Alabama: post mortem

This was a Mark Fox win through-and-through.  I don't mean for that to sound negative.  It's simply a statement of fact.  Consider these numbers, all of which Fox is likely thrilled about:

1. Georgia held a 48-26 rebounding advantage(!).  Just complete domination on the boards.  Georgia had 19 offensive rebounds and Alabama had 18 defensive rebounds.  Amazing.
2. Georgia held a 32-18 free throw advantage.  Georgia made 26 free throws and Alabama took 18.  Some of that was padded by J.J.'s free throw parade at the end of game, of course...
3. Georgia attempted 15 3-point shots.  Had they hit their normal percentage, the game would have been a blowout.
4. Alabama took 26 3-point shots, 4 more than their average.  Shannon Hale - a 30% shooter from distance coming in - took 7.  Justin Coleman - a 27% shooter from distance - took 4.

Fox has never been concerned with style points.  He wants you to take difficult shots, he wants to limit you to one shot per possession, and he needs just enough offense to win.  For one day at least it worked to perfection:

• It's a shame that Senior Day occurred on the front end of spring break, but the folks that were there got loud for Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann.  They deserve it.  I'll write plenty more about them in the future, but they've helped put the program on a much firmer footing.
• Houston Kessler had 5 offensive rebounds??  Well done, son.
• In 2 minutes, E'Torrion Wilridge had a rebound and a beautiful assist into the post.  I have this feeling we'll be wondering in 2 or 3 years why we didn't see more of him during his freshman season.
• Derek Ogbeide is a completely different player now than he was three months ago.  If he has a summer like Yante Maten had last year, Georgia is going to be lethal in the paint.
• Maten - just awesome.  He needs to cut the turnovers a bit...and that's literally the only fair criticism I can lob his way at this point.
• Seriously, though.  Maten running the break - two points.  Maten trailing the break - 2 points.  He makes stuff happen.
• Mike Edwards needs to shoot 5,000,000 free throws this summer.  His ceiling is high, but he is going to be visiting the line more and more.  31% isn't even close to getting it done.
• With that said, Mike also needs to keep running the floor the way he has been.  He routinely beats the defense down the floor.
• Donta Hall was robbed.  That putback dunk was beautiful, and it was absolutely not an offensive foul.  The officiating was uneven yet again, and for once it felt like Georgia was the beneficiary of the bulk of the bad calls.
• The crowd was not huge, but after Maten's fast break dunk, they sure were loud.  It sounded like a sellout for a few minutes there.
• Georgia kept Alabama in the game with 15 turnovers, many of them practically unforced.  This has been a bugaboo for years, now, so I'm not holding my breath that it will get fixed...

Fun game.  That's all.  Put it in the rear view.  Everything is one game at a time right now.  The moment Georgia starts getting ahead of themselves, they'll get beat.  So credit to Mark Fox - he had them ready to play.  Let's hope we're saying the same thing Friday morning.