UGA players ‘jumped around like 7-year-olds that just won a Little League championship’ after NCAA bid
(Updated 9:30 p.m.)
ATHENS — After days of debate about whether Georgia would reach the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the verdict came quickly Sunday night: The Bulldogs are in.
Georgia will open against Pac-10 tournament champion Washington on Friday in an East Region game in Charlotte. Game time will be approximately 9:45 p.m.
Georgia’s selection was announced early in the hour-long, nationally televised bracket unveiling, and the Bulldogs’ No. 10 seed revealed that they were not as close of a call as many analysts had projected. The Georgia players got the news while watching the selection show in the team’s locker room.
“They jumped around like 7-year-olds that just won a Little League championship,” coach Mark Fox said.
“I don’t think I’ve been that happy in a long time,” forward Trey Thompkins said, “just seeing our whole team jump around and throw stuff in the locker room and hug each other as much as we did. That was a blessing, just to be able to see our name as in the tournament.”
Said guard Dustin Ware: “It was incredible. There is no other feeling like it, just knowing you’re in and all your hard work really paid off this year. . . . We went crazy. Some guys – I know I was one of them – were real emotional.”
Georgia is in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008, when the Bulldogs received an automatic bid after unexpectedly winning the SEC tournament, and for the first time as an at-large team since 2002.
The Bulldogs (21-11) drew an interesting opening opponent. Fox’s first assistant-coaching job was in 1991-93 at Washington, where he met his wife, Cindy, who worked at the time as the Huskies’ director of marketing and promotions.
Friday’s game will be the first-ever meeting in basketball between Georgia and Washington.
Washington, a No. 7 seed, has a 23-10 record and won the Pac-10 tournament with an overtime victory over Arizona. The Huskies’ best player is 5-foot-9 junior point guard Isaiah Thomas, whose dramatic last-second jumper won the title game. Thomas is averaging 16.8 points per game.
The Georgia-Washington winner will play again in Charlotte on Sunday against the winner of Friday’s North Carolina-Long Island game.
Debate had raged about Georgia’s NCAA prospects in the 48 hours following the team’s loss to Alabama in the SEC tournament quarterfinals, the Bulldogs’ second loss to the Crimson Tide in seven days. But as it turned out, Georgia made the NCAA field with room to spare and Alabama was left out.
On the selection show, committee chairman Gene Smith basically said head-to-head results are not the decisive determinant.
“A lot of people put head-to-head as a high priority in their criteria for different situations, [but] there were things with Alabama that didn’t stack up compared to the other teams,” said Smith, the Ohio State athletic director.
Fox was excited, but not surprised, by the Bulldogs’ selection. He had argued for a couple of weeks that the team’s season-long resume merited a bid.
“When you compared our body of work to some other teams that were supposedly on the bubble,” Fox said Sunday night, “I felt confident in our body of work. This is about a four-month marathon, not a four-day postseason tournament, and I think sometimes people forget that. I did have a good feeling, but you never know for sure.”
When the Bulldogs found out for sure, “the way we were jumping around, it seemed like we won the national championship,” guard Travis Leslie said. He and other players admitted to developing doubts about whether they’d get into the tournament as they listened to analysts debate the bubble over the weekend.
Among the factors in Georgia’s favor with the selection committee, though, were a solid RPI (although it slipped from 39 to 47 in the past few days), a 7-4 road record and only two losses against teams that rank below 35 in the RPI (both to No. 80 Alabama).
The selection ended a stressful wait for the Bulldogs and their fans and families.
“At four o’clock [Sunday] morning, my 8-year-old daughter woke me up, and she asked if we were in the Big Dance yet,” Fox said. “I said, ‘Honey, you need to go back to bed.’ She said, ‘Daddy, it’s Sunday. You said we’d know on Sunday if we’d be in the Big Dance.’”
Said Thompkins: “I was at home with my family [Saturday], and they were asking me, ‘Do you think we’ll be in?’ And I really had no answer for them. I lost a little sleep about it, but I can sleep real good tonight.”
