New Georgia hoops coach Fox shoots for stars in recruiting
It has been a half-year since Georgia introduced Mark Fox as its new basketball coach. In that time he has completed his coaching staff, formed a team, introduced his methods and philosophy, marketed and promoted and, finally, recruited like mad.
“We’ve had a good first six months,” Fox told me. “Certainly you have to make progress every day. I feel like we’re doing that.”
By all accounts, recruiting is going well, though the Bulldogs have yet to have anything to show for it.
The Bulldogs currently have 12 players on scholarship, one below the NCAA limit. Three of those players are seniors and will graduate at the end of the season: Center Albert Jackson and former walkons Ricky McPhee and Tyler Whatley.
That means Georgia will have at least four scholarships to offer for next season. However, that does not necessarily mean they’ll sign four players.
Indications are that Fox is not going to dole out aid just because he has some available. If the Bulldogs don’t find the specific type of player for which they’re looking they may elect to hold off and carry it over to the next recruiting class.
“We might [sign] two or three in this next class,” Fox said, being deliberately vague. “We might sign two next year. It just depends.”
Wheeler High star and 5-star prospect Jelan Kendrick is one of the main targets for Georgia basketball coach Mark Fox. (Photo by slamonline.com).
Say this for the Dogs: They’re certainly shooting high. Among their targets for the 2010 recruiting class — the early signing period begins Nov. 11 — is five-star prospect Jelan Kendrick of Marietta.
Kendrick, a 6-foot-5, 186-pound senior from Wheeler High, is rated the No. 2 small forward in the country by Scout.com. All Georgia will have to do to land Kendrick is beat out Kentucky, Memphis, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Oregon and Isaiah Thomas‘ Florida International squad.
The Bulldogs are also after 6-foot-9 center Shawn Kemp Jr. of Canton and 6-9 center Cady Lalanne of Orlando. Kemp, son of the famous father of the same name, is a former Alabama signee (assistant coach Philip Pearson’s influence being seen here) who currently at Hargrave Military Academy prep school in Virginia. Lalanne is a Rivals.com 150 prospect who has offers from UMass, Ole Miss, South Carolina, South Florida, UCF, Virginia Commonwealth and Western Kentucky.
Fox and his staff have had a couple get away. Point guard Trae Golden of Powder Springs and small forward Jordan McRae of Hinesville, AAU teammates with the Atlanta Celtics, committed to Tennessee earlier this year.
“You’re going to have some guys you miss on,” Fox said. “From our standpoint we’re trying to reestablish ourselves and put Georgia in their minds. That’s the biggest thing. We want kids growing up playing basketball with Georgia on their mind.”
And that was Fox’s main point during his news conference on Tuesday.
“That’s been an issue that kids need to understand — you can come to Georgia and have all your dreams come true,” Fox said, his voice rising on this point. “You can come to Georgia and get to the NBA; you can come here and get a degree; you can come here and play in the NCAA tournament. That’s what we have to reestablish, that all your dreams can come true here.”
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27 comments Add your comment
YoungDawg
October 13th, 2009
4:13 pm
I questioned the hiring Fox when it occurred however thus far I like what I’ve heard & have read about the job he’s doing.
NewnanDawg
October 13th, 2009
4:19 pm
Considering how football season is going, it’s good to hear how things are shaping up for the hoop dawgs.
I’d like to hear how practice is going so far, and maybe a little about guys we haven’t seen much, like the kid coming off injury (Ebuka A.)
Go Dawgs! Football and Hoops!
Bravedawg
October 13th, 2009
4:41 pm
More UGA basketball coverage! I’d like to hear about Ebuka Anyorah as well, and how the players are adjusting to Coach Fox. And anything else about UGA basketball!
collegeballfan
October 13th, 2009
5:00 pm
Chip wrote – “Indications are that Fox is not not going to dole out aid just because he has some available.”
If he does this he will be an annual “in the conference championship hunt” every year in two to three years. He must establish Georgia as a basketball team that matters in basketball. When that happens the top players call you.
I am a Tech fan first, but I really like this hire. Good job Evans.
Brian
October 13th, 2009
5:03 pm
Practice doesn’t start until the 15th…Looking forward to the season.
