Mark Fox's Georgia Bulldogs Reveal Challenging Basketball Schedule for 2011-2012

by T Kyle King on Aug 18, 2011 8:27 PM EDT in Georgia Bulldogs Basketball Scheduling

Two weeks from tonight, we will be watching football football football (Murray State at Louisville kicks off on ESPNU at 6:00 p.m. on September 1, if you must know; still, it’s . . .) football football Moses riding a donkey up to a drive-through football, yet still we pause to note that Mark Fox’s Georgia men’s basketball team announced its 2011-’12 schedule earlier today, and the post-Trey Thompkins/Travis Leslie era will feature some barn-burners for the Bulldogs.

Following a November 4 exhibition game, the Hoop Hounds will host Wofford on November 11, Bowling Green on November 13 (in a game set to be televised on ESPN), and South Dakota State on November 16. The CBE Classic in Kansas City will have the Red and Black squaring off with California on November 21 and with either Missouri or Notre Dame on November 22.

On the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, the Athenians will begin a grueling stretch during which they play at Xavier on November 25, at Colorado on November 28, against Cincinnati on December 2 (as part of the Big East-SEC Challenge to take place on ESPNU), and against Georgia Tech on December 7. The final few shopping days before Christmas will be taken up with a trip to Southern California on December 17 and home games against Mercer and Furman on December 20 and 23, respectively.

Georgia will close out its non-conference slate against Winthrop on December 27 and Delaware State on December 30, both at home, before hosting Alabama to open its SEC schedule on January 7. The rest of the home games include Tennessee on January 18, Ole Miss on January 21, Kentucky on January 24, Arkansas on February 8, Vanderbilt on February 19, Florida on February 25, and South Carolina on March 3, while the road outings will be against Florida on January 10, Vanderbilt on January 14, Auburn on February 1, Tennessee on February 4, Mississippi State on February 11, South Carolina on February 15, LSU on February 22, and Kentucky on March 1.

The Red and Black’s regular-season conference run includes one appearance on CSS, three appearances on ESPN or ESPN2, three appearances on Fox Sports Net, and nine appearances on the SEC Network.

I’m not thrilled with seeing the Fox Hounds open the SEC schedule against the Crimson Tide, given the way last season’s meetings went, and it’s tough to feel good about Coach Fox’s first season without Thompkins against a slate that features play-in participant USC; tournament teams Cincinnati, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Wofford, Xavier, and either Missouri or Notre Dame; Elite Eight competitor Florida; and Final Four contestant Kentucky. It certainly cannot be claimed that Coach Fox is dodging tough competition, as the Bulldogs’ 30 slated games will include up to 17 showdowns against opponents who made it into postseason play last year.

Georgia’s only break in the SEC schedule comes in late January. Following a 9:00 p.m. ESPN game against Kentucky in Stegeman Coliseum on Tuesday, January 24, the Fox Hounds will have eight days to prepare for their trip to the Plains on Wednesday, February 1, for the opening outing of a five-game stretch in which the Red and Black play four road games. In fact, only four of the Athenians’ last ten games are at home, so the Bulldogs had better be prepared to take advantage of a midseason schedule that affords them ten opportunities to take the court before the home crowd in a 13-game span between December 2 and January 24.

What leaps out at you from this year’s basketball schedule?

Go ‘Dawgs!

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To answer your question: I can make those KC games in terms of drivability - but they are on a weekday. Have to see how that goes.

Otherwise, a fairly daunting schedule, but it’s time for CMF to bring it. If anything Trey T under-performed last year and CMF has had enough time to do what he wants to do.

The goals this year is pretty simple: No bad losses (we did this last year), make it to the tourney ultimately, try and win a few back to back rather than one and one, win a few at a strong opponents home, and win at least one (two would be better) games in the tourney.

"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker

by tankertoad on Aug 18, 2011 8:48 PM EDT reply actions

Pretty nice schedule....

I, for one, would like to see a few of the early games be a little more creative. I know every coach wants to get their team off to a strong start, build confidence, etc… but it can be done with some teams with a little more name recognition. Perhaps a tussle with UNC-Charlotte or Asheville, or even Tulsa, UW Green Bay. Some of these teams might as well be Mercer, Piedmont, or even Truett McConnell. (Even Truett plays Lee who beat East Carolina a couple of years ago). GIve me a reason to come to those early games besides a win. I think that helps to build momentum going into the early season tourneys and even the league schedule. When I was coaching, I tried to schedule teams that were fun teams to play, but yet, we knew we were going to get the win. At one time, we had lost a couple of games to a particular team, but we were a much improved team and they had not gotten better, so we scheduled them early and won by 34. Nobody left the gym because it was a fun game to watch and our guys got to shine against a team with which we had a history.

by EricBDawg on Aug 18, 2011 10:23 PM EDT reply actions

Good points, EricBDawg.

I have to say, I’m a fan of Georgia scheduling Mercer. I’d be in favor of playing the Bears in Macon in the seasons in which we play the Yellow Jackets in Athens, and the Baptists in Athens in the years in which we play the Engineers in Atlanta. The University Center is a fine facility, and playing every other year in Middle Georgia is good for building interest in the program statewide.

Go 'Dawgs!

by T Kyle King on Aug 18, 2011 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions

What about playing Georgia State?

/trollface.jpg

by vineyarddawg on Aug 18, 2011 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions

You know, I thought about making a smart-aleck remark about playing Georgia State, . . .

. . . then I ~~exercised my better judgment~~ kept quiet in order to appear magnanimous, secure in the knowledge that a regular commenter would tee off on that shoulder-high batting practice fastball hanging on the outside corner soon enough.

I see vineyarddawg is the SAOD* this evening!

* Smart-[aleck] on duty

Go 'Dawgs!

by T Kyle King on Aug 18, 2011 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions