University of Georgia Athletics
Transcript From Coach Harrick's Chat On ESPN.com Wednesday
November 06, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 6, 2001
Jim Harrick: (1:57 PM ET ) Good afternoon. I'm ready for your questions!!!
Jeff(Kansas City): Can your team compete with the nations best?
Jim Harrick: (1:59 PM ET ) I really like this team. They are very quick and athletic. As we go through the season we will be able to answer that question.
Randy (Atlanta): Hi Coach. We lost most of our low post scoring from last season - how will that be replaced this year?
Jim Harrick: (2:00 PM ET ) With Jonah Hayes, Thomas and Daniels we expect to compete. We can go big or small with that group.
J.P. (Athens): Hey coach, Will Tony Cole push Wright for the starting point job? He looked exciting on Monday, but at times he seemed out of control. What do you think?
Jim Harrick: (2:01 PM ET ) I think Tony Cole has to continually grow into the framework of being a D1 player. Although he looked good the other night, he has to work on his defense and limit his turnovers. On the flip side, he has quickness you just can't coach. He has six very fine assists the other day and he shoots the ball very well. I expect him to improve everyday. Right now he will not start but will do a lot of playing.
joe (athens): Coach, how will the addition of the twins help us this year? Also, who else did we add to the roster? Finally, will any of these guys be able to step in and fill the shoes left by Coleman and Evans?
Jim Harrick: (2:02 PM ET ) Jarvis and Jonas will both be in our top 8 and will do lots of playing with us. Jonas showed up with 17 points and about 11 rebounds the other day. He is a very quick jumper and rebounder. They are part of our 7 or 8 guys, an integral part.
John - Denver: Can you get back to the NCAA after losing so many starters?
Jim Harrick: (2:03 PM ET ) We think we can get back there. It is a goal of our team. We are in a very difficult league. There are four teams with lots of people back, Kentucky,l Florida, S. Carolina and Alabama. They are very closely bunched together. It is just who performs best throughout the year.
Bob Spratling (At,lanta): Coach Harrick,
Do you have concerns about kids who leave school early lured by the false hope of greedy agents? If so, do you have any suggestions on what can be done?
Jim Harrick: (2:05 PM ET ) I have great concern about that. It is wrong. College is the greatest time in a young persons life. You learn to interact, make decisions, make opportunties for yourself and learn about all aspects of life. Learning is a great great thing. I just see so many young guys that are going after the dream and there are only a few than can get there. Agents tell you what you want to hear but if you don't make it they kick you to the curb. It is the biggest problem in the game today.
Kent (Athens): The difficulty of last year's schedule certainly helped our RPI rating. How do you compare this year's schedule to the one you had last year?
Jim Harrick: (2:06 PM ET ) I think this year it is very competitive but not as much as last year. This year we have some teams that on paper aren't as good as last year but are very competitive.
Wilmington, NC: Coach, do you see the lack of size (both height and weight) as a limiting factor in the teams ability to succeed this year, especially in the SEC? and How can you attract Big men to Georgia (a team, which appears to be stacked with shooting gaurds and small forwards)? Thank-you
Jim Harrick: (2:08 PM ET ) I think our size is a great concern. We are certainly as tall as the last two years just not as bulky. However, there are only a few teams in the country with great size. Most of the big guys are gone. That is an interesting comment. We will find out the answer to that as we go.
Clarkesville: Coach Harrick, First of all, let me say how excited I am to get the Bball season started. I know you and the Dawgs will provide us with another great year. I read today that Johnson has decided to take visits to other campuses. I know that you can't comment on specific recruits, but are we in on any other big men for the next recruiting class? I see that as our weakness right now-lack of size. Thanks!
Jim Harrick: (2:09 PM ET ) We have one young man in the wings waiting and one more commitment that will help us down the road. We are working very hard to find some guys with size who can play.
Mike (Davidson): Coach Harrick, how do you feel about the new format of the NCAA tournament with teams theoretically playing closer to home in the early rounds?
Jim Harrick: (2:10 PM ET ) I haven't experienced it yet. I'm not sure that they or we know whether it will be a good idea or not. It's a good idea to try it and see if the attendance picks up, etc. We would like to have arenas filled for these things.
Buck(Vidalia): How do we look in the SEC this year?
Jim Harrick: (2:11 PM ET ) I think Kentucky and Florida and Alabama and S. Carolina hav emore people back but we are all very close. It's who can stay away from injuries this year that will be big. Florida and Kentucky have guys out for the year so that will hurt them.
Calabasas, CA: Sorry coach, I've got a few questions. Forgive me, I am a huge Dawg fan and Jeff Dunlap fan.
I was able to catch your game with Cal and Fresno here last year - when are the Dawgs gonna make it back to the Bay Area again? And also what's it like having your son on the staff with you?
