Tag: nba draft 2020

Georgia men’s basketball announces new season attendance record

For the second consecutive year, Georgia’s men’s basketball has surpassed Stegeman Coliseum’s annual attendance record.

For the second consecutive year, Georgia’s men’s basketball has surpassed Stegeman Coliseum’s annual attendance record.

Attendance spiked following Tom Crean’s 2018 appointment as the Bulldogs’ head coach. When Crean managed to secure the commitment of 2019’s top high school prospect Anthony Edwards, excitement built further for Georgia basketball fans.

So, an average season with an above-average NBA prospect ended on a sour note against rival Florida. Georgia fans have every right to feel dejected.

Win or lose, however, Georgia faithful kept buying tickets to hoot and holler for the Dawgs. The Steg was packed and, oh my, was it loud.

A sure sign of an impassioned fanbase, the majority of the home crowd stayed until each game’s final whistle all year.

Mind you, that’s not just because of the fans’ recognition of the inevitably horrific post-game traffic splitting from Carlton Street toward either Lumpkin Street or East Campus Road.

The 2019-2020 Bulldogs’ hopes aren’t dead. There’s still an entire conference tourney left to be played.

Crean’s squad, which entered the campaign with high hopes, needs to win next week’s SEC Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Unless conference tournament results prove otherwise, the Dawgs are considered a bubble team for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

In that case, a conference quarterfinal or semifinal would ostensibly improve Crean and company’s chances, but after such an up-and-down season, nothing can be guaranteed (always the case in the sports) or even predicted (always the case in Georgia sports).

Should the Bulldogs receive an NIT invite, they have the opportunity of hosting another game in Athens, potentially adding to the season’s attendance record.

Opinion: No, Georgia basketball did not waste its only season with Anthony Edwards

After Anthony Edwards committed to UGA in February of 2019, many Georgia fans quickly deemed him the Dawgs’ deliverer from mediocrity.

Anthony Edwards arrived in Athens, Georgia to much fanfare.

Depending on which recruiting service you asked, Edwards was either the first- or second-ranked high school basketball prospect of the 2019 recruiting cycle.

After the senior out of Atlanta’s Holy Spirit Prep announced his commitment to Tom Crean’s Bulldogs in February of 2019, many Georgia fans quickly deemed him the Dawgs’ deliverer from mediocrity.

Reminder: this was over three months before Edwards had even graduated high school and over eight months before he would play in his first collegiate competition.

What is almost certainly the Dawgs’ only regular season featuring Anthony Edwards ends with an even 15-15 record. Unless the 2020 Bulldogs can replicate the results of 2008’s unlikely winners in next week’s SEC tournament, Georgia may not qualify for any further postseason play.

Crean’s squad, which entered the campaign with high hopes, needs to win the conference tourney to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Unless tournament results prove otherwise, the Dawgs are considered a bubble team for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

A quarterfinal or semifinal appearance in the conference tourney would likely earn them a spot, anything less would likely leave them out. But Georgia basketball fans probably don’t want to think of any more what-ifs.

Though plagued with blown leads and those pesky what-ifs, the Bulldogs’ 2019-2020 campaign was highlighted by several miraculous finishes, wins over Georgia Tech and Auburn, and a slew of NBA-worthy clips from Edwards.

All of that sounds bad. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not great. But here’s the thing: Edwards is still projected as the top NBA draft pick by more than one draft analyst.

This isn’t a moral victory thing. Anyone who watched Georgia’s men’s basketball team all season saw the team fold and surrender late leads on multiple occasions.

To me, a recovering pessimist constantly checking my peripheral vision for any sort of bright side, such results don’t blind me from what I’ve learned to see truth of the matter:

If a star player like Anthony Edwards can come into Georgia’s historically average basketball program and maintain his projected draft position while packing Stegeman Coliseum to the brim, it shows young local talent that they can do the same and receive that fanfare and adoration similar to Edwards’.

That is, before they go get a fat paycheck in the NBA.

Though not assuredly, this could prove vital for a program currently struggling to tread water alongside a strong and balanced Southeastern Conference no longer run just by traditionally powerful Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee (each of which can usually predict its two annual division games against Georgia as wins).

The Atlanta area is one of the highest-concentrated NBA breeding grounds in the United States. Georgia often lands local four-star recruits but very seldom secures commitments from upper echelon five-stars. The last was current Los Angeles Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2011.

