I don't see it.
Nothing against Edwards, but why go up to Michigan for a guy when we can find a back-up center from somewhere in-state? Georgia high school coaches have long memories.
From the looks of his (?) YouTube channel, it appears that Edwards considers himself a member of our 2015 signing class. I guess we beat out Ball State and Northern Illinois for his services. Of course if Edwards does end up at Georgia, I will support him and hope he turns into an absolute beast.
However, for now, the Edwards recruitment has me totally unconvinced. Reminds me of other Fox recruiting efforts. John Florveus. John Cannon. Tim Dixon. Good kids. Guys who contributed, but weren't the high level athletes that UGA needs to challenge the elite teams. Have my fingers crossed that Iduwe and Kessler will make a big leap next year.
This far along in the Mark Fox tenure I had hoped we were past getting a 2-star/project big man/role player late after the difference-maker goes elsewhere.
I liked the Yante Maten signing last year. Derek Ogbeide will definitely help this year. SMH on this one.
If Jaylen Brown turns us down, please get an in-state guy or save the ship until next year.
Showing posts with label John Cannon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Cannon. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2015
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
May the Best Man Win at Small Forward
I decided to edit my post about the dismissal of Brandon Morris, and keep it fairly short, meanwhile adding to my post about the line-up for the fall.
So, now that Morris will no longer be around to hold down the starting position at small forward, UGA's options going into the 2014/2015 season appear to be:
Yante Maten, 6' 8" freshman.
Kenny Paul Geno, 6' 6" sophomore.
Juwan Parker, 6' 4" sophomore.
Nemi Djurisic, 6' 8" senior.
Cameron Forte, 6' 7" junior.
Maten has talent and appears to be very versatile, having played some point guard in high school. His issues are learning the offense and getting in shape. I had Maten replacing Donte Williams at the power forward position, helping out Marcus Thornton, who is an under-sized post.
Kenny Paul Geno, a late recruiting pick-up last season after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope opted for the NBA, played some last year against Mississippi State and actually looked pretty good, scoring six points. Otherwise, Geno averaged a point and a rebound per game over the course of the year. Is he ready to start at the small forward position? I don't think so, but he'll get his share of minutes.
Juwan Parker can play. The problem is that he is our one option behind Kenny Gaines at the two-guard. I say, keep bringing Parker off the bench.
Nemi has played a lot. When he's hot, he's fun to watch. When he's not, not so much. I wouldn't regard him as an elite defender or ball-handler, which is what you want from a small forward. I like Nemi providing a spark as sixth man.
Forte has good hands and is crafty around the basket. He led Georgia in field goal percentage, almost shooting 60 percent from the floor (.591). The only team members who came close to that percentage were Donte Williams and John Cannon, both of whom moved on. Forte's biggest issue is that he can't shoot (Sounds harsh, but anyone who shoots 30 percent from the free throw line for a D-1 team, can't shoot, okay?). Fox was quoted once as saying that Forte "has an ugly game, but good instincts."
Result? Who's our best man for the job?
If Forte's game goes from ugly to decent-looking, he is the best option. He doesn't need to be a three-point ace, but he simply must get to the point where he can convert from as far out as 15 feet, and at least shoot better than 60 percent from the line. Forte, who looks more like 6' 5" than his listed 6' 7", is a decent rebounder, averaging 2 boards per game in 9 minutes. He is not an explosive leaper, and probably won't ever be, but I would hope that he can increase his vertical a few inches over the summer.
If Forte doesn't improve, then Parker probably gets the start. A lot of teams use three-guard sets, and Parker is probably the best match-up for those situations. Fox hopefully is scouring the AAU circuit looking for a late-blooming two-guard, with size. I'd rather save the ship than save the 'ship at this point.
So, now that Morris will no longer be around to hold down the starting position at small forward, UGA's options going into the 2014/2015 season appear to be:
Yante Maten, 6' 8" freshman.
