Tag: tom crean georgia

This Tom Crean story from a student manager is absolutely wild

Georgia men’s basketball coach Tom Crean is catching heat from former players, student managers, members of the media and more in Athens

Tom Crean, the Georgia men’s basketball head coach who previously led the Marquette and Indiana programs, has been to talk of the town lately in Athens.

Entering his fourth season as coach of the Bulldogs, Crean has slightly improved the team’s overall record each year, but failed to meet the most basic expectations.

Crean still has not reached a postseason and likely would have missed the NIT and NCAA’s in 2019 with No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Edwards.

Mar 4, 2020; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Anthony Edwards (5) controls the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Now, the longtime basketball coach is struggling to find even three or four-star recruits to join him in Athens, as several players exit the program.

At this point, who could blame them? Just Monday, UGA Wire reported on the text Crean sent Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell when he picked Louisville over Crean’s Hoosiers.

In addition, Crean has had his fair share of outbursts while at Georgia.

Now, UGA Wire has learned that Crean reportedly cussed out a student manager in practice for not opening the diet Coke brought to him on the court.

Another student manager called Crean “the worst person you could ever work for” …

With all the stories that have been uncovered on Crean over the years, it makes perfect sense why no basketball recruit would want to come to Georgia right now.

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have hurt the Dawgs in being able to show recruits the campus of Georgia and in the transfer portal. It is a chaotic time in college basketball, but even with all the excuses Crean has in his book, Georgia can do better.

Feb 27, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Tom Crean reacts during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Just last week, Crean stated the reason for Sahvir Wheeler leaving the program stemmed from his desire to play closer to home.

Wheeler announced his ‘Top 10’ on Monday, with the vast majority of his schools being twice as far from home as Athens was.

Tom Crean is running this program into the ground faster than a Mecole Hardman kickoff return. If Georgia wants to have any hope of competing in men’s basketball ever again, the time is now to end this atrocious era.

To make matters worse, it appears every former star in the program cannot stand the guy.

This is just embarrassing for Georgia at this point.

It’s time to end the Tom Crean experiment

The Tom Crean experiment needs to be over in Athens

Just last week, Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean lost point-guard Sahvir Wheeler to the transfer portal after leading the SEC in several key stat categories.

The rising junior was expected to lead a more experienced Georgia team onto the floor next season with fans hoping to see Crean develop his roster into an NCAA Tournament caliber ball club.

However, the Dawgs have lost practically their entire starting roster to the transfer portal, with KD Johnson and Jaxon Etter being the lone role players returning.

Couple that with the fact Crean was recruiting 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC and you already had a massive problem on hand in Athens.

Then comes Sahvir Wheeler’s ‘Top 10’ announcement on Monday. Wheeler was rumored to be looking into playing closer to home, but it is now clear the point guard just wanted a new environment.

Wheeler’s comments here add even more concern for fans of the Bulldogs, who were already pulling hair out from Crean’s efforts leading the program.

The general consensus amongst much of the Bulldog faithful is that Crean will get one more year due to his massive buyout at $7.2 this season. If Georgia elects to fire Crean without cause next year, that figure drops down to $3.1 million.

However, it is well past time to let Crean go.

The program is in complete disarray, worse than where it was when Crean found it just three years ago.

Georgia has nothing left to lose by firing Crean, as the current recruiting class is still in the basement of the conference and expectations for 2021-2022 are at an all-time low.

It’s understandable that Georgia is a football-first school in terms of financial spending, given the sheer size of the fanbase and the revenue football brings in.

However, if Sanford Stadium can receive 436 upgrades over a few years and 257 other football-related buildings can be built, then Crean can be let go and Foley Field improved for students on campus.

Make the decision, Georgia. Either get rid of Crean and go hire Jonas Hayes or simply state you are too cheap to fire Crean and waiving the white flag on your men’s basketball program.

And remember, I’m not saying the Dawgs have to compete with the likes of Duke, Kentucky, UNC, UCLA and Kansas here.

I’m simply stating that Georgia can do better in basketball without Tom Crean.

Go get Hayes, hire a few former players like JJ Frazier as assistant coaches and make a run at the NIT’s and NCAA’s.

Firing Mark Fox was supposed to be a move towards relevancy in men’s basketball. Instead, it has turned this program completely on its side.

