Team Buckiiiits, which entered the season with extraordinarily low expectations and abysmal team chemistry, finished the regular season unbeaten after a 46-10 dismantling of shorthanded TKE on Sunday in front of a sparse crowd at the Ramsey Center.
The win moved Buckiiiits' record to 4-0, and when team captain Jeff Mayonnaise meets with intramural officials at 9 p.m. Wednesday, the team is expected to receive a high seed for its first-round playoff game. The playoffs begin Thursday.
An unnamed intramural official told OTR Sports on Sunday afternoon that teams must declare their intentions to move up a classification following an unbeaten regular season before the first game. Mayonnaise did not, and will thus have the opportunity to hand-pick the bracket and first-round playoff matchup. (Note: Teams that went 0-4 during the regular season in B league will move down a classification, the official said.)
Occasionally toying with their opponents, Buckiiiits jumped out to a 17-2 lead and forced 30-plus turnovers Sunday against the obese and athletically-challenged TKE, which dropped to 1-3.
Mayonnaise scored 12 points, Daisulci Teralcalmi added a season-high six points and Buckiiiits overcame the suspicious absence of recently-appointed coach Joshua Stein, who could not be reached for comment at press time.
OTR Sports co-founder Adam Rosenberg contributed eight points, and Jordan Backs' recent shooting slump continued, as he scored just two points in 30 minutes. Big Guy, the perpetual non-factor, was the only Buckiiiits member who failed to record a point.
Even your trusty correspondent, who nearly sustaining a life-threatening spinal cord injury when he was hip checked and flattened midway through the first half, finished with three points and 18 assists in a heroic effort. He is expected to be at full strength for the postseason.
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
An Obituary: Georgia Basketball
In case you haven’t noticed—and judging by the dismal attendance at games you haven’t—Georgia’s basketball team is three games into SEC play. So far, it hasn’t been pretty.
The Bulldogs are 9-8 on the year and 0-3 in the SEC, with a home game against Mississippi State coming up on today. Judging by the team’s performance so far, those SEC championship rings from last season might as well be made of fool’s gold. Georgia’s improbable postseason run did nothing but put a band-aid on the gaping wound that is Bulldog basketball.
The University of Georgia has a proud tradition of athletic excellence. The Bulldogs attain almost yearly success in sports ranging from football and baseball to gymnastics and tennis. But for almost six years, the basketball team has been in a state of disarray.
If you want to point to the Jim Harrick scandal as a culprit for the state of Georgia hoops, I don’t want to hear it. While Georgia had a mess to clean up after Harrick made 
the school a national laughing stock, Baylor University has found basketball success after facing much harsher sanctions.
the school a national laughing stock, Baylor University has found basketball success after facing much harsher sanctions. In fact, the Bears overcame the tragic murder of one of their players by a teammate, alleged drug use and recruiting violations in 2003—the year Dennis Felton took over for Harrick at Georgia. Baylor is currently 14-3 and in the hunt for a Big-12 championship.
So if it’s not the ever-lingering stench of Harrick’s transgressions, what is that dark cloud looming over Stegeman Coliseum?
Unfortunately for Georgia basketball fans, it’s apathy. Damon Evans and the rest of the athletic department brass seem content with a coach whose record over five-and-a-half seasons is under .500. Can you imagine what would happen if Mark Richt had a losing record during one season? Felton has had just two winning seasons in half a decade.
Felton seems content with watching the state of Georgia, a fertile recruiting ground in the world of college basketball, get plundered by coaches from around the country. Stars like Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks and Wake Forest’s Farouq Al-Aminu just march out of the Peach State without so much as gracing Athens for a recruiting visit.
As if that wasn’t enough, Felton hasn’t even been able to hold on to the players that he actually gets to play for him. Before last season, Felton dismissed Takais Brown and Mike Mercer, his two leading scorers from the year before. During the season, Rashaad Singleton quit. At one point, the Bulldogs were down to six scholarship players.
This offseason, Felton dismissed Billy Humphrey, who would have been the team’s leading returning scorer. Another player, Jeremy Jacob, transferred. I’m not saying the players that Felton dismissed didn’t commit offenses deserving of dismissal. I’m saying he needs to stop recruiting knuckleheads.
The players that left to suit up for Felton this season undoubtedly play their hearts out, and for that they should be commended. But “hustle points” don’t usually win basketball games in the SEC.
It seems to me that for every step the Bulldogs take forward in Felton’s “rebuilding process,” they take two steps back. The result is an SEC opener at Stegeman Coliseum with legions of orange-clad Tennessee fans inhabiting the upper deck. An even larger percentage of Kentucky fans packed Stegeman for Sunday’s humiliating loss to the Wildcats.