Kenny Paul Geno, 6' 6" sophomore.
Juwan Parker, 6' 4" sophomore.
Nemi Djurisic, 6' 8" senior.
Cameron Forte, 6' 7" junior.
Maten has talent and appears to be very versatile, having played some point guard in high school. His issues are learning the offense and getting in shape. I had Maten replacing Donte Williams at the power forward position, helping out Marcus Thornton, who is an under-sized post.
Kenny Paul Geno, a late recruiting pick-up last season after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope opted for the NBA, played some last year against Mississippi State and actually looked pretty good, scoring six points. Otherwise, Geno averaged a point and a rebound per game over the course of the year. Is he ready to start at the small forward position? I don't think so, but he'll get his share of minutes.
Juwan Parker can play. The problem is that he is our one option behind Kenny Gaines at the two-guard. I say, keep bringing Parker off the bench.
Nemi has played a lot. When he's hot, he's fun to watch. When he's not, not so much. I wouldn't regard him as an elite defender or ball-handler, which is what you want from a small forward. I like Nemi providing a spark as sixth man.
Forte has good hands and is crafty around the basket. He led Georgia in field goal percentage, almost shooting 60 percent from the floor (.591). The only team members who came close to that percentage were Donte Williams and John Cannon, both of whom moved on. Forte's biggest issue is that he can't shoot (Sounds harsh, but anyone who shoots 30 percent from the free throw line for a D-1 team, can't shoot, okay?). Fox was quoted once as saying that Forte "has an ugly game, but good instincts."
Result? Who's our best man for the job?
If Forte's game goes from ugly to decent-looking, he is the best option. He doesn't need to be a three-point ace, but he simply must get to the point where he can convert from as far out as 15 feet, and at least shoot better than 60 percent from the line. Forte, who looks more like 6' 5" than his listed 6' 7", is a decent rebounder, averaging 2 boards per game in 9 minutes. He is not an explosive leaper, and probably won't ever be, but I would hope that he can increase his vertical a few inches over the summer.
If Forte doesn't improve, then Parker probably gets the start. A lot of teams use three-guard sets, and Parker is probably the best match-up for those situations. Fox hopefully is scouring the AAU circuit looking for a late-blooming two-guard, with size. I'd rather save the ship than save the 'ship at this point.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Daniel Miller Leads Tech to Victory
over #6 Miami.
Miller had 17 and 5, shooting 67 percent from the floor. When's the last time we've had a post player step up like that against a top ten team?
Sure hope Dixon and Cannon live in the weight room during the off-season.
Miller had 17 and 5, shooting 67 percent from the floor. When's the last time we've had a post player step up like that against a top ten team?
Sure hope Dixon and Cannon live in the weight room during the off-season.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Ten Requests
I know Fox doesn't read my blog, but if he did, I would have some requests of him:
1) If teams press us, then get your ball-handlers out on the floor.
2) Don't make the first pass to the corner. Too easy to double team.
3) Do not let Nemi take the ball out of bounds. The guy who takes it out of bounds is the first recipient of the pass out of a trap. Therefore that guy needs to be able to advance the ball on the dribble.
4) Use Brandon Morris to take the ball out of bounds. Brandon has both the height and the ball-handling ability to play that role.
5) Have a big man in the middle of the floor who can catch a lob pass, then turn and distribute the ball.
6) Since both John Cannon and Donte Williams have good hands, make either one of those guys the man in the middle.
7) Please play John Cannon, Kenny Gaines, Donte Williams and Brandon Morris more. I don't understand why Gaines gets only 5 minutes and John Cannon didn't get any.
8) Work with Charles Mann on his mid-range game. He can use that floater more often, and he would avoid having offensive fouls called against him.
9) Somehow let Tony Parker know that he'd have gotten a lot more than three minutes of playing time tonight if he were at Georgia.
10) Please, please, no more "O My Heart".