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282 comments Add your comment
Jeff
March 13th, 2011
11:54 pm
Big day for Georgia… like Coach Fox said, they did well over the four-month marathon… their body of work was more than just two days at the SEC tournament.
For having a top-40 RPI and a top-40 strength of schedule, for being 7-4 on the road, and either beating some NCAA tourney teams (Kentucky, Tennessee, UAB) and playing dang close to some others (Florida twice, Tennessee, Xavier, Notre Dame in OT), I think the committee saw that this was a complete, well-rounded 10-seed team. I think Georgia deserved to get in and got a decent seed and bracket.
For all the haters: don’t you DARE jump on the bandwagon if we beat Washington! And don’t criticize if we lose to Wash. or UNC… anything after this point is gravy. This is a program that is rebuilding from a terrible 2007, 2008 and 2009 (with 2008’s SEC title nonwithstanding). Even last year was a struggle all year. But this team fought and fought and came together and finally got back to the respectable level. And, I think the committee recognized what kind of league we’re in… anybody notice that FIVE SEC EAST teams made it into the tournament and not ONE from the SEC West?
We don’t need to worry about last year or a month ago or this past Friday or next year… we as fans just need to be happy and thrilled with THIS team for THIS week and focus on THIS next game. I hope a lot of Dog fans make the 3 or 4 hour drive to Charlotte for this weekend… would be great to have a big UGA contingent!
And for some of you SPECIFIC haters: Mark Fox has done a great job with this team… I would say another coach might only get a 17-14 record from this group (we’re not that deep at ALL). So what if we struggled against some top-50 teams? At least we PLAYED them. And oh yeah, we beat Tech and we split with the SEC tourney champs and we beat Big Orange in Knoxville… pretty good year if you ask me!
To the Georgia team: the fans that COUNT are all behind you, 100 percent. Great job on making the tournament… now go get some wins! Good luck guys, and Go Dawgs!
Jeff
March 13th, 2011
11:57 pm
P.S. And for the record, I would have put Bama in instead of Clemson, and I would have found a way to get St. Mary’s in. I don’t think Clemson did enough, and I think Bama should have been in for a 20-win season and a 12-4 SEC record and a run to the semifinals.
For what it’s worth, I also would have LOVED to see Harvard get in… anybody see how they lost to Princeton in that play-in game for the Ivy League title? Heartbreaking… oh, well, that’s what makes March Madness so amazing.
rabid_dawg
March 14th, 2011
12:12 am
I thought the Dawgs would be in as an 11 seed. 10 is even better.
The supposedly famous Joe Linardi of ESPN had the Dawgs out of it completely…and he’s supposed to be able to get 97-98 percent of the tournament correct! He clearly botched it! He knows no more than you or I.
Bullpuppies
March 14th, 2011
12:15 am
GO DAWGS!!! and by Dawgs I mean the HUSKIES!!!!! Everybody knows Bulldogs use DOGS, not Dawgs. I don’t know much about your team, but we can beat anybody if we are playing Husky Basketball.
UGA_2001
March 14th, 2011
12:26 am
HATERS GONNA HATE! HAHAHA!
UGA_2001
March 14th, 2011
12:28 am
LOL, UGA has been the DAWGS since the 70s. You wanna-be’s ripped us off. Just like the Cleveland Browns fans did.
RhinoDawg
March 14th, 2011
12:34 am
UW Dawg here. It doesn’t matter how Georgia got here or what Alabama or GT thinks…. You’re here! Congrats! Looking forward to a great game on Friday.
Walter
March 14th, 2011
1:05 am
UGA will lose against Washington. Book It!
Delta Stewardess
March 14th, 2011
1:41 am
If the dawgs don’t TURNOVER the 1st game I will be surprised. The Ball Handling is not great and the Huskies are FAST. Dawgs will have slow the pace and play half court if they want pt get to the 2nd round.
