There will be a live blog tomorrow at 7:45 as our Georgia Bulldogs take on the Vanderbilt Commodores between the hedges.
ATHENS, Ga – The Georgia Bulldogs will open up spring camp tomorrow afternoon coming off a 10-4 season that included the teams’ first appearance in the SEC Championship game since 2005.
Coming into his 12th year as head coach of the Bulldogs, Mark Richt will step onto the practice field with a new 5-year contract. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham had his contact extended three more years in the off-season as well. The contracts have been agreed upon, but the final details are still being worked out.
On the field, the Bulldogs enter as the one of the favorites in the SEC East. There are many reasons why that is the case, including the depth that returns on the defense, and an experienced quarterback leading the offense. On the other hand, there are also reasons for skepticism as off-field problems. CLICK HERE for a preview of the offense as spring practice commences.
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For updates of Georgia football during spring camp in preparation for the 2012 season, follow me on Twitter @Mike_Reiter and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/SportswithMikeR
END OF GAME:
UGA 76 FLA 62
The game ended as UGA went on a final and resilient scoring run. It was capped off with a Caldwell-Pope breakaway that ended with a monster slam dunk to send the Gators home as losers. Right after the dunk, Robinson went to the crowded and started pumping them up. Not too long after, Williams added to the vistory with another dunk. In the end, UGA just made their shots. It was a very competitive game, but UGA played with more passion, heart, and did more right. The game was won in the first half, but not enough can be said about their effort and shooting in the second half. This is a win the Bulldogs can build off of for next season. Thanks for reading and follow me on twitter at @benbolton_UGA.
Timeout with 1:51 left, UGA 67- FLA 62
Here come the Gators. They are draining shots easily now. Williams is trying to help with 2 blocks over the past minute and a half. But, the shots are going down. UGA is doing nothing offensively
Timeout with 2:22 left, UGA 65- FLA 57
Florida is closing the gap. UGA is making bonehead mistakes, but time is on their side.
Timeout with 3:11 left, UGA 63- FLA 53
FLA scored a couple of times. The past three minutes have mainly been filled with rebounds and missed shots. UGA is starting to just run the play clock down in order to end the game quicker. UGA fans are getting loud and FLA fans are beginning to quiet down. This next stretch is crucial. UGA needs to seal the deal.
Timeout with 6:39 left, UGA 63- FLA 49
UGA went on a run to answer the FLA previous run. It began with Ware hitting a three with a defender in his face. That was followed with a Thorton post score. It has been a back and forth game. One could sense that everything is just going the Dawgs way right now. But, we have a long way to go. The Dawgs aren’t working down low as much, so good shooting will have to take the Bulldogs to victory now.
Timeout with 8:10 left, UGA 58- FLA 49
It looked like the dawgs were pulling awat after a Williams dunk and Brantley 3. However, FLA is on a streak, bring what was a 15 point deficit down to 9. The run came from free throws, good defense, and bad UGA decisions.
Timeout with 11:13 left, UGA 50- FLA 40
Djurisic has come alive. He is playing with passion and scored 7 points in the last couple of minutes. He has been a big spark for the team in the second half as Caldwell-Pope cools off. The game has still come down to turnovers, passing, and shooting percentage.
Timeout with 14:52 left, UGA 44- FLA 33
Robinson hit a big three for UGA to get back to a double digit lead. Stegman Collesium is going crazy and getting loud. FLA turnovers are allowing UGA to maintain the lead. Time to say: UPSET ALERT.
Timeout with 15:25 left, UGA 41- FLA 33
Florida brought the lead down to 8, but UGA is still holding strong. FLA is using the full court press defense to try and force turnovers occasionally. Cadwell-Pope and Williams are playing very well, but defense is going to be the way the dawgs win this one.
Timeout with 18:09 left, UGA 39 -FLA 29
The half began with a quick FLA score. But, Caldwell-Pope is on fire and made a three pointer to answer. The Dawgs are maintaining the double digit lead for now. The game is still coming down to who is shooting and moving the ball the best.
