Thompkins does heavy lifting for Fox’s Dogs
Trey Thompkins scores against New Orleans at the Steg Friday night. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
There weren’t really any surprises for Georgia basketball fans as the Mark Fox era officially got under way Friday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
With limited personnel in the wake of the Dennis Felton meltdown for the program last season, Fox faces a major rebuilding project. The Dogs figured to open the season with only one proven commodity, sophomore forward Trey Thompkins, and that’s pretty much what we saw.
But against a pretty evenly matched Sun Belt Conference opponent, the University of New Orleans Privateers, it was enough, as the Dogs led most of the game, faltered briefly in the second half, and then pulled it out 67-59.
Thompkins, who had 25 points, made seven of 11 shots from the floor, including three of five 3-pointers. He also grabbed a dozen rebounds. The only other Dog in double figures was Jeremy Price, with 12 points and three rebounds.
Aside from Thompkins, Georgia was ineffective in shooting for three, with Ricky McPhee making the only other one. It came at a good time, however, with just over 2 minutes remaining and gave the Dogs a little breathing room at 58-53 after they had regained the lead from UNO, which had jumped ahead 45-40 after Georgia led 34-32 at halftime.
Offensively, it looked like an opening game, as both teams threw up some really ugly shots, especially in the first half, and the ball-handling occasionally got pretty sloppy.
The announced crowd was 6,395, but I don’t think everyone with a ticket made it (nothing new there), as the Steg looked only about half full. It was a spirited crowd, however, especially the UGA student sections, which booed former Dog Billy Humphrey, a New Orleans transfer after running into arrest problems in Athens, every time he touched the ball.
My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, which included free T-shirts sporting the team’s new motto (“One team. One goal.”) for the first 1,000 folks in the door. Once inside, we encountered Vince and Barbara Dooley walking down the concourse, and the retired coach/AD was as gracious as ever.
A great way to spend the Friday night before a big day at Sanford Stadium.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
34 comments Add your comment
Frank Rizzo
November 13th, 2009
11:04 pm
Uga has a basketball team??
John
November 13th, 2009
11:08 pm
What a stupid comment Frank
John
November 13th, 2009
11:15 pm
Just because we don’t have a basketball team or degrees worth anything doesn’t mean you have to criticize us
Dawg 17
November 13th, 2009
11:16 pm
Great comment for our future recruits to read Frank….really makes them want to come play for our fabulous fanbase! Way to help the program and the university!!!
kauai dawg
November 13th, 2009
11:21 pm
Way to go “Fox and the Hounds!” Go DAWGS beat Auburn
Saint Simons
November 13th, 2009
11:45 pm
Tech owns Uga in basketball 2
E
November 13th, 2009
11:59 pm
Saint Simons owns a strap on.
Saint Simons Alter Ego
November 14th, 2009
12:01 am
I wish I was a Dawg, I wish I was a Dawg… oh, heck…Never mind, I can’t get this yellow paint off my wee stinger.
sc dawg
November 14th, 2009
12:01 am
st simons still xus! andisaturdfloater
What Doggie is that
November 14th, 2009
1:23 am
What a joke – the raving about a UGA Basketball win (sounds like you Dawg fans a desperately trying to find something to cheer about) over such a weak team like New Orleans. Please – enough already – you guys are killing me. That’s like UGA dancing on Vandy’s V – what is there really to cheer about by beating “mighty” New Orleans.
LifelongDawg
November 14th, 2009
1:27 am
E wins for best comment so far. Good one.
hop
November 14th, 2009
6:52 am
Coach Fox is the real deal and will make the dawgs proud!
Timmy Teebs
November 14th, 2009
6:56 am
UGLY UGLY UGLY!!!! Just like the football program. The strength and conditioning coach at UGA is a goofball and tells corny jokes too. No wonder the football team has a bunch of muffin tops.
Elite program? Not!
November 14th, 2009
7:12 am
four tickets, four cokes, four hot dogs, and free t shirts all for 5 dollars to the UGA BB game. Priceless.
JoD
November 14th, 2009
7:14 am
UGA has a basketball team? Whoda thunk it? By the amount of comments shown, it doesnt appear they have fans either.
Larry Munson
November 14th, 2009
7:20 am
This BB team seems to be doing the Fox trot. We simply cannot move, its like our feet is in tar.
dUmB dAWg
November 14th, 2009
7:31 am
wHEn dID uGA cHAnGe iTS nAMe tO fOX dAWgS. wE aRE bUlLdAWgS! gO dAWgS bEAt aUbuRN. auRburN bEat a EigThy yEar oLD MaN lASt wEeK iN FuRmAn bIsHer. hE dId sCOrE 31 pOInTs oN AubURn tHoUGh. hOpe dAWgs cAN toO.
