Georgia Bulldogs Basketball

After losing tough back-to-back games against Florida and Kentucky, Georgia’s (16-6, 5-4) tournament chances were starting to slide. They put themselves back in great position with their play this week though, so things are looking back up for Georgia fans.

Georgia managed to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks (14-7, 4-4), 60-59, with a Trey Thompkin free throw with 1.4 seconds left in the game. The game was even tougher for Georgia because of all the traveling troubles to get there, but pulling out the win was very important for them.

Dustin Ware played an all-around great game against the Razorbacks, scoring nine points, six rebounds and also adding five assists. Travis Leslie had his first poor scoring performance in SEC play by only scoring seven points, but did well with getting five rebounds and a few assists.

Georgia, then almost gave up a win against Auburn (8-16, 1-8) earlier today. Leading 67-65 with about 10 seconds left to play, a Jeremy Price in-bounds pass was intercepted and immediately put back in to tie the game up. Georgia outscored the Tigers 14-5 in overtime en route to a 81-72 win.

Price was the biggest key player against the Tigers going for an astounding 22 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Price was helped out greatly by Travis Leslie, who rebounded well from his performance against Arkansas to score 20 points with eight rebounds and three assists. The Bulldogs as a team blocked eight shots.

The two wins put Georgia back over .500 in SEC play and greatly increases their chances to make the NCAA tournament. Beating Auburn in particular kept them from having a “bad” loss on their resume, and shows that they can continue to win close games.

Georgia heads into this week’s games against the Xavier Musketeers (16-6, 8-1 in Atlantic 10) and South Carolina Gamecocks (13-8, 4-4). A win over both teams would put Georgia in to almost automatic territory, giving them 18 wins with six games left to play.

The Xavier game gives Georgia a break in SEC play, but it won’t be an easy win at all as the Musketeers are rolling at this point. The Gamecocks have been struggling a bit of late, but it will be a tough game for the Bulldogs nonetheless.

This week was at least a great rebounding effort after the losses to the Gators and Wildcats and puts them back into contending position in the SEC East.

This week is just as, if not more, important for the rest of the year. The Bulldogs need to get some rest off the Arkansas traveling disaster, but they should have plenty of time for that.

In a game that received virtually no hype heading in, at least nationally, Florida and Georgia wound up delivering the game of the night on Tuesday.

Each team hit a last second shot to force an overtime session.

Georgia scored on a put-back at the buzzer at the end of regulation; Florida’s Erving Walker hit a deep three to tie the game with one second to play in the first OT. 

Walker’s three was ultimately the severe blow in this one, as the Gators went on to cruise in the second overtime, winning 104-91. 

The fact that Walker was able to take the three in the first place was a failure to execute—on the part of Georgia. Head Coach Mark Fox wanted his team to foul Walker before he had the chance to get close enough to hoist a shot. The Bulldogs, seemingly afraid to impede Walker’s path, gave him a pretty clear look at the basket.

Exactly one week prior to Tuesday night, Georgia was victim to last-second heroics in another home game, against Tennessee: Brian Williams’ put-back, while falling away, at the buzzer, gave the Vols at 59-57 win in Athens.

Two big home games against SEC East rivals, turned into two extremely tough losses for Georgia. For Bulldog fans, it’s difficult not to think about what could have been. Just two baskets may be separating them from first place in the SEC East.

Now, the Bulldogs stand at 3-3 in the SEC; that currently puts them in a three-way-tie with Tennessee and Vanderbilt for fourth place in a very competitive SEC East race. 

Instead of Georgia being 5-1, it is now Florida, good for a one-and-a-half game lead in the division.

With the competitiveness of the East, finishing just above .500 in the SEC would seem to put Georgia in good shape to make the NCAA Tournament.

However, getting to that mark will now be a little more difficult.

Georgia will go on the road this weekend to play Kentucky, who the Bulldogs beat earlier this month at home; beating them again seems like a very tough task.

After that, they will travel to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas, who beat Tennessee earlier this month.

The Bulldogs also still have games at South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, as well as Alabama, who currently leads the SEC West.

In between all of these SEC landmines is an interesting out-of-conference game with Xavier, in Athens. This may be a crucial game for Georgia, in order to improve their overall NCAA Tournament resume. 

Currently, the Bulldogs only decent OOC wins are against Colorado (surprise), UAB, and maybe Georgia Tech (now 3-3 in the ACC).

Beating Xavier, in February, would hold a lot more weight than any of those other three.

It’s certainly not desperation time for Georgia. They’ve proven they can play with the best teams in the SEC, and they will have plenty more opportunities for quality wins.  ­

However, those quality wins may now have to come on the road. The sooner Georgia can get those wins, the sooner they can begin to forget about the bitterness of the past two Tuesday nights in Athens.

