University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Hosts South Carolina In SEC Home Opener
January 09, 2007 | Men's Basketball
GAME 14
Overall Conf.
South Carolina 10-3 0-0
at Georgia 8-5 0-1
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 - Athens, Ga.
Tip-off Time: 7:37 p.m. (EST)
TELEVISION
None
GEORGIA RADIO
Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (74 stations for basketball), broadcast by Scott Howard (Play-by-Play), Jeff Dantzler (color)
Local stations: WSB-AM (750) in Atlanta & WPUP-FM (103.7) in Athens.
ON THE INTERNET
For up-to-date stats, notes and other information, log on to: http://www.georgiadogs.com
Online radio broadcasts of Georgia games can be found on the GXtra web site (subscription required).
TICKETS
Home-game tickets are on sale for all games. Reserved seats are $15 and are available by calling 1-877-542-1231, by logging onto www.georgiadogs.com, or by purchasing at Stegeman Coliseum ticket booths 90 minutes prior to tipoff. Visa and MasterCard accepted at all three options.
Georgia vs. South Carolina
Georgia plays its first home game of the SEC schedule Wednesday night when the Bulldogs entertain South Carolina. They opened conference play last Saturday with a 67-51 loss at third-ranked Florida, their fourth loss in succession and their second straight to a top-five opponent.
These four recent losses have taken their toll on Georgia’s offensive productivity, as well as their subjective national standing. During the week of Dec. 18, two days after the Bulldogs had defeated #16 Gonzaga, they were ranked 34th among teams in the AP Top 25. They were also averaging 91.8 points per game, shooting 54.1 percent from the field. Four games later, they’re now averaging 10.3 fewer points and their percentage has dipped below .500 for the first time this season.
In computer-generated rankings, however, Georgia has risen steadily to its current RPI of 88, despite the four straight losses. This is no doubt thanks to a significant upgrade in the quality of the opposition
Georgia has won the past two meetings with South Carolina, winning last year’s matchups in dramatic fashion: 64-61 in overtime in Columbia and 48-47 in the return game in Athens.
Probable Starting Lineups
GEORGIA BULLDOGS (8-5 overall, 0-1 in SEC Games)
Head Coach: Dennis Felton (47-54 in fourth season at Georgia)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG
F - 42 Takais Brown 6-8 250 Jr. Flint, Mich. 14.3 5.3
C - 44 Dave Bliss 6-10 255 Jr. Wausau, Wis. 4.5 3.7
G - 2 Sundiata Gaines 6-1 205 Jr. Jamaica, N.Y. 8.1 5.6
G - 14 Levi Stukes 6-1 205 Sr. Randallstown, Md. 12.6 2.7
G - 33 Mike Mercer 6-4 185 So. Snellville, Ga. 15.5 4.8
Top Reserves
F - 15 Steve Newman 6-9 235 Sr. Orlando, Fla. 5.6 2.7
G - 31 Billy Humphrey 6-2 185 So. Dacula, Ga. 7.5 3.0
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (10-3 overall, 0-0 in SEC Games)
Head Coach: Dave Odom (110-72 in sixth season at USC)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG
F - 4 Bryce Sheldon 6-4 196 Sr. Torrance, Calif. 8.6 1.8
F - 21 Dominique Archie 6-7 208 RFr. Augusta, Ga. 8.6 5.2
C - 33 Brandon Wallace 6-9 203 Sr. Jackson, S.C. 11.9 9.4
G - 1 Tré Kelley 6-0 190 Sr. Washington, D.C. 16.3 3.7
G - 23 Dwayne Day 6-6 189 Jr. Hazlehurst, Ga. 8.1 2.8
Top Reserves
G - 5 Brandis Raley-Ross 6-2 195 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. 9.2 3.7
F - 31 Evaldas Baniulis 6-7 209 Fr. Vilnius, Lithuania 2.4 1.6
Georgia - South Carolina Series
Wednesday’s game is the 87th all-time meeting between Georgia and South Carolina in basketball. Carolina leads the series, which began in 1922 and has been renewed annually since 1992, by a 43-40 count. This total does not include three Georgia victories -- one in 2002, the other two in 2003 -- that were vacated because of NCAA sanctions.
