College BBall 2007/2008 Thread

[Agent Kev]

Suspending your top two scorers and a big man off the bench is gonna make it tough for Georgia to get a good start this year.

Line-up would have probably been:

C Dave Bliss/Rashaad Singleton (combine for about 8 PPG, 2bpg, 6 rpg)
PF Takais Brown (14 ppg, 6rpg) /Albert Jackson (2 ppg)
SF Terrance Woodbury (7 ppg but came on strong at end of year)
SG Mike Mercer (14ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg) /Billy Humphrey (8ppg)
PG Sundiata Gaines (11 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg, 2 spg)

will change to....

C Dave Bliss/Rashaad Singleton
PF Jeremy Price/Jermey Jacob/Chris Barnes (all Freshmen)
SF Terrance Woodbury
SG Billy Humphrey
PG Sundiata Gaines

We've got 5 Freshman coming in this year (the 3 forwards above) and 2 guards so obviously those guys will need to step up huge cause they will now get a lot of playing time at PF, and back-up C (Bliss and Singleton don't log too many minutes and Brown and Jackson play their some), SF, SG and PG.

Georgia suspends top two scorers, one other for chunk of games

Oct. 11, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports


ATLANTA -- Three Georgia players, including the Bulldogs' top two returning scorers, were suspended Thursday for violations of the school's new class attendance policy for student-athletes.

Coach Dennis Felton said Thursday that guard Mike Mercer has been suspended for 15 games, forward Takais Brown for nine games and center Albert Jackson for six games.

In an effort to boost the graduation rate of Georgia's student-athletes, athletic director Damon Evans introduced a policy last January that brings $10 fines and game suspensions for unexcused absences from class and academic appointments.

Felton said the players he suspended remain academically eligible by university, Southeastern Conference and NCAA standards.

"We are determined to raise the standard relative to student-athletes achieving in class and earning their degrees and not leaving Georgia empty handed," Felton said. "This policy is toward that purpose."

Georgia ranked last in the Southeastern Conference in graduation success rates for football and men's basketball in results released last week by the NCAA.

Brown led the Bulldogs with 14.2 points per game last season, while Mercer averaged 13.7.

Georgia opens practice Friday. The suspensions of Brown and Jackson will begin with the Bulldogs' exhibition game against Clayton State on Nov. 2.

The first game Brown could return for would be the second game in the Rainbow Classic tournament in Hawaii, meaning he'll miss games against Wisconsin and Wake Forest.

Mercer missed the last 10 games of the 2006-07 season due to a knee injury, and his lengthy suspension will begin after he has medical clearance to play.

"I understand that I violated athletic association policy and I accept responsibility for my actions," Mercer said in a statement released by the school. "I'm sorry for whatever negative impact my absence might have on the team this season.

"From this point on, I just want to focus my energy on being ready to help the team when I'm able to return."

Mercer can't come back at the earliest until after the start of the SEC schedule and will miss games against Gonzaga, Georgia Tech and the conference opener at Mississippi State before he can play at home against Alabama.

"We're going to be fine," Felton said. "One good thing is this is the first time we've had the kind of depth we have now, going into this season with 13 good scholarship players. I remain as excited as ever about our team."

Georgia finished 19-14 overall and 8-8 in the SEC last season but was only 5-5 after losing Mercer to his injury. Georgia lost to Air Force in the NIT Sweet 16.

The 6-foot-8 Brown was Georgia's most productive inside scorer in recent years, leading the team with his average of 14.2 points. He also led the team by making 56.6 percent of his shots while averaging 5.6 rebounds.

Jackson, who will miss the Wisconsin game but return for Augusta State five days before the Bulldogs face Wake Forest on Dec. 8, averaged 2.2 points as a freshman.

[Riley G]

I like what the unniversity is doing pushing education but when comes right down to it those 3 are probably going to be just fine w/out a unniversity education b/c they will probably being playing in the NBA someday.

[Jefferson]

I am looking forward to seeing UK with our new coach, new style, and new players.

[Agent Kev]

Georgia's Brown kicked off team, can keep scholarship


Oct. 26, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports


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ATHENS, Ga. -- Senior Takais Brown, Georgia's leading scorer last season who already was suspended for the first nine games this season, was dismissed from the team Friday.
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Coach Dennis Felton said Brown was kicked off the team for a violation of team policies but can remain at Georgia as a student.

"I'm both disappointed and sad today to release Takais from the team," Felton said in a statement released by the school. "He can continue as a student here at Georgia and will remain on scholarship. It is my hope that Takais continues his work toward earning his degree, which is certainly within his reach this summer."

Brown, a forward from Flint, Mich., led Georgia with 14.2 points per game last season.

He and two other Georgia players were suspended earlier this month for violations of the school's new class attendance policy for student-athletes.

The violation of team policy that led to Friday's dismissal of Brown apparently was different than the problems that led to the Oct. 11 suspensions of Brown, Mike Mercer for 15 games and Albert Jackson for six games.

When announcing those suspensions, Felton said the three had violated Georgia athletic department policy, not team policy.

The suspensions were the result of policy introduced by athletic director Damon Evans in his efforts to boost the graduation rate of Georgia's student-athletes. According to the policy enacted last January, student-athletes are fined $10 and suspended for unexcused absences from class and academic appointments.