That has to be the worst written theme song I have ever heard. We can surely do better.
1) If teams press us, then get your ball-handlers out on the floor.
2) Don't make the first pass to the corner. Too easy to double team.
3) Do not let Nemi take the ball out of bounds. The guy who takes it out of bounds is the first recipient of the pass out of a trap. Therefore that guy needs to be able to advance the ball on the dribble.
4) Use Brandon Morris to take the ball out of bounds. Brandon has both the height and the ball-handling ability to play that role.
5) Have a big man in the middle of the floor who can catch a lob pass, then turn and distribute the ball.
6) Since both John Cannon and Donte Williams have good hands, make either one of those guys the man in the middle.
7) Please play John Cannon, Kenny Gaines, Donte Williams and Brandon Morris more. I don't understand why Gaines gets only 5 minutes and John Cannon didn't get any.
8) Work with Charles Mann on his mid-range game. He can use that floater more often, and he would avoid having offensive fouls called against him.
9) Somehow let Tony Parker know that he'd have gotten a lot more than three minutes of playing time tonight if he were at Georgia.
10) Please, please, no more "O My Heart".
That has to be the worst written theme song I have ever heard. We can surely do better.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Great to Win One!
I know some will say that we ought to beat Mercer. And we should.
But getting it done takes execution. We had just enough today. UGA wins 58 to 49.
There were a few good signs.
1) We hit our free throws.
We went 13 of 16 (81%).
2) Fox used his roster more effectively
Shooting free throws well is good. But to hit'em, you gotta get'em. In other words, we're not going to go to the line if we just pass the ball around the perimeter. We have to attack the basket so we can get fouled in the first place. Charles Mann will do that. About time he got the start. Brandon Morris will do that. Better to give Morris major minutes than to trot Marcus Thornton out there on bad wheels. John Florveus got some key minutes.
3) Shot selection was better
We attempted 44 shots from the field. Only 12 were three-pointers. That's huge. Nemi didn't take any long-distance tries. If we shoot the three off of the drive and kick action, then we're more likely to make them. We hit 7 of 12.
4) KCP was Huge
Guy had 17 points, 9 boards and 3 steals, while shooting 5 of 10 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the line.
There were a couple of concerns, however. We will need buckets from Cannon, Morris and Donte Williams. If those three go a combined 0 for 6 against decent competition, UGA will more than likely lose the game. Besides that, fifteen turnovers is way high.
All in all, though, a good result for the Dawgs. We're now 3 and 7. Let's go on a streak. It's not too late.
But getting it done takes execution. We had just enough today. UGA wins 58 to 49.
There were a few good signs.
1) We hit our free throws.
We went 13 of 16 (81%).
2) Fox used his roster more effectively
Shooting free throws well is good. But to hit'em, you gotta get'em. In other words, we're not going to go to the line if we just pass the ball around the perimeter. We have to attack the basket so we can get fouled in the first place. Charles Mann will do that. About time he got the start. Brandon Morris will do that. Better to give Morris major minutes than to trot Marcus Thornton out there on bad wheels. John Florveus got some key minutes.
3) Shot selection was better
We attempted 44 shots from the field. Only 12 were three-pointers. That's huge. Nemi didn't take any long-distance tries. If we shoot the three off of the drive and kick action, then we're more likely to make them. We hit 7 of 12.
4) KCP was Huge
Guy had 17 points, 9 boards and 3 steals, while shooting 5 of 10 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the line.
There were a couple of concerns, however. We will need buckets from Cannon, Morris and Donte Williams. If those three go a combined 0 for 6 against decent competition, UGA will more than likely lose the game. Besides that, fifteen turnovers is way high.
All in all, though, a good result for the Dawgs. We're now 3 and 7. Let's go on a streak. It's not too late.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Cannon and Dixon Article
Maybe these guys can give us some good minutes. We've started slowly at USF.
