WUOG Sports Blog

How About Them Falcons? And A Belated Dawgs-Vols Recap.

2008-10-15T15:37:00.006-04:00

First off, I would like to congratulate the Atlanta Falcons. Despite playing just 6 games, they have already exclipsed last year's win total ( going 4-12, of course). I must say, with a rookie head coach in Mike Smith and a rookie starting QB in Matt Ryan (who I was very hopeful of, being a big Boston College fan) I really wasn't sure what to expect from the Falcons this year.

To be completely honest, at the beginning of the season I expected worst case they would finish 4-12. I mean that is easy to say considering the fact that as bad as they were last year, they still won 4 games and best case they would win 6, maybe 7 games. But, after watching their performance the past two weeks against two solid teams in Green Bay and Chicago along with their 4 previous games, at 4-2 the Falcons actually have a shot to be relevant towards the end of the season.

Now, I am not going to say that they are going to win the division or even earn a wild card spot for that matter, but I fully expect the Falcons to be very competitive in each and everyone of their remaining 10 games. While some games (@Philadelphia, Denver @ San Diego) will be a lot more difficult than others (@Oakland, New Orleans and St. Louis), this team has a shot to realistically win 7, 8, maybe 9 games in my opinion.

If they are able to reach any of those win totals, I think practically every Falcons fan would have to be very, very pleased with Year 1 of the Smith-Ryan-Thomas Dimitroff (the new GM of the Falcons) Era.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Dawgs for their effort Saturday against Tennessee. Not only did they rebound from their worst game since the 35-14 beat down the Vols gave us last year in Knoxville, but they came out from the get-go and played a solid game. I hate Philip Fulmer and the fans of UT in general, so sending them to their worst start (2-4, 0-3 in SEC) since 1988 certainly was enjoyable.

Controlling the ball for an incredible 42+ minutes and racking up 458 yds of offense (while holding the Vols to an incredible 209 yds) this game in a lot of ways was very similar to our performance against ASU in September: the score did not indicate the dominance displayed. Seeing Southerland come back was certainly a pleasant site to see, but losing Vince Vance (the 3rd LT to be lost for the season after starting a game for the Dawgs this year) is worrisome.

Let's see if the Dawgs can pick up some momentum to start the 2nd half of their season by beating an upstart #22/23 Vandy team that has given us fits (e.g. Homecoming two years ago and UGA's lackluster 20-17 victory @ Vandy last year) despite the fact that we own a dominating 48-18-2 all-time record against them .

The second half of the season will make or break the perception of the Dawgs season with matchups against Vandy Saturday, LSU, UF, Auburn, Kentucky and a surprisingly good GT team. UGA controls its own destiny. The National Championship hopes are still alive, though Georgia would have to run the table the rest of the way and take on more than likely either LSU or Alabama in the SEC Title game to make the dream a reality.

The Biggest Game In Athens In The Mark Richt Era?

2008-09-26T17:13:00.009-04:00

I think Coach Richt says it best when talking about tomorrow night's matchup against the Tide, who will be making their first trip to Athens since 2003: "I hope the fans realize how special this night (Saturday) is going to be. It's going to be exciting."

Between the Blackout, Alabama's attempt to "White out" their section of the stadium and Game Day coming to Athens for the first time since the 1998 Tennessee-Georgia game I cannot remember the campus buzzing over a home game like this in quite some time.

Thanks to great research by another great Georgia blogger, Paul Westerdawg (http://georgiasports.blogspot.com/), the game Saturday will mark just the 10th time in the history of the program in which the Bulldogs and their opponent are both ranked in the Top 10 for a game that is played in Athens:

Top 10 vs. Top 10 Match-ups in Athens:

After the Dawgs pulled out a nail-bitting win in OT @ Alabama last year, 26-23, the Dawgs improved their all-time record against the Tide to 25-35-4 . Under Richt, the Dawgs are 3-0 against Alabama.

With #1 USC's stunning loss to Oregon State last night, with a win over #8 Alabama, the Dawgs could find themselves atop of the rankings again, jumping over #2 Oklahoma who plays #24 TCU this weekend. Will the Dawgs capitalize on the opportunity? In my opinion, in a tough, hard-fought football game look for the Dawgs to bring their best effort of the season and win a close one against the Tide.

Georgia 24
Alabama 14

Down To Wire

2008-09-17T19:37:00.005-04:00

While it has been a forgettable season for the hometown Atlanta Braves, (who are having their worst season since having the worst record in baseball in 1990 and are closer to last place than first place) it looks as if we are in for a very exciting conclusion of the regular season.

In three (AL East, AL Central and NL Central) of the six divisions, the team in first place has less than a 3-game lead and in the National League you have three teams (the loser of the NL East, Milwaukee and Houston) that are battling it out for the NL wild card. Just three games separate the Mets, who are currently leading the wild card race, and the Houston Astros. Keep an eye on this race. Since the wild card was created in 1995, a wild card team has made it to the World Series NINE times (winning four, the last of which being the 2004 Red Sox). To further reiterate my point, a wild card team has made it to the World Series six years in a row and seven times out of the last eight years.

In regards to home field advantage throughout the playoffs, despite the fact that the Cubs have one of the best records in all of baseball, since the AL won the All-Star game for the 6th straight year (and have gone 11-0-1 over the past 12 years), the Rays and Angels are battling it out for the top spot. The Angels currently have the best record in baseball, with the Rays just two games back heading into tonight's games.

What else could we expect?

2008-09-16T21:33:00.002-04:00

Saturday's game at South Carolina was a tight one, for sure. Many people are saying that perhaps Georgia is ranked too high at #2 (now 3). I feel the game came down to three factors: 1) South Carolina isn't as bad as they appeared in previous contests. 2) Georgia made enough mental mistakes to keep South Carolina in the game. And, 3) history repeats itself.

This game was not going to be a major blowout. History does repeat itself. This game is early enough in the season that South Carolina's lack of depth isn't showing yet. Lack of depth is what keeps South Carolina from playing for the SEC title (aside from silly South Carolina-esque mistakes like fumbling into the endzone). South Carolina always gets up for this game, and even more so now that S.O.S. is calling the shots. One personal theory I have had is that South Carolina, as a state, isn't the greatest of places. It's overlooked by many and has fun poked at it by most. They see Georgia to the south and know that is what they want to be like. I think this theory applies more to the fans than the team itself, but it could have some merit.

