In retrospect, maybe Hugh Durham hasn’t been honored enough
Georgia made 12 postseason appearances -- including its only Final Four in 1983 -- in 17 seasons under coach Hugh Durham. He and the '83 team wil be recognized before Saturday's game against Mississippi State. (AJC photo)
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its historic run, Georgia’s 1983 Final Four basketball team will be back in Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday. So will its coach.
Hugh Durham is 75 years old now and long since retired. In fact, he has been away from Georgia for as long now as he was its basketball coach. Seventeen years it has been, and the longer Durham has been gone the more the Bulldogs have come to appreciate him.
What has become increasingly evident since Durham was forced out in 1995 – the Dogs were 18-10 that year, if you can believe it – is winning basketball at Georgia is hard. Just ask the six coaches that have had the job since Durham was ousted because he wasn’t winning enough.
The latest among those to try is Mark Fox, who is finding the going particularly tough. So far Fox has recorded one winning season out of three and, at this point, it seems very unlikely that a second is in the offing this year.
The Bulldogs limp into Saturday’s game against Mississippi State with a 6-8 record and on the heels of a 33-point loss at Florida in the SEC opener. Forward Marcus Thornton is out indefinitely with a knee injury (again), two players are coming off suspensions for undisclosed violations of team rules and attendance at home games has been poor.
Optimism is hard to find.
Durham lives in San Marco, Fla., with his wife Malinda, works out daily and plays a lot of golf. He also watches a lot of Georgia basketball.
“Just watching them, I think Fox does a good coaching job,” Durham said. “I’m talking about the stuff that they run and the kids seem to get after it on the floor and he’s got them sold on what they’re doing. He calls timeout and they’re attentive and have a positive body language.”
Here Durham pauses and his voice rises to that excited octave only he can achieve.
“You gotta have players!” he said. “I’d like to think we were able to coach, too. But we were also blessed with having some good players.”
Durham’s sitting in his home office as he says this and relays that he’s looking at a picture on the wall of that ’83 team after it won the SEC Tournament.
“I’m thinking Terry Fair was a pretty good player,” he says. “So was Vern (Fleming) and James (Banks) and Gerald Crosby. Go back and look at some of the clips from that team. Some of the stuff those guys did, hey, they were pretty good.”
Of course, ’83 proved to be a flash in the pan. Georgia had never reached the Final Four before and it hasn’t since. But perhaps the more remarkable part about Durham’s tenure with the Bulldogs is how they were always competitive and never awful. His worst season in 17 was 14-16 in 1993-94, he had only one other non-winning year (15-16 in ’88-89) and he never won fewer than six SEC games.
UGA has had poorer seasons than that eight times since Durham’s departure, and that doesn’t include two seasons of vacated wins under Jim Harrick. Fox might get SEC coach of the year if the Bulldogs win six league games this year. And the conference is currently a shadow of what it was when Durham was doing his best work in the 1980s.
“I took a lot of pride in the fact that we were pretty consistent,” Durham says. “I mean, other guys have done a good job there. Tubby (Smith) came in and for two years did a good job. Jim Harrick came in and, for a couple of years, they turned out a couple of outstanding teams. But we were basically blessed with some pretty good players when you really get down to it.”
A lot of people know that Durham was the winningest coach in UGA history, logging 298 wins from 1979-95. But fewer know that he is actually the winningest coach in history at three different schools. He also achieved that feat at the two other places he coached, Florida State (230) and Jacksonville (106).
Today, Durham is in the FSU, Kentucky High School, Florida Sports and Georgia Sports halls of fame. A few years ago, they even named the mid-major college coach of the year honor after him — the Hugh Durham Award.
Looking back on what he did at Georgia, perhaps Hugh Durham hasn’t been honored enough.
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84 comments Add your comment
Tim
January 11th, 2013
9:46 am
Amen… Chip! This is a great column! UGA needs to name its basketball training facility his honor or re-name Stegeman Coliseum the Hugh Durham Arena.
Tim
January 11th, 2013
9:50 am
Amen… Chip! This is a great column!! UGA needs to name its basketball training facility in his honor or re-name Stegeman Coliseum the Hugh Durham Arena.
DIT
January 11th, 2013
9:52 am
Use to believe Fox was going to be a very good coach. What is this year 4 or 5? Do not like the direction this program is going. Might need to look in another direction.
Hugh Durham is fun to poke fun at, but he was successfull at UGA.
Brewmaster
January 11th, 2013
9:59 am
DIT, you missed Durham’s point : They need better players. Coaching can only do so much, and KCP can’t do it by himself.
