In beating the regal Big Blue, UGA proves it’s big-time, too
Gerald Robinson and Trey Thompkins: Some darn good Dawgs. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
ATHENS – We might have seen the eventual SEC champion here Saturday, and that team mightn’t be the one you’d think. The Georgia Bulldogs looked snooty Kentucky in the eye and weren’t overly impressed by what they saw. The Bulldogs, see, have reason to believe they’re the class of this league, and this result did nothing to dissuade them.
Said Trey Thompkins, surely the SEC’s best player: “We expect to play with teams like Kentucky and Tennessee and Florida. … We feel like we can play with anybody.”
Georgia beat Kentucky 77-70, and it was no home-court fluke. Georgia was the better side for 35 of the 40 minutes. It built an early lead, saw it disappear not long after halftime and then rebuilt it. It was just as Mark Fox, the canny Georgia coach, said it would be.
Here’s what Fox said he told his Bulldogs, who led by 11 at halftime: “[That] we were mature enough to play 40 minutes, mature enough to withstand the run we knew they were going to make. We’re an older team now, and we should be able to finish this type of game.”
And there’s the key reason — one of two key reasons, actually — that Georgia has a chance to serious damage: The Bulldogs are seasoned in a way most big-time college teams aren’t. They start a senior and four juniors. Most of these guys suffered through the final days of Dennis Felton and have found in Fox the man who could maximize their potential.
It’s also clear, in the cold light of hindsight, that Felton’s final recruiting class was his best: Thompkins was in it, and so were Travis Leslie and Dustin Ware. Thing was, Felton’s grind-it-out style would never have showcased their talents. Georgia needed a tactician for that, and Damon Evans, then Georgia’s athletic director, found a Fox for his Hounds.
This correspondent trashed the Fox hire, and this correspondent was as wrong as he has ever been on anything. (Which is saying something.) Fox can sketch X’s and O’s with anybody, and Saturday he outdrew the head Wildcat. John Calipari’s methodology is to recruit one-and-dones and let them freelance off his dribble-drive offense. Fox runs Tex Winter’s old triangle — most know it as Phil Jackson’s triangle — and in this team he has the requisite three sides.
Georgia got the ball where it wanted more often Saturday and found better shots. (It made 44.9 percent of its shots to Kentucky’s 38 percent.) It fed Thompkins early — he had 14 points in 17 first-half minutes — and allowed its guards to shoot when Calipari switched to a zone to keep Thompkins from setting some sort of record. But come the game’s biggest possession, Georgia up five inside the final three minutes, guess where the ball went?
Thompkins on the right baseline. Thompkins turning for a half-hook. Thompkins making it a seven-point game.
Fox: “It was a called play and a big basket. We were going to him, and he made a player-of-the-year-type play.”
Some coaches outsmart themselves by eschewing their main man for fear of a defense overload. Fox sees it more simply: When you’ve got the best player on the floor, you get him the ball.
Thompkins: “He drew up the play. He’s a mastermind.”
Does the play have a name? Said Thompkins, smiling: “It does, but I can’t tell you.”
Whenever Kentucky comes to town, there’s going to be top-shelf talent on display. What was revelatory Saturday was that Georgia had just as many good players as the big-ticket Big Blue. Asked if this was an upset, Leslie said: “Not really. I knew had the tools to compete.”
Asked what he thought after he had watched tape of Kentucky: “I didn’t think we’d be totally outclassed.”
This team won’t be outclassed by anyone it sees. It has the players, it has the blend, and it darn sure has a coach. Georgia could/should be in the SEC East chase until the last dog dies, and don’t be surprised if the last dog standing is a Bulldog.
By Mark Bradley
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228 comments Add your comment
todd grantham
January 8th, 2011
10:57 pm
its like watching a football game like you Mark. dont care who wins, just enjoying the game
athdog
January 8th, 2011
10:58 pm
About as loud as I seen the Steg since Florida came to town with Noah, Horford and the rest, seemingly so long ago. Great game, a coach that deserves an extension with a HUGE buyout, and fans that were wide open, start to finish. Total opposite of the Memphis Rib Eater Bowl game we lost to the Sun Belt team.
todd grantham
January 8th, 2011
10:59 pm
how come all kickers are fat and dont wear wrist bands
todd grantham
January 8th, 2011
11:00 pm
jets will win on a field goal
todd grantham
January 8th, 2011
11:02 pm
Nick Folk, not Rick Volt wins the game
todd grantham
January 8th, 2011
11:02 pm
rick volk
todd grantham
January 8th, 2011
11:03 pm
folk almost folked that kick
The Fan
January 8th, 2011
11:04 pm
I want a football team the basketball team can be proud of. GREAT game, Dawgs and COACH Fox.
jwall
January 8th, 2011
11:06 pm
ok since he started in 2001 and recruited that class late i’ll start in 2004 (10-2), 2005 (10-3) SEC CHAMPS, 2006 (9-4), 2007 (11-2), 2008 (10-3), 2009 (8-5). so t. grantham shut up you have have the dumbest argument on here and there is some stupid ones on here.
jwall
January 8th, 2011
11:08 pm
oh yeah he won with donnan’s recruits too
jwall
January 8th, 2011
11:11 pm
we turned the ball over too much in 2009. in 2010 we started a true freshman at quarterback and put in a totally new defense. the man has done nothing put win and now he doesn’t know how to coach?