JCD
November 14th, 2009
7:39 am
Saint Simons, If I’m not mistaken, UGA has whipped up on GT the last several years in basketball. In fact, the year GT went to the National Championship game, UGA was the ONLY team GT did not beat that year. Every team they lost to they played at least twice and beat them once, except for UGA.
collegeballfan
November 14th, 2009
8:00 am
UGA has finally gotten a real men’s basketball coach. This guy can take your program to high places. But you will need to give him some time.
Unlike Georgia football, Georgia basketball is a desert. No one wants to spend a few years in a desert. Fox will make Georgia matter in basketball. But it will take time. You Dawg fans need to support him
starting now. I’m sorry but that under 7 thousand crowd last night will not cut it.
The #1 high school player in the country just committed to North Carolina yesterday. He did not have UGA on his list. In a few years Fox will have that #1 player putting Georgia on his list.
You guys have a winner if you will support him.
independent
November 14th, 2009
8:31 am
There is a rumor going around that Richt is on the way out and D Dooley is coming to Athens to replace him. No idea if it is true, has anyone else heard this?
Buddy Rae
November 14th, 2009
8:49 am
Only way Derek would be at UGA is if Adams is gone otherwise Derek will be at Virginia next year.
Timmy Teebs
November 14th, 2009
8:53 am
This Coach at UGA is Ron Jirsa II. A nobody coach. Fox’s Flounders, Mark it down!
Mass Exodus
November 14th, 2009
8:58 am
Watch dawg fans leave tonite when another beatdown comes betwix the hedges. You fans wonder why nobody shows up at the stegasoraus. UGA’s Sports programs are a joke, nothing but the last of the great pretenders!!!
A Sign Of The Times
November 14th, 2009
9:16 am
I saw this sign on the UGA merchandise at the mall last evening…
…..30% off….
which means (a) the thugball, uh, I mean football team is having a bad year; or, (b) the basketball season is starting; or, (c) both a & b.
There ya go.
BOOGIE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
November 14th, 2009
9:36 am
Enter your comments here
BOOGIE MAN FROM HARTWELL GA
November 14th, 2009
9:37 am
LETS TALK FOOTBALL
logo on credit cards
November 14th, 2009
9:50 am
Tell Damon Evans to get out and hire some competent coaches. Tell him to cut the crap comercials for Bank of America who gives accounts to illegal aliens. Damon, Please Get to work and build a Damn good Sports program at UGA. Im tired of seeing UGA being pretenders of the SEC except for gymnastics and horsey sports.
where does - Obama says US does not wish to ‘contain’ China - Los Angeles Times | news bytes
November 14th, 2009
10:11 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Dr M
November 14th, 2009
2:05 pm
@ Dawg 17- not everyone who posts is who they claim to be. Check out the definition of “troll.” Best to ignore comments obviously meant to get a reaction… Congrats Dogs and Coach Fox on a winning start… let’s keep it going.
Saint Simons
November 15th, 2009
10:38 am
((((( 67-62 ))))) hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Fanboy69
November 15th, 2009
1:26 pm
Booing Billy Humphrey was the wrong kind of spirited and it was indicative of how weak our fans are. Billy isn’t a “traitor,” he made a minor mistake that he paid dearly for and I can assure you that he would love to be back. And all of our “spirited” fans should show respect to a Dawg that owns an SEC tourney ring and was part of that magical run. He deserved our cheers, but Billy Humphrey was booed instead because UGA basketball fans have no class.
Bill King
November 15th, 2009
8:36 pm
Lighten up, FanBoy.
The booing was just part and parcel of basketball student section tradition. Same as the “air ball” chants, etc. Odds are that Billy actually enjoyed the attention. Most players love getting booed by the opposing fans. What would have hurt would have been if they had ignored his presence.
yo dady
December 27th, 2009
12:09 pm
billy suks any way we are better without him he didnt andd any chemistry to the teams
advidedgilk
April 13th, 2010
2:10 am
Our family has been fortunate in wading through a difficult educational system. I attended fine private schools growing up ,but that was then.My wife and I had to work very strategically to get each of our children into top private schools that will help them attain their educational goals and hopefully succeed in life.
And all I wanted growing up was a German Shepard dog.