Recruiting against China

Evan Daniels introduces a late entrant into the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes - China:

Brown, a 6-foot-7 athletic wing, has yet to make a college commitment and is considering five schools – Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA. But it’s not a foregone conclusion he plays college basketball at all.

“Absolutely,” Brown responded when asked if he would consider skipping college and playing overseas for a year.

Before you dismiss it as too much of a long shot,  understand that Emmanuel Mudiay's decision to sign with the Guangdong Southern Tigers has a lot of top prospects thinking:

That was huge,” Jaylen Brown, Scout.com’s No. 1 player in the 2015 class, said about Mudiay’s decision. “It’s starting a new culture.”

“A lot of guys are talking about if they could do that, they would,” Brown added. “There are a lot of things coming up that could be on the table for some guys. Everybody is interested and everybody is watching to see how he’s going to do and how it’s going to work out.”

Can you blame them?   Between his contract and endorsements, Mudiay stands to make a couple million dollars he otherwise wouldn't make by going to college.  Money isn't everything, but numbers that large are difficult to ignore.

Going overseas will not work for everyone.  There are cultural and language barriers.  There is often great distance from your friends and family.  There is also missing out on the college experience, which is something many of these kids have dreamed about for years.

If Brown were to pass on college for a pro contract, though, I can't say I'd blame him.  If offered a couple million dollars to relocate to China for a year, most of us would at least consider it.

In the end, I'd rather he play professionally in China than play professionally for Kentucky any day.

h/t Evan Daniels

Player profile: Kenny Gaines

Photo Credit:  dawnofthedawg.com

Previously:  Marcus Thornton 
Previously:  Yante Maten 
Previously:  Juwan Parker 
Previously:  Nemanja Djurisic 
Previously:  J.J. Frazier 
Previously:  Osahen Iduwe 
Previously:  Cameron Forte 
Previously:  Kenny Paul Geno 
Previously:  Houston Kessler 
Previously:  Dusan Langura 
Previously:  Brandon Young 

Kenny Gaines

Height:  6'3"
Weight:  200
Position: SG
Year:  Junior
Role:  Fire Starter

Overview:  If Kenny Gaines were 3 inches taller, we would be talking about him as a potential first round draft pick in 2016.  That's how high the ceiling is.

Gaines came to Georgia as a relatively modest 3* prospect out of Whitfield Academy in Georgia.  Rivals.com had him rated just outside the top 100 (127 to be exact), and during his freshman season, it was easy to see why.  There were moments when Gaines looked capable of taking over a game, and there were long stretches where he was just invisible.  A nothing-but-net 3-pointer would be followed by an airball.  From the beginning, it's been clear that Kenny is just a little streaky.

Last season, though, he got hot and stayed hot, especially from the 3-point line.  He twice hit 6 of them in a single game, and he led the SEC in 3-point percentage (45.1%) during the conference schedule.

Beyond that, his defense is stellar.  Just ask Marshall Henderson who, regardless of how you feel about him as a person, was the most dangerous scorer in the SEC the past two seasons.  If not for a really, really bad flagrant foul call his freshman season, we would be talking about how Kenny Gaines led Georgia to three victories over Henderson's Ole Miss teams.

Consider this 2 minute stretch in last year's game at Stegeman:

11:26		40-40	Kenny Gaines made Three Point Jumper. Assisted by Juwan Parker.
11:24	Foul on LaDarius White.	40-40
11:24		40-41	Kenny Gaines made Free Throw.
11:08	Derrick Millinghaus missed Three Point Jumper.	40-41
11:08		40-41	Nemanja Djurisic Defensive Rebound.
11:00		40-41	Juwan Parker missed Three Point Jumper.
11:00		40-41	Donte' Williams Offensive Rebound.
10:29		40-44	Kenny Gaines made Three Point Jumper. Assisted by Juwan Parker.
10:15	Ole Miss Timeout
10:11	Marshall Henderson missed Three Point Jumper.	40-44
10:11		40-44	Kenny Gaines Block.
10:10		40-44	Kenny Gaines Defensive Rebound.
10:10	Foul on Marshall Henderson.	40-44
10:10		40-45	Kenny Gaines made Free Throw.
10:10		40-46	Kenny Gaines made Free Throw.
10:02	Jarvis Summers missed Three Point Jumper.	40-46
10:02		40-46	Charles Mann Defensive Rebound.
9:31		40-46	Kenny Gaines missed Three Point Jumper.
9:31		40-46	Juwan Parker Offensive Rebound.
9:26		40-46	Juwan Parker missed Jumper.
9:26		40-46	Kenny Gaines Offensive Rebound.
9:11		40-48	Donte' Williams made Dunk. Assisted by Juwan Parker.