Since Carolina joined the SEC in time for the ‘92 season, the Gamecocks have a 16-15 edge in the 31 games played against Georgia. That total does include the three games that were vacated. It also includes regular-season sweeps by Georgia (1994, 2003, 2006) and by Carolina (1998, 2001, 2004, 2005). And just once in the past 15 years have these two programs met in the SEC’s post-season tournament...1997 in Memphis, where Tubby Smith-coached Georgia claimed a 78-63 win to advance into the championship game.
Prior to 1992, these two schools were annual opponents -- most times once per year, other times twice, occasionally three times -- from 1938 until 1964.
Georgia and the SEC
Following are a few tidbits about Georgia’s history in the SEC:
Georgia’s all-time record in SEC games, covering 74 years, is 455-662 (.408). That ranks 10th of the 12 current SEC members.
Georgia can claim one SEC regular-season championship (1990), one regular-season divisional title (2002) and one SEC Tournament crown (1983).
Since the league expanded and was pared into East and West Divisions in 1992, Georgia has a 110-130 (.458) record. Seven times since ‘92 Georgia has had a league record of .500 or better (1993, ‘95, ‘96, ‘97, ‘01-’03).
In the 16-game SEC schedule format, Georgia’s most wins came in 2003, when it compiled an 11-5 mark. Good enough only for third place in the Eastern Division, that record would have won the West by two full games.
Murderous Row
Through early December, the Georgia schedule had ranked among the nation’s lowest in degree of difficulty. Things changed significantly in the latter half of December.
Florida represented the fifth Georgia opponent in its last six games to either be ranked or to receive Top 25 poll votes at game time. The Bulldogs defeated then-No. 16 Gonzaga on Dec. 16, played at Georgia Tech on the 22nd and at No. 25 Clemson on Dec. 27.
In playing Wisconsin and Florida consecutively, the Bulldogs faced Top Five opponents back-to-back for the first time since 2003. Within 48 hours of each other, Georgia lost to then-No. 2 Kentucky (74-66) and defeated No. 3 Florida (82-81), both at home, in March of ‘03.
Random Facts...
...All 10 Georgia players on scholarship currently average at least 13.4 minutes per game...Despite cold shooting in the past four games, six of them are still making over 50 percent of their shots...Mike Mercer has attempted almost twice as many shots (196) as any other Bulldog. He received his fair share of ribbing from teammates in the post-Gonzaga game euphoria for launching a career-high 22 shots. For a little perspective, Mercer is still 386 attempts short of the UGA record, set by Dominique Wilkins in 31 games of 1982 (18.8/game)...Against Jacksonville, Mercer came within two rebounds of becoming the first player in UGA history to achieve a triple-double.
...Sundiata Gaines was named the SEC’s Player of the Week on Dec. 18 for his outstanding all-around game against Gonzaga on Dec. 16. It was the first such honor of his career but the second time of the month a Georgia player had won the award. Mike Mercer got the league’s P-O-W trophy after he led the Bulldogs to a win at Wake Forest on Dec. 2.
Worth Noting...
vs. Florida (1/6)
As far back as game stats are available (1980), Georgia had never before failed to score from the foul line...The Bulldogs got season-low figures in points and steals...They managed to become the third Florida opponent this season to outrebound the Gators.
vs. Wisconsin (12/31)
For the first time this season, Georgia lost to an opponent it outrebounded, and decisively at that (42-33)...In his best effort of the season, Takais Brown had compiled a double-double by halftime...The Bulldogs got a season-low seven points from their bench.
vs. Clemson (12/28)
Bad combination: season-high 26 turnovers = season-low 60 points...The Tigers scored 29 of their 75 points off Georgia miscues...Gaines’ return, albeit at half-strength at best, had little effect on Georgia’s overall effort, contrary to his normal, full-strength impact on this team...Still, the Bulldogs had a chance to climb within two possessions inside the final four minutes.