2nd Half Begins
Analysis:
UGA ended the half on a hot streak as Caldwell-Pope and Ware made important shots from three. UGA went on two key runs during the first half that allowed them to maintain the lead throughout. UGA is 8-4 this season after leading at half. FLA is 4-5 after leading at half. Next half, UGA will have to stop a motivated and mad FLA squad. Next half, I won’t do an updated play-by-play, but more specialized stats and analysis. Enjoy!
Stats:
UGA- Shooting 53%, 22 points in the paint, 4 off turnovers, 9 on fast breaks, 16 rebounds
Caldwell-Pope: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
Robinson: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
FLA: Shooting 34.5%, 25 % from three, 8 points in the paint, 16 rebounds
Boynton: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 asisst
Beal: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
HALFTIME UGA 36- FLA 27
Caldwell-Pope gets the ball inside and lays it in after making FLA whiff on a block. Beal makes a two for FLA. Caldwell-Pope drains a three from a foot or so past the line. On a fast break after a FLA miss, the Dawgs work it down low to Florveus for an easy two, he was fouled. He missed. UGA forces a turnover, Ware makes a transition 3. Young gets the ball inside for FLA and dunks it.
Timeout with 2:36 left in First, UGA 26- FLA 23
Beal makes a two pointer for FLA.
Florida is dictating the game now. Even the traveling fans have come alive to compete with the UGA home crowd. Caldwell-Pope isn’t shooting well, but is the only one who has really contributed offensively for the past few minutes while FLA has made their run. UGA must finish this half strong to have a chance in the 2nd half.
Timeout with 3:08 left in First, UGA 26- FLA 21
Boynton makes a three for FLA. Djurisic gets fouled working in the paint, makes one out of two free throws. FLA finally works it inside to Murphy for an easy lay in. Williams gets a block on Walker, runs down the court and gets the pass inside and puts it in the basket. UGA forces a charge on FLA’s Young. Boynton drains a three on FLA’s next possession. FLA works it down low again to Young for 2 points. Caldwell-Pope quickly runs down court for a transition lay up.
FLA is closing the gap. They are starting to work it down low to Young and Boynton is starting to make shots. UGA is staying in there, but turnovers could cost them.
Timeout with 7:34 left in First Half, UGA 21- FLA 11
UGA foul on Beal. He makes both free throws. Robinson scored 2 for UGA on a fast break layup, gets fouled. Makes the free throw. Thorton scores 2 for UGA after getting the offensive rebound from a missed shot by Ware. Donte Williams gets a block and throws it off a FLA player to get the ball. Following possesion, Djurisic drives it inside and makes the post shot for two. FLA’s Walker marches down and makes a three pointer. Robinson answers with a three pointer of his own.
This is one of the best starts UGA has had this season. FLA’s struggles have come from poor shooting, because UGA is forcing them to take shots instead of working it inside. UGA’s offense is working very well. The plays are crisp and the players are actually executing and finishing. UGA is 8/16 shooting, FLA is 4/18 shooting (1/8 from three point line).
Timeout with 11:27 left in First Half, UGA 12- FLA 6
Robinson makes Free Throw.
FLA tried an alley-oop, but the pass as too wide. UGA 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 assists. FLA 7 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 2 steals, 2 assists. Difference so far has been UGA’s ability to control the paint on both ends of the floor.
Timeout with 12:55 left in First Half, UGA 11 -FLA 6
Williams makes one free throw after fouled inside by Murphy. Boyton makes a mid-range shot off a pick. Robinson scores on the give-and-go play with the assist by Djurisic. He will shoot one free throw.
UGA is still forcing them to shoot from the outside. FLA has no inside presence on offense. UGA’s offense is successively running plays to get easy shots inside.
Timeout 15:59 left in First Half, UGA 8- FLA 4
Game Begins with Administrative Technical foul because Florida dunked the ball during warmups. It was an easy 2 for Robinson. FLA won the tip, Beal with a mid range score. Djurisic makes a backboard post shot after a UGA steal. Another UGA steal leads to Caldwell-Pope layup. Caldwell-Pope gets 2 more on a lyup after a nice inside pass by Djurisic. Prather scores 2 on mid-range shot for FLA.