This was literally the most fun I had watching Georgia basketball last season.  The block at 10:11?  That was a Marshall Henderson 3-pointer (one of at least two Kenny blocked in that game alone).  The foul on Marshall Henderson immediately afterward?  A frustration foul, plain and simple.  This all happened in front of a sold out Stegeman which was as loud as it was all year after the 4-point play, and it broke open a game that would eventually be won by a single point.

The bottom line?  Kenny Gaines is good enough to take over a game at either end of the floor.  For Georgia to meet expectations this year, he's going to have to shake off the "streaky" label and bring it every single night.

Expectations:  This may be Charles Mann's team, but Gaines is no worse than co-pilot.  I expect big things from Kenny this year.

Offensively, Kenny is Georgia's biggest 3-point threat, so there can't be any regression in that area.  If that continues (and there's no reason to believe it won't), it opens the court up for Charles Mann.  That's huge since Mann is at his best when he's driving and getting to the line.

Defensively, Kenny is a pest, and I mean that as a compliment.  You stick Kenny on the other team's best scoring guard every single night.  If you like defense, you'll want to watch him work on that end of the floor.  He's tireless, and it's fun to watch.

Areas for Improvement:  Anything I say here will be nitpicky, but there are always thing to improve.

Kenny shot 77% from the free throw line, but his form is pure, and that number should creep over 80% this year.  I'd also like to see the 3-point percentage north of 40%, which would simply require a continuation of the way he was playing in conference last season.

Finally, I'd like to see a tad more aggression at the offensive end.  Gaines is athletic enough to get to the basket on his own, and if opposing defenses have to worry about him taking it to the rim, they can't over-commit to blocking his 3-point attempts.  In other words, it makes him a nightmare to defend.

2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About:  15.4/2.6/1/.5 points/rebounds/assists/blocks per game.

We're about 6 weeks away, folks.  Let's go Kenny, and let's go Dawgs!

Tech gets good news

Charles Mitchell can play immediately.  That's good news for Georgia Tech, against whom Georgia will open their season.

Mitchell is transferring, at least in part, to be closer to an ailing grandmother.  Selfishly, I wish he was going to suit up on the other side on November 14, but good for him.  Here's wishing an effective season on him, minus one game of course.

h/t ESPN

Decompression

It's Friday, and much of Dawgnation has a bit of a football hangover (pity the men of Troy).  That doesn't mean we can't engage in a little daydreaming over here at Rock the Steg.

So instead of spending our weekend thinking about what might have been in Columbia, let's spend it watching this video of Tevin Mack dominating the NBA Top 100 camp:

One thing is clear from that video:  Mack looks good in blue, but he looks great in red.  Wouldn't you agree?

Mack should be in Athens this weekend and Fox has been on him a long time.  Let's hope for a happy ending on this one.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

The pitch

Michael Carvell gives us a little more insight into the way Georgia is pitching him:

Earlier in the week, UGA’s Mark Fox gave his best shot with the 6-foot-7 forward from Wheeler High School.

“Mark Fox showed Jaylen exactly where his shots were going to come from on the floor,” Eastmond said. “He said ‘This is where we expect you to score. And this what we expect of you based on what we know you can do.’ Coach Fox talked about the talent level that he’s had in college — players that have gone on to become productive pros over the years, even when he was at Nevada.”

Georgia is not going to win this thing on facilities, or fans, or history.  If Brown chooses to come to Georgia it's going to be because:

1. He wants to stay closer to home.
2. He embraces the challenge and pressure of being the guy to put this program over the top.
3. He believes his NBA stock won't be negatively affected by coming to Athens.

Having just put KCP in the NBA (top 10, nonetheless) certainly gives Fox some credibility there.  However, Georgia still has a lot to overcome to close the deal on this one.

My gut says it comes down to Kansas and Georgia Tech, but I have no substantiating evidence.  I hope I'm wrong, because Brown would make this team competitive at a national level the instant he stepped foot on campus, and I'd love to hear "small forward from the University of Georgia" when he's shaking Adam Silver's hand in 2016.

h/t AJC

More off court trouble in Missouri

Kim Anderson may have trouble fielding a full team by the time the season rolls around.  Two freshman, including one-time Georgia lean Jakeenan Gant, were arrested on suspicion of assault.

Three players have been kicked off the team since last season (one for twice assaulting a teammate), and now four others have been arrested.  Not a good look, Mizzou.

Update:

They're suspended.

h/t Dave Matter

Return of Wiltjer

Remember Kyle Wiltjer?  He's with Gonzaga now, and the Dawgs will see him in New York.