vs. Georgia Tech (12/22)
Georgia got an untidy look at life without point guard Sundiata Gaines...His pinch-hitter, scoring leader Mike Mercer, committed a career-high seven turnovers and failed to score a field goal for the first time as a collegian. As a team, the Bulldogs shot a season-low 38 percent...Levi Stukes played a warrior-like game with 21 points in 39 minutes...The visitor has won just once (UGA in 2000) since the series moved to the campuses in 1995.
vs. Jacksonville (12/19)
Victory had its price in this affair when point guard Sundiata Gaines went down with a sprained right ankle near the 10-minute mark of the first half...Nonetheless, Georgia survived its largest deficit of the season thus far (12 pts.) with a 18-0 run before intermission...Levi Stukes continued his red-hot shooting with 27 points, the second-highest total of his career...
vs. Gonzaga (12/16)
This was Georgia’s first win over a Top 25 opponent since Valentine’s Day of 2004, when the Bulldogs completed a regular-season sweep of Kentucky...The Zags shot an amazing 59 percent from the field, the highest rate by a Georgia opponent -- that still managed to lose the game -- since January of 1988 (Auburn)...Levi Stukes hit the 25-point mark for just the third time in 91 collegiate games. It was his twelfth 20-point game. .
vs. Gardner-Webb (12/5)
Georgia has now shot at least 50 percent from the field in six of seven games, an incredible mark no matter the caliber of competition...Three of Georgia’s guards -- Humphrey (8), Gaines (7) and Mercer (7) -- combined to pull down almost half of the Bulldogs’ 50 rebounds...Georgia sank double-digit 3-point shots for the third time this season, and for the highest percentage since Game 3 of last season (vs. Eastern Ky.).
vs. Wake Forest (12/2)
This marked the second straight year that Georgia has won its first true road game of the season...For the fifth time in six games four or more Georgia players posted double-digit scoring efforts.
vs. Alabama A&M (11/24)
Georgia shot over 50 percent on FGs for the fourth time in five games...It had a negative AST/TO ratio for just the second time this season...Georgia shot at least 43% on its 3-point shots for the third time...Rashaad Singleton struggled with eight turnovers in 18 minutes.
vs. South Carolina State (11/21)
The Bulldogs went over the 100-point mark for the second straight game, the first time in almost 13 years Georgia has done so...It was the Dogs’ best offensive effort to date, with 32 assists (most in 7 years) to just 11 TOs...Mike Mercer had 26 points and added six assists.
vs. Valdosta State (11/18)
Takais Brown made his Georgia debut with a strong, 23-point outing...The Bulldogs went over the 100-point mark for just the second time of the Dennis Felton era...Dave Bliss (14 pts. in 14 min.) and Terrance Woodbury (career-high 17 pts.) were superb on this afternoon.
vs. Western Kentucky (11/14)
On Tuesday, Nov. 14, Levi Stukes became the 36th player in Bulldog annals to cross the 1,000-point scoring barrier. The milestone was eclipsed as Stukes hit a layup with 8:06 remaining in the second half....For the third straight year in this 4-game series, the visiting team won.
vs. Southern (11/10)
The Bulldogs are now 2-2 in season openers during the Felton era...Southern’s 35 turnovers marked the most by a Georgia opponent since Mercer committed 40 miscues against the Bulldogs on Dec. 8, 1990...Billy Humphrey’s seven 3-pointers were the third highest total ever by a Georgia player and the most since Levi Stukes made eight treys in 2004.
Can they keep it up?
‘Tis a strange sight indeed, seeing Georgia at or near the top of the current SEC statistics in many categories. For much of the past three seasons, the Bulldogs had ranked on the opposite end of these same stats.
Of the 19 statistical categories kept by the SEC, Georgia ranks among the top three in eight of them. It leads the SEC in steals (10.4/game).
Individually, Sundiata Gaines currently leads the SEC in steals per game with 2.91. Levi Stukes leads the league in 3-point shooting percentage, while Mike Mercer ranks seventh in scoring, sixth in steals and 11th in assists. Takais Brown ranks fifth among all SEC players in FG percentage at 58.2 percent...
