Tennessee does it again

Oh hey, Tennessee, how's it going?  Not so good?

Not so good:

The University of Texas at Austin has hired an independent investigator following allegations of academic fraud within the men’s basketball program. The allegations were brought to light in an article published in the Chronicle of Higher Education last Wednesday.

The school announced Monday that it had hired former NCAA infractions committee member Gene Marsh to head the investigation—a decision made by the university’s new president, Greg Fenves.

The article highlights instances of academic fraud involving three former Texas players—Martez Walker, P.J. Tucker and J’Covan Brown—including one in which a professor saw Walker cheating on an exam but still allowed him to pass the class. Tucker was said to have received help on a paper while preparing for the NBA Draft, and a former academic mentor said that he helped Brown write papers on multiple occasions.

The allegations were made public just 13 days after the Longhorns canned head coach Rick Barnes, who is now head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers. On a conference call Tuesday, Fenvus told reporters that Barnes’ dismissal—which came after 17 years at the helm in Austin— was not a result of the allegations.

The Volunteers hired Barnes following the dismissal of Donnie Tyndall, who was fired after the university learned of his involvement into a series of academic violations that occurred during his tenure at Southern Mississippi.

Pretty remarkable run of hires Tennessee has going.  I'm sure, though, that they "vetted him" just as thoroughly as they vetted Tyndall, right?

[Deadspin]

“When we won a couple of those games how we won them...I just didn't think we'd lose."

If there's a silver lining to Georgia's loss to Kentucky in Stegeman last season it's just how painful it made the loss to Wisconsin in the Final Four:

"When we had a four-point lead with five minutes to go (against Wisconsin), I don't think there was anybody in the universe that didn't think we were winning the game, because we always did."

Fortunately, there were at least a few guys in red who thought they had a chance...

[Vaughtsviews.com]

This 2015 class

I've been quiet lately, but it's not because there's nothing to talk about.  So what did I miss?

Let's go all the way back to May 7 and a Marc Weiszer Q&A with Dan McDonald of Rivals.com.  In it, they talk recruiting, specifically the class of 2015:

ABH: The transfer of Cameron Forte opened up a spot on the roster. Who could Georgia add this late in the process for 2015?

DM: “The top option would be to get Tevin Mack, who just opened up (after signing with) VCU (before Shaka Smart left for Texas). He picked VCU over Georgia back in the fall, but I’m pretty confident when I say Georgia was the second choice then. They’re in pretty good there. He just visited (Sunday). Texas and Kansas are trying to get him, so that will probably drag out a couple more weeks.

The other option they’re looking at is a fifth-year post player from Arkansas Little-Rock named James White. He’s a pretty good player, originally from Georgia (Jonesboro). Those are the two main options right now at that spot.”

Off to a bad start here.  Let's pretend that question never happened...

Seriously, though, will the lack of a graduate transfer in the post go down as one of Fox's biggest misses in his time at Georgia?  My gut right now says the Bulldogs can overcome it with the talent on the roster, but leaving an open scholarship is something you almost never want to do, and Georgia has now done it two years in a row.  I don't think the whiff on James White is going to cost Georgia a trip to the tournament, but it will probably cost them a win or two along the way.

There's more good news than bad, though:

ABH: What do you like about what’s already assembled and signed in the 2015 class?

DM: “I liked that they added another ball handler in Will Jackson. He’s another versatile 6-5 guy who can play all three spots in the backcourt, kind of like Charles (Mann) does. Will is another guy that can shoot pretty well, and in college you can never have enough shooters. Derek Ogbeide was a huge get because he’s a guy that can come in and is physically ready to contribute right now, maybe not from a skill standpoint but from an athletic and strength standpoint he can come in and be a presence inside. Mike Edwards is the other post they got, maybe not next year he won’t be quite as ready to make a high impact, but off the bench he can play 10, 15, 20 minutes and grow into a good player. E’ttorion Wilridge, he basically replaces (former small forward) Brandon Morris. He’s kind of that 6-7 versatile wing that maybe can play the 4 for you. I think they did pretty well in this class.”

Two things excite me about this class.  One, Will Jackson and E'torrion Wilridge are both rumored to be good shooters, and as Dan says, you can never have too many of those.  Even with the losses of Djurisic and Thornton, Georgia shouldn't lack for scoring options this year.  Two, Derek Ogbeide seems like the real deal in the post.  He won't light the nets on fire in year 1, but if he can bring the defensive presence Yante Maten did last season, those two should be a nice duo down low.

So if we agree things are going better on the trail, the question becomes...why?

ABH: You’ve had high praise for Fox’s 2015 class and 2016 is off to a good start. Why is Fox having more success on the recruiting trail these days?

DM: “The first thing is obviously when you win, going to the NCAA Tournament this year and the NIT last season, those were steps in the right direction. Obviously that’s a big thing. The changes to staff with Jonas Hayes and Yasir being vocal guys — they just have bigger personalities to begin with. I think those two have done a good job vocally and closing the deal with these kids. They’re upgrades as recruiters. And the last thing, I think Coach Fox has changed a little bit. I think Jonas and Yasir have kind of changed him a little bit. He went outside of his comfort zone in hiring those two and I think it’s helped change him and for the better.

“One thing I think Coach Fox has always done is identify the kids early, but they’ve had a hard time closing out when it comes time to make the decision. I think they’ve done a good job helping that part out.”

This isn't rocket science.  The first answer is simply because Fox has hired better recruiters, and better recruiters recruit better.

The second answer is one I've been espousing around here since day 1:  just win baby.

[dobbytesonline.com]

Farewell, Marcus Thornton

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
Previously:  Nemanja Djurisic

I regret that it has taken me so long to post this.  Marcus Thornton goes down as one of my favorite Dawgs to cheer for, well, ever.  The personal fortitude it took to overcome early illness and injury was remarkable.  That he did all of that while transforming himself from a high school small forward into one of the SEC's best post players is just incredible.

Marcus Thornton

Relevant Career Totals

• 133 games played
• 6.2 ppg
• 5.0 rebounds per game
• 36% 3-point

Now You Know

Marcus improved his free throw percentage every year on campus, from a low of 41% during his true freshman campaign all the way to a high of 69% during his redshirt senior season.  His attempts increased each season as well, peaking at 6.6/game.

My Favorite Marcus Thornton Moment

If it was hard to pick a single moment with Nemi, it's near impossible with Marcus.  His game isn't flashy.  Unfortunately, what could have been his best dunk instead turned into a season-defining play for Georgia (and not in a good way).

If pressed, though, I'd say the disastrous tournament in Charleston stands out in my mind.  Why?  Because that's when a finally-healthy Marcus Thornton started to flash some of the post presence that would ultimately transform his career.  None of the lines he put up were spectacular, but the pieces started to fall into place.  The body was there.  The spin move was there.  The rebounding was there.

I left that tournament dejected, but I also left thinking, "Hey, Marcus may be onto something here."

It's too easy to get lost in what-ifs with Marcus.  What if he had been healthy from the start?  What if his knees never gave out?

Let's not play that game.  Instead, let's be thankful we had Marcus at all, by all accounts as good a citizen off of the court as he was a player on it.

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

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.