UGA is playing very solid zone defense. They are not giving any easy baskets. They are also forcing turnovers and working the ball inside on offense. Strong beginning, but we will see if they can keep it going against the more talented FLA squad.
Leading Scorers: UGA- Robinson, FLA-Boynton
UGA 12-15 (3-10 SEC) 11th in the SEC, FLA 22-6 (10-3 SEC) 2nd in the SEC, Ranked 11th Nationally
UGA Starting Lineup:
Gerald Robinson
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Marcus Thornton
Nemanja Djurisic
Donte Williams
FLA Starting Lineup:
Bradley Beal
Kenny Boynton
Erving Walker
Patric Young
Erik Murphy
Hey everybody! This is Ben Bolton from the Friday Pre-Game show. We aren’t too far off from the beginning of the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators. As we get closer to tip off, I will update you on stats, standings, and starting lineups for this afternoon’s game. Stay Tuned!
Hello Dawg Nation its time for a new season of Georgia baseball. I would like to take us back circa June 2008. It was hot. It was the midwest in the Summer. There were our Dawgs were poised to take Omaha by storm. There were names like 3B Gordon Beckham and pitcher Josh Fields that who were wearing the silver britches back then. The Dawgs ascended to the top of Omaha only to fall to the other Bulldogs from Fresno State. Since this point, we have had our struggles. In part to a stacked SEC East. Where at one point last year the third best team in the league, South Carolina, was third in the country. Then went on to win the national championship against who else but the Florida Gators.
The Dawgs come into this new season ranked #11. Other preseason SEC hopefuls include:
1) Florida 3) South Carolina 4) Arkansas 
LSU 10) Vanderbilt 11) UGA 22) Mississippi
Starting line for the Dawgs
1. rf Peter Verdin #16
2. cf Conor Welton #11
3. ss Kyle Farmer #17
4. LF Hunter Cole #6
5. 2B Levi Hyams #3
6. 1B Colby May #25
7. Dh Brett DeLoach #22
8. C Brandon Stephens #5
9. 3B Curt Powell #8
Starting Pitcher: Alex Wood
Top 1st
Andrew Williams pop out in left field (Hunter Cole) to start the season. Alex Wood registers his first K of the year against Jay Lizanich. On the third batter Wood clocks a nasty change up to retire the side.
Bottom 1st
First hit of the new season is by the center fielder Conor Welton. With two outs and Hunter Cole’s first time to the plate Welton gets the signal to go…. safe. 3 pop outs end the inning. Hunter Cole is a highly recruited freshman from South Carolina, and got a good crack at it but it wasn’t enough.
Top 2nd
Alex Wood lets Kenny Wood on after a tough one to his left shoulder. However, the defense did its job and little doing in the 2nd for the Blue Hose.
Bottom
Levi Hyams knocks it about 350 feet to CF, but it stays in the park for the fly out. We have 4 really good cracks at it, but nothing doing so far. You get the feeling that the flood gates are about to open.
Top 3rd
Wood’s fastball is on today with his 3rd strikeout of the ballgame coming against Brandon Paul. Hunter Cole runs down an over the shoulder catch to end the top of the inning.
Bottom
One pitch. First homerun of the season for the Dawgs comes from the catcher Brandon Stephens. Curt Powell and Peter Verdin both hit back to back easy infield choppers to only be bailed out by SS and 3B errors. Again! Conor Welton lays down a perfect left infield bunt, and the pitcher slips. The bases are loaded! Kyle Farmer chucks it deep, and Curt Powell comes in on a sac fly. 1 out. Hunter Cole sees one pitch…. fly out. 2nd out, men still on 1st and 2nd. Wild pitch to Levi Hyams moves everyone a base. He goes down on strikes. Dawgs 2-0
Top 4th
With two easy outs, prior to the center fielder Conor Welton comes flying in to make a sliding out.