KBP
January 11th, 2013
10:07 am
Chip, great column! Tim, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I was at UGA during the early 80’s and we students were just as excited about the “Roundball Dawgs” as we called them as we were the football team. Coach Durham is right, you gotta have players. In addition to the players Coach mentioned in this article, we also had Joe Ward, Willie and Shandon Anderson, Donald Hartry, Litterial Green, Jarvis Hayes. All of these guys and others were very good players and UGA bball was competitive.
I like Fox and I hope he turns it around recruiting wise. If it is true Tony Parker is not happy at UCLA then maybe he’ll transfer back home where he would have started as a true freshman and we would certainly be a better team this year with him. Go Dawgs!
KBP
January 11th, 2013
10:08 am
Chip, any truth to Parker being unhappy at UCLA?
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop it
January 11th, 2013
10:11 am
Since you guys don’t have the discipline and overall character (50 arrests in 4 years, red painties, cheating schools), maybe you should just become a basketball school.
If you win a title, at least you could be “elite” in a sport besides arrests and women’s gymnastics.
Follow the Course
January 11th, 2013
10:17 am
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop it … don’t forget Equestrian
JB
January 11th, 2013
10:17 am
These elite kids from Georgia, and there are many, will never, never and I mean never come to Athens with Roy Williams and Coach K on duty and come calling, Dawgs will get the ones below that.
hammerhead
January 11th, 2013
10:18 am
Ain’t that the truth!! And, I hate to say this because Tubby hears the same thing from the Kentucky people, but Tubby’s Sweet Sixteen team was the splendid class Durham recruited (Carlos Strong et al). Syracuse beat that team in OT with a half court shot! I was at UGA from ‘85-’89 – love Hugh and will always remember the miracle workers of 1987 and Willie Anderson.
jjdawg
January 11th, 2013
10:20 am
Good job Chip..Durham was the man. It would be nice if they named something after him..
Fox has been a big let down but I still support his efforts.
beanster
January 11th, 2013
10:23 am
An Alabama fan, whose school has been on probation ten (count ‘em, 10) tseasons since 1995, accuses UGA of cheating.
Even Alabama fans aren’t that dumb. You must be a Techie.
jjdawg's son
January 11th, 2013
10:24 am
UGA needs a big name Coach to come in and turn this dead program around.
In retrospect, maybe Hugh Durham hasn’t been honored enough - Atlanta SportsToday
January 11th, 2013
10:28 am
[...] photo) On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its historic run, Georgia’s 1983 Final Source: UGA Football – Chip Towers AJC Blog Share this: Cancel [...]
beanster
January 11th, 2013
10:35 am
FBS Programs that Have Been on Probation the MOST
1 SMU 17 seasons
2 Southern California 15 seasons
3 Auburn 11 seasons
4t Alabama 10 seasons
4t Michigan St. 10 seasons
4t Oklahoma 10 seasons
Just one more and you can tie the other sleazy cheaters in the state of Alabama.
Soft coach, soft schedule
January 11th, 2013
10:48 am
Had Durham only signed the greatest one-two punch in Georgia history – Adrian Lovingood & Ron Popiel from Fayette Co. – the elusive national title might have found it’s way to Athens!
Just a fan
January 11th, 2013
10:48 am
Recruiting is part of the job and that falls on CMF. We shouldn’t be losing to the Youngstown states and Iona’s of the world. Just my 2 cents I do not like to see huge turnover in coaches like they do in CFB coaches need 5 years to show what they can do and recruit their own players, but I don’t see improvement or good players other than 2-3.
Don'tsufferfools
January 11th, 2013
10:50 am
We used to rush to the car to hear Durham on postgame radio. He was funny as hell, often with good natured jabs at his center, Lavon Mercer. Best quote, “I’ve got enough shooters, I need some makers!”
robodawg
January 11th, 2013
10:56 am
Yep, gotta have players. I wish we could what Fox would do with the best players from Georgia high schools.
te29wr
January 11th, 2013
11:08 am
RIGHT I wish I had BOBBY CREMENS to recrute and Good Ole Hugh coach and win many titles
Great coach and a better person
Gary
January 11th, 2013
11:15 am
I was at Georgia when they hired Durham and the impact he made on the program was immediate. Your article failed to mention that the team he took to the final four would have included Dominique Wilkins if he hadnt left early. Think about what might have been! I work for FSU now and see his jersey hanging in the rafters at all the games. Not only was he an awesome coach for FSU (he took them to the NCAA championship beating both Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky team and Dean Smith’s Tar Heels before falling to Wooden’s UCLA dynasty!) but the guy was one of the best guards ever to play for FSU (averaged almost 22 ppg in 58-59) Shame on whoever pulled the trigger on forcing him out at Georgia.