He didn't do a ton of damage when he faced Georgia while playing for Kentucky, but I'd expect him to be more of a focal point with this year's Gonzaga team.  They are dangerous, and the matchup is shaping up to be a huge "opportunity game" for Mark Fox's team.

h/t ESPN

Jaylen Brown in-home visit

Mark Fox got a chance to visit Jaylen Brown on Sunday.  Not much else to report.  Brown tweeted out that he enjoyed the visit, but you'll find a similar tweet for every in-home visit he receives, so that's not very telling.

Then there is this:

Brown is leaning towards waiting until after his senior season at Wheeler to make his decision so he can evaluate the tons of coaching changes and early NBA departures that happen after every college season.

Anyone hoping for a quick end to this is going to be disappointed.  However, I think that's the right way to do it.  The depth chart is important, especially when you'll probably only be playing college ball for a year.

h/t AJC

Alley oop oop

Some very important video featuring our two newest commits:

Is it 2016 yet?

Crump and Harris stay in state

No. 7 Jordan Harris (in green) & No. 8 Tyree Crump (in white) are headed to #UGA. http://t.co/A4bJ15hwd8 pic.twitter.com/L29AfQFDQz
— HoopSeen (@hoopseen) September 10, 2014

Well, that was unexpected.

Even as Mark Fox struggles to round out the 2015 recruiting class, two big 2016 dominoes fall, and they land in Athens.

These commitments are big for a couple reasons:

1. They are Georgia kids.  We say often "if Georgia could just get keep some talent in state..."  Well, that's what's happening.
2. They are ranked Georgia kids.  To be more specific, Georgia is getting some ranked kids to stay.  Two top 10 Georgia players committing this early to the G is not something we see around here very often.
3. They are positions of need.  The most obvious holes in the roster in 2016 were those that would be left by Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines.  Fox just got highly regarded players at both positions.  Fantastic.

These two kids are friends and they committed together.  Well done, Fox and company.  I look forward to learning more about them and, eventually, seeing them in red and black.

Hopefully some of those 2015 targets see this and realize the future could be bright in Athens, GA...

h/t hoopseen.com

Swing and a miss

Malik Beasley, a consensus top 100 recruit and all around stud from Alpharetta, GA, has committed to play for Florida State.  Beasley committed immediately after taking his first official visit.  The news broke on Friday, but had I written this post then, it would have been far more emotional and far less measured.

To be quite frank, this one hurts.  Beasley had long been considered a UGA lean and, had he come to Athens, would have been the heir apparent at shooting guard behind Kenny Gaines.

Why does it hurt so much?  It hurts because Beasley is exactly the type of recruit Mark Fox needs to start getting on campus if he's going to keep the program rolling.  He's an Atlanta kid, he was on campus a lot (unofficially), and he would have filled what will soon be a position of need.  The fact that he was lost not to a traditional powerhouse, but instead to Florida state, makes it even worse.  Aside from the opportunity to play in a historically-great-but-currently-mediocre ACC, FSU has little to offer that Georgia can't match.

Also, it's not like the rest of the SEC is struggling to pick up commitments.  Check out the ESPN 100, and you'll find LSU, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas with one or more verbal commitments.  Not pictured?  Your Georgia Bulldogs.

The sky is not falling.  #64 Tevin Mack and #8 Jaylen Brown are still on the table.  Get Mack to Athens, and the class will be considered a success.  Get Brown to Athens, and the class is a home run.  Both, and you have yourself a grand slam.  However, the margin of error is now razor thin.

I give Fox a lot of credit for signing two quality kids at positions of need this spring.  Those signings on the heels of a pretty good season gave the program some momentum.  I have also been preaching for a while now that this 2015 class could make or break his tenure in Athens.  On Friday, that class got a little bit smaller.

h/t ESPN

Player profile: Marcus Thornton

Photo Credit:  redandblack.com

Previously:  Yante Maten 
Previously:  Juwan Parker 
Previously:  Nemanja Djurisic 
Previously:  J.J. Frazier 
Previously:  Osahen Iduwe 
Previously:  Cameron Forte 
Previously:  Kenny Paul Geno 
Previously:  Houston Kessler 
Previously:  Dusan Langura 
Previously:  Brandon Young 

Marcus Thornton

Height:  6'8"
Weight:  235
Position: PF
Year:  Senior
Role:  Pied Piper

Overview:  Marcus Thornton originally committed to play for Clemson after being named 2010 "Mr. Basketball" in the state of Georgia, but he was released from that commitment and allowed to come to Georgia when head coach Oliver Purnell left Clemson for DePaul.  Even though Mark Fox needed a little help to win the recruiting battle, it was a big get at the time.  Thornton appeared to be the kind of player that could come in and make an immediate impact.