South Carolina can certainly play defense. They have playmakers on all parts of the field defensively. Jasper Brinkley is a man among boys, and Georgia really dropped the ball not getting him to sign with the Bulldogs. He wanted to play in the red and black very badly. Offensively, they can use some work. Chris Smelley played a whale of a game and S.O.S. found a way to exploit Georgia's weaknesses, namely defending the pass. But their lack of a run game will hurt them severely as the season progresses. I don't think this South Carolina team is too bad. We were all laughing about them losing to Vanderbilt, but Vanderbilt could be pretty darn good. We will see as the schedule tightens up.

Georgia made several mental miscues on Saturday. Matthew Stafford did a good job of managing the game. The mistakes that were made should be easily fixable in practice. It will be interesting to see if Georgia learns from its mistakes on Saturday against Arizona State. I also felt the playcalling was suspect at times. Knowshon and AJ Green need more touches. Period. The goal line futility was highlighted by not being able to score with a 1st and goal. Brannan Southerland was missed deeply in that situation. Georgia probably scores with Brannan in the game. Paul Westerdawg at the Georgia Sports Blog did a play by play breakdown of Georgia mistakes. In his estimation, UGA left at least 11 points on the table. South Carolina left possibly 7. So you could be looking at a 24-14 victory for Georgia.

The South Carolina matchup is always a war for Georgia, and this hasn't changed under Coach Richt. Offensive scoring has always been at a premium. In 2001, Georgia failed to score a touchdown as South Carolina won 14-9. Georgia won the meetings from 2002-2006, but three were decided by a touchdown or less, with the 2003 game being the only "blowout" 31-7. The 2001, 2002, and 2007 games had Georgia not even scoring an offensive touchdown. The 18-0 victory in 2006 was closer than the score would indicate. Saturday showed a pattern in Georgia football. The flaws of Richt coached teams were on display again on Saturday: Georgia bogs down offensively in the red zone and it drops passes.

One thing to consider is that this was a relatively new offensive line still working out the kinks on the road for the first time against a very quality defense.

Sure Georgia made mistakes, but I belive the Gamecocks are better than most have given them credit for. Keep in mind they were backed into the corner and gave Georgia their best shot. Georgia hung on, which is what you have to do on the road in the SEC, and found a way to win. Bottom line, the defense only gave up 7 points, which is fantastic, and Georgia walked away 1-0 in the SEC. Coach Richt put it best after the game. He told the team that not only do they get to walk away with a win, but they also learned what they need to improve upon. Typically when you find out what you need to improve upon, you aren't going home happy. So, what more can you ask for?

Dominance

2008-09-12T15:12:00.007-04:00

That is the one word I can think of to describe the "rivalry" between South Carolina and Georgia. The numbers do not lie: UGA is 44-14-2 all-time against South Carolina. That is a .750 winning %. South Carolina has not beaten UGA back-to-back since 2000-2001 and has not won in Columbia since 2000.

Keep this in mind: UGA is 48-18-2 against Vandy (.720 winning %). We have almost owned South Carolina as much as we have dominated Vandy (who last week beat South Carolina for the second straight year).

Coach Richt is 5-2 against South Carolina (.714 winning %), so I can only find it fitting that the Dawgs take care of businesss this weekend and up Coach Richt's record against the Gamecocks to 6-2...which would just so happen to match UGA's all-time winning percentage of .750.

Give me UGA 28 South Carolina 14

From A Historical Perspective, How Much Does Being The Preseason #1 Matter?

2008-08-29T17:46:00.005-04:00

Thanks to the fine researchers from AP Poll Archive (http://www.appollarchive.com/), the following is the list of all of the AP Preseason Poll #1's and what their final ranking ended up being. Obviously, the AP's vote does not factor into the BCS anymore, but it is still interesting to see how teams have fared after being given the top spot in the Preseason poll. Without further ado:

Final Rankings of Preseason #1 Teams

Season	Team	Final

2008	Georgia	???

2007	USC	3

2006	Ohio State	2

2005	USC	2

2004	USC	1

2003	Oklahoma	3

2002	Miami (FL)	2

2001	Florida	3

2000	Nebraska	8

1999	Florida State	1

1998	Ohio State	2

1997	Penn State	16

1996	Nebraska	6

1995	Florida State	4

1994	Florida	7

1993	Florida State	1

1992	Miami (FL)	3

1991	Florida State	4

1990	Miami (FL)	3

1989	Michigan	7

1988	Florida State	3

1987	Oklahoma	3

1986	Oklahoma	3

1985	Oklahoma	1

1984	Auburn	14

1983	Nebraska	2

1982	Pittsburgh	10

1981	Michigan	12

1980	Ohio State	15

1979	USC	2

1978	Alabama	1

1977	Oklahoma	7

1976	Nebraska	9

1975	Oklahoma	1

1974	Oklahoma	1

1973	USC	8

1972	Nebraska	4

1971	Notre Dame	13

1970	Ohio State	5

1969	Ohio State	4

1968	Purdue	10

1967	Notre Dame	5

1966	Alabama	3

1965	Nebraska	5

1964	Mississippi	NR

1963	USC	NR

1962	Ohio State	NR

1961	Iowa	NR

1960	Syracuse	19

1959	LSU	3

1958	Ohio State	8

1957	Oklahoma	4

1956	Oklahoma	1

1955	UCLA	4

1954	Notre Dame	4

1953	Notre Dame	2

1952	Michigan State	1

1951	Tennessee	1

1950	Notre Dame	NR

NOTE: The preseason poll started in 1950

As you can see, in the 58 years that the AP has provided a Preseason poll, the preseason #1 has gone on to finish #1 ten times (including five times since 1978). After glancing over the chart, the one thing that shocked me was the following statistic: from 1957-1973 no preseason #1 finished the year #1 (a stretch of almost two decades).

Much of that was probably due to the fact that back in those days luxuries such as ESPN GamePlan did not exist, so most of the writers got their information about teams through word-of-mouth as opposed to actually seeing the players/teams with their own eyes.

Due to all of the media coverage and the ability for millions to be able to see a plethora of games each week followed up with tons of highlights, I do not think it is a coincidence that since the beginning of the BCS era (1998) the lowest the Preseason AP #1 has finished was 8th in 2000 (a 10-2 Nebraska team). Actually that team is a bit of an outlier in the past decade, as the rest of the other nine teams finished ranked #3 or higher. Two teams (FSU in 1999 and USC in 2004) won the National Championship and four teams (Miami in 2002, Oklahoma in 2003, USC in 2005 and OSU in 2006) lost in the Title Game. So, in the past nine years, the preseason #1 has gone to the Title Game six times (going 2-4 over that stretch).