DawginLex
January 11th, 2013
11:15 am
Good lord tide troll, how big of a jerk do you want to be?
Smartalec
Class is more than just something you didn’t attend at Bama or at any other college
Go see if you can find some
Tech Alumni
January 11th, 2013
11:16 am
Robodawg – You’ll never find out with Brian Gregory in Atlanta…… Hugh Durham gave us fits. I have the highest respect for him.
Fair n Balanced
January 11th, 2013
11:18 am
The sad state of GA basketball is so sad that I fear that the ‘83 team along with Coach Durham won’t have anybody there to congratulate them. Gosh! We gotta do something about this basketball team. It’s pitiful!
Starring Kam Fong as Chin Ho
January 11th, 2013
11:31 am
tide roll, wtf is a paintie?
Bleu_Bayou42
January 11th, 2013
11:35 am
Human nature not to appreciate what you have until it’s gone. Losing Tubby was tough, but naming Ron Jirsa as his replacement turned out to be nightmare and destroyed whatever momentum the program was building under Tubby. I love President Adams (and the value of my degree has only increased in his tenure) but I think he could have handle the Jim Harrick situation better. I think the Dennis Felton hire (as player disciplinarian) was an overeaction to that situation. Coach Felton was his own worst enemy in regards to suspending players. However, I believe Louis Williams electing to turn pro in lieu of coming to Athens for a year or two was the true death nail to Coach Feltons career in Athens. AND that leads me to Mark Fox, his inability to embrace the AAU basketball community (for good or bad, it is what it is) and not hiring Korey McCray (when giving the opportunity) to recruit the state of Georgia’s top talent will be the end of his tenure here too. On paper Mark Fox is a great coach and the hire made sense but reality he is missing a tangibible that no one could forsee. Recruiting Recruitng Recruiting. That brings me back to Durham, despite the lack of facilities and the University’s committment to basketball (at time of he was coach) Durham is the best combination of Coach/Recruiter that UGA has ever had.
Jim Mora, Sr
January 11th, 2013
11:46 am
With the sucess he had at Nevada, I thought Fox would at least make us respectable. The program is getting worse, not better however. Outside of KCP, we don’t have one player better than mediocre on the roster. It’s very hard to be a basketball fan of UGA.
prpldawg
January 11th, 2013
11:47 am
We could improve by re-hiring Coach Durham now. Only theTub and Coach Harrick have won since then. Firing him was a mistake, but he was followed- I think – by Tubby, who was outstanding and still is. There needs to be a commitment to basketball. Being 2nd fiddle to football is ok- it is reality. However, basketball needs to count – it needs to have a fiddle.
This current team lacks talent. They look lost. I am not sure they play hard enough all the time/ 15 points in a half. 6-15 ft in ot against a mediocre team, etc. As asn outsider we really do not know what all the poroblem is, but this team is horrible. Something needs to give real soon.
WinderDawg
January 11th, 2013
11:47 am
Great article Chip! Coach Durham is correct basketball is recruiting. I understand that after all the big name programs get their pick then it comes down to evaluation of what is left to choose from. Coach Fox needs to recruit 3-4 star athletes that can blossom into a 5 star. That is how Coach Durham won.
Durham's Dunkyard Dawgs
January 11th, 2013
11:47 am
I was fortunate to be a freshman at UGA the year we went to the Final Four. My daughter is a freshman this year, and she looks at me like I have two heads when I wax nostalgic about the Durham era in the early to mid-80’s. I guess you had to a fan or student at the time to understand, but that was when UGA hoops…and SEC hoops…were fun and exciting. Was anybody else there for the 2 OT “Judge Devoe” game against UT? The league was full of future NBA stars and the coaching was top-notch (and charismatic): Durham, Hall, Sloan, Sanderson, Brown, Newton, etc. And as alluded to earlier, Hugh was a one-man quote machine. The Sunday night call-in show was a must every week, and the mini-meltdown he had regarding the officiating the day after the Vandy Barry Goheen game is still the stuff of legends among my buddies. UGA basketball wasn’t the same after Durham left, and it becomes sadly more apparent every year it will never be the same. Durham built UGA basketball, and will always be UGA basketball. We love ya, Coach!
Blue Ridge Dawg
January 11th, 2013
11:59 am
Great article Chip!
