Tag: stegeman coliseum

Former Georgia star Anthony Edwards struggles in Timberwolves loss

Former Georgia star Anthony Edwards did not have his best game against the Bucks.

After going viral earlier this week thanks to a massive dunk, which was followed with a hilarious postgame interview, former Georgia basketball star Anthony Edwards is beginning to look like he was worthy of being the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Last night, though, in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Edwards struggled. He shot just 3/13 (3/8 3PT) and had 4 turnovers while scoring just 9 points in 28 minutes. Minnesota would lose the game 139-112.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etrtycyQpfI

The Timberwolves rookie has had a solid first year, posting an average of 4.1 points per game, but he had his best showing to date last week against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Versus Los Angeles, Edwards put up 28 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal while shooting 5/10 from deep.

Anthony Edwards has impressive game against Lebron James and Lakers

Former Georgia basketball star Anthony Edwards goes for a career night against Lebron James and Lakers in their second career matchup.

Two No. 1 overall NBA Draft selections went at it Tuesday night in a very exciting matchup.  Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers got the best of former Georgia guard Anthony Edwards and his Minnesota Timberwolves, but not without a fight.

Edwards, who was selected first overall by the Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft, put on a show against arguably the greatest basketball player to ever walk the planet, dropping a career-high 28 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal.

Midway through the third quarter, tied up at 68 a piece, Edwards lined up James and cashed a three pointer right in his grill to put Minnesota up three.  You could see Edwards’ excitement oozing out of him after hitting a shot most kids can only dream of.

WATCH:

Lebron closed the gap and took care of business, winning by a score of 112-104.  He finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists on 65% shooting.

Edwards is playing very well so far, averaging 14.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists.  He still trails fellow rookie LaMelo Ball, who leads all rookies in points, rebounds and assists per game.  Edwards is currently second in rookie points per game, trailing Ball by just a mere .05 points.

Georgia’s Anthony Edwards goes No. 1 in latest 2020 NBA mock draft

Georgia basketball SG Anthony Edwards is projected to be selected first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Star Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards declared for the NBA draft this past September, following an absolutely electric freshman year at UGA.

Edwards averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Dawgs during the 2019-2020 season.  He has been in the talks of being a top three pick in the draft this year, along with Memphis center James Wiseman and the Illawarra Hawks point guard LaMelo Ball.

In NBC’s final version of its 2020 NBA Mock Draft Edwards goes No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NBC’s Top 5:

  • 5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin (Dayton, PF)
  • 4. Chicago Bulls: Deni Avdija (Maccabi Tel Aviv, SG/SF)
  • 3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball (Illawarra Hawks, PG/SG)
  • 2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman (Memphis, C)
  • 1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (Georgia, SG)

There isn’t quite a consensus on who is the best of these three but Edwards, Ball and Wiseman present the biggest upside in the draft.

Here’s what NBC’s Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes had to say about Edwards going No. 1 over the other two prospects:

Despite all the momentum for LaMelo Ball to be the first pick, we are sticking with Edwards who presents a super high ceiling due to his explosive athleticism and makes a perfect fit within the core Minnesota is building around. Fit often doesn’t determine the first overall pick, but it may in a year like this with little separating the top three guys. Edwards could be an ideal complement to Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell as a slasher on the wing.

Edwards would fit in with Minnesota very well.  They have their stars in point guard D’Angelo Russell and center Karl Anthony Towns but could use some serious help at the shooting guard position.

Edwards would provide the Timberwolves with a great wing threat that could add a whole new aspect to their offensive scheme.

If Edwards is to go No.1, he will be the first Georgia Bulldog to ever do so.  The closest to that accomplishment are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the No. 8 pick in 2013 and Dominique Wilkins at the No. 3 pick in 1982.

The 2020 NBA Draft begins tonight at 7:00 P.M. ET on ESPN.

Anthony Edwards projected to go No. 3 in 2020 NBA mock draft

Georgia G Anthony Edwards is projected by Rookie Wire to go No. 3 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft to the Charlotte Hornets.

The 2019-20 NBA season came to a close this October as the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned champions of the world for a record tying 17th time.  With the end of last season here, now it’s time for teams to focus on the future and look towards the ever so close 2020 NBA Draft.

