Know Your Enemy: Georgia Bulldogs
Earlier this week I watched the "Miracle 3" documentary on ESPNU. While it was impressive and saved lives, the biggest miracle three in the whole documentary belonged not to Mykal Riley but to Zac Swansey. Swansey, a little used reserve guard, came into the game after Sundiata Gaines fouled out. Zac dribbled down the floor, ignored the play call, and fired a off balance three after a spin move. It went in. Georgia went on to win the SEC tournament and secure a 14 seed in the NCAA tourney.
I've always had hard feelings against Georgia since then. It's not totally their fault. That whole tournament was an awful experience. I had been in the dome for two days watching awful game after awful game waiting for Kentucky to play. When the tornado hit, I thought helicopters were landing on the roof. I was with my then 78 year old Meemaw on the temporary bleachers. To sayI was concerned is to say Tierra is just kind of crazy. She's completely crazy, and I was completely concerned. We got off the bleachers and waited. And waited. And waited. When they finally let us gost and we were able to return to the hotel, I remember walking through Atlanta and having to step over wreckage and broken glass as I looked up to see windows broken out of the Omni Hotel and CNN Center. It looked like a scene out of a movie. When we finally got back to the hotel, they wouldn't let us go up to our room because it was above the 20th floor. They were still worried about the stability of the building. After a couple of hours they let us go to our room, where we grabbed our stuff and got in the car. We left Atlanta at about 6 in the morning after not sleeping one bit. We arrived in Nashville just in time to watch Kentucky lose to Georgia. A fitting end to a terrible experience. I say all this to say Zac Swansey shouldn't have made that three. We didn't deserve that.
Last Saturday at Arkansas didn't go well. This season has not gone well. We've been out hustled and out toughed on a night in night out basis. Those are facts. More facts: We are headed to Athens to play Georgia on Thursday and we need a win. They are your enemy. You need to know them.
Location:
I usually spend this portion of the weekly write up tearing down the place in which our enemy is located. I tell you how terrible it is and why no one would ever want to live there. That will not be happening today. When it comes to places in the world, Athens, GA is my favorite. I've traveled to Athens upon two occasions, both within the past year. Both have left me needing to leave due to a lack of hydration, yet also left me aching to go back.
There are restaurants and music everywhere you turn. Downtown, there are over 100 bars within five blocks. I don't know how anyone has ever graduated from the University of Georgia. Their degrees garner a level of respect from me that I've given only to my family, Rob Bromley's injury report, . and Doron Lamb's tweets. Georgia graduates have not only completed their classwork, they have displayed a level of self control of which most of us normal humans are incapable.
Athens is not the enemy, you guys. Georgia's basketball team is the enemy.
Notable Alumni and People from Athens (People named Bubba Division):
Bubba Watson (and his wife Angie)
Your reigning Masters champion who uses a pink driver and encourages the crowd to make noise on the first tee at the Ryder Cup is a Georgia graduate. He played golf for the Bulldogs. His wife Angie played basketball for the Lady Bulldogs and then went on to play in the women's professional basketball league the NBA pays for to satisfy title nine.
Bubba Sparxxx
If you are from LaGrange, GA and saw this picture and thought to yourself "Man, that looks a lot like my old pal Warren Anderson Mathis", you are not wrong. That is him. Warren Anderson Mathis is his christian name. He moved to Athens after high school and is now a southern rapper known as Bubba Sparxxx. If you're like most of us, you probably got your first kiss during his most notable song, "Ms. New Booty."
Cheerleader Scouting Report:
Is this a picture of the Georgia cheerleaders or Georgia cheerleader action figures? I'm going "action figures" because that grass looks too nice to be real. I'd also suggest cleaning up this mess of toys before that big storm in the background hits.
Basketball History:
Georgia plays its basketball games in Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. Their basketball history isn't good. They've made 9 NCAA tournaments, 2 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite Eight, and 1 Final Four. And that is all. However, this NBA Hall of Famer played for them.
Coach:
Mark Fox- Fox came to Georgia in 2009 from Nevada, where whe took the Wolfpack to 3 NCAA Tournaments in 5 years. Prior to being the head coach at Nevada Fox was an assistant at Kansas State and Nevada.
Since arriving at Georgia Fox hasn't experienced much success. He's had one winning season and took the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament in 2011. While I believe Fox is a fairly good coach, it's hard to win at a place where nobody cares about basketball. In Georgia fans' defense, I completely understand why you don't care about basketball. I've been to Athens.