So, what does all of this mean? Well, you can look at it a variety of ways. On one hand, you could suggest that with the recent success of the preseason #1's, Georgia is destined for the BCS Championship Game. On the other, you can point out the fact that last year's preseason #1 did not and given the fact that the Dawgs are going to have to play the toughest schedule in the country with only two returning starters on the OL the Dawgs have just as good of a chance to not go. I tend to be more of an optimist, so hopefully the former (and not the latter) occurs.

Tomorrow can't come soon enough! Go Dawgs.

The 2008-2009 Men's Basketball Schedule Is Out

2008-08-09T00:29:00.007-04:00

I know we are on the verge of football season, but today I would like to pass along some news about our basketball team. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs released their 2008-2009 schedule. At least 13 of Georgia's 31 regular-season games will come against teams that competed in the 2008 postseason, with the potential for more such games if the team does well in the preseason NIT. This will mark UGA's 3rd appearance in the tournament, the first since 1998.

"Last year we were proud to have the challenge of playing one of the toughest schedules in the country," Georgia coach Dennis Felton said. "I also think it's a schedule that our fans can get excited about and start making plans for a great season. All of us are looking forward to building upon the SEC Championship last March."

With games against Virginia Tech, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Mississippi St. among the notable home games and Illinois, Georgia Tech and whoever they play in the NIT tournament on the road, it should be a very exciting, but challenging schedule for the Dawgs. Only three months until basketball season...

University of Georgia
2008-09 Basketball Schedule

Date (Day) Opponent (TV) Site Tipoff
Nov. 7 (Fri.) ALBANY STATE (Exhib.) ATHENS 7:30
Nov. 14 (Fri.) USC - UPSTATE ATHENS 7:30
Nov. 17-19 (Mon-Wed) Pre-Season NIT W. Lafayette, Ind. TBA
Nov. 21 (Fri.) PRESBYTERIAN ATHENS 7:30
Nov. 24-25 (Mon-Tues) Pre-Season NIT Consolation TBA TBA
Nov. 26-28 (Wed-Fri) Pre-Season NIT Semis & Finals New York, N.Y. TBA
Dec. 2 (Tues.) at Western Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky. TBA
Dec. 6 (Sat.) Illinois Chicago, Ill. TBA
Dec. 9 (Tues.) VIRGINIA TECH ATHENS 7:30
Dec. 20 (Sat.) WOFFORD ATHENS 4:00
Dec. 22 (Mon.) TEXAS A&M – CORPUS CHRISTI ATHENS 7:30
Dec. 28 (Sun.) NORTH CAROLINA A&T ATHENS 2:30
Dec. 31 (Wed.) KENNESAW STATE ATHENS TBA
Jan. 3 (Sat.) MISSOURI ATHENS 4:00
Jan. 6 (Tues.) at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. TBA
Jan. 10 (Sat.) TENNESSEE (Raycom) ATHENS 12 Noon
Jan. 14 (Wed.) at Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 8:00
Jan. 18 (Sun.) KENTUCKY (Raycom) ATHENS 12 Noon
Jan. 24 (Sat.) MISSISSIPPI STATE (ESPN2) ATHENS 6:00
Jan. 28 (Wed.) at Florida (Raycom) Gainesville, Fla. 8:00
Jan. 31 (Sat.) at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. TBA
Feb. 4 (Wed.) LSU ATHENS 7:30
Feb. 7 (Sat.) at South Carolina Columbia, S.C. TBA
Feb. 11 (Wed.) at Tennessee (Raycom) Knoxville, Tenn. 8:00
Feb. 14 (Sat.) FLORIDA (ABC) ATHENS 3:30
Feb. 18 (Wed.) AUBURN ATHENS 7:30
Feb. 21 (Sat.) at Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. TBA
Feb. 25 (Wed.) VANDERBILT ATHENS 7:30
Mar. 1 (Sat.) at Arkansas (Raycom) Fayetteville, Ark. 4:00
Mar. 4 (Wed.) at Kentucky (Raycom) Lexington, Ky. 8:00
Mar. 7 (Sat.) SOUTH CAROLINA ATHENS 4:00
Mar. 12-15 (Thu-Sun.) SEC Tournament Tampa, Fla. TBA
All Times Eastern
Other TV Dates to be added

Finally Some Media Love

2008-08-07T03:09:00.005-04:00

For many of you who thought that Georgia got hosed last season from the National Title (myself included), it appears it was a learning experience for all of us. The one thing that we should have taken from last year was that in order to have a shot at the national championship, you need two components:

1) Talent
2) Media Support

Clearly, there was no question that UGA had the talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country last year, but clearly we did not have the support of the media. Case in point: LSU last season. The Tigers, who were preseason ranked #2 behind USC by many at the beginning of last season went 4-2 (including a game in which they gave up 50 points AT HOME to an unranked opponent) to finish out the regular season (including a less than impressive SEC Championship Game victory against Tennessee in which the only reason they won came on a pick-six interception touchdown in the 4th quarter after trailing for the majority of the game).

Yet, despite being ranked #7 in both the Coaches Poll and BCS, jumped FIVE spots (including over one team that won their conference championship game in much more dominating fashion) to the #2 spot. So, with that in mind, do you think it was a coincidence that the media pundits decided to put LSU into the title game despite everything mentioned above? I think not.

In 2006, you had a scenario in which UF (who did, for what it's worth, win in style in the SEC Title Game against Arkansas) jumped Michigan in the standings while Michigan had a bye. The media, who for the most part did not want to see another Michigan-OSU match-up in the championship, all of a sudden began to really talk up Florida and sure enough UF went from #4 in the Coaches Poll and BCS to #2 (#2 USC got upset by UCLA that same week to allow UF to jump the two spots). Now, was UF a worthy National Championship contender? Yes. They played a ridiculously hard schedule (very similar to the one our Dawgs will play this year) and still came away with only one loss. But, did they deserve to jump an idle Michigan team that gave all OSU could handle? That is debatable.

Now, obviously UF went on to crush OSU in the title game and Michigan got their butt kicked against USC in the Rose Bowl, so most in hindsight would say that everything worked out for the best. But before those events occurred it was certainly a toss-up for many fans, depending on who you asked.

Auburn in 2004 (who was preseason ranked #17 in the AP/#18 in the Coaches Poll) did not receive enough media love, despite playing a tougher schedule than both USC and Oklahoma (who also went wire-to wire #1 and #2 throughout the regular season) and as a result they suffered from the lack of a playoff system in Division 1 football (do not get me started).

So, in short after looking back over the past few years case-by-case, you can certainly make the argument that sometimes it is not just the reality of how good you look on the field, but also how much of the national media acknowledges the fact that you look good on the field.

Hampton Returns (and doesn't get injured!)

2008-07-26T18:11:00.005-04:00

Mike Hampton finally made his long-awaited return to the mound after almost a three year absence. Despite my prediction that he'd still find a way to miss the start by pulling a pectoral muscle or breaking a nail during warm-up, he managed to avoid injury long enough to give up six earned runs in just 4 innings of work. Even with loads of run support (9 runs scored in the 4th inning), the Braves bullpen also did their part in blowing the 6-run lead in the 5th frame.

After the disastrous 5th, the only thing that could make me smile now was just thinking about how much Mike Hampton looks like George Michael (it's only fitting that he's coming to the Philips Arena in a few days). I hate to give up on my Braves, but it's obvious that this season isn't going to be the year they win a World Series title. Mark Teixeira is picking up his game as he always does in the second half of the season, so it's time to trade him before the Braves won't get anything but a few meaningless homers each week for a team that isn't healthy enough to win the division. Let's be real here: With an agent like Scott Boras, there's no way Tex is going to give Atlanta a discount and there's no way GM Frank Wren will pay that kind of money to keep him.

There are just lots of needs that need to be filled. Our outfield is dreadful. Our pitching is old. We need to build for the future and a good way for the Braves to do it is to make a splash before the trade deadline and get some solid prospects or high draft picks. I doubt very seriously that a team is going to give up a solid pitcher for Teixeira since pitching is at such a premium nowadays, but we need to take what we can get. Once Hampton's $15 million is off the books at the end of the season, the Bravos will have some money to play with to pick up a big time pitcher or outfielder in the free agent market. So let's get it done Frank. I give you my blessing.

Hey Braves, this isn't the NBA Playoffs.

2008-06-14T14:06:00.008-04:00

If the Braves continue to be riddled with injuries suffered by their stud pitchers, this team won't have an iceberg's chance in hell to make the playoffs. Peter Moylan, who was the rock in the bullpen last year, is done for the season; John Smoltz could be done for his career (let's hope he's not); Tom Glavine is out until at least the All-Star Break, and Rafael Soriano constantly has pain in his elbow.

And let's not forget the freak accidents. Jair Jurrjens twisted his ankle on the dugout stairs last Tuesday in Chicago and Chipper Jones got hit in the face from his own foul-tip in batting practice last night. Thankfully he was alright and will be back in the lineup tonight, but remember he is still battling with a minor tear in his right quad. And in infamous Disabled List news, Mike Hampton will soon have a sex-change operation to complete his transformation into a graceful and delicate ballerina.

The outfield is in shambles, too. Mark Kotsay is on the 15-day DL with back problems (maybe his smokin' hot wife had something to do with it) and Matt Diaz has a strained ligament in his knee. Martin Prado has caused some stress for the infield when he was placed on the DL with a thumb injury. Pretty soon the Braves clubhouse will be added as a new wing in Grady Hospital.

Even the seemingly healthy pitchers are struggling. Blaine Boyer and Manny Acosta can't seem to leave the mound until they make the game "a little more interesting" (ahem, or 'blowing it' as they call it nowadays).

Consequently, this leaves us with Charlie Morton making his MLB debut tonight against the almighty Angels. Since the entire Braves outfield seems to be on the DL, perhaps a few "angels in the outfield" could help them out in Anaheim. Oh the childhood memories and terrible puns...

And now we've arrived to the point I was making with the title of my post. Sure, the Braves have been solid at home (minus this past embarrassing home stand), but having the major league's worst away record (8-24) isn't going to cut it. But there is one record they can easily beat: The Braves have lost 21 consecutive one-run road games, which ties the all-time record with the KC Royals. WE CAN DO IT GUYS! YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!

As I've alluded to in the title, the Celtics have scraped by their NBA playoff series with very few road wins. It's been the theme, especially when they faced the Hawks, after stretching the miracle series to 7 games. Since then, the Celtics have won key games on the road against the Pistons and now the Lakers. They're pretty much guaranteed a championship ring at this point. And why? It's because they won the games they needed to win on the road.

And if the Bravos can't start doing the same for ol' Bobby (and stay off the DL), then you fans might as well catch a flight to Richmond to see our soon-to-be major league starters.

...

2008-06-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

Yes......I'm an idiot.

more later

5 reasons the Celtics won't reach the finals

2008-05-21T03:56:00.005-04:00

If anyone else has been watching the NBA playoffs so far, you'll most certainly have noticed that the celtics have had their fair share of scares in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Although the semifinals were against a legit opponent that had arguably the best player in the league, the first round was played against a team that snuck into the playoffs with less than 40 wins (sorry hawks fans, but its kinda true that you guys got lucky). Not to say they didn't give the C's a run for their money, but the celtics should have and were expected to blast through the playoffs on their return to glory. so where has that glory of the green gone? where is KG's passion in the endgames?

Be scared celtic fans, because looming large tonight is the definition of a battle-tested playoff team. The Pistons have reached four straight conference finals after winning their title in 2004 and are hungry for a return to the finals, and if things hold up, i wont be surprised to see the Pistons, and not the celtics, squaring off against the west's champion.

here are my top 5 reasons why the pistons will win this series and reach the finals one more time.

1. Winning road games: During the regular season, the C's were the best team on the road, by far. With a 31-10 record, the celtics were the definition of dominance on the road. However, Since the start of the playoffs, they haven't won a single game on the road, dropping three games each in Atlanta and Cleveland. Even though they are extremely dominant at home, it will take more than that to beat Detroit. To win this series, the Celtics need to split the two games at the Palace to have a real shot of moving on.

On the other hand, Detroit has been the only team that has consistently won on the road these playoffs. they dispatched the sixers in six, closing out the series in Philly, and they routed orlando in 5 games, splitting the games played in Orlando. The odds are very low that detroit will give up more games than they already have at the palace, and the Celtics are not looking very certain of themselves at home.

2. Proven scorers: We all know about the "boston three party", but what you may or may not have noticed is how that became a two person affair in the Cleveland series, when Ray Allen couldn't hit the ocean if he tried (he shot a whopping .328 from the field on 20-61 shooting, including .167 from beyond the arc on 4-24 shooting). Paired up with the fact that Allen is mostly ineffective covering one on one, he was almost a non factor in the series. The scoring slack was picked up mostly by Pierce, with KG helping most of the time. Boston's bench was also wildly ineffective, with major stinkbombs in games 5 and 6 (3 and 10 points from the bench, respectively).

Detroit has four proven scorers who are capable of taking over the game. Billups, Prince, Wallace, and Hamilton are all capable of carrying the scoring load when the game is on the line, and run their half-court offense to perfection. Even Antonio McDyess is a solid big man, htough not the best scorer. Although they have been known to start off games in sluggish fashion, i tend to trust the pistons' scorers more than i have Boston's in these playoffs.

3. Coaching: Flip Saunders vs. Doc Rivers. We're talking about two polar opposites here. For the past 3 years, Saunders has been the definition of consistency, getting his team deep into the playoffs every year, and consistently ending the regular season in the top slots in the East. While many people forget this, Doc Rivers has actually been one of the worse coaches in Basketball for the same period of time before this year. In the playoffs, Rivers' flaws have been exposed while Saunders has remained cool and managed his team.

Rivers' has been incapable so far of setting an established rotation and keeping to it, substituting players randomly as if they were a hockey team and destroying Rondo's confidence in the process by constantly giving his minutes to Cassell, who, while he has playoff experience, it necessarily isn't good experience, and he tends to try and keep the ball for as long as possible and make forced shots whenever he can. Rivers has also proven inept at modifying his game plan when needed, refusing to cover a red-hot Joe Smith in the Atlanta series, and constantly ignoring Al Horford. Against the cavs, his over-attention on Lebron (albeit justified), left the rest of the team to run wild and seemingly score at will. Saunders managed to shut down Iguodala against the Sixers and severely limited Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard's effectiveness against orlando.

4. Experience: Now, this one may seem a bit of a stretch, but bear with me. The celtics have the big names (Garnett, Pierce, Allen), but their combined playoff experience leaves alot to be desired. Garnett had most of his experience in one season with the T'wolves, when they reach the second round, and went on to implode. Allen's experience follows the same line, and Pierce hasn't been in the playoffs since 2004.

The Pistons have more collective experience than any other team in the playoffs right now. They've kept the same core of players intact throughout their impressive run of conference finals. Because of this, the Pistons have developed a consistent game plan and are extremely adept at using it.

5. Clutchability: Simply put, the Pistons are a clutch TEAM. They showed it in game 4 of round 1 against the sixers. Down at the half, the pistons came out guns blazing and didn't look back until they were done with orlando. Chauncy Billups is perhaps one of the best playoff performers in the NBA right now, and Wallace, Hamilton, and Prince aren't far behind. The Pistons have showed time and time again that they can win when it matters, and they have an extra gear that is difficult to stop MOST nights (note: i wrote this while watching game 1, and the pistons looked extremely, well, un-clutch, but my argument still stands).

However, in this department, the Pistons have an ace in the hole, and his name is Paul Pierce. Even with the addition of KG and Ray Allen, it is always clear who is the leader on this team. KG may have pushed the team over the top with his passion and his chest-thumping near-psychotic energy, but Pierce has been the constant clutch for this team. KG plays like a scared kid when the game is on the line, shying away from the shots he needs to make and hesitating too much on his fade-away and easy looks. Pierce, on the other hand, in a brilliant display of clutch, outgunned LeBron in game 7 (even though he was outscored 45 to 41, Pierce's contributions to the C's were far greater, including his crucial steal of a ball LeBron should have had.) Pierce, however, cannot win without the other two parts of that threesome, and with Ray Allen's jumper somewhere between thailand and jupiter, its hard to see KG finally deciding to step up with two minutes left when the game is on the line.

So there you have it, i guess you can pretty much figure out my pick, but i'll write it down anyways, just so there's no confusion: Detroit in 7.
expect a crazy series, and don't blame me for being wrong......again.

5 reasons the Celtics won't reach the finals

2008-05-21T03:56:00.001-04:00

SEC Football Looks Bad... (off the field)

2008-05-12T15:33:00.003-04:00

Ryan Perrilloux will no longer be able to defend the national championship title. The prominent face of the 2008 LSU team will never take a snap for the Tigers after getting dismissed by Les Miles. He had numerous run-ins with the law in 2007 that included a nightclub fight and trying to use his brother's ID to go riverboat gambling, but he didn't make amends this Spring by missing team meetings and practices. Failing a drug test was the last straw and now LSU needs a new quarterback.

Jamar Hornsby, a Junior safety at Florida, has just been dismissed by Urban Meyer for using the gas credit card for 6 months of a woman who had been killed in a motorcycle accident.

In other Gator news, Florida defensive lineman Matt Patchan was shot in the shoulder in Tampa last Friday. No details have been released yet, but when you have a bullet in your arm it doesn't usually mean you were just "at the wrong place at the wrong time" in a library or at a church function.

Two Mississippi State players, Michael Brown and Quinton Wesley, have just been given suspended sentences for firing guns into the air on campus back in March and were dismissed from the team and kicked out of school.

In Nick Saban land, Freshman defensive tackle Jeremy Elder was kicked off the team following his arrest for allegedly robbing two other students at gunpoint a couple of months ago. At least eight players have been arrested from the Crimson Tide since Saban was hired.

I'm sure we can all agree the Southeastern Conference is the pinnacle of collegiate football, but boy, there have been several "personnel problems" recently that make the SEC look bush league off the field. We hear the college presidents get on their soap boxes and push sportsmanship rules on players and fans alike, and anointed the conference as the "Standard of Excellence". Sure the SEC has excellent teams in every sport available to our amateur athletes, but that excellence hasn't exactly been evident in newspapers and websites lately.

To be fair, the media loves to share negative stories more than they do heartwarming ones, so we fans don't get to hear about the generous and altruistic Kelin Johnson's of the world often enough. So for argument's sake, I am basing all of this negative attention on SEC football relative to the number of "big sports stories" lately. And I know SEC football players aren't the only troublemakers in the world of college football, but when you have this much bad press lately, it makes the conference look a Michael Vick prison league.