Vance Duly
January 11th, 2013
12:02 pm
Had Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins stayed in school, last year’s team would have been VERY good. Now, Leslie is playing D-league ball in Santa Cruz. It was obvious that this year’s team would be over-matched, with 3 true freshmen replacing 2 senior guards on the roster. We need to give Gaines, Morris and Mann time to develop, and we need a strong recruiting class this year, with a decent big man. If not, we’ll continue to be mediocre…….
shamydog
January 11th, 2013
12:09 pm
The solution to UGA basketball woes begins with the head coach. Take some of that profit from the football program and hire a great high profile coach who can recruit, just pay what it takes. Secondly they need to discount ticket prices or provide other enticements to get local butts in the seats while the program develops. 15 bucks for the current product is excessive. Do some two for one’s, group or season discounts. Once the program improves they can start bringing ticket price back up.
Finally if the students want a good basketball program they need to attend games. I’m not sure how to increase student attendance since their tickets are virtually free. Appealing to school pride isn’t effective; these students barely show up for a football team that was 6 yards short from playing in and probably winning a National Championship. I’ve had season BBall tickets for many years and find that the students will attend when the program is competitive in the conference. Again we have chicken and egg conundrum.
Nick
January 11th, 2013
12:48 pm
@ shamdog
If it was that easy we would have done that last time. Just because you throw money at them doesn’t mean a big named Coach is going to come. We can offer the world to Drew or Brad Stevens and they would turn us down like they did last time. If CMF is let go (I am torn about whether or not he should be given more time) we need to look at a up and coming coach who knows how to recruit the metro Atlanta area.
The students will show up if the product is better. The thing with this team is that not only are they loosing, but they are doing it in an un-entertaining way. We can’t score. 15 points in half doesn’t put fans in the seats. When I was in school (the Harrick glory years) we won and students came out.
That70sdawg
January 11th, 2013
1:19 pm
I loved those Durham post game comments also, Fox is dry as wall paste and we are going the wrong way
Lonnie
January 11th, 2013
1:22 pm
Yes 82-83 was my freshmen and KDP’s freshmen year! That team was truly special with Fair, Vern, Banks, Crosby, Lamar Heard, and Corhen, and Haughtry + D Floyd! We had a great year! We need for guys to play above themselves! Free throws, boxing out is about concentration. KCP is a joy to watch and the team has potential but we need big time talent!!!
Gman 84
January 11th, 2013
1:24 pm
Loved Hugh. He was a great coach and a very funny, witty and quotable guy.
One of my favorites was in a post game pressed where UGA had one of it’s signature 7 minute scoring droughts and he answered a question with something like, “look, these are good tough players, but if they were great shooters, they’d be at Kentucky or N Carolina.”. Thought that summed up UGA hoops pretty well.
Chilidawg
January 11th, 2013
1:47 pm
I am concerned about recruiting or the lack of it. Fox seems like a good coach, but he has not recruited well enough.
bad brad
January 11th, 2013
1:50 pm
Went to my first men’s basketball game at UGA when they played USC. Walked up to the ticket window and asked for two tickets, the attendant took my money and slid two tickets through the slot. When i asked where the seats were, she said dont worry you will like them they are center court. They were and only about 6 or 8 people in the same section.
When the game started the Dawgs went into a passing and dribbling offense but nobody shot. Then once they went up tempo and ran they scored. Why not go up tempo all the time?? Think Mark Fox is a good guy, but need to find someone who can win.
Dawginlex
January 11th, 2013
1:51 pm
I eats poo
JayD
January 11th, 2013
1:51 pm
Mark Fox cant cut it – It’s time for change! He should have never been hired. You don’t need a search firm to hire a b-ball coach. Everything D. Evans seemed to touch at UGA has turned out bad! He brought too much drama, and Coach Fox is the last of that regime – Close the book. Get someone who can get these kids from Gwinnett and sourrounding areas to stay at home! Thats worth 15 wins alone.
JayD
January 11th, 2013
1:54 pm
By the way …… Tubby won without 4 and 5 stars. It can be done!
Dawg Tired
January 11th, 2013
1:57 pm
Chip – You say enthusiam about the BB program is hard to find. Have you forgotten the quote of this academic year by our own AD to the effect that he is pleased with the direction that CMF has the BB program headed?
Dawg Tired
January 11th, 2013
1:59 pm
Sorry for the typo on enthusiasm.
Dawglasville
January 11th, 2013
2:00 pm
If you could have crossed Cremmins’ recruiting and Hugh’s coaching and combined them, you would have had a pretty amazing coach. I am a big Hugh fan.
Greg
January 11th, 2013
2:02 pm
Yeah, let’s give Fox coach of the year if he wins 6 SEC games. Forget about the fact that it would be a miracle if this team won 6 games in a weak SEC because Fox has done an absolutely atrocious job of recruiting and constructing the existing roster. Current RPI is over 200. Statistically, UGA is #321 nationally in points per game, 260th in FG percentage, 257th in assists and 231st in rebounding. These mind-numbingly bad numbers come in year 4 of Fox’s tenure. And now we get to humiliate the Final 4 team by honoring them at halftime of a game played between the two worst teams in the conference in front of a crowd of maybe 1500-2000.