Just wondering...
...As the week began, Levi Stukes ranked eighth among all NCAA Division I players in 3-point FG percentage. Sundiata Gaines ranked 15th in steals and Takais Brown was 35th in overall FG percentage...Granted, blowout margins lend themselves to more even playing time, but never before in the Felton era has court time been better divided. Sundiata Gaines, for example, is currently averaging 10 fewer minutes per game as a junior than he did as a freshman in 2005...Three-year starter Levi Stukes is also averaging 10 fewer minutes than his busiest season of 2005... Here’s an indication of how important the Gonzaga game was to the Bulldogs...Before Dec. 16, just three times this season had a Georgia player played 30 or more minutes in a game: Gaines twice (37 vs. Wake Forest, 30 vs. Valdosta State) and Mercer (34 vs. Western Ky.). Four Bulldogs hit the 30-minute mark against the Zags, including Steve Newman, who did so for just the 12th time of his career...Here’s another indication of just how valuable Gaines is to these Bulldogs. His absence from the last 3/4 of the Jacksonville game no doubt led to a career-high 38 minutes logged by Mike Mercer.
...Little has been said about how valuable the late Kevin Brophy would have been while Gaines mends his right ankle. Brophy, a solid ballhandler with a high basketball IQ, was pegged as the Bulldogs’ top backup at point guard.
...Looking for a common tie that binds Georgia’s last four games? The Dogs have averaged 21.0 turnovers in those four defeats, with an A/TO ratio of -1.95/1. Overall, they’re averaging 18.6 miscues.
...Georgia’s 62 percent shooting Nov. 21 against S.C State was the program’s best effort since a 62 percent game vs. Ga. Southern in Nov. of 2001...Just twice last season the Bulldogs shot over 50 percent in consecutive games...Not since the 2002-03 season, however, has Georgia shot over 55 percent in two straight games like the Bulldogs did in those contests.
...Gonzaga shot superbly (58.9%) in losing by 13 points to Georgia on Dec. 16. That’s the highest percentage by a team that lost to the Bulldogs since Auburn shot 60% in losing to Georgia in 1988. That was 570 games ago!
Georgia on the Road
Three of Georgia’s four road games to date have come against ACC opponents. The Bulldogs defeated Wake Forest in Winston-Salem before dropping matchups at Georgia Tech and Clemson.
Last season’s squad, which went 15-15 overall, went 3-7 in true road games, winning at Western Ky., Vanderbilt and South Carolina. It represented a vast improvement over the previous year, when the 2005 Bulldogs were winless in nine road games.
The 2004 team won just once in 11 tries on the road, its victory coming at Kentucky.
Loaded with Experience...
How much is experience worth to a college basketball program? Georgia will certainly be the litmus test for the 2006-07 season. Following are the amounts of statistics that return for the Bulldogs from last season:
Minutes..................... 4,442 of 6,025 (74%)
Scoring...................... 1,602 of 2,110 (76%)
Field Goals..................... 582 of 773 (75%)
3-Pointers....................... 177 of 209 (85%)
Rebounds.................... 695 of 1,045 (67%)
Assists............................. 299 of 377 (79%)
Steals............................... 221 of 272 (81%)
Blocks................................ 83 of 134 (62%)
Big Year for UGA Hoopsters of Yore
This has been a momentous year for the Georgia program and two of its alumni.
Dominique Wilkins, perhaps the school’s most visible hoops figure, became its first inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. Wilkins played in Athens for three years (1980-82) before turning pro and being taken third in the ‘82 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He was soon traded to the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he played 12 of his 17 years in the league.
Last spring, Shandon Anderson, who lettered at Georgia from 1993-96, became the Bulldogs’ first alum to play on an NBA championship team as a reserve on the Miami Heat. A veteran of 10 pro seasons, Anderson played for Utah, Houston and the New York Knicks before reaching the championship in Miami. He had played in the NBA finals once before (1998) for the Jazz.
Overall Conf.
South Carolina 10-3 0-0
at Georgia 8-5 0-1
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 - Athens, Ga.
