ajc.com
Archives
Services
Web

Home
News
- Metro / Georgia
- Atlanta / South Fulton
- Cherokee
- Clayton
- Cobb
- DeKalb
- Fayette
- Forsyth
- Gwinnett
- Henry
- North Fulton
- Georgia Politics
- Traffic
- Weather
Special Reports
- Atlanta Forward
- CRCT Coverage
Blogs
Opinion
Sports
Blogs
Topics
- SEC Sports
- More topics »
Features
Entertainment
Blogs
Topics
Features
Travel
Topics
Features
- Vacation rentals
Business
Features
Lifestyle
Blogs
Topics
Features
Obituaries
Homes
Jobs
Cars
Classifieds
Shopping

Georgia basketball is drawing a crowd; big game vs. Gators on Tuesday

4:04 pm January 24, 2011, by Tim Tucker

Drawing its biggest basketball crowds in eight years, Georgia expects a fourth consecutive sellout at Stegeman Coliseum for Tuesday night’s game against Florida.

And just as the fans have responded to the team’s improved play, the team has taken note of the fans’ increased interest.

“When we look up in the stands, it’s a very packed crowd and we see a lot of red and black,” senior forward Chris Barnes said. “It’s not like previous years, when we look up and we see other teams have got more fans than us.”

The fans have “definitely been giving us that extra edge, giving us extra energy that we need,” guard Dustin Ware said. “That’s a big part of college basketball, and it’s something we’ve been taking advantage of here lately.”

The Stegeman crowd might be even more charged Tuesday night, when Georgia (9-1 at home, 14-4 overall, 3-2 in the SEC) will be playing on ESPN for a share of first place in the SEC East against the rival Gators. Florida (15-4 overall, 4-1 SEC) enters the game with a one-game lead in the division over three teams tied for second place: Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina.

As of Monday afternoon, Georgia had sold out of 3,200 general-admission student tickets for the game and had about 500 reserved-seat tickets remaining, according to director of marketing John Bateman, who expressed confidence of a sellout by game time. Georgia sold out the 10,523-seat coliseum for the Jan. 8 game against Kentucky and last week’s games against Tennessee and Mississippi State.

Already, Bateman said, Georgia has its longest streak of sellouts since 2002-03, when the Bulldogs sold out their final nine home games in Jim Harrick’s last season as coach.

“One of the things I felt like was important was that we reestablish the atmosphere in the building and create some sort of home-court advantage,” coach Mark Fox said Monday. “Now, when our team plays here, when recruits come here, when fans come here, they get to participate in really the experience that college basketball is all about.”

Georgia had two sellouts last season -– its most in any season since 2002-03, Bateman said –- and two other games in which all reserved seats (but not all student seats) were sold. Student attendance has increased this season, which Georgia attributes partly to a decision to sell student tickets on a single-game, rather than season-ticket, basis and partly to efforts by Fox and others to reach out to campus groups.

The $12-million Stegeman Coliseum renovation, which expanded the concourse and added a dramatic glass facade, also might have drawn the interest of some fans. But the on-court improvement is undoubtedly the big draw.

“Anytime you are winning and competitive in this league,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said, “people are going to show up and watch you play.”

Etc.

Donovan said before the season that Georgia could be the team to beat in the SEC, and he remains bullish on the Bulldogs. “I think they have the ingredients and makings now of being a special and great team,” he said Monday, “because they have answers at about every spot.” . . . Donovan said transfer Gerald Robinson has been an invaluable addition to a lineup that returned starters Trey Thompkins, Travis Leslie and Ware. “I would liken [Robinson's impact] to when Jim Harrick was there and they got Jarvis Hayes as a transfer,” Donovan said. “That is what Robinson has done for their team.” . . . In its past two games, Florida held Auburn and Arkansas to 40 and 43 points, respectively. . . . Georgia has lost 12 of its past 14 games against Florida, but has beaten the Gators in Athens by two points in each of the past two seasons. . . . Florida is 4-0 in true road games this season, posting wins at Tennessee, Auburn, Florida State and Xavier. . . . The Gators are ranked No. 23 in this week’s coaches’ poll and No. 24 in the media poll. Georgia received votes in both polls but not enough to be ranked.

