Saturday, January 29, 2011

Ugly Game. (UK Recap)

We didn't get what we needed, and that was a big game from a big gun. Trey was off, Travis had an 0-fer, and Gerald Robinson seemed too helter-skelter.

I don't think our guys were overwhelmed by Rupp. We lost by six. If we had hit our free throws, we would've won the game.

The positives were that Dustin Ware played well. Marcus Thornton seems to be coming along. Jeremy Price gave us some key buckets.

I guess Thompkins was hurt. Not sure that that caused him to miss all the three's, but something wasn't working for him.

Both Florida and South Carolina lost to teams from the SEC-West. With a victory, we would have moved into second place in the division. Now, we're still in last. Not good.

Gerald Robinson's Contributions Noted

by the Chattanooga Free Press.

Robinson definitely is the x-factor. With Dustin Ware, Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie, we pretty much know what we're going to get. However, Robinson is more of a mystery. Not solely because of the fact that he didn't play well against Florida, but more because we haven't seen him on the court as much-- only six SEC games in which to evaluate him.

I'll tell you this: if his jumper is on, and we've seen glimpses of it this season, Robinson could go off on some team for 30 points one of these days.

Gerald had 17 against UK at the Steg'. He scored 22 against Mississippi, going 3 of 3 from behind the arc and 5 of 5 from the line. He had 20 against Vandy. Playing for Tennessee State in 2008, Robinson scored 25 points in Rupp arena. He went 7 of 16 shooting, 3 of 6 from deep, and 8 of 8 from the free throw line.

We definitely need him to play big this afternoon against Kentucky.

Go Dawgs!

Nick Marshall Scores 33

Marshall led #4 ranked Wilcox County to a blow-out win over #5 ranked Lanier County. The final score was 82 to 55.

Nick scored on a variety of alley-oops, three-pointers and other plays.

Hard to Guard

Do the Right Thing

I remember when UGA was recruiting Thomas Robinson. He was a senior the same year that Dustin Ware came out, if memory serves me. At any rate, we had a real shot at him, I thought. But that was before he blew up on the AAU circuit and attracted the attention of teams like Kansas.

I spotted the attached article that chronicles the tragedy that has struck in Robinson's life.

Lisa Robinson

Just in case the article becomes no longer available at some point, the story explains that Robinson's mother died suddenly of an apparent heart attack, and now the young man and his 7-year old sister (I think she's 7 and not 9) have to figure out how to manage.

Seems like the NCAA has really stepped up to the plate, here, allowing Kansas to foot the bill for taking the team to Maryland to show support for Thomas and his little sister. I hope that they will continue to do the right thing, and allow his sister to move to Kansas if that is the best thing for her. The best might be for her to stay in the D.C. area where she has some support, but the fact remains that the only adult that she is close to at this point is her big brother.

Sometimes the rules have to bend some to accommodate life.

Dawgs Win! (Prediction)

Odds are against us, I know.

And Calipari has them playing "kill ball." I think that's what we used to call it when basketball was played like football and no fouls could be called.

The article is correct that Kentucky is playing better. And they will be at home. Likely to get all the calls.

I'm still saying that Kentucky is a much weaker team than last year. Then, they had Demarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson and John Wall. They could bring in length off the bench with Perry Stevenson.

Lamb and Knight are terrific guards. They'll score a lot of points before their careers are over. Still neither one projects to be the first draft pick taken.

Meanwhile, Georgia is a much-improved team. At least it is when Gerald Robinson plays well. I don't think we'll be bullied by these guys.

Let's play the 3-2 zone and see if these guys can shoot it from the outside. Meanwhile, if one of our guards gets hot, we can run out to a quick start and keep the crowd out of the game.

Time for us to win a close one. Dawgs over Cats (as it should be), due to our fast start and their missed shots and free throws down the stretch, 86 to 82.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dawgs Lose the Heartbreaker

I think Jeremy Price said it best: the team was mentally fatigued in the second overtime.

Had to be. I think we started the second overtime with 5 straight turnovers and then only scored via a lucky three-pointer banked in by Brantley.

Perspectives

Did we elect not to foul at the end of the first OT? Why not let the ref know we were going to intentionally foul someone else?

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Ugghh.

Well, like I said, Florida has pretty much owned us. Even worse, they are 5 and 1 in the SEC. Hard to catch up when your next game is at Kentucky and we still have to go down to Gainesville and over to Tennessee.

We're 3 and 3, and we just have to hope that the other guys take Florida down a notch to have any chance of winning the East. The East is so tough that we could be a pretty good team and end up in last place.

Hat's off to Donovan. He defended the triangle about as well as anyone I've seen. His wrinkle? Not playing Jeremy Price in the high-low offense. Price didn't even look to take a couple of bounces toward the basket for the 12-footer. He played a great game on the low block, but he just has to be more aggressive if he catches the ball up by the free throw line.

Maybe later in the year after Thornton gets healthy, we can put him at the top of the triangle and see what he can do.

Proud of our guys for fighting back, but way too many careless turnovers and missed free throws.

Dustin Ware Article from the ABH

Yep. Ware is definitely in a different place this year. Teams used to be able to beat him up all game, muscle him all the way down the floor, every time Georgia brought the ball up the court.

Ricky McPhee was a great spot-up shooter and a non-stop hustler on defense. I wish he were still around to help us keep zones honest. But McPhee was not a particularly effective ball-handler.

With the addition of Gerald Robinson, Georgia has a potent back-court. Ware can spot up for the long-range shots, about like McPhee did last year. The difference is that both Ware and Robinson can bring the ball up the floor. Now when teams try to press UGA, the off-guard can receive the pass and speed the ball toward the basket.

Even better, Gerald is a player that can create his own shot off the dribble. Georgia has needed the very same capabilities several times at the end of the shot clock or as the final seconds of the game were ticking down. As in the Tech game, Robinson can use his speed to go to the hoop, while Ware gets open on the wing.

Maybe Florida will go zone tonight and Dustin can get going from outside.

Dustin Ware

Dawgs Win Big! (prediction)

Okay. UF has had our number in just about every sport but equestrian or gymnastics over the last I don't know how long. Time to turn the tide.

We have a sell-out, a packed house, a national audience and a chance to make an impression to the watching world of sports fans. If we win, we're in first place in the tough SEC East.

I think our crowd makes a difference. Dustin Ware hits the spot-up jumper, Travis goes to the basket with abandon, and everybody else gets involved.

We'll have to watch out for their traps. Billy Donovan always tries to neutralize the opponent by trapping along the sidelines or in the backcourt. Will Gerald Robinson be able to make them pay? Will his jumper be on tonight?

I think we can do it. Dawgs win by 15, 75 to 60.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Dustin Ware, Point Guard in Life

Great, great article from the AJC.

Dustin Ware came to UGA at least in part to fill the legacy of his half-brother, Stacy Ware. Stacy was a student at UGA who died of meningitis the week that his new half-brother, Dustin, was born.

I am so proud of how Dustin is doing. I still want him to drive the ball every now and then, but the team does not function nearly as well when he's not out there. He pushed the ball time and time again against MSU and it led to easy buckets for the Dawgs.

Dustin's a great kid.

DW the consummate PG