ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia basketball coach Jim Harrick admitted Tuesday that he's made mistakes, but he also defended recruiting practices that have given the Bulldogs an outlaw reputation.

Only one of four recruits qualified academically for the upcoming season, and the program already was reeling from an alleged rape case involved center Steve Thomas and guard Tony Cole.

The charges were dropped after a third defendant, football player Brandon Williams, was acquitted. Even so, Thomas was suspended for the first three games, and Cole was dropped from the team altogether.

``I'll be the first to say I've probably made some mistakes,'' Harrick said. ``I know I've made one (with Cole), and that bothers me.''

Harrick took over the Georgia program in 1999, losing 20 games his first season. But the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA tournament the last two seasons, and they appear poised to make it three in a row for the first time in school history.

The top six players from last season, along with transfer Damien Wilkins, should make Georgia one of the favorites in the Southeastern Conference.

Despite his success on the court, Harrick has been criticized for his recruiting decisions. He tried to bring in troubled guard Kenny Brunner, only to be turned away by school president Michael Adams.

During Harrick's regime, eight players have failed to qualify after signing national letters of intent.

``If you want to criticize me for anything, it's that I tried to do it too quickly,'' Harrick said. ``I brought in some guys who were questionable. I'll be the first to admit that. I'm not perfect.''

This season, Wayne Arnold was the lone recruit admitted to school. He got in only after passing two classes over the summer to earn his high school diploma.

Georgia's other signees -- centers Julius Lamptey of Oklahoma City and Larry Turner of Milledgeville and forward Alexander Johnson of Albany -- were ruled ineligible for academic deficiencies.

``If you want to criticize me, criticize me for giving young guys an opportunity,'' Harrick said. ``I'm disappointed that some of the guys we signed last year did not get in. I thought it was going to be a great, great recruiting class. But don't say it's over. It's not over yet. It's not over until five or six years down the road.''

Turner already enrolled at Oklahoma, but Lamptey and Johnson went to prep schools and could wind up at Georgia if they improve their grades.

Harrick said he's always been willing to take a chance on players who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

``Academic deficiencies don't have anything to do with what kind of character a young man has,'' Harrick said. ``That's what bothers me. You can criticize me all you want, but please don't make the same mistake with a guy who doesn't have anyone to help him mature, grow and develop like other kids do.''