And those of you who think Fox had some great amount of success at Nevada need to look at that situation again. He was Trent Johnson’s assistant for 5 years and Johnson left the program in good standing. Fox did pretty well with Johnson’s players for the first 2-3 years, but there was slippage in the last two seasons of Fox’s tenure there. He lost a combined 25 games in those 2 seasons. Losing 12-13 games per year at Nevada probably equates to 18-20 losses at UGA, which is where we were at last season and will be again this season.
The only success he’s had since arriving in Athens was making the NCAA tourney in 2010-11 and he tried really hard to choke that way despite inheriting two NBA players and a handful of other experienced post and perimeter players from the previous coach. So UGA barely makes it as a 10 seed and then loses in the first round to a team that had to travel all the way across the country. And that’s the high point. Nothing but misery other than that, including two butt kickings by GT despite the fact that they have a new coach.
Fox has been paid right at $6,000,000 by UGA over the past 4 years. That is absolutely disgusting. He may be a nice guy, but he’s in way over his head. Time to move on and give someone else a chance.
hornblowermg
January 11th, 2013
2:20 pm
Who was the graduate assistant that played at Ky. who helped Fox in his first year at Georgia? He was very tall, of course, and blonde-headed. He was the main reason for Georgia’s early success under Fox, and then he left Athens. Georgia needs to find that boy(man) and offer him a job.
Fort Worth Dawg
January 11th, 2013
2:24 pm
I’m yet another person who started UGA in the Fall of ‘82. Final Four, Heisman Trophy Winner, football team went to the Sugar Bowl ranked #1 to play for the national championship. We all thought it was going to be four magic years for football and basketball, but it was not to be. Durham’s Dunk Hard Dawgs to go along with Dooley’s Junkyard Dawgs. Was Vince still AD when Hugh was fired? Do they stay in touch? The most-used Hugh Durham quote had to have been “statistics are for losers” and I remember one time he followed that with “well, we lost so let’s look at the statistics”. Read the Wikipedia article on Coach Durham and you will be amazed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Durham
Greg
January 11th, 2013
2:25 pm
And that Youngstown State team that beat UGA by 12 in Athens to open the season, they lost 101-60 to Detroit last night in Youngstown.
Normal town Dawg
January 11th, 2013
2:29 pm
To address the issue of our recruiting woes, why not consider hiring James Banks, one of the members of this Final Four team being honored? I believe he was MVP of the East Regional that year, played pro ball here and abroad, is a local, respected high school coach, and I have to believe would be well-received in the home of any recruit, as he is one of the nicest, most personable people you’ll ever meet. Surely there is a place for him at UGA. Beyond that, consider hiring someone from the AAU circuit. I like Fox, but he needs some help with recruiting. Hugh, maybe you could put in a word for James?
L England
January 11th, 2013
2:36 pm
Hugh Durham was not only a great coach, but an even better person! I had the priviledge of watching him coach for many years. His teams were hard working and followed his script. He cared about winning but he cared more about the players and staff. That marks a difference in many coaches. He loved UGA and should have been at the helm much, much longer! He would always say “we have enough shooters, what we need are more hitters” ! A classy man with a classy wife and family. He is certainly missed at UGA!!
To complete the comments of a couple of classy posters
January 11th, 2013
2:40 pm
Tide is Rolling: “be elite in a sport besides gymnastics”
Follow the Course: “don’t forget equestrian.”
Let’s do forget equestrian since there are not that many schools participating. However, I would say that SEC titles and National Championships are ELITE.
Check the record: UGA has won close to 30 NCs (besides equestrian) and close to 140 SEC championships. We are not a one trick pony either. NCs have been won by men in baseball, football, golf, and tennis, and by women in golf, tennis, gymnastics, and swimming. Multiple NCs in football, gymnastics, swimming, men’s golf, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis.
That, my friends is an elite, well-balanced athletic program that few can match.
lawzoo
January 11th, 2013
2:42 pm
Fire Mark Fox ???? He was the only one who would agree to stalk the lovely and historic sidelines at Stegeman Autotorium ! Everyone else slapped their knees.
Yeah go ahead and get Coach K or L to come to Athens.
KOOL
January 11th, 2013
2:46 pm
Seriously, Jim Harrick & Tubby Smith were both better coaches than Hugh Durham.
UGA Alum
January 11th, 2013
2:46 pm
Is that the famous Larry England who’s PA announcing I enjoyed for so many years at the Colesium and Sanford Staduim?
