Was Kevin Stallings driving?

Well now, this is just getting ridiculous.  I had seen rumors in a couple places that "something else was coming," and this would appear to be it:

University of Georgia freshman basketball player Yante Maten was struck by a car as he was using a pedestrian crosswalk on the UGA campus last Sunday night, according to head coach Mark Fox.

Let's start by stating the obvious:  while the fact that Maten was hit by a car is in no way a good thing, the fact that he seems to have only suffered a concussion is wonderful.  Things could obviously have been much worse.

With that said...the worst-case scenario for Wednesday night is now pretty dire:

PG:  Mann, Frazier
SG:  Gaines
SF:  No one
PF:  Djurisic, Forte
C:  Thornton

If Parker plays, that helps, but there's no way Georgia will be anything resembling full strength headed to Nashville.

h/t Bulldawg Illustrated

Tonight's exhibition

Fletcher Page does some good work in giving us a few things to watch for tonight.

He starts out talking about Charles Mann.  I've been tough on Charles and his jumper, but Fletcher hits the nail on the head when he talks about what needs the most work:

The former Milton High (Alpharetta) standout spent this offseason attacking the weaknesses in his game, particularly his assist-to-turnover ratio. Mann dished out 2.9 assists while committing 3.4 turnovers a game, a stat he says he wants to improve this season. 

“I’ve been watching film and tightening up on my ball handling skills,” Mann said. “I feel like I’m a much better player than last year and have improved my decision making as well.”

We'll find out soon enough if this is just happy offseason talk, but if he really has cleaned up that part of his game, look out.

Page also touches on my favorite offseason topic, the emergence of Yante Maten:

The early word is the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder has impressed with his ability to score in the paint and also to use teaching moments in a constructive manner.

Rumor is that Maten played well in the secret scrimmage against N.C. State.  I'm really looking forward to taking this kid out of the box tonight and seeing what he can do.

Go read the whole article, and I'll see you tonight in Athens.

h/t Fletcher Page

Practice tidbits

Like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day, Marc Weiszer finally tosses some basketball news our way.  There are three videos - interviews with Mark Fox, Charles Mann, and Yante Maten - and a bunch of tidbits.  You should check it out, but I'll hit some highlights for you.

First, Mark Fox says what's on many of our minds:

“The goal for us is just to keep getting better,” sixth-year coach Mark Fox said, “but this is a team that I think can take another step forward if we stay healthy. We’ve got to continue to stay focused and really go into the season and the entire offseason with a response to success. …Do you stay hungry and driven after having some wins?”

Georgia has been slow out of the gate under Fox in the past.  This year, after tasting some success, it just can't happen.  From the opening tip, Georgia has to act like they belong.

He also continues cranking up the Yante hype machine just a little bit:

He’s shown good scoring touch around the basket and is a good rebounder.

“You see flashes where, `Wow, that play was easy for him to make,’” Fox said. “I think he’ll play significant minutes.”

It may just be coach speak, but don't underestimate a freshman post who knows where the basket is.  Some guys come into college as natural scorers (Trey Thompkins), and others go a full four years without ever really finding the cup (Chris Barnes).  If Maten can be more of the former, that can only be good news for Fox and company.  (as an aside, Yante looks pretty nervous in front of the camera, but here's betting he turns into a pretty good interview before it's all said and done)

Meanwhile, the effort to replace Brandon Morris is well underway:

With the dismissal this summer of starting small forward Brandon Morris after an arrest for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, the job at the “3” spot is “totally up for grabs,” Fox said.

The candidates include junior Cameron Forte and sophomores Kenny Paul Geno and Juwan Parker.

The 6-foot-7 Forte said he’s up to 217 pounds. He knows what’s key for him to be counted on.

“The key thing for me being on the court is me locking down and focusing more on my defense than my offense,” he said.

Fox said Georgia could turn to a three-guard lineup as an answer.

I think it's interesting Juwan Parker is mentioned as a candidate.  I would love to see more three-guard lineups out of the Dawgs this year.  Sounds like Fox may experiment with that after all.

And finally, two fantastic quotes from Fox.  The quote-of-the-day runner-up concerns the reason Fox didn't vote for his own team in the coaches' poll:

“You know what? We practiced so bad the day before I voted, I didn’t vote for them. I was mad at our team that day.”

The winner, though, concerns freshman Osahen Iduwe:

“He’s asked me to slow down,” Fox said. “He speaks five languages. I said I just need you to listen to a sixth. I don’t care if you can speak it, just as long as you can listen to it.”

Go check out the rest.

h/t Marc Weiszer

Player profile: Yante Maten

Photo Credit:  miprepzone.com

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 

Yante Maten

Height:  6'8"
Weight:  230
Position: PF
Year:  Freshman
Role:  Quick Study

Overview:  Last season did not end on a high note.  Georgia was run out of their own building and thrust early into an offseason that saw a team losing an effective-but-not-spectacular center and gaining nothing.  Literally, nothing.

As of April 4th, there were 0 high school basketball players committed to play their college ball at the University of Georgia.

I remember looking for something...anything to give me some hope when I stumbled across the Scout.com profile of Yante Maten.  A 3* power forward interested in Georgia?  The Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan interested in Georgia?  The ever-hopeful side of me thought maybe, just maybe he'll sign, but the realist in me knew it would never happen.

And then it did.

