Swing and a miss

I normally like to keep things positive on Friday, but yesterday news came down that James White would be playing his senior season of basketball at Georgia...Tech.  This is a baffling decision on so many levels, and it admittedly scuffs up my spirited defense of Mark Fox's recruiting from a few weeks ago.

White averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks last season at Arkansas-Little Rock, and he said he was looking for a place to go and make the tournament in his senior season.

Georgia is coming off a tournament berth, returns most of their key players, and has a glaring need in the post (where White plays).  White would have made them a near-lock to return to the tournament in 2016.

Georgia Tech is a sinking ship.  They finished near the bottom of the ACC, their coach is a dead man walking, and their one position of relative strength is the one White will try to man next season.  He'll be competing for playing time with Nick Jacobs and Charles Mitchell, and, you heard it hear first, he will not go to the NCAA Tournament.

So what went wrong here?  In recruiting, you always have to account for the "kids do strange things" factor.  With Tevin Mack, it was pretty clear from the outset that he liked Georgia just fine, but he didn't love Georgia.  With White, though, it felt different.  Every indication was that he was all but a lock in Athens, and Mark Fox even got his final visit.

I have no inside information, so I can't answer the question.  I can tell you, though, that Fox has to fix it.  You could probably build an all-star team out of the kids for which Fox has finished second at this point.  Are we not doing something on our official visits that other schools are doing?  Are we getting over-confident and not closing the deal like we should?

I don't know, but I know it's time to fix it.

[AJC]

Mack to Texas

Tevin Mack is gone to Texas, which should come as no surprise.  That doesn't make it any less disappointing.

The pitch he cited was the ability to play right away.  Either Wilridge scares him, or that's just an excuse.  He never seemed to love Georgia, so it could be he's just saying the right things.

Regardless, Georgia still has one spot, and if it gets filled, it'll be a graduate transfer.  Don't be surprised if James White steps into that spot.

Head on over to Georgia Basketball Blog for the full recruiting skinny.

[ESPN]
[Georgia Basketball Blog]

Farewell, Nemanja Djurisic

Let's take a moment to appreciate those who won't be lacing them up again for the Bulldogs next season.

Previously:  Taylor Echols
Previously:  Cameron Forte

Nemanja Djurisic

Relevant Career Totals

• 131 games played
• 8.6 ppg
• 4.4 rebounds per game
• 36% 3-point

Now You Know

Since 1997-98 (the time period available at www.sports-reference.com/cbb), Nemi is top 20 in career SEC minutes played (3188), offensive rebounds (209), and defensive rebounds (372).

My Favorite Nemanja Djurisic Moment

It's hard to pick one moment with Nemi, and that's simply because there were too many great moments to choose from.  His skill was evident from the first time he took the court, and his improvement was steady and, ultimately, quite dramatic by the time his senior year rolled around.

I loved his little soccer volleys before inbounds plays.  I loved his shooter's mentality (the next one is always going in).  I loved his slow-but-effective European post moves.

But my favorite moment comes from way back in January, 2014.  That's when Georgia announced themselves as a player in the SEC by going on the road and beating Missouri, and it never would have happened if not for Mr. Djurisic.

Farewell, Nemanja.  You're a DGD, and you're welcome around these parts anytime.

Scheduling news

Georgia will play at Baylor on January 30th as part of the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.  ESPN has it as the 6th best game in the lineup.

Quick:  what is Mark Fox's record against ranked opponents as coach of the Georgia Bulldogs?

My math says 7-29.  That is...not good.  Odds are that Baylor will be ranked, and we will be in their gym, so it's an excellent chance to pick up a big time non-conference win in front of national TV eyeballs.

I guess what I'm saying is, go ahead and circle that one on your refrigerator magnet.

[Ledger-Enquirer]
[ESPN]

Farewell: Cameron Forte

Let's take a moment to appreciate those who won't be lacing them up again for the Bulldogs next season.

Previously:  Taylor Echols

Cameron Forte

 

Relevant Career Totals (Georgia only)

• 64 games played
• 3.7 ppg
• 2.4 rebounds per game
• 1 offensive rebound per game

Now You Know

Forte was extremely productive considering his relatively low playing time.  He averaged 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks for every 40 minutes on the court.  Cam was instant energy off the bench, and his numbers bear that out.

My Favorite Cameron Forte Moment

The game winner against Alabama, right?  Actually, no.  That was a huge shot (perhaps the biggest of 2014-15), but my favorite moment came on January 17th in the wire-to-wire victory against Florida.  Highlight not available, unfortunately, but Cam caught the ball at the free throw line, put it on the floor, went left, and spun to the basket for a layup.  It was one of many "no no yes!" moments from Forte, and it produced two of my favorite points this season.

Farewell, Cameron.  You're a DGD, and you're welcome around these parts anytime.

Farewell: Taylor Echols

It's hard to turn the page and focus on 2016 before the class of 2015 is even finalized (and we all hope it is not), so let's take a moment to appreciate those who won't be lacing them up again for the Bulldogs next season.

Taylor Echols

 

Relevant Career Totals

• 48 games played
• 1.4 ppg
• 36% three point percentage

Now You Know

Taylor attempted 65 shots in his career and only three of those shots were from inside the 3-point arc.  He was 0/3.

My Favorite Taylor Echols Moment

Georgia was without Kenny Gaines in the 2015 SEC Tournament semifinal match-up against Arkansas, and everyone had the Razorbacks winning.  Turns out everyone was right.  No one told Echols, though, and he scored 10 points (15% of his career output) in the second half to keep things interesting.  Having a national TV audience watch you rain threes in the SEC Tournament isn't a bad way to end your career.

Farewell, Taylor.  You're a DGD, and you're welcome around these parts anytime.

Jaylen Brown to California

Jaylen Brown has committed to California.  Most Dawg fans saw the writing on the wall a while ago and knew he wasn't coming to Athens, so there's no need to be too upset.

In fact, instead of being upset, just find your closest Tennessee Volunteer and remind them that the guy they ran out of town is bringing in two top 10 recruits along with a 4-star small forward and a 3-star wing.  That should make you feel better.

And if you're still in the dumps, just mull this over:

On the flip side, Brown continues a surprising run of misses for Kentucky this spring. John Calipari and the Wildcats have now missed on all of their five-star targets in the last month, including Brandon Ingram (No. 3), Cheick Diallo (No. 7), Malik Newman (No. 10), Stephen Zimmerman (No. 12) and now Brown.

[ESPN]