Oh Braves, not again

2008-03-31T23:45:00.002-04:00

Well, it's that wonderful time of year again. The grass is freshly cut and smelling great, the weather is turning warm to stay, and Atlanta's pastime is back in action. On Sunday night, the Braves played the role of sacrificial lamb in Washington as the Nationals won it on Ryan Zimmerman's home run in the bottom of the 9th to win the first ever game in their new stadium. You just knew that when the Braves tied it up late in the game that the baseball Gods would not let Washington's first game in their new house end that way.

The last time that the Braves were in such a position (to the best of my memory, that is) was after 9-11, when the first games after the tragedy were played. The Braves were in New York to take on the Mets, and I don't think anyone had a problem pulling for the Mets that night. As fate would have it, the face of Mets baseball, Mike Piazza, won it for the home team that night, giving the Big Apple the shot in the arm it needed.

After a suspect first inning last night, Tim Hudson settled in for a long stretch of fantastic pitching. Late in the game, the Braves tied, but the bullpen gave up the game winning home run in the bottom of the 9th to Washington.

On to Monday. Atlanta hosted Pittsburgh in the home opener, and the homecoming for Tom Glavine. As much dislike as I have acquired for Tommy since he spurned the Braves for an extra $6 million dollars to go to rival New York (when you are as rich as he is, can you really put a price tag on staying home?), it was good to see him back in Atlanta. He looked good too. He left with a game intact that the bullpen could win. But for the second straight night, the bullpen faltered.

What looked to be a lost cause being down 9-4 in the bottom of the 9th, the Braves not only rallied with those powerful bats, but with help from Pittsburgh's own attempt to give the game away, as well as a little luck (Jason Bay "misjudging" the ball with 2 outs).

But even after giving up the lead and allowing the Pirates to pad a huge lead, then letting the offense get back into the game, the bullpen once again showed its cracks, allowing a 3 run home run in the top of the 12th to put Pittsburgh ahead for good. Ultimately, the Braves fell 12-11 in 12 innings.

So a team that many are predicting to be NL East Champions, NL Champions, perhaps even World Series Champions is now 0-2, granted that those 2 losses were very close and hard fought battles down to the very end. It is very early yet.

But I am worried. I have been a Braves fan for as long as I was competent enough to watch and understand baseball. I have followed this team for years. I loved the run of division titles and probably did take them for granted. Now 2 years without playoff appearances has me restless. The main struggle that the past 2 Atlanta teams have dealt with would be bullpen pitching. This year, the pitching from top to bottom has been revamped, and they are now deep enough to make a deep playoff run. But after 2 losses in which the bullpen failed to hold for the powerful offense, I am beginning to question just a little. Is this the same bullpen of 2006 and 2007? Are we in for the same roller coaster ride once Hudson, Smoltz, Hampton, Glavine, or whoever the starter may be, leaves the game? This offense is talented enough to put up runs whenever it is asked to do such. It just doesn't need to do it multiple times a game after the 'pen has placed the team in a hole.

This is supposed to be a new Braves lineup, but so far the same faults and imperfections that have cost the team the past 2 seasons have cost them 2 victories on this young season. Let's just hope it's early season growing pains, and that the Braves turn things around quickly to get back to the summit of the NL East.

Georgia Bulldogs Pull off the Improbable

2008-03-17T14:03:00.003-04:00

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

The University of Georgia Bulldogs Basketball team accomplished one of the, if the not the most remarkable feats in SEC Tournament history. The team played four total games in order to grab the SEC Tournament Championship. Led by Sundiata Gaines, the Bulldogs played some inspired basketball and pulled off some late game heroics to win their games. In the first game it was an unexpected bank shot by Senior Center, Dave Bliss and in the second game it was yet another unexpected 3-point shot by Freshman Guard, Zac Swansey. The Third game was played against the Western Conference Champs, Mississippi State. This game would prove to be difficult as the Georgia Bulldogs had to play just hours after beating Kentucky(for the first time in tournament history). The Bulldogs were forced into this position by SEC officials because of the tornadic activity causing damage to the Georgia Dome the night before. The tournament was transferred to Alexander Memorial Colosseum on the Georgia Tech campus with limited amount of people allowed into the venue because of "security issues" and fairness complications. People allowed to attend included credentialed media members, Pep bands, cheerleaders, and family of the players. The atmosphere inside the basketball arena was weird to say the least. With all these problems the Bulldogs somehow pulled a win out, even with Gaines fouling out again. Luckily the team would have to play the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Championship game, instead of the Tennessee Volunteers. The Razorbacks had beat the Volunteers by one-point previous to Georgia beating Mississippi State. The Georgia team had made it to far to lose to the Razorbacks in the finals. With more fan support the Bulldogs never trailed in the final game and even had a largest lead of 19 points. The Razorbacks made it interesting by coming within three points toward the end of the game, but it was determination that won it for the Bulldogs.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

As a fan, the SEC Tournament was one of the most exciting sporting events I have ever witnessed. I sat on my couch with my eyes glued to the T.V. After the doubleheader on Saturday I was excited to watch Sportscenter hoping they would cover the story about the two games and in fact it was the first story they showed. I was glad that the Georgia Basketball team was getting national attention. Georgia Basketball has been a sore subject for some years and now something positive was coming out of the program. This tourney was for all the fans who have stuck out all the bad times that go along with being a Georgia Basketball fan. I have to admit that although I am a season ticket holder I did not attend every game this season because of the disappointment that came with the season, but now I feel more excited about the future. It hurts that Sundiata Gaines, the soul of our team, will be leaving and Dave Bliss also. Dave Bliss may not of been most talented of centers in College Basketball, but he sure has heart. He is a consistent player with a high basketball IQ. Sundiata Gaines I think is the most underrated player in the SEC and I am sure many Georgia fans would agree. I was happy to see him finally get a reward for his hard work. He gave so much to the program and it would have been a shame to see his efforts wasted. I think most of the credit goes to him. Thanks Yatta! Thanks Bliss! Good luck to them in their future endeavours.

I must also thank all the other players on the team and I will list what I think they contribute to the team(now and in the future):

Terrance Woodbury - In the tournament he proved to be a good 3-point shooter that pulled out some clutch shots. When Billy Humphrey was struggling Woodbury stepped it up. I think he provides us with an experienced G/F. We will need him next year to support our inexperienced PG.

Billy Humphrey - He struggled in the tournament, but made some crucial shots in the Championship game. He will be our starting SG next year if he can stay out of trouble. I like him when he is on his shot. He also has experience.