Georgia (14-4, 3-2) got off to a 24-8 start and never looked back, as they cruised to a 86-64 win over Mississippi State (10-8, 2-2).

The first half started out with Georgia knocking down seven of their first eight shots, which pushed them to the big early lead. Mississippi State did get a pretty good run in before the half ended, led by guard Dee Bost’s 12 points in the first half.

Georgia, who in their last game against Mississippi State got out to a 13-point lead at the half, only to lose, didn’t let up in the second half. They pushed the ball consistently and making the most out of the 11 turnovers by MSU.

Travis Leslie, Georgia’s star guard, had a great game. He went for 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. He was helped out by great games from Trey Thompkins (15 points, seven rebounds) and Gerald Robinson (17 points, five assists, three steals).

Bost ended up scoring 20 points with five assists, but didn’t get a ton of help from his teammates. Renardo Sidney scored 15 points, but also turned over the ball five times and showed a lack of effort on the defensive side.

The win puts Georgia back over .500 in the SEC, and gives them momentum going into perhaps their most important week of the season. They will be on ESPN against Florida on Tuesday night and then on ESPN again in a game at Kentucky on Saturday. Being able to pull off at least one of these games will put Georgia in a great position come Selection Sunday, while winning both would put them in the front position in the East division.

This performance was also important for Georgia because of the controversial loss to Tennessee just a few days ago. Georgia, a usually up-beat and fun loving team during shootarounds, was extremely focused before the opening tip-off, mentally preparing themselves for the important game.

If they come out with the same focus this upcoming week, Georgia will be well on their way to producing a very impressive resume.

Despite losing to Tennessee on what looked like an over-the-back call that wasn’t, Georgia has been playing extremely good basketball to this point in the season. The Bulldogs’ attack is led by Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins, two of the best players in the Southeastern Conference.

Leslie, who had an ESPN Top 10 play against Tennessee as he dunked coming off of his own three-pointer miss, leads the team with 7.4 rebounds a game to go along with a stat line that includes 14.5 points per game and 2.4 assists on average. Leslie is a very good athlete who has progressed well over his time in Athens, and looks to lead the team to a deep run in March.

Leslie is paired with Thompkins, a forward who is fifth in the SEC with 17.4 points per game, has been good as well in rebounding with 7.1 a game in addition almost averaging two blocks a game (1.7). Thompkins may be the ‘Dogs best player, and gives them a great inside presence going forward.

Those two are far from the only good players on the team though. Georgia also boasts Gerald Robinson (4.2 assists per game, second in the SEC) and Dustin Ware (7.4 points per game and 38.5 percent from three point range, which is 13th in the SEC).

Georgia’s most impressive win came on January 8 as the ‘Dogs beat then-No. 11 Kentucky 77-70 in impressive fashion. The game gives Georgia a significant win on the season as they look to find themselves ranked, having received a few votes here and there over the season, including being essentially the No. 27 ranked team in the country heading into this week after being ranked No. 24 the week before.

Georgia has been a very consistent team over the course of the season, as their largest margin of defeat is seven points (No. 20 Temple and Vanderbilt). They don’t have flashy numbers as a team, as they are only 145th in the country in points per game (70.5), but are a tough team to try and stop offensively, as they are 43rd in assists per game at 15.4 and 62nd in field goal percentage at 46.5 percent.

Going forward, Georgia currently stands at 2-2 in the SEC with games at home against Mississippi State and Florida followed by a trip to Kentucky, where the Wildcats will be looking to making up for their loss in Athens.

Georgia’s ability to play in close games will be important going through the SEC schedule. If Georgia can end up with a winning record in conference, something they haven’t done since 2002-2003 season when they went 11-5 (though they did go 8-8 in 2006-2007), it would mean a lot as far as getting an automatic bid come Selection Sunday.

This Georgia team has the potential to jump start the Mark Fox era, who already has one impressive recruit coming to Athens under his belt in Shooting Guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ESPN 5-star, No. 14 overall and No. 4 shooting guard).

Fox is slowly doing his best to turn the Georgia program into one of the top in the SEC and the nation, and I think he’s done a good job so far. A nice run in March will only help his progress, and this Georgia team possesses that type of potential.

Coming of a stunning 77-70 win over the 11th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, The Bulldog Nation has a hype about their basketball program not felt since the "Human Highlight Film" was on the court for the Dogs.

With the win over Kentucky (12-3, 0-1) Georgia is on a nine-game winning streak, their longest since the 1982-83 season in which Georgia went 24-10, won the SEC Championship and went to the Final Four.

So is Georgia a legit contender for the SEC Championship, with how they have played so far they might just be.

Many of the things that haunted Georgia for much of the early season didn't bite them today, in fact they turned them around.