Tip-off Time: 7:37 p.m. (EST)
TELEVISION
None
GEORGIA RADIO
Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (74 stations for basketball), broadcast by Scott Howard (Play-by-Play), Jeff Dantzler (color)
Local stations: WSB-AM (750) in Atlanta & WPUP-FM (103.7) in Athens.
ON THE INTERNET
For up-to-date stats, notes and other information, log on to: http://www.georgiadogs.com
Online radio broadcasts of Georgia games can be found on the GXtra web site (subscription required).
TICKETS
Home-game tickets are on sale for all games. Reserved seats are $15 and are available by calling 1-877-542-1231, by logging onto www.georgiadogs.com, or by purchasing at Stegeman Coliseum ticket booths 90 minutes prior to tipoff. Visa and MasterCard accepted at all three options.
Georgia vs. South Carolina
Georgia plays its first home game of the SEC schedule Wednesday night when the Bulldogs entertain South Carolina. They opened conference play last Saturday with a 67-51 loss at third-ranked Florida, their fourth loss in succession and their second straight to a top-five opponent.
These four recent losses have taken their toll on Georgia’s offensive productivity, as well as their subjective national standing. During the week of Dec. 18, two days after the Bulldogs had defeated #16 Gonzaga, they were ranked 34th among teams in the AP Top 25. They were also averaging 91.8 points per game, shooting 54.1 percent from the field. Four games later, they’re now averaging 10.3 fewer points and their percentage has dipped below .500 for the first time this season.
In computer-generated rankings, however, Georgia has risen steadily to its current RPI of 88, despite the four straight losses. This is no doubt thanks to a significant upgrade in the quality of the opposition
Georgia has won the past two meetings with South Carolina, winning last year’s matchups in dramatic fashion: 64-61 in overtime in Columbia and 48-47 in the return game in Athens.
Probable Starting Lineups
GEORGIA BULLDOGS (8-5 overall, 0-1 in SEC Games)
Head Coach: Dennis Felton (47-54 in fourth season at Georgia)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG
F - 42 Takais Brown 6-8 250 Jr. Flint, Mich. 14.3 5.3
C - 44 Dave Bliss 6-10 255 Jr. Wausau, Wis. 4.5 3.7
G - 2 Sundiata Gaines 6-1 205 Jr. Jamaica, N.Y. 8.1 5.6
G - 14 Levi Stukes 6-1 205 Sr. Randallstown, Md. 12.6 2.7
G - 33 Mike Mercer 6-4 185 So. Snellville, Ga. 15.5 4.8
Top Reserves
F - 15 Steve Newman 6-9 235 Sr. Orlando, Fla. 5.6 2.7
G - 31 Billy Humphrey 6-2 185 So. Dacula, Ga. 7.5 3.0
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (10-3 overall, 0-0 in SEC Games)
Head Coach: Dave Odom (110-72 in sixth season at USC)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG
F - 4 Bryce Sheldon 6-4 196 Sr. Torrance, Calif. 8.6 1.8
F - 21 Dominique Archie 6-7 208 RFr. Augusta, Ga. 8.6 5.2
C - 33 Brandon Wallace 6-9 203 Sr. Jackson, S.C. 11.9 9.4
G - 1 Tré Kelley 6-0 190 Sr. Washington, D.C. 16.3 3.7
G - 23 Dwayne Day 6-6 189 Jr. Hazlehurst, Ga. 8.1 2.8
Top Reserves
G - 5 Brandis Raley-Ross 6-2 195 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. 9.2 3.7
F - 31 Evaldas Baniulis 6-7 209 Fr. Vilnius, Lithuania 2.4 1.6
Georgia - South Carolina Series
Wednesday’s game is the 87th all-time meeting between Georgia and South Carolina in basketball. Carolina leads the series, which began in 1922 and has been renewed annually since 1992, by a 43-40 count. This total does not include three Georgia victories -- one in 2002, the other two in 2003 -- that were vacated because of NCAA sanctions.