He Hate Gator
January 8th, 2011
11:12 pm
Great Win! Go Dawgs! ….sure feels good to say that! Thank you Mark Fox!
jwall
January 8th, 2011
11:14 pm
anything todd grantham? or any other of you so call dumb ass UGA fans?
jarvis
January 8th, 2011
11:19 pm
I – am – waiting – for – Vizzini.
You surely are a meanie.
Dawg 1
January 8th, 2011
11:20 pm
How many of you guys hated this hire? And wins help recruiting. The crowd is in the game, first class facility and they smoke Big Blue. Need to get those season tickets now; down the road, this is going to be a tough ticket. Great for UGA. Need to lock CMF up folks, he’ll be a hot commodity by the end of this season.
Cigar Guy
January 8th, 2011
11:23 pm
If the Dawgs keep winning, I may cross the pond and come see Tiger and a game at the Steg.
Real Ga Fan
January 8th, 2011
11:25 pm
JWall go back to the Tech blog and blog on your Jackets…
GTBob
January 8th, 2011
11:33 pm
Pretty good win for UGA. Seems they took advantage of the lack of experience at UK. Giving up 24 personal fouls, 34 free throws, and having 3 guys foul out isn’t going to get it done against anyone. Calipari has his work cut out for him. The timing of this game was kind of bad though. UGA beats Kentucky. At the same time the NFL playoffs are on and UConn was in overtime against Texas. I’m not sure anybody even saw the UGA game.
kral
January 8th, 2011
11:35 pm
I just read all your blogs jwall and I appreciate what you had to say..do not listen to tg…he has an inferiority complex so he assumes the name of well known personages in order to raise his self- esteem..you know,looks like an expert, sounds like an expert,but online you can easily be a fake about everything
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 8th, 2011
11:43 pm
I guess this game was like the UGA v Colorado football game. Every now and then a Loser comes out the Winner. Be proud today DAWGS your basketball is Colorado Football.
kral
January 8th, 2011
11:47 pm
preeetttyyygood win gtbob,,,do not realize that no caliparie team will ever be considered experienced
82Dawg
January 8th, 2011
11:48 pm
@5150 then your basketball team must be?????
kral
January 8th, 2011
11:49 pm
toad,toad toad can you not let us bask in the glow of beating ken.. no I guess a loss to BC just makes you to bitter
kral
January 9th, 2011
12:02 am
so if our basketball is colorado and they might have good team ..I do not know.. your team must be Kennsaw ST.. Ga St.. Shorter Cooollege…I would say VSU..but I do not think you want to play them…
Chuck
January 9th, 2011
12:03 am
So glad you recognize Tex Winter as the genius behind the triangle and not the over-rated hack Phil Jackson. Far too many “journalists” fail to get that right. Phil Jackson wishes he was half the coach Greg Popovich is. He is the absolute definition of over-rated. (And don’t give me this bs about the rings. Robert Horry has as many rings as the “genius” Jackson. Take Jordan and Kobe away from Jackson and he has nothing–nothing!)
kral
January 9th, 2011
12:12 am
I can not touch that Chuck..but thanks for the info
GTBob
January 9th, 2011
12:15 am
@kral, yeah, it’s a pretty good win. UK isn’t exactly world beaters this year. They lost to a mediocre UNC team and have looked lost a few times. They are a young team without a dominant star like John Wall. They will get better and better as the year goes along but right now they are a little overrated. It’s not really a stunner that UGA beat them. They have the ability to lose to teams they shouldn’t and beat teams they shouldn’t. Its going to be a roller coaster season for them.
Headley Lamar
January 9th, 2011
12:16 am
Robert Horry hit the most clutch shots in the Finals
Headley Lamar
January 9th, 2011
12:18 am
They have the ability to lose to teams they shouldn’t and beat teams they shouldn’t. Its going to be a roller coaster season for them.
Nice jab GTBob
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 9th, 2011
12:24 am
kral
Actually is was a good win. I am saying you won a game UGA probably should have lost. I gave up on TECH basketball a few years back and will not return until Hewitt is gone. I don’t even watch college basketball much anymore. I sure will not watch until the NFL is over.
kral
January 9th, 2011
12:24 am
very true GT but they probably will not expect to hang around to long…not agreeing with markie…I loved it,but the schedule is long..great win but who knows..Hope it is a sign of things to come…believe we have good team not really affraid of anybody,,, but not a fool ..waiting to see how it plays out..hoping..wishing..dreaming..that’s all I can ask for…
gadawgs
January 9th, 2011
12:28 am
Great game!! Love this team! Keep it up all the way through March!
kral
January 9th, 2011
12:34 am
I to somewhat take offense to the pretty good win opening…it would be like me saying the same thing to you if you beat duke in the ACC gt bob..yes history of conferences makes it comparable
GTBob
January 9th, 2011
12:52 am
If GT beat Duke I wouldn’t call it a pretty good win I would call it an enormous meltdown by Duke of epic proportions. The gap between Duke and GT is much wider then the gap between UK and UGA. Duke is the unanimous #1 team in the country right now. GT got slaughtered by Kennesaw State.