Many fans are left believing that Georgia is not and never will be a basketball school. But I just don’t see a reason why that has to be true.
In recent years, the football team and baseball teams have finished second in the country. The gymnastics team has won four consecutive national titles. Numerous other teams on campus have won SEC and national championships.
What does the basketball team have? A fluke SEC tournament win after a tornado hit the Georgia Dome and transported us to college basketball’s version of Oz.
Well, click your heels together, because we’re back in Kansas now. On second of thought, Kansas actually wins titles. And it seems like unless Felton either rents the first U-Haul out of Athens or changes the way he does things significantly, that miraculous SEC tournament championship will be the last positive event in Georgia basketball for quite some time.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Buckiiiits Remains Undefeated
Team Buckiiiits, ranked 10th in the University of Georgia men's ugly league, soundly defeated Ain't Got a Clue 37-11 on Wednesday night at the Ramsey Center, moving them one step closer to an automatic playoff berth and making interim coach Joshua Stein a winner in his head coaching debut.
But a day after his first win, Stein was less than enthused.
"Defensively, we did decent but our offense was just absolutely horrible," Stein told OTR Sports on Thursday afternoon. "Our inability to hit any sort of outside shot, the fact that our big man did not play at all like a big man, and the fact that (Jordan Backs) had a shooting drought in the second half was (expletive) unbelievable."
Kiel Voight scored a game-high 10 points and OTR Sports co-founder Adam Rosenberg added eight points for Team Buckiiiits, which was without its leading scorer, Jeff Mayonnaise, and the perpetual non-factor, Big Guy. Tadd Moore came off the bench to score one point -- on 0 of 4 shooting -- but also played suffocating defense.
"I ain't gonna lie to you," Stein said, "we need Mayo back. The offense flows through Mayonnaise."
Mayonnaise is expected to return Sunday for the team's regular-season finale against 1-2 TKE, which lost to Hawks 50-12 on Wednesday. Buckiiiits beat the Hawks 46-43 two weeks ago.
If Buckiiiits wins Sunday to improve to 4-0, they will automatically be bumped up a division for the playoffs.
Asked if his team stood any chance against a tougher division, Stein said, "I haven’t seen a Class B team play, but if I had to bet, I would probably go with no."
Stein's pessimism stems from Wednesday's game in which Buckiiiits shot a collective 23 percent (11-for-48) from the field. Backs, the team's second-leading scorer, was held to just three points on 1 of 13 shooting.
Your trusty correspondent had a season-high seven points and five steals, while playing 28 minutes with flu-like symptoms. His performance will air again on ESPN Classic on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Buckiiiits returns to action Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Court 3.
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But a day after his first win, Stein was less than enthused.
"Defensively, we did decent but our offense was just absolutely horrible," Stein told OTR Sports on Thursday afternoon. "Our inability to hit any sort of outside shot, the fact that our big man did not play at all like a big man, and the fact that (Jordan Backs) had a shooting drought in the second half was (expletive) unbelievable."
Kiel Voight scored a game-high 10 points and OTR Sports co-founder Adam Rosenberg added eight points for Team Buckiiiits, which was without its leading scorer, Jeff Mayonnaise, and the perpetual non-factor, Big Guy. Tadd Moore came off the bench to score one point -- on 0 of 4 shooting -- but also played suffocating defense.
"I ain't gonna lie to you," Stein said, "we need Mayo back. The offense flows through Mayonnaise."
Mayonnaise is expected to return Sunday for the team's regular-season finale against 1-2 TKE, which lost to Hawks 50-12 on Wednesday. Buckiiiits beat the Hawks 46-43 two weeks ago.
If Buckiiiits wins Sunday to improve to 4-0, they will automatically be bumped up a division for the playoffs.
Asked if his team stood any chance against a tougher division, Stein said, "I haven’t seen a Class B team play, but if I had to bet, I would probably go with no."
Stein's pessimism stems from Wednesday's game in which Buckiiiits shot a collective 23 percent (11-for-48) from the field. Backs, the team's second-leading scorer, was held to just three points on 1 of 13 shooting.
Your trusty correspondent had a season-high seven points and five steals, while playing 28 minutes with flu-like symptoms. His performance will air again on ESPN Classic on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Buckiiiits returns to action Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Court 3.
<3 187
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Favors a Jacket
As expected, South Atlanta center Derek Favors chose Georgia Tech for his likely one year of college hoops. It would have been a nice get for Felton and the Dawgs, but it never really seemed possible. Tech has a nice recruiting class for next year, while Georgia has...Zac Swansey. Oh well. More on the Hoop Dawgs later in the week.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Um...really?
Asher Allen is forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft. I thought he was an average college corner at best. I guess someone told him something different. Good luck I guess.