Bottom 4th
Brandon Stephens is having a big opening day. He records an easy double with a hit deep to left. Curt Powell brings him in with the two out single. Dawgs 3-0. Peter Verdin with a hit to left-center pushes Powell over to third. Two outs with Connor Welton to the plate. Welton will take a base after the walk. Big hitter Kyle Farmer is at the base with the bases loaded….pop out behind third base. The Dawgs get one and squander three.
Top 5th
RF Peter Verdin lays out for the grab and the ball slips through the glove. Stand up double to start the inning for Gabe Grammer. Peter Verdin grabs the next one at the warning track. Billy Motrant hits a slow chopper midway to third and Alex Wood barehanded throws him out at first. Andrew Williams brings in Grammar on the single. Dawgs 3-1.
Bottom
Levi Hyams takes an early crack at it, the first baseman Kenny Bryant knocks in down but cant hang on. Single. The next pitch he takes off and is safe at 2nd. He scores after a quick single (Dawgs 10 hits). Dawgs 4-1.
Top 6th
Alex Wood looks like he is starting to waiver just a bit. He gives up two easy singles to start the inning to Jay Lizanich and Brad Zebedis. Wood strengthens a bit with two straight Ks. Matt Peden up…. and down 3ks.
Bottom
Curt Powell takes the 6th by storm with a crowd pleasing triple. Verdin takes a force out to second, but Powell comes on home. Dawgs 5-1. Conor Welton walks. Kyle Farmer rips it to the corner and brings him in. 6-1.
Top 7th
#34 Pete Nagel replaces Cone. Brandon Paul single gets the ball rolling but not much else.
Bottom 7th
Brandon Stephens takes one to the right field wall for the double. One out. Two more batters go by with little success. Still 6-1 Dawgs.
8th Inning
Not much happening for either team in the 8th we go to the 9th with the Dawgs up 6-1.
9th
Bryan Benzor comes on for the save. 3 up 3 down. Dawgs win! 6-1. Go to 1-0.
Georgia plays the Blue Hose Saturday at 2. Good night.
As many of you know, one of the best days to be a dawg finally arrives tomorrow. I am speaking, of course, of National Signing Day, and this year, UGA will be treated to one of its most exciting in a long time. No doubt rests in my mind that it will be a great day to don the red and black. There is a lengthly line of talented recruits deciding tomorrow, so make sure to find a comfy spot to zone in on the action– and get there early! I hear several choice restaurants fill up fast.
Here is a schedule and breakdown of recruits announcing tomorrow to be aware of:
DL Dalvin Tomlinson (McDonough, Ga./Henry Co.) 8:45 a.m.
Accolades: 4 star recruit, AJC Super 11 selection
Deciding between: Alabama, Georgia Tech, UGA
Prediction: Dalvin has never shown the dawgs a whole lot of love, but UGA remains a finalist. For a long time, I have predicted he would end up a yellow jacket. He certainly has the academic record. However, Alabama’s staff has recently told him that they have room for him, despite what they had said previously. How this is possible, after having to defer Atlanta RB Justin Taylor to their 2013 class, is beyond me. Nonetheless, as soon as Bama said they had room, Dalvin promptly cancelled his UGA visit. He’s going to the Tide.
WR JaQuay Williams (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) 8:45 a.m.
Accolates: 4 star recruit, Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl selection
Deciding between: Auburn, UGA
Prediction: JaQuay has been long committed to Auburn, but the attrition within the program, headlined by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s jump to Arkansas State, has led to several of Auburn’s recruits rethinking their decisions. JaQuay is among them. UGA is pushing HARD. The most recent development here is UGA offering fellow Sandy Creek stars Shaquille Wiggins (2013) and Demarre Kitt (2014). It would be inaccurate to say the three of them haven’t discussed the idea of playing at UGA together. It’s a really close fight right now. Probably 50/50. If I HAD to make a pick, I’d say he sticks with Auburn, but the dawgs are definitely under heavy consideration because of the options at quarter back in Aaron Murray, Christian Lemay, and Brice Ramsey (2013 commit).
