The Kentucky Wildcats are talented and deep, played a complete game in Athens on Wednesday night, and are supported by fans who care a great deal about basketball. The Georgia Bulldogs lack talent and depth, played a solid first half (down 40-36 at the break after it appeared early as though the Fox Hounds would be run out of their own building), and, judging by the amount of red in the stands at Stegeman Coliseum in the middle of a week in which the Peach State once again experienced snowfall, are supported by fans who are starting to care an appreciable amount about basketball. We don't yet have our Ashley Judd, but we're working on it.
How the Hoop Dogs were outscored only 40-32 after intermission, I'll never know, because the Red and Black turned the ball over fifteen times, had fourteen of their shots blocked (while blocking exactly none of the visitors'), and notched half as many steals as their opponent did. Georgia out-rebounded Kentucky, but 40 per cent shooting from the field doomed the Bulldogs, despite Jeremy Price's 20-minute, 19-point performance.
Georgia lost to a better team and we had better hope that the Hoop Dogs' road woes do not continue this weekend, or else the Red and Black will lose to a worse team on Saturday. This has been a season of hope, though not of results, for Mark Fox's program. This team will not turn the proverbial corner this year, but these Dogs will have their day.
Right now, that may sound a little crazy . . . crazy like a Fox. Georgia basketball will head into the autumn of 2010 as a sleeping giant bursting with untapped potential, in much the way that Florida football headed into the autumn of 1990. Here's hoping the hardwood Bulldogs' next 20 years go approximately as well as the gridiron Gators' last 20 years have.
Go 'Dawgs!