Tune in tomorrow for reaction to the decision of Derek Favors, the No.1 basketball prospect in the nation. He has narrowed his choices to Georgia, Georgia Tech and Memphis. Apparently, the Dawgs actually have a shot. See you tomorrow.
Tune in tomorrow for reaction to the decision of Derek Favors, the No.1 basketball prospect in the nation. He has narrowed his choices to Georgia, Georgia Tech and Memphis. Apparently, the Dawgs actually have a shot. See you tomorrow.
Braves' Offseason No Longer a Wash
Isn't it funny, or perhaps a bit humbling, how two signings in three days can have such a profound effect, as if to lift the layer of discontent hovering over this once-proud Braves franchise?
Less than a week after iconic (and rehabbing) pitcher John Smoltz signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Red Sox, the Braves on Tuesday reached agreement with right-hander Derek Lowe, widely considered the best-available starter on the free-agent market, on a four-year, $60 million deal. And in less than an hour, the Braves will introduce Japanese All-Star Kenshin Kawakami, who will be under contract until at least 2011.
So maybe maligned Braves general manager Frank Wren knew what he was doing all along, though it was sometimes hard to tell during one of the most inglorious offseason stretches in the past three decades.
What's worth noting is this: When pressed, Wren got the deal done. The Braves significantly outbid the rival Mets, who offered Lowe an unsatisfying three-year, $36 million deal in December, reluctant to offer the aging starter more than a short-term deal.
At 35, you'd be hard-pressed to tab Lowe as an ace. But he's what the Braves need. He'll at least keep them in contention in the competitive NL East until Tim Hudson, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, returns in late summer.
Lowe has averaged 208 innings over the past eight seasons, and should prove to be a good mentor to young hurlers Jair Jurrjens, Charlie Morton and Jo-Jo Reyes.
The current rotation of Lowe-Jurrjens-Kawakami-Vazquez-Reyes/Morton/Hanson is solid, not spectacular. And there still are glaring weaknesses, of course. The Braves still need a power-hitting outfielder, a resurgent Jeff Francoeur to produce in the middle of the lineup and Gregor Blanco to be more consistent in the leadoff spot. Reyes, extremely talented when he decides to throw anywhere near the strike zone, is the only left-handed starter, and a poor showing during spring training could bump him from the back-end of the rotation.
The wild card, it seems, will be Kawakami.
Here's what we know: He's one of the top-3 Japanese players available for free agency this offseason; he won the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award in 2004; and, alas, he's no Daisulci Teralcalmi.
Kawakami, 33, was 9-5 during an injury-plagued 2008 season (recurring back strain, but he passed his physical Monday). He has a good strikeout-to-walk ratio -- 1,328 strikeouts and just 351 walks in 1,642 innings in Japan -- and he's won 10 or more games six times in his career. His most successful season came in 2004, when he was 17-7 with a 3.32 ERA, which garned him league MVP honors and the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award.
So, loyal and perhaps imaginary readers, we pose this question today: Given their notable whiffs this offseason -- Jake Peavy, A.J Burnett, Mike Hampton, Rafael Furcal and John Smoltz -- are the Braves now better off after signing Kawakami and Lowe? Do you have any more confidence in Wren? Still picking the Braves to finish third, at best, in the NL East this season?
Buckiiiits Headed in New Direction?
Joshua Stein has emerged as the leading candidate to fill Team Buckiiiits' head coaching vacancy, multiple sources told OTR Sports late Monday night.
Stein has limited basketball experience, but he played linebacker, fullback and kicker for his woeful high school football team in suburban Atlanta, and he currently has a hobby -- working out. An official announcement is expected later this week.
Current captain/player/coach Jeff Mayonnaise has drawn criticism in recent weeks for his mishandling of substitutions and nonchalant attitude on defense. Mayonnaise, who currently "coaches" the freshmen at Oconee County High School, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Stein was on the sideline for Team Buckiiiits' 49-46 victory over the Hawks on Sunday, which, despite the growing resentment in the locker room, moved the team's record to 2-0 with two regular-season games to play. Buckiiiits has a week off before resuming play next Sunday against TKE, which last week won 20-9, and the following Wednesday against Ain't Got a Clue, which truly did not during its last encounter.
Kiel Voight and former colleague Jordan Backs scored a game-high 15 points, and Mayonnaise added 13 points and seven rebounds for Buckiiiits, which inexplicably used the same defensive lineup for the last 10 minutes of the game, despite having two timeouts at its disposal.
Forced to play cautiously in the second half after picking up three quick fouls, Backs shot a very un-JJ-like 7-for-19 from the field, despite several strong drives into the paint. He did, however, finish with four rebounds and six steals, all of which came in the first half.
