
10:35 am
[...] Mark Fox’s ‘Process’ at Georgia Just Went Into High Gear – AJC.com Categories: Basketball Email Print | Share [...]
marseilles mutt
January 24th, 2010
10:49 am
It is interesting to note the parallels in he last two significant coaching hire’s at UGA.
Both Coach Fox and Coach Grantham have gone to the professional arena to move forward in the college ranks. Coach Fox to use the Laker’s triangle offense and Coach Grantham to gain the insight into a NFL defensive philosophy that works at the ‘highest level’ as well. It would seem that this is what prospective collegete athletes want to see, regardless of the sport.
And oh yes, let’s not forget about baseball, tennis, golf. UGA is not too shabby there either re sending athletes to the next level.
brokebackvol
January 24th, 2010
10:53 am
Congrats on the win, but your fans need to continue supporting the team so that they can get used to the support – and it’s true that when ALL the SEC teams are doing well, it helps the conference as a whole. See y’all in Knocksville.
Allen
January 24th, 2010
10:53 am
Lets not start J@$%ing each other off here. This is still just a 9-8 team with 1 conference win in 4 tries. Lets also not forget embarrassing losses to Wofford, UAB, and St. John’s this season. Is it nice to get a win over a ranked team? Yes. But Tennessee showed they are grossly overrated. Lets give this a season or 2 or 3 to see if Fox really is the man for the job. Then we can have our circle-J about him.
bleu_Bayou42
January 24th, 2010
11:01 am
Great win no doubt
bleu_Bayou42
January 24th, 2010
11:09 am
RE: Allen comments about Wofford, (UAB- is always in the tourney but ok), & St Johns.
Coach Fox runs the Triangle Offense. It requires a lot of motion, anticipation, and reads. UGA’s offense is only going to get better as the season goes a long. It also should be noted how many guys Fox rotates through out a game. He’s got a lot of guys involved and hopefully that will result in fresher legs than the competition during the second half of SEC play.
Technophobia
January 24th, 2010
11:13 am
Nice win over UT, congratulations.
UGA in hoops
January 24th, 2010
11:21 am
Mark Fox is a coach apparently. Nice two or three wins so far vs Illinois and now UT and the nerds from the ACC and if we can win 40% to 50% of our SEC games in the first season under C MF, UGA will be fine. Vandy and Florida would be awesome. So would a split with them.
Fox needs some recruits to continue this but for now, the kids are playing and SMILING and the future kids for UGA are watching. This can build into something very, very nice by 2012. Let us all be patient. This is F-U-N. Maybe we can ease into the SEC tourney around make a nice run.
Jeff Schultz
January 24th, 2010
11:36 am
Thanks Brad. The rest of the season should be interesting.
Tweets that mention Mark Fox's 'process' at Georgia just went into high gear | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
January 24th, 2010
11:53 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stephen Lambert, Connor Petloe, Daniel Arlt, Gary Wilkerson, Open Voice PBX and others. Open Voice PBX said: Mark Fox's 'process' at Georgia just went into high gear | Jeff …: Is the AJC in such desperate straits they are… http://bit.ly/7yFYlX [...]
ToccoaDawg
January 24th, 2010
12:00 pm
Give CMF 3 years and lets see what happens. But at this point the future looks bright. He can coach but can he recruit.
azcat225
January 24th, 2010
12:13 pm
ToccoaDawg, obviously you weren’t paying much attention when Fox was hired. If the man can recruit NBA-level players to Reno, Nevada, he can certainly recruit bluechippers to play at Georgia. Your glass must be half-empty this morning.
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[...] here: Mark Fox's 'process' at Georgia just went into high gear | Jeff … Share and [...]