CHARLOTTE, N.C. - By the time the Georgia men’s basketball team took the court here on Thursday night for its public practice, there were a little more than a couple dozen people still in the stands. They ended up being witness to a laid-back scene.
Players shot free throws and jumpers, not half-court shots and dunk contests, as previous teams had in Thursday’s shoot-arounds. Head coach Mark Fox spent a lot of time talking with CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, who will call Friday’s NCAA tournament opener between Georgia and Washington.
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“I feel like we’re going to be a pressure-free team (Friday),” star forward Trey Thompkins said. “I feel like we’re gonna go out and just play basketball, and play the way we know how to play.”
But because I care, here's more:
Georgia and Washington have never actually met in men's basketball, and they're obviously strangers to each other, what with being located on opposite coasts. So here's a comparison of each team, some of it on the court, some of it off.
RPI rank
Georgia: 47
Washington: 32
Advantage: Washington. But how much? So far in the NCAAs (including the play-in round) the higher-ranked team has gone 14-6. The exceptions were Richmond over Vanderbilt, Morehead State over Vanderbilt, Butler over Old Dominion, Kansas State over Utah State, Gonzaga over St. John’s and Clemson over UAB.
Ken Pomeroy computer rankings
Georgia: 56
Washington: 17
Advantage: Washington. And through Thursday the higher-ranked Kenpom team has also gone 14-6. (The differences from RPI: VCU was lower-ranked than USC, but Gonzaga was higher-ranked than St. John’s.)
Offensive numbers
Georgia: 68.8 points per game, (169th in the nation)
Washington: 83.5 (third in the nation)
Advantage: Washington, which also has a better field goal percentage (47.1 to 45.1) and 3-point percentage (37.1 to 34), and is turning it over less (12.4 turnovers per game to 13.4).
Defensive numbers
Georgia: 64.3 points allowed per game (75th in nation), 6.5 steals, 5.0 blocks, turnover margin of minus-1.2.
Washington: 70.4 (243rd in nation), 6.7 steals,5.3 blocks, turnover margin of plus-2.6.
Advantage: A wash. Georgia is also allowing its opponents less rebounds per game (33.0 to 34.7), but the turnover margin sticks out.
Best former player
Georgia: Dominique Wilkins
Washington: Brandon Roy
Advantage: Georgia, by a mile. (The Huskies also boast Nate Robinson, Detlef Schrempf, Rod Thorn and current head coach Lorenzo Romar.)
Other notable alumni
Georgia: Kim Basinger, Lewis Grizzard, Wayne Knight, everybody from R.E.M., Ryan Seacret, Fran Tarkenton, Herschel Walker.
Washington: Kenny G, Bruce Lee, Anna Faris, Rainn Wilson, Tim Lincecum, Warren Moon.
Advantage: Georgia. Washington gets points for Lee, Faris, and Dwight from “The Office,” but Kenny G, man that’s hard to overcome.
Campus
Georgia: Athens
Washington: Seattle
Advantage: I suppose it depends on whether you like the laid-back small town or the laid-back big town. But I’ve never been to Seattle, and I really like living in Athens, so advantage: Georgia.
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26 comments:
On Georgia alums you should add B-52's, Debra Norville and we'll claim Leo Kottke and Danger Mouse. If NC can claim First in Flight, we can claim people who passed through town.
Regarding, campuses, I've been to Seattle many times. God took special care in crafting the Pacific NW. However, Athens is a cultural oasis in the middle of the bible belt, and as such has a disproportionately high concentration of coolness.
Throw in Kyle Chandler and (if you can stand it) Alton Brown for UGA, and we've got 'em beat running away if we didn't already.
Seattle's amazing, but it still comes down to big city versus college town. Since we're talking about college settings, I say the category favors us.
In all the stats that count, Georgia pretty much is the lesser team.
Although I hold out a fan's hope, I don't see UGA staying within 10 points of Washington. The Huskies are just an all-around better team.
One other obvious point of comparison between the two Dawgs:
Athens music history/scene vs. Seattle music history/scene. Who had/has the better bands? Per capita, I'd say Athens.
Don't forget about my girl Parvity...
As a Bulldog living in Seattle, sorry have to give Seattle the edge. Athens is great when you're in school, but once you hit 21 you are old and must leave. Bands too: Soundgarden, Nirvana, Death Cab for Cutie, Pearl Jam. Athens- REM, and B-52's.
Anyway, GO DAWGS!! Not sure why UW uses DAWGS on their merchandise. As a bulldog I thought the AW is for the southern drawl. Doesn't make sense.
Wayne Knight could take Rainn Wilson in a wrestling match to settle everything.
Most of the people you list as alumni, never graduated from UGA, so...
Bruce Lee vs. Herschel in an MMA caged match, I'd pay to see that.
REM vs. Kenny G? No contest.
Ryan Seacrest is even harder to overcome.
The Huskies spell it "dawg" to emphasixe the "W" for Washington.
I lived in Athens for a decade and I'm approaching that in Seattle. I'd have to say that I have extremely fond memories of Athens, and it's a great place to go to school.
That said, unless you want to work for the University, the job market is extremely limited. Advantage: Seattle
The music scene here is really fantastic, but Athens is also really great in that department. Advantage: Push
Women. One word, Co-eds. Advantage: Athens, by a wide margin.