If we face UNC I am afraid Coach Fox will look like a deer in the headlights. Fox has been in the NCAAs 3 times and made to the 2nd round twice. Facing one of the NCAA kings in the 2nd round will be too much for Fox and the Dawgs. I hope the first game goes well & maybe I can feel a little better about facing UNC. I really don’t see UNC losing in the first round. Somebody said UNC is like 30-1 or something in NCAA games played in the state of North Carolina.
Wilson Dunkit
March 14th, 2011
1:43 am
Unfortunately, the Dawgs will probably “jump around like 7 years olds” when they hit the court against men in the early rounds. Fox has UGA on the right track and I am pleased for them to make the field, but a 10-seed? C’mon man. If UGA is a 10-seed, how could the committee ignore Bama. I don’t have a dog–or elephant–in that fight, but hard to ignore two victories head to head. And VaTech would have taken either team head to head IF they had gotten a fair shake.
206hoop
March 14th, 2011
1:44 am
Congratulations to Georgia for making the tournament. It’s unfortunate that you’ve been “lucky” enough to be paired with a 7-seeded UW team in the first game. For the Husky faithful, anything less than the Sweet 16 will be somewhat of a disappointing season based on the expectations of what the UW team is capable of. This season is already something of a disappointment having managed only a 3rd place finish in the Pac-10 and a 7 seed. Winning the Pac-10 conference tournament has improved the mood of our fanbase quite a bit, and I apologize in advance for any muckrakers coming over here spouting off about how great UW is etc. Most (including myself) fully expect UW to prevail in this match-up. The Washington season will be considered a failure for many if they don’t win this game.
Wilson Dunkit
March 14th, 2011
1:44 am
Congrats to Coach Fox and his 7 year olds. You probably shouldn’t even be in the field but since you are, at least act like you belong.
Delta Stewardess
March 14th, 2011
1:45 am
I thought this was UConn v Miss State game. The Huskies v the Bulldogs. It is so confusing. It is almost as bad as keeping up with that time it is when I fly all over the country.
Delta Stewardess
March 14th, 2011
1:51 am
Mark Fox has only coached in 5 NCAA games and that doesn’t bode well for the DAWGS in this tourney.
Delta Stewardess
March 14th, 2011
1:56 am
Roy has been in the NCAA tourney 20 times and made it to just the second round 7 times. Coach Fox has only been a Head Coach for 7 years. The Dawgs may surprise I just don’t know.
McDawg
March 14th, 2011
2:26 am
Georgia Bulldogs
ppg rpg apg fg%
173rd 43rd 36th 94th
Washington Huskies
3rd 12th 8th 25th
(with apologies to Sasquatch…)
john
March 14th, 2011
2:30 am
“Huskies” (dog) will outrun “Bull(dog)”.
joe
March 14th, 2011
6:40 am
lets hope Coach Fox picks his late game strategy up. Between not fouling the Fla. guard at the end of the game in Athens to his time out/no time out fiasco against Alabama he has not exactly been distinguishing himself as a great bench coach….
Hale Almand
March 14th, 2011
6:51 am
We may not make a university student out of him, but if we can teach him to read and write, maybe he can work at the post office rather than as a garbage man when he gets through with his athletic career.
Mark Fox
March 14th, 2011
7:22 am
TIMEOUT!
One and Done
March 14th, 2011
7:44 am
Dawgs will wilt in the second period. Lets all jump around !
Double Zero Eight
March 14th, 2011
8:07 am
Fox was a great hire for UGA.
I hope the team learned something as a result of
Alabama’s come from behind victory in the tournament.
They definitely have the talent to make it to the “sweet sixtewen”.
Double Zero Eight
March 14th, 2011
8:08 am
Spelled “sixteen” incorrectly in previous post.
Jborodawg
March 14th, 2011
8:39 am
Great job, Dawgs and coach Fox!
To all here who say the Bulldogs will choke, lose etc, the first game, shame on you if you profess to be a “fan”. You’re also obviously the same “fans” calling for coach Fox’s head after only two years. And, it’s obvious you know squat about BB.