He showed promise as a defender almost immediately during his freshman season, but Thornton's offense was nowhere near polished enough.  He looked timid and, at times, downright lost on the offensive end.  Nonetheless, he showed enough to get Georgia fans excited about his sophomore campaign.

Unfortunately, knee issues and mono took their toll, and Marcus never looked like the promising player he was coming out of high school.  Ultimately, a medical redshirt cost him most of the 2012-13 season.

Marcus easily could have packed it up at this point, but to his credit, he continued working hard and emerged in 2013-14 as a completely different player.  He led the team in rebounds, played tenacious defense, blocked shot, and flashed some quickness and fluidity on the offensive end.  Georgia's overall turnaround can't be credited to a single player, but the conversation probably starts with Thornton's resurgence.

I confess I'm not entirely objective on Marcus.  His quiet perseverance in the face of quite a bit of adversity (nagging injuries and sickness) have absolutely won me over as a fan.  I'll be sad to see him go, but I'm already looking forward to standing and applauding Marcus when Senior Day rolls around.

Expectations:  It's a good thing Marcus has broad shoulders, because there will be times when he has to carry this team inside.  Quite frankly, I expect a fantastic year out of the big fella.

His defense is fine.  Any improvement there should be considered a bonus.  The real question is what kind of improvement Marcus can show at the offensive end.  What we saw out of him last year was night and day from where he was his freshman season, but he still has issues finishing around the basket at times.  I suspect polishing up the post offense has been a point of emphasis with him, and I believe Thornton's scoring numbers will tick up a bit because of that.  Combine that with some steady defense, and he's a guy who could be in the team-MVP discussion once March rolls around.

Areas for Improvement:  Free throw shooting.  Marcus finished last season shooting 65% from the line.  That's a big improvement for him, and it got better and better as the season progressed, but he needs to keep working and get it closer to 75%.  The way Marcus plays, he will get fouled, and he has to make other teams pay when that happens.

2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About:  9.9/7.4/1.4 points/rebounds/blocks per game.

Let's go Marcus, and let's go Dawgs!

Full schedule released

We have a schedule!  Reprinted here:

November
N6 vs. Georgia Southwestern (Exhibition, 7:00 p.m.)
N14 at Georgia Tech (ESPN3, 7:00 p.m.)
N18 vs. Stony Brook (NIT Season Tip-Off) (Time TBA)
N21 vs. Troy (Time TBA)
N23 vs. Florida Atlantic (Time TBA)
N26 vs. Gonzaga (NIT Season Tip-Off @NYC) (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.)
N28 vs. Minnesota/St. John’s (NIT Season Tip-Off @NYC) (4:30 or 7:00 p.m.)

December
D2 at UT-Chattanooga (7:00 p.m.)
D7 vs. Colorado (Time TBA)
D21 vs. Seton Hall (ESPNU, 6:00 p.m.)
D27 vs. Mercer (Time TBA)
D31 at Kansas State (ESPNU, 4:00 p.m.)

January
J3 vs. Norfolk State (Time TBA)
J6 vs. Arkansas (ESPN, 7:00 p.m.)
J10 at LSU (ESPNU, 9:00 p.m.)
J14 at Vanderbilt (SECN, 9:00 p.m.)
J17 vs. Florida (CBS, 2:00 p.m.)
J20 vs. Ole Miss (SECN, 7:00 p.m.)
J24 at Miss. State (FSN, Time TBA)
J27 vs. Vanderbilt (SECN, 7:00 p.m.)
J31 at South Carolina (ESPNU, 4:00 p.m.)

February
F3 at Kentucky (ESPNU, 7:00 p.m.)
F7 vs. Tennessee (ESPN/2, 12:00 p.m.)
F11 at Texas A&M (SECN, 7:00 p.m.)
F14 vs. Auburn (FSN, Time TBA)
F17 vs. South Carolina (SECN, 7:00 p.m.)
F21 at Alabama (ESPN/2, Time TBA)
F25 at Ole Miss (SECN, 9:00 p.m.)
F28 vs. Missouri (ESPNU, 12:00 p.m.)

March
M3 vs. Kentucky (ESPN, 9:00 p.m.)
M7 at Auburn (SECN, Time TBA)

We'll dive in bit by bit later, but this is a schedule that can get Georgia to the tournament.  It has the right amount of non-conference difficulty, and a lot of the tougher games are at home.  Also, as of now, there's only one midweek home game scheduled for 9 PM.  Those tend to be attendance killers, but it's Kentucky, so attendance shouldn't be a problem.

h/t Seth Emerson

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/09/05/3284477_georgias-mens-hoops-schedule-officially.html?rh=1#storylink=c