AFDawg
January 9th, 2011
1:07 am
Oh come on Danny Boy — you don’t think GT basketball players meet the same entrance standards as the rest of the student body — do you? Just like Georgia’s palyers don’t either. You need to study up on how things work. Players from both schools only have to meet NCAA minimum entrance requirements. It’s like that across the entire country. Now quit bringing up that stupid academic argument please — it doesn’t exist!
Mark Bradley`s Booster
January 9th, 2011
3:06 am
Since the Buldogs beat KY by seven and only beat GT by one point, this can now be a true moral victory by GT.
OldTimer
January 9th, 2011
3:36 am
The Dawgs are becoming increasingly irrelevant. They won a home game against Kentucky. Whop-pity do. Tonight’s news is that the Saints got their arses handed to them.
UGA owns you tasty bees..
January 9th, 2011
4:39 am
We all know how Gt lives off of those moral victories..
BoWeevil
January 9th, 2011
4:58 am
Every team we beat in football this entire season, all have a
LOSING RECORD.
UGASlobberknocker
January 9th, 2011
5:11 am
the sellout crowd was nice to see. Dawg fans proved under Smith and Harrick that if the Dawgs are competitive, the fans will come and they will be enthusiastic. I can see it happening again this year. I also thought Fox hire was a reach ..man was I wrong.
Ted M
January 9th, 2011
5:33 am
If the Dawgs don’t crack the top 25 this week they will next week.
GT has long since cracked the bottom 25.
Lose The Weight - In beating the regal Big Blue, UGA proves it’s big-time, too - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) « Lose The Weight
January 9th, 2011
6:10 am
[...] In beating the regal Big Blue, UGA proves it’s big-time, too – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)ATHENS – We might have seen the eventual SEC champion here Saturday, and that team mightn’t be the one you’d think. The Georgia Bulldogs looked snooty Kentucky in the eye and weren’t overly impressed by what they saw. The Bulldogs, see, have reason [...]
Thundering Flea on a Dawg
January 9th, 2011
6:46 am
Great win for Coach Fox and the Dawgs. Just hope Coach Richt is paying attention.
» BBL: A doubleheader dud for Big Blue on Saturday John Clay’s Sidelines
January 9th, 2011
7:44 am
[...] Mark Bradley: In beating regal Big Blue, Georgia proves it’s big-time, too. [...]
Homepage | MrSEC.com
January 9th, 2011
8:06 am
[...] Mark Bradley: “We might have seen the eventual SEC champion here Saturday, and that team mightn’t be the one you’d [...]
jc_dawgs
January 9th, 2011
8:24 am
Impressive win….I’ll be going to see the Dawgs take on Vandy in Nashville. Hope a lot of Dawgs fans will be there!
Cletus Dooley Earnhardt SR.
January 9th, 2011
8:28 am
Whhen doz foitballl seison starrt??? I wannna seee thatt 6 ft 4 kiid froomm Troopes Countey i hurd he runs a 4.3 in the fourty yard dash! I ddont have thee stommach to tollerate anyy otherr sportt otherr than foitball!
-GO UGA! (onnly foitball pleese!)
JTDawg
January 9th, 2011
8:53 am
Let’s see if they can do what they couldn’t last season – win a conference game on the road before we hand them any throphies.
I sure like our coach, though
Jborodawg
January 9th, 2011
8:56 am
Yes, a great win. And way to go Mark by manning up to your mistaken evaluation of the Fox hire. I’m sure you weren’t the only one doubting it.
Yes, a great win. BUT, it’s only one win and the first SEC game of the season. There’s plenty o’ BB yet to be played. We’ll have a better idea in a couple weeks; several SEC games in that time span. But, yes, it appears Fox has this team ready to compete with anyone. Don’t forget also that he has 5 guys playing 90% of the minutes.
Any mention of a NC is absurd. Making it through the SEC tournament is the first goal. Then making the NCAA tourney is next. A ’sweet sixteen’ would be glorious. Don’t put the chicken before the cart just yet.
Any talk of losing Fox is a little premature also. No doubt he’ll get an extension; he’s pretty much turned the program around.
Yes, a big win. Now, let’s get ready for #22 Vandy on Wednesday night.
Goooo Dawgs!
Let's Go
January 9th, 2011
9:02 am
Let’s don’t get too carried away just yet. Georgia still has a long way to go but it does look like they have turned a corner and are improving. They are 12 and 2 but could have very easily have lost to some lesser teams this year had things not gone just the right way. Calipari teams seem to always lose to a lesser opponent every year and this was probably that game for them this year. Remember SCarolina beat them last year when they were ranked #1.