Examples: 2018’s Ashton Hagans and E.J. Montgomery enrolled at Kentucky. Wendell Carter enrolled at Duke in 2017. Kobi Simmons enrolled at Arizona in 2016.

So, yeah, in the short term, this isn’t ideal. Especially knowing that .500 winning percentage could’ve been a .533 or a possibly a .567, or heck, maybe even .600!

But since I’m speaking in hypotheticals, Georgia could very well have lost some of their eventual dramatic victories, namely against SMU, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas.

Given what Edwards’ success could mean for the future of Georgia men’s basketball recruiting in the future, I choose to see this year’s 15-15 record as a glass half full.

Even in the short term, the Bulldogs’ hopes aren’t dead. There’s still an entire conference tournament to be played.

Georgia basketball earns much-needed win over Arkansas

Tom Crean’s Georgia Bulldogs came out on top over Arkansas in a contest filled with one-sided scoring streaks.

Needing a win to stay in contention for a first-round bye in the SEC tournament, Tom Crean’s Georgia Bulldogs came out on top over Arkansas in a contest filled with one-sided scoring streaks.

Amidst a season plagued with blown leads and resultant losses, Georgia faithful could never feel comfortable with the Bulldogs’ 18-point lead.

The visiting Hogs twice cut the lead to a single point before the home Dawgs sealed the game.

Projected top NBA Draft pick Anthony Edwards took over the final 1:07 of the game, scoring nine of his 26 points in crunch time. Edwards punctuated the game with a ferocious two-handed dunk that sunk Arkansas.

Fellow NBA prospect Rayshaun Hammonds posted 22 points and nine boards.

Despite a lackluster season for Georgia basketball, the NBA’s projected top pick Anthony Edwards has thrown together a rather modest highlight film in what will almost certainly be his only season in Athens.

Watch: Georgia basketball’s Anthony Edwards runs court, lifts for two-handed slam

The NBA’s projected top pick Anthony Edwards has thrown together a highlight film in what will almost certainly be his only season at UGA.

Despite a lackluster season for Georgia basketball, the NBA’s projected top pick Anthony Edwards has thrown together a rather modest highlight film in what will almost certainly be his only season in Athens.

For your viewing pleasure, our own James Morgan gathered and posted a compilation of Ant Man’s nastiest dunks sporting red and black.

In the Bulldogs’ home game against Arkansas, Edwards added another clip to his human highlight reel (if you’re reading this, Dominique Wilkins, we love you).

In the game’s closing moments, Edwards reassured fans that the proper phrase is “Dawgs on Top” as opposed to “Hogs on top.”

To emphasize, here’s another look at how Edwards sprinted down-court and embarrassed five other adults at once:

 

Georgia closed out the game to improve to 15-14 on the season.

Edwards finished the game with 26 points and seven boards.

Best Anthony Edwards dunks of the season

Georgia Bulldogs basketball star Anthony Edwards has had some great dunks this season.

It’s been a tough season for Georgia Bulldogs basketball. The Dawgs were able to get a big-time win over Auburn and a buzzer beater to win at Vanderbilt this week. Outside of those two wins, it has been rough in SEC play for Tom Crean’s young team.

Stud freshman Anthony Edwards is a reason to watch the Dawgs night in and night out. Edwards is projected as the top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Let’s take a look at the best highlight dunks Edwards has had this season. It starts with this poster at Vanderbilt on Saturday:

Edwards is the best dunker to come through Athens in quite sometime. Will he one day participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest?

He’d have a chance to win it with windmill dunks like this one:

Edwards may be UGA’s best dunker since Dominique Wilkins. The current top team in the 2020 NBA Draft is projected to be the Golden State Warriors. Edwards would be fun to watch with Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and more.

That last windmill wasn’t the only one for Anthony Edwards:

Which dunk is your favorite?

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

What does prospect James Wiseman leaving Memphis mean for Warriors?

Freshman star, James Wiseman— who’s been widely linked to the Golden State Warriors, announced he’s leaving Memphis to focus on the NBA draft. What does that mean for Golden State, who will likely have a top-pick in June’s NBA draft?