Going into the game with Kentucky, Georgia shot only 62 percent from the foul line, against Kentucky they went 30-34 while the Cats only shot 10-16.

That's not to say Georgia has completely corrected all of their problems, it just shows that they have the capability to do these kinds of things. The win definitely makes them contenders.

This is Georgia's second win over a top ten opponent in two seasons with Mark Fox, who has turned the entire program around since coming to Georgia, the last win over a top ten since they beat an eighth-ranked Tennessee team last January.

Tennessee since then has fallen somewhat. After a few big losses, the Volunteers lost their SEC opener on the road against Arkansas and are far from the SEC contenders they were at the start of the season.

With Tennessee reeling, that leaves Vanderbilt and Florida as the last two contenders in the SEC East. Georgia under Mark Fox has shown that they can beat the Commodores and the Gators as they split the series at one and one with both of them. 

For Georgia to be a contender they need to win on the road, something Georgia didn't do well last year only winning one road game in the SEC. They played phenomenal in all of those road losses, but fatigue on a young bench proved to be their undoing.

This year Georgia is a lot deeper in their depth chart with the emergence of Gerald Robinson Jr., Sherrard Brantley, and others, senior Chris Barnes has also been consistent coming off the bench.

When SEC Tournament time comes around, don't be surprised if Georgia was to make another run similar to their unbelievable run in 2008. It also might not be too big of a stretch to think that Georgia could secure a first-round bye.

One thing's for sure, don't let the title of being a football school fool you, Georgia's basketball team has come to play and they are ready to take the program to new heights.

Georgia basketball fans might have been worried going into last night's game against Colorado. With All-SEC forward Trey Thompkins still sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, Georgia needed a comeback in the waning minutes to beat Mississippi Valley State on opening night at the newly renovated Stegeman Coliseum.

Things weren't going to get any easier with the Buffaloes coming to Athens.

Early in the game the Bulldogs looked like the SEC Championship contender many believe them to be, taking a commanding 18-4 lead with just four minutes and thirty-nine seconds gone in the first half. The Dawgs seemed comfortable despite the absence of Thompkins.

However, Colorado exposed Georgia's lack of depth, tying the game at 33 apiece going into halftime.

Head coach Mark Fox's Bulldogs pulled away in the final minutes, winning the contest 83-74 to advance Georgia's record to 2-0.

Georgia might have been without one superstar, but a couple of other players took the spotlight in the victory.

Travis Leslie, as expected, had a solid game thanks to his balance in the scoring and rebounding departments. Leslie shot 7-14 from the field, showing off his improved jump shot, as well as hauling in eight rebounds.

Senior forward Jeremy Price is also taking his emphasized role by storm. Price scored 17 points on 7-9 shooting and going 3-3 from the free-throw line.

But, the biggest story of the night might be the electricity and fast pace Gerald Robinson brings to the team's offense. Robinson, a Tennessee State transfer who sat out last year, led all scoring for the Dawgs with 21 points. His slashing and speedy athleticism give Georgia's offense another dangerous weapon.

Fans are definitely confident that Georgia can be an extremely competitive team when Thompkins returns, considering a lineup with All-SEC players in Thompkins and Leslie, a former Freshman-All-SEC player in Jeremy Price, and Robinson and the vastly improved Dustin Ware in the back-court.

No word is out yet on exactly when Trey Thompkins will come back from injury, so Georgia will need to battle a tough stretch without him.

The Dawgs travel to play Saint Louis on Saturday, priming them for the Old Spice Classic game versus Notre Dame on Nov. 25. Georgia then plays a home game versus Alabama-Birmingham and the annual rivalry game against Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, on Dec. 7.

The rest of their non-conference schedule, following the Yellow Jackets, doesn't pose much of a threat, and Georgia should have Thompkins back by then.

However, Georgia will need to rally around their current starting five to win nationally televised games in the coming weeks. Chris Barnes and Marcus Thornton must step up and become more productive if Georgia wants to compete.

Right now Georgia is a few votes away from the top 25. It's no excuses time. If Georgia loses they will quickly fall away from the rankings.

So you say the University of Georgia is a football school, huh?

Think again my friends. Sure, Georgia's football program has been in a slide lately, but there is no doubt it will be back on its feet soon enough.

But, don't look now, the Georgia hoops team is on the rise. Georgia only went 14-17 last year, but their transition from the sloppiest team to the most fundamentally sound team in the SEC caught every Georgia fan's attention.

Coming into 2010, Georgia now knows they have what it takes to be a good team. Last year was about building confidence, as the Dawgs made for highlight reel games against even the toughest opponents, including victories over Illinois, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Florida. 

This year will be about, ironically enough, "finishing the drill."

Georgia was a few rebounds and baskets from being a 20-win team last year. This year, in head coach Mark Fox's second season, they very well could be a 20-win team.

Even Dickie V himself jumped on the bandwagon, ranking Georgia 28th in his early preseason rankings.

Georgia is a sexy preseason pick as an SEC darkhorse, thanks to the return of their dynamic duo of Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie.

Thompkins, a 6'10" junior forward, and Leslie, a 6'4" junior guard, will be the nucleus of the team, much as they were last season.

Thompkins does the dirty work, while Leslie puts on the show. The two will try to mix those roles in 2010 as they embark on a journey to take the SEC East.

Thompkins and Leslie both could have left for the NBA draft—Thompkins especially. However, both came back because they felt they would have the opportunity to propel the UGA basketball program in the right direction.

With Thompkins and Leslie, Georgia will have a stud lineup. And, the national attention the program will get with the All-American forward and the high flyer on the court will help the program with exposure.

Recruiting will be affected with the return of Georgia's two young stars, who could very well be dubbed "saviors" of the program.

Georgia has already gotten a solid recruit, however. Mr. Basketball in the state of Georgia, Marcus Thornton, will join the Dawgs in 2010 as their prized freshman.

Thornton, a 6'7" forward, will combine with seniors Chris Barnes and Jeremy Price to give Georgia one of the strongest interiors, if not the strongest interior in the SEC.

Leslie will be Georgia's primary small scorer, and point guard Dustin Ware might have been the Dawgs most improved player from last season. 

The only area where Georgia may be lacking from last year's team is shooting guard, where they lose sharpshooter Ricky McPhee, who played his last season at Georgia a year ago.

Transfer Sherrard Brantley helps fill that spot, however, it has become pretty evident that junior guard Gerald Robinson, who players claim has turned heads in workouts with his speed, is the front-runner for the job.

We know one thing to be true heading into the year: Georgia will be fun to watch. They will be on television significantly more than they have been in the past.

And they very well could be a top 25 team this year.

They still have been picked by most publications to finish around fourth in the deep SEC East.

However, Georgia seems to also be in a pretty good spot to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Pundits saw this team nearly win 20 games a year ago. If they get 20, they should be a shoo-in. 

Here is a look at Georgia's complete 2010 roster.

Projected Starters

PG—No. 3 Dustin Ware, 5'11", 182 lbs, Junior

G—No. 22 Gerald Robinson, 6'1", 180 lbs, Junior

G—No.1 Travis Leslie, 6'4", 205 lbs, Junior

F—No. 33 Trey Thompkins, 6'10", 245 lbs, Junior

F—No. 50 Jeremy Price, 6'8", 270 lbs, Senior

Impact Bench Players

G—No. 23 Sherrard Brantley, 6'2", 190 lbs, Sophomore

F—No. 4 Chris Barnes, 6'8", 240 lbs, Senior

F—No. 2 Marcus Thornton, 6'7", 225 lbs, Freshman

G—No. 11 Vincent Williams, 6'0", 160 lbs, Sophomore

The Rest of the Roster

G—No. 12 Matt Bucklin, 6'0", 170 lbs, Junior

F—No. 20 Connor Nolte, 6'7", 205 lbs, Junior

F—No. 15 Donte Williams, 6'9", 210 lbs, Freshman

Now here is a look at Georgia's 2010 schedule:

Non-Conference

11-12 Mississippi Valley State

11-16 Colorado

11-20 @ St. Louis

11-25 Notre Dame (Old Spice Classic)

12-3 UAB

12-7 @ Georgia Tech

12-18 Arkansas State

12-21 High Point

12-23 @ Mercer

12-28 Charleston Southern

12-31 Eastern Kentucky

2-8 Xavier

Overall, the non conference schedule doesn't feature many big games. Georgia Tech might be the underdog at home in Atlanta, and the only other compelling matchups might be UAB and Notre Dame. Xavier, who comes to Athens in the middle of the SEC schedule, will definitely be a good matchup.

Here's Georgia's SEC West schedule:

SEC West

1-15 @ Ole Miss

1-22 Mississippi State

2-2 @ Arkansas

2-5 Auburn

3-2 LSU

3-5 @ Alabama

And of course, Georgia will play a home-and-away series with each of their five SEC East opponents. Georgia opens their conference play hosting Kentucky on Jan. 8.

Georgia, even in their bad years, has always done pretty well in non-conference. This year's non-conference slate doesn't have too many tough games in it. I'm picking Georgia to start the year 10-1, finishing 10-2 in non-conference play with the game against Xavier coming halfway.

I also see Georgia going 10-6 in conference. I'll say 6-2 at home and 4-4 on the road. 

The SEC Tournament and Old Spice Classic could increase total games played to over 30.

But I see Georgia finishing with a 20-8 record in pre-scheduled games. 

Bring on the NCAA Tournament, baby!