He must not have had any good offers, right?  Only Indiana and Michigan State.  He was only the Class A player of the year, right?  Unlike in Georgia, that's the highest classification in Michigan.  So he has character issues?  Hardly.  This guy looks about as well put together as a high school senior can be, and he comes with a supportive family too (check the comments...and not just here...check them anywhere Maten gets a mention).  Seriously, if you're not excited about this kid, I can't help you.

Maten and Iduwe signing when they did gave the program a huge shot in the arm.  Less than three months from now, Yante will be stepping on the court for the first time as a Bulldog.  Can he help keep the program rolling?

Expectations:   I originally had Maten as the 7th or 8th most impactful guy on the team for 2014-15.  Then Brandon Morris did his thing, and suddenly there were some additional points and rebounds to go around, and no one looked to be in a better position to grab them than Yante.  The reality is, Georgia is thin in the post (a broken record around these parts), and he will be thrown into the fire.  We will know pretty quickly if he is ready to play with the big boys.

Will there be growing pains?  Sure.  Is the Mark Fox offense easy to master?  No.  But me?  I believe in Yante Maten.  A rotation of Thornton, Maten, Iduwe, and Djurisic at the 4 and 5 doesn't scare me at all.  Much of the success of this team will ride on Marcus Thornton's wide shoulders, but I think Maten is more than up to the challenge of bearing some of that burden.

What I'll Be Looking For:  I want to see if Maten can play center at the college level.  6'8" might not sound like much, but not many college teams have the luxury of trotting out 7 footers.  It's possible to be that tall and defend/rebound/score big - think Marcus Thornton or Jeremy Price.  Is that who Yante is?  We'll find out soon enough.

2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About:  6.1/5.3/.1 points/rebounds/assists per game.

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

Happy Friday

Another quiet week in the offseason - which, as a Georgia sports fan, is music to my ears - leaves us with little to talk about, so instead of talking, let's watch this video of a follow-up slam by Yante Maten:

As I prepare to send in my season ticket request and get more and more excited about November, the question spinning in my head is simple:  are the freshmen ready?

The 2014-15 Georgia Bulldogs will have plenty of veteran leadership, but the reality is that they'll need production from the two freshmen - especially Maten.

See you Monday for another player profile which may or may not be Yante Maten himself (ok, yes, it's definitely going to be Maten).  Only 4 players left.  Can you believe it?

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Maten and Iduwe sign

Yante Maten and Fred Iduwe have both officially signed, so you can breathe a sigh of relief if you were at all worried something might go wrong (and if you were not at least a little bit worried, you haven't followed Georgia basketball long enough).

Here is what Mark Fox has to say about Maten:

"Yante is more of an offensive player than Donte' was," Fox said. "Donte' was a terrific, I mean a terrific defender, and a very versatile defender. Yante is mobile like Donte', but a better offensive player out of the gate than Donte' was."

And here is a little bit about Iduwe:

"He's a bigger frame guy than Donte', but he has a lot of those characteristics than Donte' had as a defender," Fox said.

I have said here before that I believe Donte' Williams was an undervalued piece of the puzzle this past season.  It sounds like Fox agrees with me.

The good news is, it sounds like the combination of these two guys should be able to replace him and then some.

Maten may not have all of the defensive upside that Donte' possessed (though Iduwe certainly seems to), but he shot 66% from the field his senior year in high school.  Even against over-matched high school kids, that is a fairly eye-popping number, and it suggests he may be able to replace the 4.9 ppg that graduated with Williams fairly easily.

Of course, this is all coach speak and gut feel, and every recruiting class is the best recruiting class until they lace them up and get on the court.  Regardless, welcome to the Dawg Nation fellas.  We're glad to have you.

h/t Seth Emerson

ead more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/04/16/3059208/fox-breaks-down-his-two-big-men.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/04/16/3059208/fox-breaks-down-his-two-big-men.html#storylink=cpy

When God is for you

The AJC has some more details surrounding the recruitment of Yante Maten:

Although Maten has been contacted by other colleges this week – and the courtship will likely continue until he officially signs his UGA papers next Wednesday — his mother told the AJC that the Bulldogs have nothing to worry about.

“Yante remains faithful to God, and because God told us to go Georgia, he will remain faithful to God because that’s what God said to do,” said Maten’s mother, Toiya Paige. “He could have chosen any school but he decided to go where he was told to go. And he remains obedient to that.”

Sounds like it's time for Daniel Giddens and Jaylen Brown to start praying.

Seriously, though, quotes like this should get you excited:

 “Georgia won the lottery and doesn’t realize it yet. He took our team on his back and carried us to the state finals in Michigan, and we weren’t even supposed to be there. We’re a blue-ribbon school where we produce academic scholars, not basketball players or football players. What Yante did for (our high school) is awesome.”

I also wouldn't worry too much about the star rating.  Yante himself realized he had not lived up to his potential before his senior season.  That's why he didn't commit in the early signing period.  Sure enough, he had a monster year, and offers from powerhouse schools like Indiana and Michigan State started to show up.

Oh, and how about one more tidbit?  Maten's mother attended Michigan State.

Is it proof that the tides have turned on Georgia recruiting?  Not necessarily.  That remains to be seen with the all-important class of 2015.   It is a big win though, and the more I read about this young man, the more excited I am to see him in red and black.

h/t AJC