Trey Thompkins, Georgia put their best feet forward in SEC
There was nothing Auburn could do to stop Trey Thompkins (and his magic feet) in Georgia's SEC tournament opener. (Curtis Compton)
Should Trey Thompkins decide to hold a basketball camp one day, he will teach the youth of America all about his keys to success. The jump shot. The rebound. The pass. The drive. The pedicure.
The pedicure?
“He gets them a lot,” said Dustin Ware, his Georgia teammate. “I started noticing and I was like, ‘Trey, what’s up with your feet?’ Normally his toes are all shiny and stuff. He takes care of his feet.”
The problem is that for most of this season, Thompkins’ feet have not taken care of him. The junior was projected to be the SEC’s player of the year, but he has spent too many hours with his feet in ice buckets. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason. Then he was kicked in the shin.
Then came the ingrown toenail, the apparent result of a sudden lack of pampering. No kidding.
“I never had one of those before,” he said. “I think it came from not going to get pedicures any more. It might be a sign to start going again.”
Thompkins might be the first basketball player in history to reject a shoe deal in favor of something more in the open-toed variety.
Fortunately, his ankle, shin and tootsies appear to be back to full strength. When the Bulldogs opened play in the SEC tournament Thursday, we saw the Thompkins we expected this year. We saw a difference-maker. We saw the kind of player that can lift Georgia deep into this week’s SEC tournament and possibly make them a significant threat in the NCAA tournament.
Thompkins scored 22 points, sank three of five three-point attempts –he was 17-for-66 coming into the game — and pulled down 10 rebounds, a one-man Auburn-wrecking crew. He was allowed to rest his feet for the final six minutes of the Bulldogs’ 69-51 blowout at the Georgia Dome.
Both Thompkins and his team have struggled with consistency this season. But it’s noteworthy that the player says this is the healthiest he has felt all season, something coaching Mark Fox noticed in practice earlier this week.
“Tuesday was probably the first time in practice I thought, ‘Wow, he’s looking healthy,’” Fox said afterward. “I think he has some confidence because he felt better.”
Let’s start with the feet because, come on, how often do we get to talk about a basketball player and his pedicures?
“My mom always told me it might help the way I feel on the court,” Thompkins said. “It actually did. Then once I stopped, it hurt me.”
How long has he been getting them?
“Oh, years,” he said.
Does he get his toes painted too?
“No.”
Would you tell me if you did?
“No.”
Why did he stop?
“No clue. I kept putting it off. It turned into two months. Then that [ingrown nail] came.”
He had it surgically removed last week. He was questionable for the Alabama game last Saturday but played with extra padding in his shoe, scoring 15 points in a loss. But his magic toes were back against Auburn.
Ware said he had a pedicure once just to try it, but commented: “I’m just not a feet guy. I don’t like people touching my feet.”
I’ll try to remember that.
Seriously, if Thompkins continues to play like this, he can frost his hair and light candles and incense in the pregame. He has taken some criticism this season for his play. But a sore ankle, shin or toe is not conducive to moving or shooting great on a basketball court.
Ware again: “Just knowing him, he’s mad because even when he’s out there he can’t be him. When he’s playing as well as he did today, it’s big.”
The Dogs won in a blowout even though they shot only 41 percent. But they often had open shots because Auburn had to focus its defense on Thompkins (not that it helped).
Thompkins said he has done more “soaking and icing than I’ve ever done in my life” this season.
“Hopefully in other people’s eyes I’ve done my job,” he said. “I’ve done the best that I can and that’s all I can do.”
And now, his secret is out.
By Jeff Schultz
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82 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
March 10th, 2011
7:55 pm
That last play in the UCONN play by Walker was crazy.
J Clay
March 10th, 2011
7:59 pm
Comment about the pedicure at Athens Kroger was too funny…Have not laughed so hard in a while with all these comments…I just hope he is not getting a pedicure at the Happy Spa on Gaines School Road – the one with the dark, fogged up windows….because if so the NCAA will be down investigating “extra” benefits….