Players:
Georgia plays 10 guys over 11 minutes per game, but it is definitely worth spot lighting one of them. He happens to be 2nd in the league in scoring and 8th in rebounding.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope- The 6'5'' sophomore from Greeneville, Ga is averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He plays 33.9 minutes a game and shoots 38% from three point range. Like me, one of his favorite TV shows is "First 48." Unlike me, he can dunk a basketball and has a knack for rebounding.
Last Meeting:
Kentucky and Georgia last met on the hardended wood on March 1st, 2012. The Cats made 15 threes on their way to a 79-49 victory. Darius Miller (17), Doron Lamb (13), and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12) all finished in double figures. The win propelled the Cats tot heir 45th regular season SEC crown.
Summary:
We've been saying it all week. We need two of our next three games to get into the tournament. Winning this game would be a stellar start to that. Following this game we have a home game against Florida that is difficult but not impossible to win if things go our way. However, let's say things don't go our way and we lose to Florida. We will have what amounts to another home game in Nashville next Friday night in front of what I predict will be a raucous blue and white crowd.
I like our chances to get it done.
@AFlenerKSR
I usually spend this portion of the weekly write up tearing down the place in which our enemy is located. I tell you how terrible it is and why no one would ever want to live there. That will not be happening today. When it comes to places in the world, Athens, GA is my favorite. I've traveled to Athens upon two occasions, both within the past year. Both have left me needing to leave due to a lack of hydration, yet also left me aching to go back.
There are restaurants and music everywhere you turn. Downtown, there are over 100 bars within five blocks. I don't know how anyone has ever graduated from the University of Georgia. Their degrees garner a level of respect from me that I've given only to my family, Rob Bromley's injury report, . and Doron Lamb's tweets. Georgia graduates have not only completed their classwork, they have displayed a level of self control of which most of us normal humans are incapable.
Athens is not the enemy, you guys. Georgia's basketball team is the enemy.
Notable Alumni and People from Athens (People named Bubba Division):
Bubba Watson (and his wife Angie)
Your reigning Masters champion who uses a pink driver and encourages the crowd to make noise on the first tee at the Ryder Cup is a Georgia graduate. He played golf for the Bulldogs. His wife Angie played basketball for the Lady Bulldogs and then went on to play in the women's professional basketball league the NBA pays for to satisfy title nine.
Bubba Sparxxx
If you are from LaGrange, GA and saw this picture and thought to yourself "Man, that looks a lot like my old pal Warren Anderson Mathis", you are not wrong. That is him. Warren Anderson Mathis is his christian name. He moved to Athens after high school and is now a southern rapper known as Bubba Sparxxx. If you're like most of us, you probably got your first kiss during his most notable song, "Ms. New Booty."
Cheerleader Scouting Report:
Is this a picture of the Georgia cheerleaders or Georgia cheerleader action figures? I'm going "action figures" because that grass looks too nice to be real. I'd also suggest cleaning up this mess of toys before that big storm in the background hits.
Basketball History:
Georgia plays its basketball games in Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. Their basketball history isn't good. They've made 9 NCAA tournaments, 2 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite Eight, and 1 Final Four. And that is all. However, this NBA Hall of Famer played for them.
Coach:
Mark Fox- Fox came to Georgia in 2009 from Nevada, where whe took the Wolfpack to 3 NCAA Tournaments in 5 years. Prior to being the head coach at Nevada Fox was an assistant at Kansas State and Nevada.
Since arriving at Georgia Fox hasn't experienced much success. He's had one winning season and took the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament in 2011. While I believe Fox is a fairly good coach, it's hard to win at a place where nobody cares about basketball. In Georgia fans' defense, I completely understand why you don't care about basketball. I've been to Athens.
Players:
Georgia plays 10 guys over 11 minutes per game, but it is definitely worth spot lighting one of them. He happens to be 2nd in the league in scoring and 8th in rebounding.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope- The 6'5'' sophomore from Greeneville, Ga is averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He plays 33.9 minutes a game and shoots 38% from three point range. Like me, one of his favorite TV shows is "First 48." Unlike me, he can dunk a basketball and has a knack for rebounding.
Last Meeting:
Kentucky and Georgia last met on the hardended wood on March 1st, 2012. The Cats made 15 threes on their way to a 79-49 victory. Darius Miller (17), Doron Lamb (13), and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12) all finished in double figures. The win propelled the Cats tot heir 45th regular season SEC crown.
Summary:
We've been saying it all week. We need two of our next three games to get into the tournament. Winning this game would be a stellar start to that. Following this game we have a home game against Florida that is difficult but not impossible to win if things go our way. However, let's say things don't go our way and we lose to Florida. We will have what amounts to another home game in Nashville next Friday night in front of what I predict will be a raucous blue and white crowd.
I like our chances to get it done.
@AFlenerKSR
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