Albert Jackson- I don't know what he did, but he looked much improved in the tourney. Although at times he reverted to his usual play, I feel like he is developing. I liked to see the nice hook shots he made in the games. He still needs to work on his post moves and he also needs to learn not to travel as much, but he proved that he is improving.

Jeremy Price - He did not stand out much in the tournament, but he definitely made his shots and provided a big body for the defense. Throughout the season I like what I have seen from him because he definitely knows how to play basketball. I will enjoy seeing how he plays next season with more minutes.

Zac Swansey - He provided a shot that kept us in it and took over for Sundiata at times. We needed him especially when Yatta fouled out. I like him as our backup PG now and trust him to be our future PG. He handles the ball well and is a pass first guard.

Corey Bulter - I do not think people would guess he is a walk-on...he is that good. He deserves a scholarship. He plays well and tough. He is one of those players that fans like because of his effort.

Troy Brewer- I enjoy seeing him make 3-pointers. I think he will be important in our shooting game when we need to some shots from the outside. We will see more from him next season.

Chris Barnes and Jeremy Jacob - They both are injured, which hurts us because we only have 9 players total to play our games. From what they showed this season, I think that they will definitely develop into solid players for our team.

Extra thoughts:

1) I have to credit our great defense in the tourney. We may not have a prolific offense, but we sure showed that we can defend with the best of 'em. It got us into foul trouble at times, but I think we can work out the kinks and defend well in the tourney as well as next year.

2) I am looking forward to our next year recruits. Howard Thompkins will be a great addition to our front court. From what I have heard/seen about Dustin Ware, I think he will definitely battle Swansey for the starting PG position. He sounds like a really good player. The other recruit Drazen Zlovaric is a PF and will add depth to that position.

3) I think that we have pretty good chance of upsetting Xavier and maybe even winning our second round game(maybe go all the way!!!) because we are playing with nothing to lose. Of course as a Georgia fan I think we could beat anyone and hope we beat everyone and win the National Championship...now wouldn't that be a great story. Then it would be made into a great inspirational movie 10 years down the road.

4) Before the SEC tourney I wanted Dennis Felton gone, now I am not sure. He will retain his job according to Damon Evans. I think that after what has happened he deserves another year, but if progress is not made he should be released.

Thanks for reading if you made it all the way through.

-Ryan

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

WUOG Visits Braves Spring Training

2008-03-10T22:48:00.007-04:00

Greetings and salutations from Tim Kohrumel and Ryan Evans, who will be giving you an inside look at the Braves Spring Training for the next few days here at the Disney Wide World of Sports.

Let's start you off with the accommodations--Ron Burgendy would have lived it up big here at the Ramada where renovations have been non-existent since the disco era. But that gives it character.

Today was a day game with Jair Jurrjens taking the mound for his second start of the spring season. He looked solid, only giving up one hit in 4 innings. Detroit is going to be sorry for giving up this guy. He'll be a part of the 5-man rotation for sure.

Other things of note include old timer Javy Lopez getting his second homer of the spring...which also happened to be his second hit of the season. If he only gets homers for hits, that might be enough to give him a backup spot behind McCann. But that's probably unlikely at this point because he is hitting below .200 and his defense has been shakey. He admitted that he's pressing, but maybe Frank Wren will throw him a bone and give him a minor league contract in the meantime.

Jordan Schafer also is continuing to impress. He ended up with a double and two walks today, so the pop in his bat is continuing to...well, pop. Yes. Pop. He'll still play behind Kotsay this season, but he'll definitely be the starting center fielder in a year.

We were fortunate enough to sit behind the rarest of all baseball fans - the fan of both teams. He routinely would cheer for each batter, yelling "This is our inning! Get some RBIs!" only to cheer when the opposing team made an out. And as you would expect of a man of 60+, he was wearing his vintage Atlantic City hat sideways. Good thing the stereotypical Braves fan is apathetic, otherwise there would have been a bloodbath.

There was also the obligatory drunk and obnoxious Cubs fan there wearing Top Gun style mirrored aviators. Not sure if he knew where he was or who was playing. There was a "Massh*le" sitting in front of us (pardon the french) wearing a Red Sox shirt. Maybe those two guys were going to Epcot together tomorrow.

Words of warning to those of you wanting to come catch some spring training action. 1) Wear sunscreen and apply it evenly. Tim has a phallic looking sun burn running the length of his arm. He's not pleased. 2) If you are looking to try any local brews here in Florida, you are SOL. We've been to two bars/restaurants and the most eccentric beer choice is a Boston Lager and a Corona Light (this sadly includes the ESPN Club). Score dudez! Who wants a Bud Heavy and watch some NASCAR??? 3) If you really think there is some chance in this world that a hot trio of blonde females between the ages of 18-25 will be at spring training baseball games, you are going to be extremely disappointed. Women like Erin Andrews don't actually exist in the real world.

So tomorrow night, we'll shamelessly compete with 12 year-olds for autographs as we continue bringing you the inside scoop from Disney's Wide World of Sports. We'll leave you with a few pictures that I hope you'll enjoy.

Tex

Francoeur

Jurrjens

Tim and Ryan

Frenchy and Tex pt1

Frenchy and Tex pt2

Javy Lopez does the soulja boy before crankin' out a homer

Albert Pujols

Gators fans always find a way to top their infamous jean shorts. Classy.

UGA v UK

2008-02-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

I do a blog for a local paper so I figured I'd post here too.

This weekend, the almighty Kentucky Wildcats strolled into town in what promised to be an exciting game: The Dawgs were undefeated at Fort Stegeman while the ‘Cats had yet to win on the road.

I arrived at the Coliseum two hours early to ensure my place in the front row. The crowd slowly filtered in and excitement grew amongst the crowd. Free t-shirts were provided to boost a sellout crowd as well as the promise of Mark Richt presenting the Sugar Bowl trophy at halftime.

The Wildcats came out early to a chorus of boo’s and heckling fans (I amongst them). The main difference I noticed between the two teams in the early preparation was the focus of Kentucky compared to the loose demeanor of Georgia. The Bulldogs were talking and joking during the shoot around but I did not really notice any of the ‘Cats talking: each was preparing and getting mentally ready.

Dennis Felton then came through the student section and interacted with the crowd. I shook hands with him and he told me he appreciated my support. Felton has been receiving a lot of criticism lately for the team’s poor results but I stand by our Coach. He’s a good guy who is turning this program in a positive direction. Felton knew he would cost his team several wins by cutting Mercer and Brown but did it anyway. He cares about the prestige and class of UGA and I fully support that.