LB/S Josh Harvey-Clemons (Valdosta, Ga./Lowndes) 9 a.m., Live on ESPNU and ESPN3
Accolades: 5 star recruit, Under Armour All-American, AJC Super 11 selection
Deciding between: Florida, FSU, Miami, UGA
Prediction: Arguably UGA’s most important recruit for National Signing Day– for a while now, JHC has been rumored to be UGA-bound, but FSU is making one giant push that is leaving me in doubt. The issue with FSU is their distance from JHC’s hometown of Valdosta. Tallahassee is only 1.75 hours away from home, while UGA lies over 4 hours north. JHC’s grandfather wants him to stay close, and FSU fits the bill. Florida has been a long time player, but I don’t think they are much of a threat. Miami has tried to cast its name onto the ballot late, and JHC obliged with a visit, but I see Miami as an impossibility due to being much farther than even UGA. In the end, I think JHC winds up in red and black.
OT Brandon Greene (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove) 9 a.m.
Accolades: 4 star recruit, Under Armour All-American
Deciding between: Alabama, UGA
Prediction: Greene has been committed to Alabama for a good while. UGA’s coaches have been getting after him pretty hard in the past few weeks, but I think he remains solidly committed to Bama. Not too much to talk about here.
DE/LB Kenderius Whitehead (Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King) 9 a.m.
Accolades: 4 star recruit, Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl selection
Deciding between: Clemson, NC State, UGA, UNC
Prediction: Currently committed to NC State. UGA has been chasing hard after Whitehead for a very long time, and he was giving lots of positive messages. However, 2 things have always held us back with Whitehead. First, Whitehead wants to play in a 4-3 as a DE, but Coach Todd Grantham wants him as an OLB in our 3-4 scheme. Second, Whitehead does not seem to want to compete with Jordan Jenkins and Josh Harvey-Clemons. Can you blame him? He sticks with NC State.
ATH Will Redmond (Memphis, Tenn./East) 9:30 a.m.
Accolades: 4 star recruit, Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl selection
Deciding between: Mississippi State, UGA
Prediction: Redmond is currently committed to Mississippi State, and they are pitching good playing time to him– that’s something UGA can’t do right now. Even though UGA just flipped his buddy, Sheldon Dawson from Memphis, I’m confident Redmond will roll with the other bulldogs.
DE/LB Josh Dawson (Tucker, Ga./Tucker) 10 a.m.
Accolades: 4 star recruit
Deciding between: UGA, Vanderbilt
Prediction: It’s not often that you see a player like Dawson playing the role of “plan B,” but that’s kind of what he is right now. He has been committed to Vanderbilt, but the ‘dores have seen some flips, and Dawson could very easily be another. I think Dawson will commit to Georgia, especially if Josh Harvey-Clemons decides to take his talent elsewhere.
JUCO WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Hutchinson, Kan./Hutchinson CC) 11:30 a.m., Live on ESPNU
Accolades: 5 star recruit
Deciding between: LSU, Mississippi, Tennessee, UGA
Prediction: Cordarrelle, a JUCO prospect, is the second recruit here that one can make a case for being the most important recruit for UGA on National Signing Day. The reason I say that is because I think he can help UGA win an SEC championship in 2012. Patterson is a one-and-done guy, who will leave for the NFL draft after a season, but that’s all UGA needs to win it all. Patterson has been leaning toward UGA for a good while, although he has flirted with a handful of schools. The two biggest things working in our favor with Patterson are his relationship with Tony Ball and UGA’s close proximity to Patterson’s home state of South Carolina. I feel confident he will land at UGA.
OT Avery Young (Palm Beach Gardnens, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens) 2 p.m., Live on ESPNU and ESPN3
Accolades: 5 star recruit, Under Armour All-American
Deciding between: Auburn, Florida, Miami, UGA
Prediction: Another of UGA’s most valuable pursuits of National Signing Day. After the loss of Chester Brown due to matters beyond his control, it’s critical that Georgia secures one more lineman in this class. Avery has grown up in and has family in the state of Georgia, and UGA has long been considered his leader with Florida also in strong consideration. However, Auburn has come on very strong in recent months. Additionally, seemingly out of nowhere, Miami, too, has stuck a claim for Avery. A claim strong enough that some think he could end up a hurricane. Unlike any other prospect on this board, I think Avery really could end up in one of more than just two places. This is a close one, but I think UGA will prevail, and the dawgs finally get some depth at tackle.
