University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Face Road Test at UAB
November 20, 2009 | Men's Basketball
| Georgia (1-1) vs. UAB (3-1) | |
|---|---|
| Date / Time | Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m. |
| Location | Birmingham, Ala. |
| Television | Live regional telecast on CSS |
| Radio | Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network (Athens: 100.1 FM) |
| Internet | Live audio on GXtra (subscription required) |
Click here to download the complete game notes (.pdf) | Game Preview Video
About Tuesday's Game...Georgia seeks a return to the victory column when the Bulldogs play UAB in Birmingham on Saturday night. They arrive at this contest with a 1-1 record on the young season. Most recently, Georgia dropped a 60-57 decision at home to Wofford on Tuesday night.
Saturday’s game marks a rare matchup for Georgia against any of the current Conference USA membership. The last time a Bulldog team faced a CUSA foe came in the 2007 Rainbow Classic vs. Tulane. That’s the only previous game for Georgia against the CUSA during this decade.
This game marks the third all-time meeting between these two schools. Both prior games occurred during the 1980s, both were on neutral courts, both were during invitational tournaments and both were won by Georgia: 12/19/81 @Atlanta -- UGA 76, UAB 72 12/19/87 @Tokyo -- UGA 85, UAB 66
Here’s one historical oddity about tonight’s game: it marks the first time in the history of UGA basketball that a Bulldog team has played a non-conference game in the state of Alabama.
Further, just two UGA basketball alumni of note have hailed from Alabama: thousand-point scorers Gerald Crosby of Birmingham (1982-85) and Michael Chadwick of Phenix City. (1996-99)
Georgia vs. UAB
Saturday’s game is just the third all-time meeting between these two next-door neighbors. Georgia won both of the first two meetings: 12/19/81 in Atlanta’s Cotton States Classic tournament (76-72) and 12/19/87 at an event called the Phenix NCAA Ball in Tokyo (85-66). Oddly, this season Georgia is playing both of its Tokyo opponents (New Orleans & UAB) for the first time since then.
Georgia, which has struggled notoriously on the road in recent years, actually won its last true road game. The Bulldogs defeated Kentucky at Rupp Arena 90-85 back on March 4. It was their only road win of the season and just their second in two years. Coach Mark Fox’s Nevada teams won an outstanding 69 percent of their road games in five seasons.
Junior post player Jeremy Price is the leading career scorer among all current Bulldogs with 445 points (6.8 ppg). It seems inevitable, however, that sophomore Trey Thompkins will soon pass him. Playing just his 31st collegiate game tonight, the Lithonia native should score his 400th career point against UAB.
Thompkins has already established career highs in both scoring (25 vs. New Orleans) and rebounding (16 vs. Wofford) in this young season. Teammates that have set personal highs in the first two games include Chris Barnes (11 rebs. vs. UNO), Travis Leslie (5 asts, 34 min. vs. Wofford), and Drazen Zlovaric (25 min. vs. UNO).
Today marks the 6th time this decade that Georgia’s basketball and football teams will have played simultaneously...Trey Thompkins’ 16 rebounds on Tuesday vs. Wofford were the most by a Georgia player in almost eight years, going back to a 16-board effort by Chris Daniels vs. South Alabama on Dec. 15, 2001...When Thompkins and Chris Barnes each had double-figure rebounds against New Orleans, it was the first time since February of 2008 that two Bulldogs had done such a thing.
| Georgia Probable Starters | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | PPG | RPG |
| 1 | Travis Leslie | F | 6-4 | 202 | So. | 8.5 | 4.5 |
| 33 | Trey Thompkins | F | 6-10 | 247 | So. | 19.5 | 14.0 |
| 4 | Chris Barnes | F/C | 6-8 | 240 | Jr. | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| 10 | Ricky McPhee | G | 6-1 | 184 | Sr. | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| 3 | Dustin Ware | G | 5-11 | 182 | So. | 4.5 | 3.0# |
| UAB Probable Starters | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | PPG | RPG |
| 22 | Cameron Moore | F | 6-10 | 225 | So. | 4.3 | 4.0 |
| 35 | Howard Crawford | F | 6-8 | 240 | Sr. | 13.3 | 2.5 |
| 1 | Aaron Johnson | G | 5-8 | 185 | Jr. | 8.8 | 2.8 |
| 4 | Jamarr Sanders | G | 6-4 | 200 | Jr. | 7.0 | 3.8 |
| 24 | Elijah Millsap | G | 6-6 | 210 | Jr. | 17.0 | 8.3 |
#Assists per game
Thompkins Named All-SEC 2nd Team
In balloting by the league’s 12 head coaches, Georgia sophomore Trey Thompkins was named to the pre-season All-Southeastern Conference 2nd team. Without voting for their own candidates, the coaches selected two 8-player squads. Six players were 1st-team picks unanimously: Downey (SC), Mitchell (LSU), Patterson (UK), Smith (UT), Varnado (MSU) and White (Ole Miss).
Last season, the Lithonia native was picked by the same group to the Freshman All-SEC squad. He ranked 2nd among Georgia players in scoring at 12.6 points per game, leading the Bulldogs in rebounding, blocks and 3-point field-goal percentage.
2009-10 Schedule Packs Punch
Fifteen of Georgia’s 29 regular-season games will come against teams that competed in the 2009 postseason. In addition to the lineup of SEC opponents, four other so-called “power” leagues – the ACC, Big East, Big 10 and Big 12 – are also represented.
It is away from Athens, however, where the 2010 Bulldogs will be most sternly tested. Georgia’s three “true” road games – at UAB, Virginia Tech and Missouri – would be challenging enough for most teams.
Jackson Slowed by Injury Again
Center Albert Jackson, the team’s only 4-year senior, has scarcely played in Georgia’s first two games. One of three returning starters, he broke a bone in his right (non-shooting) hand just days before pre-season practice began. Though he hasn’t yet missed a practice, Jackson’s contributions have thus far been minimal.
Ironically, his development was slowed during early-season play last year, too, after he suffered a high ankle sprain in Georgia’s lone exhibition game.