As the game was about to start I called out to my favorite player, Troy Brewer, and pointed at him. Yes, he pointed back. I was also selected to participate in the “dizzy bat race” during a T.V. timeout! It was very exciting to be out on the court in front of 10,000 people making a fool out of myself. Even better was that I got to talk to Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford! They were hanging out by the sideline and I asked Knowshon for some pre-race advice. He told me to “Finish the Drill.” Matt came up to me, shook my hand and asked who I was going against. I pointed and he said “Oh, you got him, man.” Well, turns out I didn’t…but the other guy cheated!

Before tip-off I wanted to note a few matchups: Ramel Bradley against Sudiata Gaines – two senior guards battling for pride and a late NBA draft pick -- and Jeremy “Big Dawg” Price against Patrick Patterson – two up and coming freshman with a lot of hype surrounding them. Unfortunately, neither one occurred. Bradley took a nasty fall about five feet away from me, hit his head hard on the court and never returned. Price didn’t get the minutes I expected (see below) and the match-ups became a moot point.

Overall the game was a thriller. There were so many lead changes I lost count. Once Georgia was down 11, I thought the game was over but the Dawgs came storming back late to take the lead. However, the win was not to be had. Patrick Patterson was a monster down low and Joe Crawford was so cool under pressure. Georgia had no answer for the dynamic tandem.

I was happy to hear Stegeman erupt at a few big three pointers, something I had yet to witness. A big UK fan who has been to Rupp Arena many teams (seats 24,000) said it was a hostile environment. That was quite the compliment

Two players I was impressed by: Terrance Woodbury and (you’ll never guess) Dave Bliss. Yes, Dave Bliss. I ragged on him hard in my last article (which he may have read…it can only explain his turnaround) but since then has performed better than ever. He’s scored double figures in his last three games and has been staying out of foul trouble. Woodbury took some of the heat off an anemic shooting performance from Billy Humphrey (2-9 FG, 8pts) chipping in twelve. Sundiata Gaines did exactly as expected: led the team in scoring and took over in clutch situations. He is The Man.

I do have to call into question the lack of playing time for our young forwards. Jeremy Price is our “highest-profile Bulldog newcomer” yet played three minutes. Three minutes. Jeremy Jacob is a four star recruit who I am a huge fan of did not leave the bench (but did flex his arms upon my request from the stand). I’m actually starting to wonder if he is in some academic trouble or doesn’t practice well because the guy can move in the paint. Troy Brewer came in with four minutes left and hit a three. Where was he the whole game? Humphrey had an off night!

Pretty soon, the coaches may have to come to an unfortunate realization: we’re not that good. The future of this program lies with the development of our prize recruits. Price is a big body who can use some work playing with the big boys. What better practice than against tough SEC power men? Jacob needs some playing time. From what I saw of Chris Barnes this weekend, he needs more minutes too! Playing Dave Bliss and Albert Jackson may get a couple more wins this season but long term; we need these young guys to get some experience.

quick-hit thoughts part deux.

2008-01-19T20:08:00.000-05:00

back here with the second half of Georgia-Arkansas

Again with the softness in the low point. All of Arkansas' points in the second half so far have come from inside the paint. Georgia's big men need serious work

Georgia needs to work on their fast breaks. only two points off the break in the first half and they had at least four opportunities off steals to convert. their transition offense needs serious work as well

The dawgs' half court offense is very stagnant. they don't create enough opportunities for shots, and are constantly pressured into bad passes and shots.

Georgia's bench on the court, playing very well. It's a great thing that the dawgs have good depth at every position (except for Center, see above) but their forwards are very good and look to have great future, they're all young.

Billy Humphrey from beyond the arc today: 3-5. this guy is really good. REALLY good

The more I see Woodbury play, the less I know about him. He's either really good, or really lucky, but he seems to be great when he gets excited, let's just hope he can stay excited for a long time.

Chris Barnes may be a little overexcited out there, but that's a good thing. He plays with passion, which is much needed for Georgia. Just saw him pull about 3 blocks in 6 minutes, plus a few boards and some great defensive assistance. This guy is gonna be great.

Rashard who? Albert Jackson is playing great. The Dawgs are getting a lot of blocks, which used to be Singleton's specialty, so that is being greatly compensated. Albert Jackson looks like a man possessed out there.

Its great to see sundiata gaines play. he's a pure, pass-first point guard, he's fast, and he hustles on every ball. It's going to hurt Georgia when he leaves. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill

Your Final Score:
Bulldogs 82, hogs 69.

See you next week vs. Kentucky.

quick-hit thoughts on Georgia-Arkansas game

2008-01-19T18:41:00.000-05:00

welcome sports fans to the quick-hit thoughts for tonight's game between the dawgs and the razorbacks. I'll keep you updated on what's going on with posts after the first half and at the final buzzer. feel free to tell me what you thought of the game:

1st half:

Georgia going into full court pressure early. i like the aggressiveness coach Felton is taking. Shows that he wants to win big tonight

The poor shooting from the perimeter continues for Georgia. they need to get better at shooting from the outside to have any real shot at winning in the SEC. They're to eager to take a shot without looking at their options early

The rebounding game needs some serious work. they're getting beat on both boards on easy rebounds

Billy Humphrey is making it look easy. he's a great scoring 2 guard, and has been great in the starter's role, is fast off screens and has phenomenal touch on his long range shots. his defense still needs a minimal amount of work, but he more than makes up for it on offense.

Georgia seriously needs a big man who can draw double teams. their poor shooting would be greatly aided by a big man who can draw constant double teams and clear up the perimeter for Georgia's shooters.

Chris Barnes is a phenomenal freshman. already he has a block, a massive dunk, and he looks like he's about to tear someone's head off constantly (in a good way). He's playing with grea energy, although he still needs some work on his mechanics in the pivot.

leading scorer with 7 minutes in the first half: Dave Bliss...who'd have thought? he's playing a great game. strong on the boards, fighting for every board and fighting for every single point he can get.

georgia has 8 turnovers in the first 14 minutes. most of them off very bad decisions and passes. its a recipe for trouble if they can't change it soon.

georgia has a big hole in the low post. Arkansas is getting big points simply lobbing it to the low post.

The Dawgs' big men need some serious work on their low-post offense. They can't work under the basket without dribbling the ball or falling into defensive traps.

half time score: Dawgs 34, hogs 27.

back with more in the 2nd half.