We won’t be in Tampa tomorrow, but there are a few good men that will be. Be sure to check them out for all of your Outback Bowl news, commentary, and analysis. And even something funny.
Mike Reiter, SportsWithMike.com
Might be doing some analysis from the Twitter account tomorrow, so follow that if you haven’t already.
Sam Smith of blogs.bulls.com joins Ace McNeil and Mac Little to break down the Chicago Bulls and their Central Eastern division counterparts. Why has the buzz surrounding the Bulls been so quiet? Are the moves the Bulls made enough? And are the Pacers more of a threat? All this and more are discussed.
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Eureka! Here’s the the first podcast out of our 12-Hour NBA Preview. Josh Kinsey and Mac Little are joined by Michael Cunningham, the Atlanta Hawks beat writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The guys ask MC about the “No excuses mantra”, the development of Jeff Teague, a player to look for a breakout season (cough, Marvin Williams, cough), and MC’s plans had he missed an entire NBA season. And some other things.
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We’re having some technical difficulties here at WUOG Sports. Apparently editing a twelve hour NBA Preview show is difficult for programs like Audacity and Garageband.
But we’re still trying. Stay tuned.
It's back baby.
We here at WUOG Sports love the NBA. We love it so much that we began to wonder what we possibly could do with all of our free time over the break. With the lockout appearing like it would consume the entire NBA season, what were supposed to do Christmas Day and various other weeknights? Talk to our family? Sounds lame.
So when we found out that the players association and owners had come to a preliminary agreement over the new collective bargaining agreement and were indeed set to tip-0ff on December 25th, our hearts inflated with joy. No longer were we forced to talk to relatives with attentiveness, no longer would we have to labor through the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, no longer would we have to pretend college basketball was equally as entertaining.
No sir, the NBA is back. And the unfortunate part is that while most of the big NBA headlines are being written, WUOG’s airwaves went into Break Radio. How were we to share our excitement with the people of Athens and beyond?
Here it is: a 12-Hour NBA Preview Show brought to you by none other than the fine sports staff at WUOG. We start tomorrow at noon and end at midnight. This is not a show for the faint of the NBA heart.
The show will be split into six, two-hour segments. Each segment will be talking about a main theme of the NBA season and then preview each division.
Want guests? We got them? Some of the best basketball writers from across the country are calling in to WUOG to help us in our fearless endeavor.
We’ll be talking trades, CBA, Hawks, Kobe, you name it. We will talk about everything. It’s time to step your NBA game with WUOG Sports. Here’s a schedule of tomorrow’s programming:
12PM-2PM Ace McNeil and Mac Little, Top NBA Headlines and the Central East Division, Guests: TBA
2PM-4PM Josh Kinsey and Mac Little, Atlanta Hawks and Southeast Division, Guests: Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution
4PM-6PM Matt Ryan and Mac Little, Potential and Actual Player Transactions and the Atlantic Division, Guests: Vincent Thomas, SLAM Magazine and FSS Columnist
6PM-7PM Trey Roberts and Patrick Bender, the new guard of the NBA and the Northwest Division Guests: Darnell Mayberry, Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for The Oklahoman
7PM-8PM Mac Little, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Guest: Larry Coon, NBA writer and resident salary cap expert for ESPN.com
8PM-10PM Ken Nasse and Mac Little, Update on NBA Headlines and Pacific Division, Guests: Corey Butler, former UGA point guard, current coach at Stanford University and self-proclaimed Kobe Bryant lover
10PM-12AM Mac Little, Show Wrap Up and Southwest Division, Guests: TBA
Listen in at 90.5FM Athens or at this link anywhere else. If you can’t listen tomorrow, we’ll be rolling out podcasts of all of our interviews within the week.