UGA Alum
January 11th, 2013
2:48 pm
Hugh Durham was by far the best “in game” basketball coach Georgia’s ever had. Obviously, not a bad recruiter either.
UGA Alum
January 11th, 2013
2:50 pm
Harrick was a crook even by Jack Abramoff standards.
UGA Alum
January 11th, 2013
2:51 pm
Just hire a coach that’s smart enough to hire a good recruiter.
AFD
January 11th, 2013
2:59 pm
SEC College Basketball Recruiting Rankings (2008-2012) – [Current record]
Avg. # of recruiting stars per recruited scholarship player on rosters:
1. Kentucky (x8): 4.50 [10-4 overall; 1-0 SEC]
T2. Alabama (x9): 3.78 [8-6 overall; 0-1 SEC]
T2. Florida (x13): 3.78 [11-2 overall; 1-0 SEC; nation's #11 ranked team]
4. Ga Tech (x13): 3.54 [10-4 overall; 0-2 ACC]
T5. Arkansas (x12): 3.50 [9-5 overall; 0-1 SEC]
T5. Tennessee (x12): 3.50 [8-5 overall; 0-1 SEC]
7. Missouri (x12): 3.42 [12-2 overall; 1-0 SEC; nation's #10 ranked team]
8. Texas A&M (x9): 3.33 [11-3 overall; 1-0 SEC]
9. Vanderbilt (x10): 3.30 [6-7 overall; 0-1 SEC]
10. Auburn (x11): 3.27 [7-7 overall; 1-0 SEC]
11. Ole Miss (x12): 3.00 [12-2 overall; 1-0 SEC]
12. S. Carolina (x12): 2.92 [10-4 overall; 0-1 SEC]
13. LSU (x9): 2.89 [9-3 overall; 0-1 SEC]
14. Georgia (x13): 2.69 [6-8 overall; 0-1 SEC]
15. Miss St (x10): 2.50 [6-7 overall; 1-0 SEC]
Recruiting Stars & 2012-2013 Statistics for UGA’s Recruited Scholarship Players:
- Sherrard Brantley: 0 stars [started 2 of 14 games; avg. 18.1 min/game; .405 FG %; .389 3-pt FG %; .571 FT %; avg. 1.1 rebounds/game; avg. 3.7 ppg; 5 steals]
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 5 stars [started 14 of 14 games; avg. 33.3 min/game; .422 FG%; .323 3-pt FG %; .776 FT %; avg. 6.9 rebounds/game; avg. 17.0 ppg; avg. 1.9 assists/game; avg. 1.9 turnovers/game; 31 steals; 6 blocks]
- John Cannon: 3 stars [started 2 of 14 games; avg. 10.9 min/game; .524 FG %; 100% on FTs; avg 2.4 rebounds/game; avg. 3.6 min/game; 1 steal; 5 blocks]
- Tim Dixon: 3 stars [played in 14 games; avg. 11.3 min/game; .571 FG %; .875 FT %; avg. 1.9 rebounds/game; avg. 2.2 ppg; 3 steals; 8 blocks]
- Nemanja Djurisic: 3 stars [started 10 of 14 games; avg. 23.6 min/game; .361 FG %; .242 3-pt FG %; .763 FT %; avg. 4.0 rebounds/game; avg. 1.6 assists/game; avg. 2.6 turnovers/game; avg. 8.2 ppg; 7 steals; 4 blocks]
- John Florveus: 3 stars [started 5 of 10 games; avg. 17.9 min/game; .611 FG %; .500 FT %; avg. 3.1 rebounds/game; avg. 2.8 ppg; 5 steals; 6 blocks]
- Kenny Gaines: 3 stars [played in 13 games; avg. 9.0 min/game; .324 FG%; .267 3-pt FG %; .667 FT %; avg. 2.3 ppg; 4 steals; 3 blocks]
- Houston Kessler: 0 stars [redshirting]
- Charles Mann: 3 stars [started 4 of 14 games; avg. 18.8 min/game; .370 FG %; .333 3-pt FG %; .589 FT %; avg. 2.7 rebounds/game; avg. 2.4 assists/game; avg. 2.3 turnovers/game; avg. 5.4 ppg; 10 steals; 3 blocks]
- Brandon Morris: 3 stars [started 6 of 14 games; avg. 13.6 min/game; .457 FG %; .333 3-pt FG %; .710 FT %; avg. 2.1 rebounds/game; avg. 0.8 assists/game; avg. 3.9 ppg; 5 steals; 3 blocks]
- Marcus Thornton: 3 stars [started 7 of 9 games; avg. 22.0 min/game; .364 FG %; .167 3-pt %; .563 FT %; avg. 4.4 rebounds/game; 1.0 assists/game; 3.8 ppg; 3 steals; 8 blocks]; note: out indefinitely w/ a knee injury
- Donte’ Williams: 3 stars [started 10 of 11 games; avg. 21.2 min/game; .500 FG %; .467 FT %; avg. 4.8 rebounds/game; avg. 1.9 turnovers/game; avg. 5.7 ppg; 4 steals; 10 blocks]
- Vincent Williams: 3 stars [started 10 of 14 games; avg. 21.8 min/game; .317 FG%; .368 3-pt FG %; .444 FT %; avg. 1.4 rebounds/game; avg. 2.5 assists/game; avg. 1.9 turnovers/game; avg. 4.3 ppg; 11 steals; 2 blocks]
UGA’s All-Time Record vs. SEC Teams:
671-896 (42.8%)