Could you also talk a little about the addition of Damien Wilkins to the team.
Jim Harrick: (2:13 PM ET ) Currently we don't have a game in the Northern Cal. area but we are negotiating to play in the Cable Car tourney in the future. But we are playing Pepperdine out there this year Dec. 17.
I've spent most of my life educating other people's childeren so it's great to have him on my staff. I consider him one of the top guys in the country. He is a Bulldog recruiter and very knowledgable on the floor. He has undying enthusisasm. It's a great treat to have him on our staff.
J.T. (Athens): Coach Harrick, is Ricard Wehunt going to contribute off of the bench. Is he kind of a Sean Fein-type of player?
Jim Harrick: (2:15 PM ET ) I think that defines him very well. Wehunt has a glitch on his transcript and has to sit out the two exhibition games but we are trying get that straightened out. He shoots the ball very well so he's a guy I want in the game.
David (Athens): When do expect to hear something from the NCAA on Damian Wilkins' status?
Jim Harrick: (2:15 PM ET ) Next Tuesday. We will know then.
dawggonit: Will Liggons and Turner be able to join us in December? And will Fred Gibson be allowed to join the team after football season?
Jim Harrick: (2:16 PM ET ) For sure Liggons will join us on Dec. 14. Gibson is welcome to join us when he is finished with football. That is his decision. Turner we don't know about yet.
Jeremy (Naples NC): Coach, long time fan, was wondering what your favorite gangster movie is?
Jim Harrick: (2:17 PM ET ) The Godfather. The first one. Loved all of them. The greatest line ever is "Leave the gun and bring the canoles!!"
John (Athens): Hey Coach, With the shortage of experienced players this year, will Michael Patrick see more playing time this year? If so, in what capacity?? Thanks.
Jim Harrick: (2:18 PM ET ) Patrick has been an integral part of our team for two years. He has grown about a half inch and is as smart a player as we hvae. How much time he plays will be dictated by how well he plays. He is a great great young man.
Mark Kowal Los Angeles, CA.: Dear Coach Harrick, Will this be a homecoming for you when the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Pepperdine Waves on Monday December 17th in Malibu,CA. since you were a former head coach at Pepperdine? And will the Pepperdine Alums welcome you back in open arms?
Jim Harrick: (2:19 PM ET ) It will be a homecoming for me. I have such fond memories from there and many friends there. It is a terrific place. I don't know how their team is right now, we haven't watched them much. It will be interesting to watch this game. It is tough to play in Malibu, I know how tough it is.
David(Athens): Coach, last year as the schedule wore on, our starters seemed to become more fatigued mainly because of the lack of depth on our bench. How does our bench look this year?
Jim Harrick: (2:20 PM ET ) We are playing 8 or 9 guys and it's how well they perform that will dicate how long they play. By Christmas we hope to have more, we will have to see.
Garth (Rapid City): What was it like coaching your national champ Bruins in 1995.
Jim Harrick: (2:21 PM ET ) We had a tremendous run. It made me a better human being and a better coach. I cherish my time there. It was certainly the pinnacle of my coaching career and a defining moment for me. It is one of the great treasuers you have that no one can take away from you.
Brandon, Dalton: Has Ezra Williams improved his play? He was very inconsistent at times last year.
Jim Harrick: (2:22 PM ET ) I think he was very inconsistent last year but he is in better shape now and we expect big things from him this year.
Jack: Who was the best player you coached in your career
Jim Harrick: (2:23 PM ET ) Lamar Odom. Followed by Ed O'Bannon.
Joe, Macon: Why is Georgia Tech able to lure so many more out of state stars than UGA?
Jim Harrick: (2:24 PM ET ) I think you are way off base Joe. I've recruited nine guys from Georgia and everyone on this team except for Cole is from Georgia. You only have a few guys from Gerogia on your team so I think it's the other way around!!!
dawggonit: How does Rashad's 15-18 foot jump shot look? I think this is an important factor for our success as he was open all of last year and he could really punish teams for doubling Ezra or Jarvis.
Jim Harrick: (2:25 PM ET ) Rashard's shot has improved tremendously. He is a very solid player for us. We look for great improvment in that area.
Randy: Coach - you put up a ton of points in the exhibition the other night - do you expect to see more of that this year?
Jim Harrick: (2:27 PM ET ) I don't think we will hit the 120 mark again!! That's just how the flow of the game went. It just turned out that way. It is real key how much you can score. I've had teams that couldn't score 70 points if they were on the floor alone. You have to be able to score 80 or 90, whether you do ot not. You don't always need to but you need to have the ability to do it.
Thanks for the questions!!! I have to run but I appreciate the interest and we'll talk again soon.
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