Food. Athens has Soul-food, BBQ, Chik-Fil-A, Latin. Seattle: Asian, Sushi, Seafood. Advantage: Slight edge, Athens
Recreation: Athens- bars and music mostly. Seattle- Bars, music, snow sports, hiking, boating, just to name a few. Advantage: heavy edge, Seattle
Weather. Athens nice in the spring and fall, hot as hell in the summer, cold as hell in the winter. Seattle- Late October to April, cloudy, rainy, occasional sunbreaks. The rest of the time it's like Athens in the fall. (Seriously, we get like 2 days a year where the temp nears or exceeds 90°) Advantage: heavily Seattle.
The bottom line is that while I loved my time in Athens, I absolutely would not move back unless it was necessary for me to seriously advance my career.
Seattle wins.
Anyway, I love my Bulldogs, but my head says that Isiah Thomas is just too hot right now.
UT completely falling apart.
Joeski, not sure what universe a Georgia winter would ever be considered "cold as hell".
Maybe if you grew up somewhere near the Equator and then went to UGA for undergrad.
It was mid-high 60's here for much of February.
Seattle is killin it in the lady armpit hair and suicide rate competitions.
Also, claiming weather advantage: heavily Seattle causes me to negate anything you have said or ever will say.
Go Dawgs
Ben,
Athens gets temperatures near or below freezing several times in the winter from my recollection. Cold as Hell. Seattle? Maybe one or two. Of course, it has been a while since I've been there and the whole 'global warming' might have had an effect, but I guarantee you that it gets colder in Athens more often. But the point is really moot: the heat and humidity bothers me more, honestly.
Carter, feel free to disregard what I say. But I think you're pretty foolish to think that stating an opinion somehow discredits a person. Particularly given that I have first hand experience to base this opinion on.
As far as the meat of that opinion, Carter, I want you to do two things, since I'm sure your opinion is 'informed' by the popular misconception that it's always raining here. Why don't you go look up average rainfall for Seattle and Atlanta? Next, I want you to close your eyes and think of a beautiful, slightly crisp October day in Athens. It's like that for four months in Seattle.
Seriously, it's a gorgeous environment here. The biggest negative about Seattle? Short days in the winter. There are several days in December where you get less than 8 hours of daylight. It's a real drag to go to AND leave work in the dark.
Joeski, being a stubborn Southerner, the only thing I'll concede to the PacNW is the beer.
Access to Russian River brewing beers plus the 20 year jump start microbrewing out there has on the South. Although since the laws have changed some with regards to ABV% in recent years we're starting produce some pretty good stuff.
I wonder if Capt. Sig will be at the game.
Also, re. Nirvana: they only put out three albums of original material. REM was relevant for a much longer period of time.
Southern gals are why I stay in my native south. Nuff said! Although I have been to Seattle and agree it's a great city, it doesn't beat God's country down here. Give me hot girls and "hot as hell" temps anyday to hippies and rain. Oh yea, GO DAWGS (the real ones)!!!
Joey, people fleeing the Rust Belt move to the Sun Belt, not the Pacific NW. And hows about that suicide rate?
While we're counting up alumni and adding alumni, people being from Athens does not mean alumni.
Kim Basinger didn't go to UGA (in Seth's defense, she's listed on wikipedia as an alumnus on UGA's page), I think Leo Kottke moved away from Athens when he was a kid, and I don't know if any of the B-52's ever even took a single class (I could be wrong on that one).
Sorry to be the party pooper but if we get in a battle of interesting people from Athens/Seattle, I'm fairly sure we'd lose. Not to mention, I'm not from Athens.
Definitely won't disagree that the craft brewing gap is rapidly closing.
Also, yeah, the hippies out here are a total pain in the ass (forgot about that), particularly when they get behind the wheel or when they demand to be allowed to bring their DOGS to work. (Nothing against dogs, but they don't need to be at your office.)
And Carter, you fail again. You must be thinking of Tacoma, not Seattle, given that ATLANTA has a higher suicide rate than the Emerald City.
But meh, it's all subjective. To be honest, if it didn't get so damn hot and humid in the summer in Athens, it'd probably be a coin flip as to which I preferred.... But I hate getting out of the shower and breaking into a sweat before even toweling off.
Oh and GO DAWGS!
UGA can claim Seacrest but his main tormentor @ E - Joel McHale (host of The Soup & star of Community on NBC) is a former football player for Washington.
Also, while I am a huge REM fan, Nirvana's immediate impact on culture is undenieable. Smells Like Teen Spirit killed "hair" metal and took "college" music from the public funded airwaves of college radio to mainstream corporate radio. Even Stipe hailed Cobain as a genius.
I love Athens and Seattle - it is unfair to compare the two. They are both unique and vital to our country.
However - Go DAWGS!
Global warming, really? You have been out west to long.
Southern women are highly overrated. Looks with too much attitude. Sorority wenches. The comments on PacNW women probably from people who have never been out here. The Ducks cheerleaders were hotter than Awbarns in the NC game. Plenty of good looking girls. Stay in Athens after graduation and work @ Taco Stand( if it still exists. ). Or move west work for Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft etc....
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