Felton said the players he suspended earlier this month remain academically eligible by university, Southeastern Conference and NCAA standards. While Felton freely discussed the earlier suspensions, he provided no detail on the team policy broken by Brown, according to team spokesman Tim Hix.

[Agent Kev]

Georgia 107 Jacksonville St 65

Didn't watch the game but from reading the re-cap it seems like things went as well as can be expected with no Takais Brown or Mike Mercer. Georgia was up by 6 at half and then scored the first 21 points of the second half. Georgia had 3 freshman hit double digits (Jeremy Price had 18, Chris Barnes had 14 and Jeremy Jacob had 13 and 10 boards). Freshman Zac Swansey also had 10 assists off the bench. Rashad Singleton had a career night (probably due to the fact that Jacksonville St has no big guys) as he went for 16 points, and 10 boards. Humphrey also added 13 points. Sundiata Gaines got into early foul trouble and only played 14 minutes in the game- which led to Swansey getting the extended minutes. Georgia's next game is against Grambling next week, then they play Elon and then it gets tough real fast with a road trip to Wisconsin on Nov 24th.

[IWSfan4life]

UK just went down HARD to that no name D2 school. Biggest upset of the decade so far?

UNC, UNC, UNC, UNC!

-Jay

[Agent Kev]

Georgia kicked it's second player off of it's team this year. Mike Mercer is done so add him to Takais Brown. So Georgia will be without it's top two leading scorers from last year. Billy Humphrey was reinstated to the team effective tonight after serving a one game suspension for basically having a large pocket knife- he agreed to 80 hours of community service and staying out of trouble for a certain period of time.

Looks like Georgia beat Elon tonight to go to 3-0 against inferior opponents (looks like we only won by about 10, 76-65). Georgia plays at Wisconsin on Saturday. Then has 2 games and then gets Wake Forest. It will be interesting to see how well Gaines, Woodbury, Humphrey and the freshmen can perform in these upcoming games against tougher opposition.

Mike Mercer Dismissed From Bulldogs Basketball Team
Courtesy: UGA Sports Communications

ATHENS, Ga. --- University of Georgia basketball player Mike Mercer has been dismissed from the Bulldogs’ team for failure to adhere to team standards and policies, according to an announcement Monday by head coach Dennis Felton.

Mercer, a junior guard from Snellville, Ga., was already serving a 15-game suspension for violating UGA Athletic Association academic policy. He had missed the last 10 games of his sophomore season after he suffered injuries to his right knee in the Bulldogs’ win at South Carolina on Feb. 10.

At the time of his knee injury last season, Mercer was the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer at 13.7 points per game. He started all 23 games in which he played as a sophomore.

[Agent Kev]

Georgia 72 Wake Forest 50

This was ugly, ugly, ugly basketball. Georgia turned the ball over 19 times in the first half, 26 for the game and somehow won. Wake Forest on the other hand had 20 turnovers and only shot 31% for the game. Wake just couldn't get a good shot. I think it was part a hard-nosed Georgia defense (which wasn't great but it was decent) and the fact that they just never got into an offensive flow and have no go-to guys on their roster. This game was feeling eerily like the Wisconsin loss for Georgia in that Georgia was leading in the first half and had a good run to push out to about 10 and then Wake seized control at the end of the half and Georgia went into half up by 5 but Wake had the momentum. After half, both teams came out flat. Wake missed everything they shot and Georgia didn't even get a shot for the first 3 minutes cause they were busy turning the ball over. Somewhere over the next 5 minutes something clicked for Georgia and Terrance Woodbury came alive and then Sundiata Gaines remembered that he's unstoppable at driving the basketball and finishing plays. Georgia went on a big run in the second half by getting out on the break and knocking down shots and coasted to the victory.

The difference between the first half and the second was night and day. Georgia (and Wake) just looked abysmal in the first half. In the second Georgia finally came together and got into a flow. Woodbury came up big when he was needed and ended with 15pts, Gaines also got 15, 9 boards and 6 assists (to go with 5 turnovers). Humphrey also knocked down big shots down the stretch and ended with 10. If Georgia is going to do anything this year then these 3 guys must step up and be the guys that hit shots and make plays night in and night out. Freshmen Jeremy Price and Zac Swansey also looked pretty good as they were the two youngsters that stood out for Georgia (Price with 10 pts and 2 monster dunks and Swansey with 8 pts and 5 assists). Dave Bliss also played tough in the middle and the slow-footed big guy even blocked two shots. PF Albert Jackson played his first game this year (served a 6-game suspension) and looked good in limited minutes (due to foul trouble) although he did have some turnovers due to rust. One thing Georgia needs to improve on is not pounding the ball inside so much when they don't have a good post-up. This was one of the big causes of the turnovers in the first half as they just continued to throw the ball away in throwing it into the post where they don't have a guy who can score anyway. Price or Jackson will need to develop into some sort of low post scorer this year if Georgia wants to win in the Conference.

[Agent Kev]

March Madness!!

Big time shot by Zach Swansey on the turn around 3 with 1 second left to win the game for Georgia. Second straight game Georgia has won with a last second shot in Overtime. Georgia is showing a lot of heart this weekend. Next up is Mississippi State tonight. In the regular season Georgia played with Mississippi State but they just couldn't make a basket- Georgia shot 24% for the game and only lost by 11. Winning two games in one day would pretty much be a miracle but Georgia looked a lot more in shape at the end of the game than did Kentucky, who was just physically and mentally drained even though this was their first game in the tournament.