Since Carolina joined the SEC in time for the ‘92 season, the Gamecocks have a 16-15 edge in the 31 games played against Georgia. That total does include the three games that were vacated. It also includes regular-season sweeps by Georgia (1994, 2003, 2006) and by Carolina (1998, 2001, 2004, 2005). And just once in the past 15 years have these two programs met in the SEC’s post-season tournament...1997 in Memphis, where Tubby Smith-coached Georgia claimed a 78-63 win to advance into the championship game.
Prior to 1992, these two schools were annual opponents -- most times once per year, other times twice, occasionally three times -- from 1938 until 1964.
Georgia and the SEC
Following are a few tidbits about Georgia’s history in the SEC:
Georgia’s all-time record in SEC games, covering 74 years, is 455-662 (.408). That ranks 10th of the 12 current SEC members.
Georgia can claim one SEC regular-season championship (1990), one regular-season divisional title (2002) and one SEC Tournament crown (1983).
Since the league expanded and was pared into East and West Divisions in 1992, Georgia has a 110-130 (.458) record. Seven times since ‘92 Georgia has had a league record of .500 or better (1993, ‘95, ‘96, ‘97, ‘01-’03).
In the 16-game SEC schedule format, Georgia’s most wins came in 2003, when it compiled an 11-5 mark. Good enough only for third place in the Eastern Division, that record would have won the West by two full games.
Murderous Row
Through early December, the Georgia schedule had ranked among the nation’s lowest in degree of difficulty. Things changed significantly in the latter half of December.
Florida represented the fifth Georgia opponent in its last six games to either be ranked or to receive Top 25 poll votes at game time. The Bulldogs defeated then-No. 16 Gonzaga on Dec. 16, played at Georgia Tech on the 22nd and at No. 25 Clemson on Dec. 27.
In playing Wisconsin and Florida consecutively, the Bulldogs faced Top Five opponents back-to-back for the first time since 2003. Within 48 hours of each other, Georgia lost to then-No. 2 Kentucky (74-66) and defeated No. 3 Florida (82-81), both at home, in March of ‘03.
Random Facts...
...All 10 Georgia players on scholarship currently average at least 13.4 minutes per game...Despite cold shooting in the past four games, six of them are still making over 50 percent of their shots...Mike Mercer has attempted almost twice as many shots (196) as any other Bulldog. He received his fair share of ribbing from teammates in the post-Gonzaga game euphoria for launching a career-high 22 shots. For a little perspective, Mercer is still 386 attempts short of the UGA record, set by Dominique Wilkins in 31 games of 1982 (18.8/game)...Against Jacksonville, Mercer came within two rebounds of becoming the first player in UGA history to achieve a triple-double.
...Sundiata Gaines was named the SEC’s Player of the Week on Dec. 18 for his outstanding all-around game against Gonzaga on Dec. 16. It was the first such honor of his career but the second time of the month a Georgia player had won the award. Mike Mercer got the league’s P-O-W trophy after he led the Bulldogs to a win at Wake Forest on Dec. 2.
Worth Noting...
vs. Florida (1/6)
As far back as game stats are available (1980), Georgia had never before failed to score from the foul line...The Bulldogs got season-low figures in points and steals...They managed to become the third Florida opponent this season to outrebound the Gators.
vs. Wisconsin (12/31)
For the first time this season, Georgia lost to an opponent it outrebounded, and decisively at that (42-33)...In his best effort of the season, Takais Brown had compiled a double-double by halftime...The Bulldogs got a season-low seven points from their bench.
vs. Clemson (12/28)
Bad combination: season-high 26 turnovers = season-low 60 points...The Tigers scored 29 of their 75 points off Georgia miscues...Gaines’ return, albeit at half-strength at best, had little effect on Georgia’s overall effort, contrary to his normal, full-strength impact on this team...Still, the Bulldogs had a chance to climb within two possessions inside the final four minutes.
vs. Georgia Tech (12/22)
Georgia got an untidy look at life without point guard Sundiata Gaines...His pinch-hitter, scoring leader Mike Mercer, committed a career-high seven turnovers and failed to score a field goal for the first time as a collegian. As a team, the Bulldogs shot a season-low 38 percent...Levi Stukes played a warrior-like game with 21 points in 39 minutes...The visitor has won just once (UGA in 2000) since the series moved to the campuses in 1995.