Cannon is in early after Donte Williams picked up an early foul.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Dawgs Lose to UCLA
We're now 1 and 4 for the season.
We did show a few flashes in keeping the game close. We had an 11 point lead in the first half. John Cannon seems to be our answer at the center position. He had 8 points on 4 of 8 shooting, with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. 0 turnovers.
Kentavious scored 16 points on 5 of 13 shooting. Not great, but not bad either, considering the defense focuses so much on him. He did pad his shooting percentage somewhat with two lay-ups in the final minute when UCLA knew they were going to win. Although KCP is not an efficient scorer, Fox has to be pleased with Caldwell-Pope's other stats-- 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
Donte had an effective game with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Marcus Thornton got a block and 9 rebounds, but he's just not a factor offensively. 0 points on 0 for 2 from the field and 0 of 2 from the line.
Brantley continues to bomb away from behind the arc. That's a coaching issue. I would not let him shoot only three-pointers. He doesn't make enough of them to be taking 8 three-pointers during the game. He hit 2 at the beginning of the game, but missed the other 6.
Said it before, but I'll say it again. I don't see why Brandon Morris does not get more minutes. There must be something else going on behind the scenes.
I guess my main take-away from this game is that if our big men, who are getting healthy amounts of playing time, can all develop about the same time, we'll have a nice rotation in the front court. We know what KCP can do. Nemi is a known quantity, pretty much. Gaines has yet to score a basket, but he will score a bunch of them in his UGA career. Mann is coming along and Donte is staring to look like his old self.
The potential is there with this team, but when will it be realized? When will we see some real progress in terms of wins and losses?
Saturday, March 10, 2012
8 Reasons for Optimism
Okay, Dawg fans. We're heading into the fourth year of the Mark Fox regime. During the Fox era, the Dawgs are a combined 50 and 46 overall (.520) and 19 and 29 in the SEC (.395). We had a great season last year, going 21 and 12, but this year has to be considered a disappointment.
I'm not happy that we had a losing season and we finished 11th out of 12 teams in the SEC. Next year Texas A&M and Missouri will join the league. Had the expansion occurred this year, we would have been 13th out of 14 teams (Texas A&M is arguably better than we are and Missouri is currently 30 and 4 on the year).
I know people say that we have never been successful in basketball, but does it really have to remain that way? We just have to step up in basketball and mine the talent in the Atlanta area. I hope we can do it without another sea change in our coaching ranks.
Please, no more woulda' coulda's. Our focus has to be playing with the guys we have, not those we don't. I understand that Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie left early. I'm tired of hearing that excuse. The key point is that Thompkins and Leslie were Felton's recruits. The way to guard against a downturn because of inherited players going to the pro's is
a) Convince the inherited players to commit to the program and stay in school, or, even better,
b) Recruit your own talented players.
We failed at convincing them to stay, if we ever attempted to do so, and we also failed to bring in a low post scorer. We own it, so let's move on.
The bottom line is as disappointed as I am with this year's 15 and 17 season, I do have some cautious optimism for the future. Here's why:
1) Recruiting has improved
KCP is a player. He'll be better next year. We didn't get a bunch of the players we wanted this year, but we're getting closer. Charles Mann is a tall point guard who although was not in the Rivals 150 was the best at his position in the state. Kenny Gaines is a powerful two-guard who has a great shot and fantastic leaping ability. Brandon Morris is not really a shooter, but he is a tall, lean player who can compete in the SEC. Morris defends well, gets buckets in transition, passes well for a big man and can handle the ball against the press. All three of those guys were on high school teams which won the state championship in their division. Good to recruit winners.
2) Georgia will Rely Less on the Three-Point Shot
I don't mind shooting threes if we can make'em. The problem was that we would hoist up shot after shot from behind the arc while hitting a low percentage. And it seemed as though Fox didn't know how to adjust. We only had one guy this year who could consistently create his own shot-- Gerald Robinson. We didn't press, we didn't change the offense to post up our guards, we didn't go to the 1-3-1 to get more steals in the half-court.