Starting just last week, team personnel have been allowed to visit potential draft prospects in their hometowns in order to make evaluations.

For the first time in seven years, the Georgia Bulldogs have a lottery pick in the mix.  Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who just won his first title with the Lakers, was selected 8th overall in 2013 by the Detroit Pistons.

Rookie Wire released their 2020 NBA Mock Draft 6.0 earlier this Thursday, giving great insight as to what teams are thinking based on their draft position and needs.

Of that list of 60 picks, Anthony Edwards is projected to go No. 3 overall to the Charlotte Hornets.

The list has two superstars in front of Edwards in the NBL’s LaMelo Ball going No. 1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton going No. 2 to the Golden State Warriors.

Here’s what Rookie Wire had to say about Edwards and the fit in Charlotte:

“The Charlotte Hornets need a bona fide star on their roster, and that kind of potential is exactly what Anthony Edwards offers.

The 19-year-old wing is someone whose teams have been built around him, boasting an absurdly high usage rate through AAU and college competition. But the Hornets can give him the keys to the team as their franchise alpha, riding with the highs and letting the lows be learning experiences for his development.

During his freshman year at Georgia, his scoring output increased as the season progressed. He scored extremely well within five feet of the rim, and he can be an above-average defender by virtue of his athleticism alone.”

Many experts see Edwards going No. 1 or No. 2 behind Ball but the fit does seem right in Charlotte.  They’ve had a lack in scoring for years, especially now that Kemba Walker is no longer with them.

Edwards averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his one season at Georgia.

The 2020 Draft is scheduled for November 18th and will be aired live on ESPN.

Georgia basketball lands forward PJ Horne, its third graduate transfer

Georgia basketball has secured Virginia Tech graduated transfer PF PJ Horne for the upcoming 2020 season.

Tom Crean has landed yet another transfer to play for Georgia in 2020.

PJ Horne, a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, has decided to take his talents to Athens and join the Georgia Bulldogs.

Horne is originally from Tifton, Georgia, and was the No. 208 overall player in the 2017 class, according to 247Sports.

Horne, the 6-foot-6, 230 pound power forward, averaged 7.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season with the Hokies.

Only six UGA players are returning from the 2019 season, which has left a lot of work for Crean in the recruiting department.

Just a week prior to Horne choosing the Dawgs, Andrew Garcia, a shooting guard graduate transfer from Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York, signed with Georgia.

April 26th was the day of the first graduate transfer signing for Georgia with George Mason University transfer shooting guard Justin Kier putting pen to paper.

The Dawgs now have eight new faces joining the roster.  That’s more players than are currently on the team. Five of those eight will be incoming freshman, along with the three graduate transfers.

UGA now has the No. 29 recruiting class in the country, and No. 8 class in the SEC.  You can view the full list of Georgia basketball’s 2020 recruiting class here.

Georgia basketball rounds out 2020 recruiting class with graduate transfer SG

Tom Crean and Georgia basketball round out the 2020 recruiting class with graduate transfer SG.

It was announced Wednesday that Tom Crean has rounded out his massive 2020 Georgia men’s basketball recruiting class of seven players.

Only six UGA players are returning from the 2019 season, leaving a big hole to fill for Crean’s Bulldogs. Anthony Edwards and Rayshaun Hammonds are two players that will not be returning, as both are headed to the NBA Draft.

The newest addition to the 2020 freshman class is Andrew Garcia, a shooting guard graduate transfer from Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York.

Garcia stands at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds and could be a very nice addition to the Dawgs’ young team.  He averaged 13.4 points per game for Stony Brook last season.

Garcia seems to be the full package and has lots of collegiate experience under his belt. He has a big frame for a shooting guard, can drive and finish strongly, can shoot the three, and can defend and block shots exceptionally well.

Crean sought out a great ball players that will most definitely help Georgia next season. It will be interesting to see how Garcia does in the SEC compared to the American East Conference that Stony Brook plays in.

Watch Garcia’s redshirt junior season highlights here:

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.

Georgia basketball sets season attendance record

Anthony Edwards and company have helped the Georgia Bulldogs basketball program set their single season attendance record.

In what’s been an up and down basketball season to say the least, the Georgia Bulldogs have set their record for single season attendance. At 15-14 the Dawgs have had a somewhat disappointing season. UGA had arguably their best basketball recruiting class ever and is now 12th in the SEC.