5150 UOAD
March 10th, 2011
8:08 pm
J Clay usually when you hear about a Dawg and a paid for “Release”. We think of Bonding out of jail. LOL
cattle dawg
March 10th, 2011
8:30 pm
My luck is so good that I went to an asian spa one time and it was actually legit, they asked me to leave.
5150 UOAD
March 10th, 2011
9:18 pm
Cattle
That sucks. Money to spend and they send you down the road.
OldTimer
March 10th, 2011
9:46 pm
The dawgs don’t have the balls to take this trophy.
They know how to talk though.
St. Clarkston
March 10th, 2011
9:50 pm
Hope the Dawgs struggle to a lot more 20+ win seasons under Fox.
Hairy Dawg
March 10th, 2011
11:29 pm
Trey better not let Rex Ryan anywhere near those feet.
Scott
March 11th, 2011
12:18 am
Bama will get smoked friday, tourney lined up perfect in bracket for dawns, win tomm and in ncaa
BobDawg
March 11th, 2011
12:24 am
@BamaNYC…. This won’t be like it was in Tuscaloosa when we couldn’t find a 3 pt shot… Press all you want but we will run away tomorrow… Bye, Bye Tide…..
TampaDAWG
March 11th, 2011
1:02 am
I am actually very anxious for this game. Everyone forgets that Bama was unbeaten at home this year. So lets see how they look on a neutral court. Hopefully, the DAWGS won’t be a tired from playing yesterday. If both teams play their best UGA should win, but Bama is very good at making other teams look sloppy. Should be a good interesting. Go DAWGS!
Dirty Dawg
March 11th, 2011
2:51 am
Gotta say you had to be nervous about that AU game. I mean it looked like the BBall Gods might just be lining up to pull the rug out from under Coach Fox and these kids at the last minute…we lost to Alabama when a victory would have assured a NCAA Tourney slot…we draw an Auburn team that was, according to their coach and others, playing their best ball of the season…the ‘pickers’ were saying that we had to win, at least, this first game in order to make the next Tourney…and we are assigned a 1PM starting time when so many Georgia fans were doing something else…and yet they looked as good as they have at any time this season – regardless of how poorly they shot the ball.
I was pleasantly surprised as the game wore on where usually I’m cussin’ their lackadaisical approach to bringing the ball down against an opponent’s pressure – but they got it done…and for the first time in a long time I don’t think I ever hollered – ‘take care of the damn ball’ – cause they did. I may be too much of a pessimist and the game against Alabama may be entirely different, but I’m looking forward to it and if they play as they did against AU, we’ll be playing this weekend – and next weekend as well, and not in the NIT.
As for the two starting times, 1 PM games on both Thursday and Friday, what’s up with that? Are they intentionally trying to see to it that we have as few fans there as possible? I mean, for all the other teams, their fans have made a commitment to take off from work, make a holiday of it and are gonna be here anyway…while we’re here doing what we do and hoping to get to a game or two before it’s over. Just wondering. You know, maybe they figure that Georgia fans will just be headed to the game and won’t be frittering away time at the FanFest thing, so they just get us out of the way as soon as they can…
gary
March 11th, 2011
3:37 am
The dogs looked good ,and again praying they return ,meaning all the Jrs. and the NCAA’S would be there again and a great chance to deep on a NCAA run.adding the incoming recruits Coach Fox ability to coach and look out,JUST HOPE WE GET MARSHALL AND STAN ROME ADDED ALONG WITH CALDWELL AND THE TWO 7FT CENTER BEING RECRUITED TO BLOCK SHOTS AND REBOUNDS THIS TEAM WILL BE AWESOME,but let’s continue to make noise this year.
Ted Striker
March 11th, 2011
3:45 am
I ain’t afraid to admit I’ve had them. I used to go with a gf of mine. Was awesome.
Greensboro
March 11th, 2011
6:03 am
Yesterday I saw a comment on ESPN that Colorado was a lock to get in and UGA had to beat Bama to get in yet they said UGA’s significant wins were against Kentucky, Tenn. and UAB with no significant losses. Well, they left off Colorado! Am I missing something here or has someone blown a logic gasket?
