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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 22-10;
10-6 in SEC
(Tied 1st/East)
Postseason: Lost to Southern Illinois 77-75 in second round of NCAA East Region.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Ja. Hayes 18.6
Rebs: Daniels 8.0
Assists: Wright 4.8
FG: Daniels 51.2%
3pt: Williams 37.1%
FT: Wright 77.1%
01-02 Stats:
Georgia | SEC
KEY LOSSES
Tony Cole | 5.6 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Rashad Wright | Junior
G | E. Williams | Senior
F | Jarvis Hayes | Junior
F | Chris Daniels | Junior
F | Jonas Hayes | Junior
Player to Watch
Jarvis Hayes
Junior Forward
Led So-Con in scoring before bursting onto national scene. Could lead SEC in scoring this year.
DATE TO REMEMBER
On New Year's Eve the Bulldogs welcome Pittsburgh to Stegeman Coliseum. It'll be a matchup of surprise 2002 teams that will begin this season in the Top 25 and be considered at least darkhorse Final Four candidates.
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GEORGIA BULLDOGS
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Bulldogs forward Jarvis Hayes has read the preview magazines that pick Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida and even Kentucky to finish higher that Georgia, both nationally and in the league. His reaction? "I guess losing Mike Patrick was bigger than we thought," Hayes said with a smile, referring to the graduated senior bench jockey who averaged 1.6 points per game last season. "But we replaced him with Damien Wilkins." In other words, the Bulldogs detect a snub. With every key player back from the East co-champs -- plus talented transfer Wilkins -- they believe they're being viewed as something of a one-hit wonder, a fluke that won't repeat itself. It's almost as if Georgia's 22-10 season was such a shock that the pundits still aren't over it. Either that, or Jim Harrick's disastrous recruiting class -- zero signees eligible -- has overshadowed the returnees. "We didn't get our recruits in, that'll be everybody's first thought," Hayes said. "But can we talk about basketball?" Talk about Hayes, who came out of nowhere -- Western Carolina, specifically -- to average 18.6 points per game last year. Talk about Ezra Williams, who made 93 three-point field goals. Talk about Chris Daniels, Steve Thomas (ineligible for the first semester, but should be back by mid-December) and Jonas Hayes, undersized but fierce interior competitors. And talk about point guard Rashad Wright, second in the league in assists at 4.8 and the guy Jarvis Hayes calls "the most underrated player in the SEC. He's the rock." Then factor in Wilkins, who was the No. 1 high school senior in the country in 1999 and then a double-digit scorer for two years at North Carolina State before transferring. He helps make up for the skunking in the admissions office for the freshmen.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Georgia has the toughest wing combination in the league in Jarvis Hayes and Williams, who combined to average 35 points and 10.6 rebounds last year. Hayes scored in double figures 26 times in 29 games played and Williams was in doubles 28 times in 32 games. Both are excellent standup shooters who can also put the ball down and beat defenders one-on-one. This was an excellent foul-shooting team as well.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
This team didn't get any taller during the offseason and not much deeper, which means its key players are again susceptible to playing too many minutes and wearing down by season's end (the Dogs finished the year 4-5, after an 18-5 start). Four players averaged 31 or more minutes per game a year ago. Wilkins will alleviate some of the minute crunch at the wing positions, but they need more depth inside and at point.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Georgia won't have the benefit of stealth this year. They'll be marked by a whole lot of opponents -- including Kentucky, Mississippi State and Mississippi, NCAA Tournament teams who went 0-4 against the Dogs. Nevertheless, they have the talent in Athens to not only win without expectations, but to win with them, too.
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