Next year, things should be better. Even though we were unable to recruit a pure shooter (Evan Nolte was a guy we went after, but he ended up at UVA), perhaps that's for the best. Each of our three signees can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, which should result in making Georgia harder to defend. We should also get more free throws.
3) The SEC next year will be Kentucky and Everybody Else
Kentucky will lose some guys to the NBA this year. Calipari is unconcerned. They will bring in their normal haul of 5-star guys to replace them and they'll keep truckin'. I will refrain from making a detailed analysis, but my point in short is that although Kentucky will continue to have elite talent, the jury is out on some of the other teams.
Vandy will be down next year. Ezeli, Goulbourne, Taylor, Tchiengang and Tinsley will all graduate this summer. Dai-Jon Parker, Kedren Johnson and John Jenkins are likely to be there for the 2012/2013 season, but Vanderbilt didn't do much in recruiting for 2012. Who knows? Jenkins may bolt for the pro ranks. This year they both out-shot us and out-athleted us. Not so, next year. Florida has some talent, but we beat them this year. Next year, they are bringing in guards. As long as we can play them relatively even in the post, Georgia should have a decent shot against Billy Donovan's squad.
South Carolina was last place in the league and they will still struggle. Mississippi and Mississippi State will be tough, but not significantly better than Georgia. Alabama and Auburn are on their way up, but the Crimson Tide will lose JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell may not come back. Auburn will lose Kenny Gabriel and although Barbee has recruited quite well, they finished this year one spot ahead of Georgia during the regular season, so they have a ways to go. Besides, who knows where this Varez Ward point-shaving situation will take them?
So even though Georgia wasn't a barn-burner in recruiting for 2012, in my opinion we did about as well as the other SEC teams that do not have blue grass.
4) Marcus Thornton may get better
Not sure about this one, but anyone who has followed his career knows that Marcus Thornton is hurting. Can he come back and be the explosive player he was in high school? Who knows. How good would Blake Griffin be if he couldn't jump? It makes a big difference when a player has knee problems. Let's give Thornton the summer and fall for his surgery and rehabilitation. If he does recover his leaping ability, he will be a significant boost to the team's performance.
5) Georgia has height
As they say, you can't teach 7-feet. Call them projects if you will, but John Florveus and John Cannon are listed as 7' and 6' 11" respectively. Even if the roster listed on Yahoo exaggerates things just a tad, Florveus and Cannon are in that 6' 10" range and reasonably athletic. They're not elite scorers by any stretch of the imagination, but they can run the floor and catch the basketball. Put 20 pounds of muscle each on Florveus, Cannon and Donte Williams during the off-season, and all of the sudden Georgia has a formidable-looking post rotation.
6) Two and Out
Coach Fox develops his bench. I don't much care for the two fouls and you're out rule for the first half, but as we saw in the Vanderbilt game in the SEC Tournament, utilization of the rule forces guys to be ready to play and in fact leads them to get minutes on the floor in key situations. Florveus and Cannon have had playing time this year. That experience can only give them confidence for future seasons.
7) No Flame-Outs
There is little margin for error on a basketball roster. For the most part, the football team can survive and adjust without missing a beat if two or more of their players flame out, or are lost due to suspension or academic reasons. Not true for basketball. If a couple of guys flame out in hoops, the entire trajectory of the season can change. Mark Fox has a roster of good guys. No arrests, drug issues, suspensions for not going to class, etc. While they did not win a lot of games, they did not lose them either for non-basketball reasons.
8) Tony Parker
Georgia is still in the discussion for Parker's recruitment. That's a great sign. We could very well have an all-Miller Grove starting front line next year. I've got my fingers crossed. If Tony Parker suits up in the red and black, Georgia becomes a projected top-tier team in the SEC.