vs. Jacksonville (12/19)
Victory had its price in this affair when point guard Sundiata Gaines went down with a sprained right ankle near the 10-minute mark of the first half...Nonetheless, Georgia survived its largest deficit of the season thus far (12 pts.) with a 18-0 run before intermission...Levi Stukes continued his red-hot shooting with 27 points, the second-highest total of his career...
vs. Gonzaga (12/16)
This was Georgia’s first win over a Top 25 opponent since Valentine’s Day of 2004, when the Bulldogs completed a regular-season sweep of Kentucky...The Zags shot an amazing 59 percent from the field, the highest rate by a Georgia opponent -- that still managed to lose the game -- since January of 1988 (Auburn)...Levi Stukes hit the 25-point mark for just the third time in 91 collegiate games. It was his twelfth 20-point game. .
vs. Gardner-Webb (12/5)
Georgia has now shot at least 50 percent from the field in six of seven games, an incredible mark no matter the caliber of competition...Three of Georgia’s guards -- Humphrey (8), Gaines (7) and Mercer (7) -- combined to pull down almost half of the Bulldogs’ 50 rebounds...Georgia sank double-digit 3-point shots for the third time this season, and for the highest percentage since Game 3 of last season (vs. Eastern Ky.).
vs. Wake Forest (12/2)
This marked the second straight year that Georgia has won its first true road game of the season...For the fifth time in six games four or more Georgia players posted double-digit scoring efforts.
vs. Alabama A&M (11/24)
Georgia shot over 50 percent on FGs for the fourth time in five games...It had a negative AST/TO ratio for just the second time this season...Georgia shot at least 43% on its 3-point shots for the third time...Rashaad Singleton struggled with eight turnovers in 18 minutes.
vs. South Carolina State (11/21)
The Bulldogs went over the 100-point mark for the second straight game, the first time in almost 13 years Georgia has done so...It was the Dogs’ best offensive effort to date, with 32 assists (most in 7 years) to just 11 TOs...Mike Mercer had 26 points and added six assists.
vs. Valdosta State (11/18)
Takais Brown made his Georgia debut with a strong, 23-point outing...The Bulldogs went over the 100-point mark for just the second time of the Dennis Felton era...Dave Bliss (14 pts. in 14 min.) and Terrance Woodbury (career-high 17 pts.) were superb on this afternoon.
vs. Western Kentucky (11/14)
On Tuesday, Nov. 14, Levi Stukes became the 36th player in Bulldog annals to cross the 1,000-point scoring barrier. The milestone was eclipsed as Stukes hit a layup with 8:06 remaining in the second half....For the third straight year in this 4-game series, the visiting team won.
vs. Southern (11/10)
The Bulldogs are now 2-2 in season openers during the Felton era...Southern’s 35 turnovers marked the most by a Georgia opponent since Mercer committed 40 miscues against the Bulldogs on Dec. 8, 1990...Billy Humphrey’s seven 3-pointers were the third highest total ever by a Georgia player and the most since Levi Stukes made eight treys in 2004.
Can they keep it up?
‘Tis a strange sight indeed, seeing Georgia at or near the top of the current SEC statistics in many categories. For much of the past three seasons, the Bulldogs had ranked on the opposite end of these same stats.
Of the 19 statistical categories kept by the SEC, Georgia ranks among the top three in eight of them. It leads the SEC in steals (10.4/game).
Individually, Sundiata Gaines currently leads the SEC in steals per game with 2.91. Levi Stukes leads the league in 3-point shooting percentage, while Mike Mercer ranks seventh in scoring, sixth in steals and 11th in assists. Takais Brown ranks fifth among all SEC players in FG percentage at 58.2 percent...
Just wondering...