– Tim Tucker, UGA Blog

129 comments Add your comment

GatorLover

January 25th, 2011
9:43 am

Buckeye,

This blog is about UGA vs UF.

Haven’t seen you on UF blogs bragging. I wonder why?

Glenn

January 25th, 2011
9:44 am

If Fox will continue to get at least one and sometime two of the best players in Ga. each year UGA will be on the round ball map from now on. Go Dawgs.

Glenn

January 25th, 2011
9:52 am

Hey Buckeye you guys have made one huge mistake. You seem to be up near the top yearly until you play a SEC team and should have lost to a five seed Ark this year. Any way now that Nebraska is in the Big ten or what ever you want to call it they will replace you from being up there so often from being in a weak conf. The only thing I dont like about Ohio State other than the obvious is you are always over rated. Even the Refs. give you the last so called NC over Miami.

Dawg Fan

January 25th, 2011
9:55 am

The student section has not sold out yet. They are selling tickets right now at the bookstore. How is it that our promotions department cannot get 10% of the entire campus to come to a basketball game?

lazydawg

January 25th, 2011
10:39 am

Hey Buck-Eye, you make some very valid points and you hate Florida so you can’t be all bad. GO DAWGS!!

Dawgtards ruin this state

January 25th, 2011
10:49 am

Do you hillbillies even know the rules????

ga gator

January 25th, 2011
11:08 am

Excited about going to the game tonight with my lovely UGA gal. Best UGA team in years. Trey Thomkins reminds me of a Georgia player that I watched while he was in high school near Tampa. This Gator team can’t quite figure out which team will show up; good Gators or bad Gators.

Willl

January 25th, 2011
11:19 am

Tim:

As a 60 year old UGA graduate and sports fan, I never, ever thought this would be a legitimate question: Which has the better coaches, UGA basketball or UGA football?

Of course it is impossible to actually compare coaching, but I think UGA has a better basketball staff based on three criteria.

1. UGA basketball will most likely play in the NCAA tournanment this year. UGA football lost more games than it won after winning only two more games than it lost two years ago.

2. UGA basketball has not had a player arrested recently. UGA football had 11 players arrested last year.

3. UGA basketball coaches appear to have the ability to take good, not great, players and coach them up. UGA football coaches appear to be able to recruit blue chip, top of the line football players. Period.

Dwayne

January 25th, 2011
11:39 am

We look good, we need one more good player, when is the trade deadline? Is there a player out there who we can trade for?

aprilglaspie

January 25th, 2011
12:16 pm

That phrase at the end, “true road games”, you mean like “not in Jax”?

N.GA.DAWG

January 25th, 2011
12:57 pm

Well I for one was at the illini and UGA game last year at the gwinnett center. And was out numbered 4-1(or more). Was ashamed at my fellow Dawg fans for not showing up. Late in the season attended the UGA & Fla game in Athens and sat right behind coach Fox. Let me tell you he got all over Leslie at one point in the game and I knew right then he(Fox)is the right coach we needed. And I might add that steg was pretty packed that day with Dawg fans. I think the UT loss will make us a better team because of all the bad decisions we made in the second half. I look for us to beat the gators tonight and maybe upset Ky in Lexington sat. GO DAWGS!!

GATOR HATER

January 25th, 2011
1:00 pm

GO DAWGS KICK THE GATOR’S ASSES BACK TO THE NASTY SWAMP.

Tim Tucker

January 25th, 2011
1:31 pm

Dawg Fan: According to UGA, the general-admission student section sold out yesterday and some of the 500 remaining reserved-seat tickets were put on sale to students (at student price) this morning. Last I heard, about 150 reserved-seat tickets remained.

Tim Tucker

January 25th, 2011
1:32 pm

aprilglaspie: Yes, by “true road games,” I mean games in the opponent’s arena, not neutral site.

SEC Coach of the year

January 25th, 2011
1:44 pm

this year we are looking at a 4 or 5 seed in the tourney, next year when caldwell gets on campus heck we might be a one seed. Go Dawgs go coach fox