Hope springs eternal. Maybe the hope I have for Georgia's basketball program will all be for naught and next year we will still be in the lower half of the SEC. Let's pull for the guys. Bear with me and tell me what you think will happen next year...
I'm not happy that we had a losing season and we finished 11th out of 12 teams in the SEC. Next year Texas A&M and Missouri will join the league. Had the expansion occurred this year, we would have been 13th out of 14 teams (Texas A&M is arguably better than we are and Missouri is currently 30 and 4 on the year).
I know people say that we have never been successful in basketball, but does it really have to remain that way? We just have to step up in basketball and mine the talent in the Atlanta area. I hope we can do it without another sea change in our coaching ranks.
Please, no more woulda' coulda's. Our focus has to be playing with the guys we have, not those we don't. I understand that Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie left early. I'm tired of hearing that excuse. The key point is that Thompkins and Leslie were Felton's recruits. The way to guard against a downturn because of inherited players going to the pro's is
a) Convince the inherited players to commit to the program and stay in school, or, even better,
b) Recruit your own talented players.
We failed at convincing them to stay, if we ever attempted to do so, and we also failed to bring in a low post scorer. We own it, so let's move on.
The bottom line is as disappointed as I am with this year's 15 and 17 season, I do have some cautious optimism for the future. Here's why:
1) Recruiting has improved
KCP is a player. He'll be better next year. We didn't get a bunch of the players we wanted this year, but we're getting closer. Charles Mann is a tall point guard who although was not in the Rivals 150 was the best at his position in the state. Kenny Gaines is a powerful two-guard who has a great shot and fantastic leaping ability. Brandon Morris is not really a shooter, but he is a tall, lean player who can compete in the SEC. Morris defends well, gets buckets in transition, passes well for a big man and can handle the ball against the press. All three of those guys were on high school teams which won the state championship in their division. Good to recruit winners.
2) Georgia will Rely Less on the Three-Point Shot
I don't mind shooting threes if we can make'em. The problem was that we would hoist up shot after shot from behind the arc while hitting a low percentage. And it seemed as though Fox didn't know how to adjust. We only had one guy this year who could consistently create his own shot-- Gerald Robinson. We didn't press, we didn't change the offense to post up our guards, we didn't go to the 1-3-1 to get more steals in the half-court.
Next year, things should be better. Even though we were unable to recruit a pure shooter (Evan Nolte was a guy we went after, but he ended up at UVA), perhaps that's for the best. Each of our three signees can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, which should result in making Georgia harder to defend. We should also get more free throws.
3) The SEC next year will be Kentucky and Everybody Else
Kentucky will lose some guys to the NBA this year. Calipari is unconcerned. They will bring in their normal haul of 5-star guys to replace them and they'll keep truckin'. I will refrain from making a detailed analysis, but my point in short is that although Kentucky will continue to have elite talent, the jury is out on some of the other teams.
Vandy will be down next year. Ezeli, Goulbourne, Taylor, Tchiengang and Tinsley will all graduate this summer. Dai-Jon Parker, Kedren Johnson and John Jenkins are likely to be there for the 2012/2013 season, but Vanderbilt didn't do much in recruiting for 2012. Who knows? Jenkins may bolt for the pro ranks. This year they both out-shot us and out-athleted us. Not so, next year. Florida has some talent, but we beat them this year. Next year, they are bringing in guards. As long as we can play them relatively even in the post, Georgia should have a decent shot against Billy Donovan's squad.
South Carolina was last place in the league and they will still struggle. Mississippi and Mississippi State will be tough, but not significantly better than Georgia. Alabama and Auburn are on their way up, but the Crimson Tide will lose JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell may not come back. Auburn will lose Kenny Gabriel and although Barbee has recruited quite well, they finished this year one spot ahead of Georgia during the regular season, so they have a ways to go. Besides, who knows where this Varez Ward point-shaving situation will take them?