Talk about this team going thru some adversity, I remember the Vandy and Arkansas games, for instance. They weren’t able to get to those games until game day; and both were two days of travel. Not a single whine from the team nor coach Fox. They got thru the early games without Thompkins; Thompkins played hurt much of the season. So, okay, list all their faults and how they coulda-shoulda-woulda. With the overall talent level, they overachieved if anything.
IF they lose to the Huskies, I’ll still believe it was a darn good season; considering they were cellar-dwellers just two years ago.
Goooo Dawgs! Sic em!!
Confucious say
March 14th, 2011
8:44 am
It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!
Going through life envying tthe Dogs is no way to live.
South Ga Dawg
March 14th, 2011
8:50 am
HOW BOUT DEM DAWGS!!!
Jborodawg
March 14th, 2011
8:55 am
Dawg Days of Summer @11:42 pm
RE: the Huskies; “….Make no mistake, when they play they way they’re capable, few teams can stay with them…”
Guess what? Same can be said of UGA. Should be a goodun.
Jimmy Crack
March 14th, 2011
9:14 am
WhoDaThunkIt!
What a shocker. I thought we might be dancing with the misfits in the NIT or the CBI or whatever “fairness” tournament it is called. This is gratifying.
AND we get a home game! I’ll just bet that Charlotte has a few more RED shirts than golden shirts, and it is such a LONG trip “Yawn” all the way from the NW coast (Jet Lag). Plus the Huskies are great at home and not so great AWAY. Charlotte is very AWAY for them.
THE MOST DANGEROUS 10 SEED EVER!!! WOOF!
Joe Lunardi is a Dumbass
March 14th, 2011
9:27 am
I was jumping around too…. I’m so proud for my dawgs. I was fixin’ to hyperventilate when they revealed the brackets. hearing their names called out was awesome….
The dawgs are already 1-0 on CBS this year against Tennessee. Lets keep it that way. Heck. Lets beat washington and then UPSET unc…. move on 2 xavier/syracuse…. and UPSET ohio state in the elite 8 and make it a PARTY IN THE U-G-A…. Lol. Am i gettin ahead of my self??
Gerald Tinnon
March 14th, 2011
9:35 am
Fox could have shown some class and blasted the NCAA for not including Alabama, a team which had beaten him twice in the last week and ended the season 12-4 in the SEC. It makes no sense that twice beaten Georgia is a 10 seed and the victor, Alabama, is on the outside looking in… Selection committee has to be fixed. It is like the rest of the NCAA administrative structure.. inconsistent.
ga dawg
March 14th, 2011
9:50 am
Fast Forward to Washington Game: GA has a 14 point lead with little over 4 minutes to go, cinderella story…game over!!!, it was the biggest comeback in bracketology history. GA was outscored 15-0 in the final 4 minutes. It was if 7 year olds were playing grown men in the last half.
My predicition- PAIN!
timthebrave
March 14th, 2011
10:10 am
Congratulations to all the GA players and to coach Fox. It’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!
timthebrave
March 14th, 2011
10:12 am
Gerald Tinnon, sooooooooo…The Georgia coach should have campaigned for Alabama when they were on the bubble as well….Are you crazy?
and Nick Saban should wear a GA cheerleading outfit to cheer on the dawgs
ronald
March 14th, 2011
10:24 am
The talk show pundits in Birmingham will NOT stop comparing Alabama and UGA. They fail to recognize that UGA wasn’t even one of the final 6 teams in, not even on the bubble. Its as if all Alabama has to cling to are those wins over Georgia. In reality, that is about all they have to cling to- the rest of their season was garbage. While Georgia was playing Xavier, Notre Dame, and Temple……Alabama was playing Alabama A&M and St. Peters.