vs. Alabama: 47-91
vs. Arkansas: 13-16
vs. Auburn: 89-88
vs. Florida: 99-107
vs. Ga Tech: 86-102 (former SEC team that UGA plays annually)
vs. Kentucky: 25-115
vs. LSU: 41-61
vs. Ole Miss: 66-39
vs. Miss St: 52-50
vs. Missouri: 0-3
vs. S. Carolina: 50-48
vs. Tennessee: 54-92
vs. Texas A&M: 0-0
vs. Vanderbilt: 49-84
UGA’s All-Time Record vs. All Competition:
1267-1191 (51.5%)
wjc
January 11th, 2013
3:19 pm
I heard Durham doing an interview a few years back here in Atlanta, and his last comment was that he still loves UGA, Athens, and his time there, that he would be glad to do interviews in Atlanta regarding Georgia basketball anytime! Made it sound like he has no bad taste in his mouth regarding his tenure at UGA, I was very impressed! I don’t think the article mentioned if he would be back on Saturday, I hope he will!
JB
January 11th, 2013
3:24 pm
Fox like Johnson at Tech when it’s comes to recruiting….It’s like engaging the Jiffy Lube guy. You wouldn’t leave YOUR job to join him at Jiffy Lube. Imagine spending 15 minutes with Fox….then an hour later Roy Williams shows up…………..
Sounds like Kindergarten
January 11th, 2013
3:27 pm
After playing Florida, I am sure Bulldwag fans are saying they were only 33 points faway from playing for a national chamopinship
Joey
January 11th, 2013
3:40 pm
Good coach – poor recruiter.
It’s just a shame with all the talent in this state, almost none (other than RCP) will stay in state. I know Tech gets more than we do, but still, they get very little also.
Hell there’s enough talent in Metro-ATL to get both teams to the big dance every year, but they say “no thanks.”
RCP will almost certainly flee after this season. I watch him make spectacular plays, and the applause at Stegeman sounds about as loud as the ones we get at my cornhole tourneys in my back yard on weekends . . .
coondawg69
January 11th, 2013
3:45 pm
was a heckuva bench coach in his day. never able to truly recruit a big man, but was able to sign talent more times than not: Vern Fleming, Donald Hartry, Gerald Crosby, Terry Fair, Willie Anderson, Jumpin Joe Ward, Horce McMillian, Rod Cole, Both Keslers, The General Jody Patton, Mike The Gunner Ganote, Stu “Slammin” Saunders…….. just loads of talent!!!
fantastic racketball player!!!
UGA Alum
January 11th, 2013
3:47 pm
Wasn’t Mark Slonaker a player for Coach Durham?
ARdawg
January 11th, 2013
4:04 pm
Agreed on all counts Chip. Hugh took a lot of flak as the UGA coach through the years but, he was always a class man and coach.
SWGADAWG
January 11th, 2013
4:27 pm
I was there when Hugh came in and changed the culture. Students on the floor made a huge difference. We could literally touch the opposing players. Sadly, there hasn’t been a coach since with his vision. We have gotten what we deserved for firing him.
Blazerdawg
January 11th, 2013
4:41 pm
Miss Coach Duham. Met him a few times and he was always gracious.
Home team on 960 AM Ref is right – name the court in Stegeman for Coach Hugh Durham!
JayD
January 11th, 2013
5:26 pm
And for the record… people are giving him waaaay too much credit for being a “good coach, poor recruiter” he’s not really that good at either!
Gary
January 11th, 2013
5:32 pm
Coon, how on earth can you mention all of those players that Durham recruited and leave out his crown jewel? Am I the only one that remembers that he talked Dominique Wilkins, Mr. Basketball in North Carolina, into playing for him at Georgia in his first full year of recruiting? There was as much excitement over that signing as for Herschel in football. ‘Nique made it possible to recruit the other great players that followed. He’s still IMO the best player ever at Georgia.