So even though Georgia wasn't a barn-burner in recruiting for 2012, in my opinion we did about as well as the other SEC teams that do not have blue grass.
4) Marcus Thornton may get better
Not sure about this one, but anyone who has followed his career knows that Marcus Thornton is hurting. Can he come back and be the explosive player he was in high school? Who knows. How good would Blake Griffin be if he couldn't jump? It makes a big difference when a player has knee problems. Let's give Thornton the summer and fall for his surgery and rehabilitation. If he does recover his leaping ability, he will be a significant boost to the team's performance.
5) Georgia has height
As they say, you can't teach 7-feet. Call them projects if you will, but John Florveus and John Cannon are listed as 7' and 6' 11" respectively. Even if the roster listed on Yahoo exaggerates things just a tad, Florveus and Cannon are in that 6' 10" range and reasonably athletic. They're not elite scorers by any stretch of the imagination, but they can run the floor and catch the basketball. Put 20 pounds of muscle each on Florveus, Cannon and Donte Williams during the off-season, and all of the sudden Georgia has a formidable-looking post rotation.
6) Two and Out
Coach Fox develops his bench. I don't much care for the two fouls and you're out rule for the first half, but as we saw in the Vanderbilt game in the SEC Tournament, utilization of the rule forces guys to be ready to play and in fact leads them to get minutes on the floor in key situations. Florveus and Cannon have had playing time this year. That experience can only give them confidence for future seasons.
7) No Flame-Outs
There is little margin for error on a basketball roster. For the most part, the football team can survive and adjust without missing a beat if two or more of their players flame out, or are lost due to suspension or academic reasons. Not true for basketball. If a couple of guys flame out in hoops, the entire trajectory of the season can change. Mark Fox has a roster of good guys. No arrests, drug issues, suspensions for not going to class, etc. While they did not win a lot of games, they did not lose them either for non-basketball reasons.
8) Tony Parker
Georgia is still in the discussion for Parker's recruitment. That's a great sign. We could very well have an all-Miller Grove starting front line next year. I've got my fingers crossed. If Tony Parker suits up in the red and black, Georgia becomes a projected top-tier team in the SEC.
Hope springs eternal. Maybe the hope I have for Georgia's basketball program will all be for naught and next year we will still be in the lower half of the SEC. Let's pull for the guys. Bear with me and tell me what you think will happen next year...
Friday, February 24, 2012
AJC article on Donte Williams
Donte has definitely stepped up his game this year. He didn't get many minutes last year, but Georgia probably wouldn't have won any SEC games this year without him.
Can he pick up 20 pounds in the off-season? Absolutely. He needs the weight room and so do Florveus and Cannon. Good to see Williams pick up some press.
Williams
If we get a low post scorer, UGA could have a decent squad next year. Here's hoping that Tony Parker develops keen interest in playing with other Miller Grove grads (Williams and Brandon Morris) and having his family come see him in action.
Can he pick up 20 pounds in the off-season? Absolutely. He needs the weight room and so do Florveus and Cannon. Good to see Williams pick up some press.
Williams
If we get a low post scorer, UGA could have a decent squad next year. Here's hoping that Tony Parker develops keen interest in playing with other Miller Grove grads (Williams and Brandon Morris) and having his family come see him in action.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Kenny Gaines Goes Off
Had an explosive 37 points, 12 boards, 5 steals and 3 blocks against Southwest Atlanta Christian.
Gaines
Gaines is as athletic a 2 guard as UGA has had in a while. Georgia should be better on the perimeter next year, with Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines playing at the 1 and 2 spots and KCP at the three.
The question is whether one of our posts will step up to complement Donte Williams. If Florveus or Cannon really improve their skill levels and add 20 pounds of muscle in the off-season, then Georgia might be okay. It would be nice to add Tony Parker or Charles Mitchell underneath, but if they are unavailable, then I think we should sign Tevin Glass, who reminds me a bit of Terrance Woodbury.