Tdawgmoney
March 14th, 2011
10:26 am
Grant…..ho can we be the 1st team out?…..we don’t play till late Friday night. You could be on the Geico commercial (living under a rock).
ronald
March 14th, 2011
10:26 am
“Fox could have shown some class and blasted the NCAA for not including Alabama, a team which had beaten him twice in the last week and ended the season 12-4 in the SEC. It makes no sense that twice beaten Georgia is a 10 seed and the victor, Alabama, is on the outside looking in”
Dear Gerald Tinton- You are just another Alabama fan who thinks the entire season can be boiled down to 2 games. Your RPI was 80…..80. Georgia’s was 37. UGA played a MUCH MUCH more difficult schedule. You need to point the “blame finger” at your coach and AD for putting together such a lousy schedule.
ronald
March 14th, 2011
10:27 am
Another point- Alabama’s non-conference schedule was ranked #284 in terms of strength of schedule. Not impressive.
Sun Devil Dave
March 14th, 2011
10:33 am
Weeeee Weeeee All the way home – Saturday’s Athens Headlines – UGA blows huge lead to lose to PAC-10 Champion! UGA players were last seen dancing like 7 yo’s who’s candy was just taken away.
ronald
March 14th, 2011
10:35 am
Truth says – “GA in tournament because of SEC contract with ESPN. Not based on wins, not based on merit”
Dear “Truth” – Let me point out that Georgia wasn’t one of the final 6 teams in. If you’re going to complain about someone being un-deserving, then aim your complaints at one of the final 6. UGA wasn’t even on the bubble, as evidenced by their 10 seed. And before you start talking about UAB, let me remind you that their RPI was also in the 30’s and Alabama’s was 80. Schedules matters.
gdawginkalamazoo
March 14th, 2011
11:15 am
Congrats Dawgs! Beat Washington. They played lights out against Arizona. BTW, I have Coach Fox’s copy of Les Miles “Clock Management: 101″. I had McGarity swipe it and send it to Michigan. Since there are only two copies in print I feel better about the big dance now.
Sun Devil Dave, isn’t Arizona State? What bracket did you guys end up in?
Will
March 14th, 2011
11:20 am
Who is leading The Fulmer Cup so far this offseason? I know Auburn has had 4 football players kicked off the team for felony arrests. Any other updates?
Buckeye
March 14th, 2011
11:23 am
Does Comcast carry Tru TV?
gdawginkalamazoo
March 14th, 2011
11:27 am
Why Buckeye? Do you want to watch Pryor and Tressel cruise tattoo shops the first two games next season?
Sun Devil Dave
March 14th, 2011
11:33 am
No bracket Mr. Lalamazoo – I’m pulling for Washington – Conference support you know. But alas, bracket or no bracket, UGA blows leads like the Lady Chablis.
TheTruth
March 14th, 2011
11:33 am
Who cares if we go in and lose on Friday? WE MADE THE TOURNAMENT, which is a heck of a lot better than what we’ve done the past couple of years…I’m just glad to be in it, win or lose!
UGA Insider
March 14th, 2011
11:35 am
This has been a fun winter to watch The Hoop Hounds. There is never a dull moment with these guys for sure. But realistically UGA probably has no shot against Washington. They were predicted to be a top 10 team and have struggled in PAC 10 play. However, they got hot at tourney time and now it’s out turn to play them. Great! I heard a couple of talking heads this morning say that Washington will give UNC a very tough 2nd round game because of their scoring ability.
And let me say this…… I saw Shandon Anderson and several other NBAers come thru UGA over the years…….. Leslie and Thomkins need to stay in school. They are NOT NBA ready and would make a huge mistake.
Blood Mountain Bulldog
March 14th, 2011
11:37 am
This was great if unexpected news. The program is getting on solid ground with Coach Fox. I hope he stays around for a long time. I haven’t been into the basketball team this much since Tubby was the coach.
gdawginkalamazoo
March 14th, 2011
11:41 am
Sun Devil, I can understand you pulling for Washington. But you forgot to mention where ASU is playing?
bulldog grad
March 14th, 2011
11:54 am
Isn’t it nice to have a clean program that is moving up and they are excited by the little things instead of feeling entitled?
it feels good to this bulldog.
tct2326
March 14th, 2011
12:01 pm
GO DAWGS! WE R PLAYING GOOD BALL WHEN IT COUNTS. HUSKIES! HUSKIES!