Tag: uga hoops

LeBron James congratulates former Georgia Bulldog on new deal

LeBron James congratulates former Georgia Bulldog basketball star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on signing a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James credited former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping the Lakers win an NBA Championship this past season. Los Angeles defeated the Miami Heat in a six-game series, where Caldwell-Pope was often Los Angeles’ third option behind James and Anthony Davis.

Following the Lakers’ championship, Caldwell-Pope was set to enter free agency. He earned leverage after his impressive postseason and had interest from numerous teams in the NBA. Now, per The Athletics’ Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers are re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three year, $40M deal.

Caldwell-Pope is set to make an average of $15M over the next two seasons, and he has a partially guaranteed third year in the contract. He’ll look to win more championships in Los Angeles.

James congratulated his teammate on his new deal via his Twitter account:

The Lakers are happy whenever James is happy, so it is a great deal for L.A., which will still have a large role for Caldwell-Pope.

Here’s how the basketball world reacted to Caldwell-Pope’s new contract with the Lakers:

This lineup is already a little bit outdated, but the Lakers are looking stacked:

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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.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looks to capture first NBA Finals tonight

Former Georgia basketball star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looks to capture his first NBA Finals tonight as the Lakers lead the Heat 3-1.

Former Georgia basketball star Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looks to capture his first NBA Finals ring tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers lead the Miami Heat 3-1.  Game Five tips off tonight at 9:00 PM ET on ABC.

Caldwell-Pope has averaged 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists this season, blossoming into an important role player for superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Lakers president Jeannie Buss has made it clear she wants to establish the Lakers future foundation now and part of that future is Caldwell-Pope.  Caldwell-Pope signed a 2-year deal prior to the season that is worth nearly $17 million.

Caldwell-Pope had a big moment in Game One of the series.  Down 23-10 to the Heat in the first quarter, he buried a pair of threes and then added a few more points in the paint to cut the early deficit.  That was a crucial momentum swing that helped get the Lakers back on track for the game to close out the Heat.

On that moment, Lakers’ star center Anthony Davis said: “KCP saved us.”

Caldwell-Pope is in his seventh year in the league and shooting his best field goal percentage (46.7) as well as his best three-point field goal percentage (38.5).  He has been a great spark for Los Angeles when they need it most.

Caldwell-Pope, who was named SEC Player of the Year in 2013 with the Bulldogs, is now just one win away from being an NBA champion forever.

Lakers’ Anthony Davis: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ‘saved us’

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis credited former Georgia Bulldog Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping win game one of the NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis credited former Georgia Bulldog great Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for helping the Lakers win game one of the NBA Finals. Los Angeles defeated the Miami Heat 116-98 in a disastrous game for the Heat. Miami lost and suffered several key injuries to Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Goran Dragic.

Before the Lakers took a comfortable lead, Miami raced out to a 23-10 lead in the first quarter. Los Angeles looked lost offensively and LeBron James checked out of the game for his usual rest.

Needing a spark offensively, some open looks fell to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who buried a pair of threes and scored a few points in the paint. KCP helped stave off Miami’s initial onslaught.

Los Angeles, led by the dynamic duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, didn’t look back from there. The Lakers outscored the Heat 55-25 for the rest of the first half. The Heat never cut the Lakers lead to single digits for the whole second half.

Following the game, Anthony Davis credited Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He said that:

“KCP saved us.”

Davis and the Lakers will look to defeat the Heat next on Friday night. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a large role on the team and plays the third-most minutes for LA. He doesn’t have to shoulder a massive scoring burden, but the team looks for him to step up in some big moments.

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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:

How Georgia basketball’s 2020 recruiting class ranks nationally

Georgia basketball rises multiple spots in national college basketball 2020 recruiting rankings.

Following the expected news of Georgia basketball’s star freshman shooting guard Anthony Edwards leaving UGA after one year for the NBA Draft, junior forward Rayshaun Hammonds announced he will also be leaving in hopes of NBA glory.

The Dawgs’ third year head coach Tom Crean will need to replace the 32 points and 12.6 rebounds a game that Edwards and Hammonds produced last season.

Crean’s 2020 recruiting class isn’t quite what his 2019 class was, finishing 11th in all of college basketball (big thanks to Edwards), but it’s starting to attract some attention.

The Dawgs currently have one more spot open for their 2020-21 roster with seven players leaving and six players coming in.

The top man headlining Georgia’s 2020 recruiting class is point guard K.D. Johnson. Johnson is a 4-star recruit out of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. He’s listed at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds and is 247Sports number 17 point guard in the country for the 2020 class.  Johnson broke the top-100 national recruits, recently rising 34 spots to the 93rd best player in the country. Check out some of Johnson’s highlights here.

Another big signing for the Bulldogs this offseason was power forward Josh Taylor.  Taylor, the 6-foot-8, 200 pound power forward out of Norcross, Georgia, is rated as the 24th best power forward in the 2020 class, and the 120th best overall player.

Jonathan Ned, Mikal Starks and Tyron McMillan round out the remaining signees for the 2020 class, along with graduate transfer Justin Kier from George Mason University.

Ned, Starks and McMillan are all coming to Athens from junior colleges and should be nice additions for the Dawgs.  Ned is listed as a 6-foot-9, 200 pound small forward, Starks is listed as a 6-foot-0, 180 pound point guard and McMillan is listed as a 6-foot-8, 225 pound power forward.

Starks and Ned both played at Eastern Florida State College where they excelled as teammates. The two signed their letter of intent together this past November.

Kier averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists for his senior season at George Mason.  Kier should add some great playmaking ability and leadership to a very young Bulldog team.

The Dawgs 2020 recruiting class still has one spot open and is currently ranked 28th in the nation by 247Sports.  It will be tough losing as much talent as they are, but Crean is holding his own in the nation’s recruiting battle, acquiring some very solid players.

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.