» SEC: Georgia-Bama could be NCAA play-in game John Clay’s Sidelines
March 11th, 2011
6:09 am
[...] Georgia puts its best foot forward, writes Jeff Schultz of the AJC. [...]
Tech Sucks
March 11th, 2011
6:32 am
He can do whatever he wants to his feet, playing like that. He’s a freaking beast. Yet of course the AJC’s big Sports Page Picture and article are about Paul Hewitt and Tech losing once again, like they do in every sport.
Joe
March 11th, 2011
7:37 am
Won another game against a terrible team with a losing record.
Snore.
UGA is 3-9 against teams with a 50 or better rpi.
Buckeye
March 11th, 2011
7:56 am
Nice headline, Schultzie. Clever.
Congrats to Howard ( before I was Trey but was getting my pedicures) and Co. Great game and glad you are on the mend.
You’ve got a great Mom…she was always nice to me at the Wolves games.
Good luck today and through the weekend.
Question is do they charge like triple given the size of your feet??
(Anyone that wants to make a Tressel comment can take it to the football blogs)
Southern DisComfort
March 11th, 2011
8:01 am
Georgia Tech put there best feet backwards in the ACC.
Joey
March 11th, 2011
8:28 am
Joe: “UGA beat another losing team. Big deal.”
Hey, moron, I would venture a guess that every single team in the polls also played “losing teams” this season, also.
N.GA.DAWG
March 11th, 2011
8:42 am
I agree with the colorado thing. If they are that good then that had to be a good win. I have a feeling Bama is NIT bound after today. GO DAWGS!!
Upstate Dawg
March 11th, 2011
9:03 am
Great all-around play yesterday–even with shooting only 41% from the floor. I don’t think the team was taxed much more than a tough scrimmage yesterday. We should still be fresh today. Should we get past ‘Bama then tomorrow would be when I would be concerned about fatigue. Sic ‘em Dawgs!!!
TideFanInAtl
March 11th, 2011
9:05 am
Enter your comments here
gdawginkalamazoo
March 11th, 2011
9:35 am
First off, prayers to the people of Japan and the Pacific Rim countries that are having to deal with the earthquake and the aftermath. Seeing that type of devastation is just horrible.
I hope the dawgs come out and play hard and all 40 minutes. If they do that they can beat just about anybody.
Go Dawgs!
gdawginkalamazoo
March 11th, 2011
9:38 am
Buckeye, not to get off on football but do you think you guys are going to have to forfeit the season last year playing 5 ineligible players ALL season long?
Kenny Powers #55
March 11th, 2011
10:20 am
Now that Auburn is F…..g out and back home planting trees and grinding stumps, it’s time to send greyshirt U home too.
Buckeye
March 11th, 2011
11:01 am
gdawginkalamazoo.
Yep, gave my predictions yesterday.
2010 – vacated
Sugar Bowl – vacated
Tatt 5 – no reduction but no additional
Loss of Bowls – 2 years
Scholarships – none lost. Not a recruiting issue
Tressel – resigns soon than later
Next Coach – not Urban Myer
In the meantime, tune into ESPN at Noon and watch the Bucks for a while before we listen to all the pedi comments on the SEC telecast!
Georgia Tech could decide Paul Hewitt's future over weekend | Jeff Schultz
March 11th, 2011
11:54 am
[...] – Trey Thompkins, Georgia put their best feet forward in SEC [...]
Sonny Jackson
March 11th, 2011
12:53 pm
Hey Jeff, thanks for that urbandictionary link… been laughing all morning.
Legs were gone
March 11th, 2011
3:33 pm
Our legs simply gave out. Oh well. Now we wait.
That UT game and the Notre Dame game and the Temple game and the Xavier game and one or two more within the SEC all loom large now. Just two wins in this group and we would make the Dance. If we don’t ………….. we can only blame ourselves.
Go Dogs.
DAWG GONE FAN
March 15th, 2011
12:52 pm
Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie need one more year of maturity and playing experience before
hitting he pros…they will be just that much better and have the experience of being well coached by
a very capable young Mark Fox…lucky them to have a choice!