Only four of seven players scored for Buckiiiits, including your trusty correspondent, who finished with 0 points, one rebound and two steals, in addition to suffocating defense and innumerable high-fives in an attempt to boost team morale.
<3>
Less than a week after iconic (and rehabbing) pitcher John Smoltz signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Red Sox, the Braves on Tuesday reached agreement with right-hander Derek Lowe, widely considered the best-available starter on the free-agent market, on a four-year, $60 million deal. And in less than an hour, the Braves will introduce Japanese All-Star Kenshin Kawakami, who will be under contract until at least 2011.
So maybe maligned Braves general manager Frank Wren knew what he was doing all along, though it was sometimes hard to tell during one of the most inglorious offseason stretches in the past three decades.
What's worth noting is this: When pressed, Wren got the deal done. The Braves significantly outbid the rival Mets, who offered Lowe an unsatisfying three-year, $36 million deal in December, reluctant to offer the aging starter more than a short-term deal.
At 35, you'd be hard-pressed to tab Lowe as an ace. But he's what the Braves need. He'll at least keep them in contention in the competitive NL East until Tim Hudson, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, returns in late summer.
Lowe has averaged 208 innings over the past eight seasons, and should prove to be a good mentor to young hurlers Jair Jurrjens, Charlie Morton and Jo-Jo Reyes.
The current rotation of Lowe-Jurrjens-Kawakami-Vazquez-Reyes/Morton/Hanson is solid, not spectacular. And there still are glaring weaknesses, of course. The Braves still need a power-hitting outfielder, a resurgent Jeff Francoeur to produce in the middle of the lineup and Gregor Blanco to be more consistent in the leadoff spot. Reyes, extremely talented when he decides to throw anywhere near the strike zone, is the only left-handed starter, and a poor showing during spring training could bump him from the back-end of the rotation.
The wild card, it seems, will be Kawakami.
Here's what we know: He's one of the top-3 Japanese players available for free agency this offseason; he won the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award in 2004; and, alas, he's no Daisulci Teralcalmi.
Kawakami, 33, was 9-5 during an injury-plagued 2008 season (recurring back strain, but he passed his physical Monday). He has a good strikeout-to-walk ratio -- 1,328 strikeouts and just 351 walks in 1,642 innings in Japan -- and he's won 10 or more games six times in his career. His most successful season came in 2004, when he was 17-7 with a 3.32 ERA, which garned him league MVP honors and the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award.
So, loyal and perhaps imaginary readers, we pose this question today: Given their notable whiffs this offseason -- Jake Peavy, A.J Burnett, Mike Hampton, Rafael Furcal and John Smoltz -- are the Braves now better off after signing Kawakami and Lowe? Do you have any more confidence in Wren? Still picking the Braves to finish third, at best, in the NL East this season?
Buckiiiits Headed in New Direction?
Joshua Stein has emerged as the leading candidate to fill Team Buckiiiits' head coaching vacancy, multiple sources told OTR Sports late Monday night.
Stein has limited basketball experience, but he played linebacker, fullback and kicker for his woeful high school football team in suburban Atlanta, and he currently has a hobby -- working out. An official announcement is expected later this week.
Current captain/player/coach Jeff Mayonnaise has drawn criticism in recent weeks for his mishandling of substitutions and nonchalant attitude on defense. Mayonnaise, who currently "coaches" the freshmen at Oconee County High School, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Stein was on the sideline for Team Buckiiiits' 49-46 victory over the Hawks on Sunday, which, despite the growing resentment in the locker room, moved the team's record to 2-0 with two regular-season games to play. Buckiiiits has a week off before resuming play next Sunday against TKE, which last week won 20-9, and the following Wednesday against Ain't Got a Clue, which truly did not during its last encounter.
Kiel Voight and former colleague Jordan Backs scored a game-high 15 points, and Mayonnaise added 13 points and seven rebounds for Buckiiiits, which inexplicably used the same defensive lineup for the last 10 minutes of the game, despite having two timeouts at its disposal.
Forced to play cautiously in the second half after picking up three quick fouls, Backs shot a very un-JJ-like 7-for-19 from the field, despite several strong drives into the paint. He did, however, finish with four rebounds and six steals, all of which came in the first half.
Only four of seven players scored for Buckiiiits, including your trusty correspondent, who finished with 0 points, one rebound and two steals, in addition to suffocating defense and innumerable high-fives in an attempt to boost team morale.
<3>
Monday, January 12, 2009
Just one more thing
Not that I feel any different about my previous post, but I thought I should add this. Knowshon Moreno took out a full page advertisement in the Athens Banner-Herald to thank the Bulldog Nation for their support. As I mentioned in the other post, Moreno always represented the school with class and played his heart out. Never any doubt about that. Just wish he was coming back. Either way...Damn Good Dawg!
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