Fans can pat themselves on the back for supporting the team throughout a tough season. A huge factor in Georgia’s impressive attendance is freshman stud Anthony Edwards. Edwards is projected as the top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean thanked the fans following the Dawgs’ win over Arkansas this Saturday:

Anthony Edwards and Tom Crean have helped energize Georgia’s program, but can the Bulldogs make a run in the SEC Tournament. Georgia will have to win the SEC Tournament in order to make the NCAA Tournament.

Georgia set a new attendance record last season. With better home attendance, UGA will win more home games and have a better team. Georgia has gone an impressive 12-4 at home this season.

The fans are making a difference as they do throughout college basketball (look at home-away records for every team). Georgia can get even better at home. Elite teams in the NCAA rarely lose at home. Tom Crean and the young Bulldog team will be better on the road next season. This year’s 3-8 record won’t cut it for UGA to make the NCAA Tournament.

Feb 1, 2020; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Anthony Edwards (5) encourages the crowd to make noise during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Edwards has been a treat to watch!

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Georgia basketball hosts Austin Peay in Athens

UGA basketball hosts Austin Peay in final non-conference home game of season

The Georgia men’s basketball team will play host to Austin Peay Monday night in Athens, before traveling to Memphis on Saturday. At 8-3, the Bulldogs are on the outside looking in for March right now, but still in position to slip into the dance.

In order to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2015, Georgia will have to beat the Governors at home on Monday and hover just above .500 in conference play this winter. Then, the Dawgs will likely need a pair of wins in Nashville for the SEC Tournament, especially with the conference having a down year outside of Auburn.

Heading into tonight’s contest, the Bulldogs are -12.5 point favorites per ESPN for their 7:00 tip and looking to extend a perfect 7-0 record at home. Meanwhile, Austin Peay comes into the game with a 6-6 record, 0-5 on the road for the season. According to ESPN’s BPI, the Bulldogs have an 82.1% chance to win on Monday, with all stats pointing in the home team’s favor.

Freshman guard Anthony Edwards leads Georgia in scoring with 19.7 PPG, while Terry Taylor averages 23.5 for the Governors. The Bulldogs are currently averaging 82.5 points per game, as opposed to Austin Peay’s 78, but give up 76.3 in relation to the Governor’s 75.3

For those not attending the game at Stegeman Coliseum, you can watch on ESPN+ or listen to GeorgiaDogs.com

Let’s finish out the home non-conference slate with a bang. Go Dawgs!

Georgia basketball secures win over Georgia Southern

A trio of freshmen helped propel the Georgia Bulldogs men’s basketball team to a home victory over Georgia Southern this Monday night.

The Georgia Bulldogs outlasted a scrappy Georgia Southern team Monday night at Stegeman Coliseum by a final score of 73-64.

The Dawgs were led to victory by a duo of freshmen.  Freshman forward Toumani Camara shot a perfect 8/8 for 16 points and tacked on 7 rebounds and an assist to top it off.  Going with that was Anthony Edwards’ 23 points on 50% shooting, as well as 3 rebounds and 4 assists.

The 16 points out of Camara were his collegiate career high and Edwards remains the #1 freshman scorer in the country with his 23 piece.

Georgia Southern put up a fight for the entirety of the game.  Their zone defense was working until Edwards closed it out with a few big buckets late down the stretch in the 2nd half.  Georgia Southern’s Ike Smith led all players with 25 points on the night.

With Georgia down 60-59 and under 4:30 left in the game, Edwards had a consecutive assist, dunk, layup, dunk and dunk without Georgia Southern scoring to give the Dawgs a 69-60 lead and close out the game.

Here are two of his dunks from that clutch 2:30 stretch:

Edwards has been special all year, living up to the hype that has been surrounding him.  Right now he is a projected top-5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

UGA head coach Tom Crean credited freshman guard Sahvir Wheeler and Toumani Camara on their defensive effort in the game.  “We won the game because of what we did on defense.  Sahvir and Toumani didn’t come out of the game at all in the second half, two freshmen just rallied it up in a big way, we earned these two victories.” said Crean in a postgame interview.

The Bulldogs advanced to 8-3 on the season with the win and will face Austin Peay at home next on December 30th.

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