Paul in NH
January 11th, 2013
5:38 pm
Bobby Cremins’ name is on the floor at the McCamish Pavilion. Hugh Durham’s name should be on the floor at Stegeman.
P-Man
January 11th, 2013
5:41 pm
Durham was a great coach and a true class act. At the end of the season, he would invite the basketball band to his for dinner and conversation with his assistant coaches. I’ve never heard of any other coach doing this…
DawgFan
January 11th, 2013
6:41 pm
Durhams teams were cutting edge for toughness and defense. The 83 team had a one man press in Lamar Heard who was 6′5 and defended all over the floor blocking shots, scoring baskets around the rim, making steals. Hartry, Crosby, Melvin Howard were some other great defenders. Really fun team to watch and the win over UNC in the semis was incredible.
UGADawg83
January 11th, 2013
7:26 pm
I was in school during the Durham days. Good times in the ole Stegasorus. Classic games with Dale Brown and LSU, Joe B. Hall and Kentucky, C.M Newton and Vandy and Wimp Sanderson at Alabama. The place would actually rock. Hugh was under appreciated then as well ask now. Until Georgia both the administration and the fans DEMAND good basketball we want have it. As one local diehard Dog said to me, “I don’t care about basketball.” The question is do we have bad basketball because we don’t care or do we not care because we have bad basketball.
William
January 11th, 2013
10:20 pm
The Fox is in the hen house and the chickens are flying the coup. Need a new coach, bad. Need a recruiter more than a coach. Anybody can coach athletes. We need athletes. Fox is a nice guy but nice guys finish last.
UGA Supporter and Donor
January 12th, 2013
12:17 am
It amazes me how ignorant, apathetic or just plain naive 99% of Georgia fans are regarding basketball. Some are just stupid. Mark Fox was a HUGE mistake hire. Why in the hell would you hire a guy from NEVADA for Chris sake?! How is he ever going to relate to kids and coaches around the Southeast? Guess what, he hasn’t. To you flakes who think Fox is going to bring in a great class this year, guess what….all the good ones are signed elsewhere. Fox cannot recruit…period. The program is close to rock bottom, and Greg McGarity will do NOTHING about it because the Mint Julip-sipping crowd on the UGA Athletic Board, the boosters and the old school donors simply do not give a damn. Shame on you all…especially Greg McGarity if you do not replace Mark Fox at the end of the season.
UGA Supporter and Donor
January 12th, 2013
12:25 am
Gary and others, Hugh Durham had an assistant coach Roger somebody who recruited all those exceptional players that were the Final Four team. I cannot recall his last name. Sonny Smith stole him from Durham somehow and the guy manages to sign Charles Barkley and Wesley Person to Auburn which later made a school-record NCAA Tournament run as well.
goatbarn
January 12th, 2013
1:18 am
UGA Supporter—-Decide which person you are….12:17 or 12:25am…please! Fox is a good coach..Do you have a replacement in mind since your’e ready to fire him?
Steve
January 12th, 2013
5:55 am
UGA Dawgs probably would’ve won it all that year had ‘Nique stayed for his senior season…
Inlet Dawg
January 12th, 2013
7:30 am
Said it then and history proves me correct he was great for UGA.
Hurt Kurbstreit
January 12th, 2013
9:27 am
There is absolutely no reason UGA shouldn’t be a top 15 basketball team every year. There is too much talent in the Atlanta area and state. UGA should be a powerhouse BB program. I’ve been very disapointed in coach Fox.
SimpleDawg
January 12th, 2013
9:45 am
Ft Worth:Thanks for the link. I remember Durham’s years as great years in Georgia BB, but had forgotten just how good those years were.
Durham was a victim of his own success…..
Fox is a good coach, particularly of the low post game, but he seems to be either a poor evaluator of talent, or a bad recruiter….probably both.
Success breeds success……on the other hand, losing……..
Hoops Dawg
January 12th, 2013
11:45 am
Hey Gary, i agree that Nique was the most talented player ever at Georgia, but he was a distraction to the rest of a very talented group. They went to the final four the next year and were a better team without Nique. My candidate for the best ever team player was Willie Anderson who could do it all–shoot,rebound, defend, and, quite frankly, take over SEC games. In terms of value to his team, Rashad Wright ranks very high as well, as does Terry Fair and even Pertha Robinson. These were great (for UGA) but often overlooked players.
Paul Johnson #1 Offensive Mind
January 13th, 2013
8:29 am
HEY PUPS====
JUST GIVE UP BASKETBALL…….
YOU HAVE, AND ALWAYS WILL SUKK !!!!!!!!!