The only excuse one can make for Crean at this point is his $7.2 million buyout. Auburn football paid Gus Malzahn over $21 million to go away. Malzahn was still finishing above .500 every year with two SEC West Division titles and a trio of wins over Alabama.

What has Crean done for Georgia basketball other than landing the homegrown Anthony Edwards, who was already projected No. 1 in the NBA Draft before playing for Crean.

If you can’t shore up the money to get Crean out of Athens, then maybe there shouldn’t be a men’s basketball program on campus.

Right now, this program is the equivalent of Vanderbilt football or Missouri baseball to the conference. Being a Top 5 academic school in the SEC, with the recruiting hotbed of the Atlanta metro and the financial strength UGA has, there is no excuse to be this bad year-to-year in men’s basketball.

Get rid of Tom Crean or go give the basketball funding to Scott Stricklin and the baseball program to make consistent runs at SEC Championships and Omaha.

Heck, Joni Taylor and the women’s basketball team could use that funding too.

Make the move, Georgia. We’re bound to read a tweet from Crean on building DWade or Victor Oladipo here shortly. Maybe some of his former Georgia players can eventually make that wall of his instead of receiving a cardboard cut-out…

Geesh.

Georgia basketball’s Toumani Camara enters transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs basketball star Toumani Camara is the latest Dawg to enter into the NCAA transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs basketball star Toumani Camara is the latest Dawg to enter into the NCAA transfer portal. Coach Tom Crean and the Georgia Bulldogs are reeling following another disappointing season.

Toumani Camara was arguably Georgia’s best player throughout the 2020-2021 basketball season. Camara scored 12.8 points per game and secured an average of 7.7 rebounds per game.

Camara, who is from Brussels, Belgium, helped Georgia go 14-12 last season. The Dawgs finished 7-11 in SEC conference action.

Georgia’s basketball program faces a critical season next year. Tom Crean’s seat is heating up and the Dawgs have a weak recruiting class that is rated No. 69 in the country.

Right now, things are not looking great for the basketball program. If several players transfer, then the Bulldogs may have to rebuild yet again.

The 6-8 sophomore forward’s pending transfer is a tough blow for a Georgia program that is struggling. The Bulldogs have not made the NCAA Tournament since the 2015 season.

Feb 27, 2021; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia’s Toumani Camara (10) shoots the ball against South Carolina center Tre-Vaughn Minott (50) at Stegeman Coliseum. Joshua L. Jones/Athens Banner-Herald via USA TODAY NETWORK

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Nations No. 1 PF, Georgia native Jabari Smith to announce commitment Friday

Jabari Smith of Tyrone, Georgia is set to make his college decision this Friday, choosing between UGA, Auburn, LSU, UNC and Georgia Tech.

5-star power forward Jabari Smith is set to commit between Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Georgia Tech and UNC on Friday, according to reports by TiptonEdits and later  confirmed by ESPN.

Smith is rated as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Georgia in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean has experience in keeping star basketball players in-state and signing them to play for the Bulldogs.

Possible 2020 NBA No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards did just that for the Bulldogs last year when the Atlanta native signed with Georgia and was named SEC Freshman of the Year in his one season with the Bulldogs.

247Sports currently predicts Smith will sign with Auburn.

Check back here Friday for updates on Smith’s commitment.

UGA’s Tom Crean trolls Coach Duggs ahead of key match-up

Georgia Bulldogs basketball coach Tom Crean trolls Barstool’s Coach Duggs of Tennessee ahead of a key SEC game.

Georgia Bulldogs basketball coach Tom Crean is entering into his third season in Athens. Crean wasn’t afraid to troll internet sensation Coach Duggs ahead of Duggs’ match-up with the Georgia Bulldogs.

As a part of Barstool Big Cat’s series of NCAA Football games, Coach Duggs has become one of the most popular figures to follow in e-sports. Coach Duggs has bounced around from Florida State to USC to Texas Tech before landing at Tennessee. He’s off to an excellent start to the season at 5-0.

Here’s how Tom Crean trolled Coach Duggs ahead of the game against Georgia:

Before coming to Tennessee, Duggs considered taking the job at the University of Georgia. Instead, he opted for the Volunteers. Now, we’ll see if Duggs can handle the meat of the SEC schedule. Coach Duggs has a lot on the line:

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