JustaThought
October 13th, 2009
5:34 pm
Article should have been “Fox’s Dawggie Wish List”……..Ga BB program
is in dire straits, and he’ll be lucky to get walk-ons. It’s an abyss, and I’m pretty sure the other coaches/recruiters are reminding these kids everyday of that fact. It’s going to be an up hill battle, and IF he can pull it off, Ga. truly would have found a diamond in the rough.
jdawg
October 13th, 2009
6:19 pm
After meeting him…you were thinking…wow…this guy is just like CMR////really is a great guy…we will see what he can do…will give him some time.
Hey Dogtards
October 13th, 2009
7:19 pm
While I like the hire for the dawgs, Fox seems to be putting the cart before the horse.
He may pull a coop and I’ll eat crow, but I don’t think there is a chance he beats out those schools for a five star recruit. Stegemen is a dump and uga is lucky if they get 7,000 people in the stands. Not to mention the few kids who want to go to the SEC typically choose Kentucky.
He’s going to have to start winning first before he can land those 5 star guys. He also doesn’t seem to understand that with Hewitt’s super-class last year, this is the year to make sure you get some prospects, not shoot for the moon.
Really, what he says is true for any school. If you want to play in the NBA, you’d probably want to go to the Big East or ACC. How many players has uga put in the NBA recently? 2 this decade. Only 1 is still in the NBA. That’s borderline pathetic, and I bet that stat is thrown at every player considering Georgia. Compare that to GT, who has consistently placed kids in the NBA since Bobby Cremins took over, and the contrast is stark. Yeah uga might put you in the nba, but the odds aren’t nearly as good as other schools. Plus, you won’t get much national exposure.
Yeah, you can also get a degree. Hate to break it to Foxy, but most of those 4-5 star kids don’t have a degree on their mind. The good ones are one and done for the most part. Also, what school doesn’t offer a degree? Last time I checked Georgetown grads wiped their you know whats with Georgia degrees. Not that Georgia is a bad school by any stretch, but the bulldogs aren’t gonna win too many recruiting wars by emphasizing a degree.
Last, I also wouldn’t emphasize Georgia’s ability to get to the tourney. Fluke SEC tournament victories and ncaa forfeitures aside, uga has only made the tournament once in the past decade. Eight times ever. It has only won games in the NCAA tourney twice – 1996 and 1983.
I like Fox, but he needs to understand what he is working with. Win first, then recruit the big guys. Not the other way around.
Tally Dawg
October 13th, 2009
9:35 pm
I have contacted the coach about three players in West Palm Beach(Summit Christian) and even talked to him and his assitant at the AAU event in Orlando which was the who who of recuirting. He has yet to call the head coach. FSU and UF are cahsing these kids. He has yet to call head high school coach. This guy coached Bodi Oliver (UGA) and Ed Shannon point guuard and another starting guuard at UNC. It look more like the same. he made his fame with international students at Neveda. Please call them coach if you read this. I want you to succeed like CMR.
wiley
October 13th, 2009
9:52 pm
I like Fox….He seems to be a good guy who has a mountain to move in front of him. On top of UGA being in a state with an ACC school it has to deal with the perception of being a football school first. I have never met a true UGA basketball fan and the facilities over in athens are not anywhere close to the level of the ACC and Big East schools that recruit top talent. Besides Dominique Wilkins…UGA has not put anyone in the NBA, and has dealt with year after year of losing seasons in a typically weak basketball conference. I am a Tech fan but I want to see UGA have a decent basketball program and the coaching staff must learn to crawl before it can walk. If they vest all their time in these five star kids and forget about the two and three star kids that want to come and play all four years at UGA they will run out of players quickly and just get smacked around more than they did with Felton. Good luck Fox, you should have plenty of good player in georgia to chose from this year because tech may only sign one or two players…we are already loaded…lets hope Hewitt does something.
MCJ683
October 13th, 2009
9:57 pm
If John Calipari wants a recruit he will beat out Georgia for them. As a die hard UK fan i did want to see the football team beat the heck out of Tennessee, but every dog has their day. no fun intended.
CatsFly
October 13th, 2009
10:05 pm
I can’t believe my eyes. I’m reading about UGa bb during football season. Is UGa de-emphasizing fb in light of the team’s performance to date? Saints preserve us!
Flo-Ri-Duh!