When you start to discuss the 2020 NBA draft, there’s a strong chance the name James Wiseman is quickly mentioned. The freshman phenom is noted as one of the best players available in the 2020 prospect pool, a 7-footer with a smooth jumper, paired with a 7-foot-6 wingspan at only 18-years old, its easy to tell why. However, his days playing college basketball in Memphis are officially over.

The one-time Tiger took to Instagram to announce he would withdraw from Memphis and sign with an agent to focus solely on the NBA draft. His decision comes during an up-and-down freshman season in Memphis, that only lasted three games.

Wiseman was ruled ineligible by the NCAA in early November after his family allegedly received improper benefits when Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway loaned Wiseman’s mother money when moving.

The NCAA later suspended Wiseman for 11-games, allowing him to return January 12, when Memphis plays Central Florida, but now the Tigers will be without their McDonald’s All-American going forward.

View this post on Instagram

Today I formally withdrew from the University of Memphis and I will be preparing for the next chapter of my life. Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. Throughout this process, I’ve asked God to ordain my steps and lead me in the right direction. God is my lord and salvation, and throughout this process he has comforted me. This was not how I expected my freshman season to be, but I’m thankful for everyone who has supported my family and me throughout this process. I want to thank the coaches and staff for all their support and my teammates for pushing me everyday at practice. I feel blessed for the opportunity to be a Tiger and for having the honor to play with these special group of guys. I can’t wait to see what all they accomplish this season. The friends and fans of Tiger Nation will always hold a place in my heart. #GoTigersGo 🐯🔵🐯

A post shared by James Wiseman (@bigticket_j13) on

The benefit to the Warriors lowly season is they’ll be awarded a high draft pick in 2020, giving them a chance to bring a player of Wiseman’s ilk to Golden State. Although Wiseman’s college basketball career is over, he’s still projected to be a top draft pick when the 2020 NBA draft rolls around. Wiseman’s size and ability make him a prime candidate to land in Golden State with their high pick.

The issue with Wiseman’s decision to walk away from Memphis cuts his college film down to only three games. Wiseman impressed in his three college games, averaging 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and three blocks, but is that enough to be picked in the top-five?

It’s obvious Wiseman has enough talent to earn the label of a high-lottery pick, but instead of live-action, most of the former Memphis Tiger’s evaluation will be based on projection and high school film.

Wiseman’s situation is comparable to Kyrie Irving’s time at Duke. Irving, a top recruit, only played 11 games in college due to injury but was still selected first overall in 2011.

If the Warriors championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green return healthy, Golden State could be back inline to contend as soon as 2021. With little film on Wiseman, it could take time to develop his pro-game while the Warriors could be looking for a player that will make an impact on day one.

With Wiseman off the college basketball radar, prospects like Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and Washington’s Jaden McDaniels come more into focus. Expect the Warriors to keep tabs on Wiseman still, but with others like Edwards and McDaniels in the limelight weekly, their names could rise up the draft board based on exposure alone.

Wiseman’s decision to step away from Memphis has officially tipped off the start of “draft season.”

Watch: UGA’s Anthony Edwards drops 37 on Michigan State

Georgia Bulldog standout freshman Anthony Edwards, who’s projected as a top NBA Draft pick, scored a career high 37 points in a loss to Michigan State. The third-ranked Spartans overwhelmed Georgia, much like the Dayton Flyers did yesterday. Anthony …

Georgia Bulldog standout freshman Anthony Edwards, who’s projected as a top NBA Draft pick, scored a career high 37 points in a loss to Michigan State. The third-ranked Spartans overwhelmed Georgia, much like the Dayton Flyers did yesterday. Anthony Edwards and company fought back and kept it close, but ultimately fell 93-85.

Georgia basketball will play again in the Maui Invitational tomorrow night at nine. Anthony Edwards is a reason to watch the Bulldogs play win or lose.

He made some spectacular plays against Michigan State and still has potential to grow much more as a playmaker. Edwards put on a show against Michigan State:

Edwards had an incredible pass here, but finished with only two assists and five turnovers. Edwards must continue to sharpen his distribution skills.  He also took 26 shots to score 37 points, so he will look to have more efficient performances moving forward.

Edwards made some big time plays on defense. He had a total of seven stocks (steals and blocks) including this beauty:

It will be fun to watch Anthony Edwards grow throughout the season. The Dawgs are now 4-2 and need a victory in tomorrow’s Maui Invitational finale. Georgia is going to need to improve to make the NCAA Tournament.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]