...As the week began, Levi Stukes ranked eighth among all NCAA Division I players in 3-point FG percentage. Sundiata Gaines ranked 15th in steals and Takais Brown was 35th in overall FG percentage...Granted, blowout margins lend themselves to more even playing time, but never before in the Felton era has court time been better divided. Sundiata Gaines, for example, is currently averaging 10 fewer minutes per game as a junior than he did as a freshman in 2005...Three-year starter Levi Stukes is also averaging 10 fewer minutes than his busiest season of 2005... Here’s an indication of how important the Gonzaga game was to the Bulldogs...Before Dec. 16, just three times this season had a Georgia player played 30 or more minutes in a game: Gaines twice (37 vs. Wake Forest, 30 vs. Valdosta State) and Mercer (34 vs. Western Ky.). Four Bulldogs hit the 30-minute mark against the Zags, including Steve Newman, who did so for just the 12th time of his career...Here’s another indication of just how valuable Gaines is to these Bulldogs. His absence from the last 3/4 of the Jacksonville game no doubt led to a career-high 38 minutes logged by Mike Mercer.
...Little has been said about how valuable the late Kevin Brophy would have been while Gaines mends his right ankle. Brophy, a solid ballhandler with a high basketball IQ, was pegged as the Bulldogs’ top backup at point guard.
...Looking for a common tie that binds Georgia’s last four games? The Dogs have averaged 21.0 turnovers in those four defeats, with an A/TO ratio of -1.95/1. Overall, they’re averaging 18.6 miscues.
...Georgia’s 62 percent shooting Nov. 21 against S.C State was the program’s best effort since a 62 percent game vs. Ga. Southern in Nov. of 2001...Just twice last season the Bulldogs shot over 50 percent in consecutive games...Not since the 2002-03 season, however, has Georgia shot over 55 percent in two straight games like the Bulldogs did in those contests.
...Gonzaga shot superbly (58.9%) in losing by 13 points to Georgia on Dec. 16. That’s the highest percentage by a team that lost to the Bulldogs since Auburn shot 60% in losing to Georgia in 1988. That was 570 games ago!
Georgia on the Road
Three of Georgia’s four road games to date have come against ACC opponents. The Bulldogs defeated Wake Forest in Winston-Salem before dropping matchups at Georgia Tech and Clemson.
Last season’s squad, which went 15-15 overall, went 3-7 in true road games, winning at Western Ky., Vanderbilt and South Carolina. It represented a vast improvement over the previous year, when the 2005 Bulldogs were winless in nine road games.
The 2004 team won just once in 11 tries on the road, its victory coming at Kentucky.
Loaded with Experience...
How much is experience worth to a college basketball program? Georgia will certainly be the litmus test for the 2006-07 season. Following are the amounts of statistics that return for the Bulldogs from last season:
Minutes..................... 4,442 of 6,025 (74%)
Scoring...................... 1,602 of 2,110 (76%)
Field Goals..................... 582 of 773 (75%)
3-Pointers....................... 177 of 209 (85%)
Rebounds.................... 695 of 1,045 (67%)
Assists............................. 299 of 377 (79%)
Steals............................... 221 of 272 (81%)
Blocks................................ 83 of 134 (62%)
Big Year for UGA Hoopsters of Yore
This has been a momentous year for the Georgia program and two of its alumni.
Dominique Wilkins, perhaps the school’s most visible hoops figure, became its first inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. Wilkins played in Athens for three years (1980-82) before turning pro and being taken third in the ‘82 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He was soon traded to the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he played 12 of his 17 years in the league.
Last spring, Shandon Anderson, who lettered at Georgia from 1993-96, became the Bulldogs’ first alum to play on an NBA championship team as a reserve on the Miami Heat. A veteran of 10 pro seasons, Anderson played for Utah, Houston and the New York Knicks before reaching the championship in Miami. He had played in the NBA finals once before (1998) for the Jazz.
Georgia Men's Basketball - Kareem Stagg - Media Availability
Monday, October 20
Georgia Basketball - Jake Wilkins - Media Availability
Monday, October 13
Georgia Basketball - Brandon Klatsky - Media Availability
Monday, October 13
Georgia Basketball - Justin Bailey - Media Availability
Monday, October 06