October 13th, 2009
10:50 pm
I think that basketball recruiting is relevant news and given very little print.
Mr. Sanchez
October 14th, 2009
8:30 am
Slight correction, Jordan McRae committed to Tennessee well before Mark Fox ever arrived in Athens. He’s had plenty of misses, but it’s hard to consider McRae among them.
And heydawgtard, what is Georgia Tech’s record vs. Georgia this decade, with that advantage of all those NBA players you had and we didn’t, with you having the great Paul Hewitt and us the evil Jim Harrick or overwhelmed Dennis Felton? Nice job putting kids in the NBA, but wouldn’t you think they’d win a few basketball games along the way?
BobDog
October 14th, 2009
9:09 am
Upgrading Stegeman is one of the top projects on Georgia’s long-range facilities plan. I thought that was a bad idea until I saw some drawings. They plan to enclose some of the current overhang with glass and increase the size and offerings in the enclosed concourse. Page 20 and 21 of this site:
http://www.onlineathens.com/multimedia/pdfs/092508other_facilities.pdf
Also note the proposed new upper deck on the east endzone of Sanford Stadium, which would put its capacity over 100,000.
Hey Dogtards
October 14th, 2009
10:49 am
Hey Sanchez – who cares? Trust me, Hewitt doesn’t pitch any of those kids on his ability to beat uga. I’m glad the only bright spot in your entire program is going 5-4 against Hewitt. And guess what, it will be .500 after this year.
Re “winning a few basketball games along the way,” Hewitt has won 6 NCAA tourney games since coming to Tech. Not counting NCAA forfeitures, uga ALL TIME has won 5. Great program!
bart
October 14th, 2009
10:54 am
I think Fox was an excellent hire. Look what he did at Nevada. There was a ot of support for Evans hiring Grant who at the time was at VCU. However, Fox beat Grant everytime they faced each other. I think he’ll do a great job. Go Dawgs!
Dawg Pound
October 14th, 2009
12:16 pm
Come to Athens and you can start right away! You can be the one to get the excitment goin in Athens for basketball! Athens is a sports town. If the winning starts, people WILL come and support the basketball team! Go Dawgs!!
Dan A.
October 14th, 2009
1:58 pm
Everything about Fox suggests he is going to succeed at Georgia. There simply isn’t a coach in America who works harder. Fox has lofty goals, and that is the way it should be. If our new coach came in here with the mindset that he is just going to recruit average players and hope to win a few games, we’d be in the same boat we were in with Felton. We hired Fox and we’ve been dumping money into basketball because we’re trying to change that. The new practice facility (which is outstanding) was part 1 of the basketball revamp. Once the Stegeman renovation is complete, there will be no more reminders of the old era in which basketball took a back seat to everything else.
Fox aims high « Red, Black and Three Sheets to the Wind
October 14th, 2009
2:13 pm
[...] he doesn’t deliver, it won’t be for lack of ambition on the recruiting trail though. Say this for the Dogs: They’re certainly shooting high. Among their targets for the 2010 [...]
Porty
October 14th, 2009
5:03 pm
Dan A….”there simply isn’t a coach in America who works harder.” Where do you get this garbage? What a riot! This guy is going to grovel for quite some time. UGa is the dregs of SEC hoops.
poof !!!
October 14th, 2009
5:45 pm
Wiley, what about Vern Fleming, Willie and Shandon and Jarvis Hayes.
GT Fan
October 14th, 2009
9:00 pm
Fox was a damn good hire……I’d trade Paul Hewitt for Fox any time. I hope Fox has a great team.
If GT don’t make the Big Show,, Paul should be fired. Love GT but Paul is crap.
Willy
October 15th, 2009
1:29 am
Why was Georgia Tech not mentioned for Jelan Kendrick? He will be a Jacket in the end. Bank on it.
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October 15th, 2009
6:26 pm
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Buzz
October 24th, 2009
5:58 am
WIlly, have you ever noticed that GT doesn’t sign (or usually even offer) kids from Wheeler? There is a reason for that, trust me.
Buckheadbill
October 24th, 2009
3:30 pm
How can any tek nerd talk trash about anyone’s basketball arena? What a joke. Guess they haven’t been in the “dim dome”. Great connection between Tek and McDonalds.