The goal here should be to get as deep and talented a roster as possible. Those guys we don't get, we miss out on. We have to live to fight another day. Georgia would go two-deep on the wing, with Glass and Brandon Morris, two-deep at shooting guard with KCP and Gaines, and then Vincent Williams and Charles Mann would handle the point.
Gaines
Gaines is as athletic a 2 guard as UGA has had in a while. Georgia should be better on the perimeter next year, with Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines playing at the 1 and 2 spots and KCP at the three.
The question is whether one of our posts will step up to complement Donte Williams. If Florveus or Cannon really improve their skill levels and add 20 pounds of muscle in the off-season, then Georgia might be okay. It would be nice to add Tony Parker or Charles Mitchell underneath, but if they are unavailable, then I think we should sign Tevin Glass, who reminds me a bit of Terrance Woodbury.
The goal here should be to get as deep and talented a roster as possible. Those guys we don't get, we miss out on. We have to live to fight another day. Georgia would go two-deep on the wing, with Glass and Brandon Morris, two-deep at shooting guard with KCP and Gaines, and then Vincent Williams and Charles Mann would handle the point.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Dawgs Win! Finish Winthrop in OT
I'm not that excited about having to go to overtime to beat Winthrop, but I'll take it. Georgia can't afford a loss during this stretch of the season.
I wouldn't call Winthrop a "cupcake." They have some players. But they don't have the depth and physicality that Georgia will face during the SEC portion of the schedule. Wins now are critical.
Proud of Nemi. Great game. Seventeen points, nine boards. That's the kind of production we need from one of the bigs. Of course, I would like to see more scoring from in the paint, because we can't get it done relying on behind the arc shooting. But if Nemi is hot, let him shoot it and see what happens.
By the way, I'm not down on our post players. They are not ready for big production right now, but they can run the floor, and key to their future progress, they can catch the ball. A lot of big men never get to score because they can't make clean catches. By the time you fumble the ball, recover and get your feet set, it's too late.
So if Georgia's post players take their current skills and get physical enough to grab some rebounds and score off of put-backs, then that would be a huge contribution. Joakim Noah made it to the pro's doing just that, beating other players down the floor and getting easy baskets. John Cannon, Donte Williams and John Florveus should take a page from Noah, get in absolute top physical condition, and take advantage of the rotation that Fox will use now that Marcus Thornton is out with an injury.
By the time next year rolls around, Georgia could have a stable of big guys to insert into the game when needed.
As for the Winthrop contest, we got balanced scoring, clutch shots and escaped with a win. Let's build some momentum.
Dawgs Over Winthrop
I wouldn't call Winthrop a "cupcake." They have some players. But they don't have the depth and physicality that Georgia will face during the SEC portion of the schedule. Wins now are critical.
Proud of Nemi. Great game. Seventeen points, nine boards. That's the kind of production we need from one of the bigs. Of course, I would like to see more scoring from in the paint, because we can't get it done relying on behind the arc shooting. But if Nemi is hot, let him shoot it and see what happens.
By the way, I'm not down on our post players. They are not ready for big production right now, but they can run the floor, and key to their future progress, they can catch the ball. A lot of big men never get to score because they can't make clean catches. By the time you fumble the ball, recover and get your feet set, it's too late.
So if Georgia's post players take their current skills and get physical enough to grab some rebounds and score off of put-backs, then that would be a huge contribution. Joakim Noah made it to the pro's doing just that, beating other players down the floor and getting easy baskets. John Cannon, Donte Williams and John Florveus should take a page from Noah, get in absolute top physical condition, and take advantage of the rotation that Fox will use now that Marcus Thornton is out with an injury.
By the time next year rolls around, Georgia could have a stable of big guys to insert into the game when needed.
As for the Winthrop contest, we got balanced scoring, clutch shots and escaped with a win. Let's build some momentum.
Dawgs Over Winthrop
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