UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 12
Monday, February 12, 2007
Mercer loss costly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As of this writing I don’t have the official word on Mike Mercer but unofficially it was as bad as feared (more than one ligament tear). I’ll be filing a news update as it becomes available.
Meanwhile, there is Georgia’s immediate future and how Mercer’s loss will affect it. Obviously it could be devastating to the Bulldogs’ cause or they will be able to absorb it.
First of all let me address some of you who have been consistently critical of Mercer and his offensive inefficiencies. If you believe this is actually better for Georgia you’re dead wrong. While Mercer has always struggled with shooting the basketball in his career, he brings so much more to the table.
One of the reasons he takes so many shots is he is athletic enough to be able to get them off. In fact, I don’t think a lot of you realize how exceptional and extraordinary of an athlete Mercer is. He would be a starter or at least the first player off the bench for EVERY SEC team right now. And as South Carolina coach Dave Odom was saying this past Saturday, he does so many things for Georgia, a good deal of which does not show up in the box score.
Anybody who says he’s a poor defender does not have a clue about basketball. Still a young player, he occasionally takes a risk he should maybe not and may get himself out of position. But as for quickness, size, wingspan, leaping ability, etc., he’s a special player.
Meanwhile, his loss doesn’t necessarily spell the end for Georgia. Obviously Terrance Woodbury (6-foot-7) and Billy Humphrey (6-2) are going to have to step up.
Woodbury is going to be the real X factor in my opinion. The Bulldogs have always been impressed by his abilities in practice and, a streaky player, he has occasionally displayed as much in games. But he is extremely inconsistent on defense and, in fact, has often been a liability.
Humphrey is a great shooter but simply is not as athletic and therefore is not as capable on defense. He’s very good against a slow team like South Carolina (7 steals) but is very vulnerable when it comes to really quick teams like Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and even Auburn, which Georgia gets on Saturday.
The good news is nobody on Georgia’s team has been playing more than the low 30s in minutes per game so the Bulldogs haven’t been overly dependent on any one player. That said, they are really going to miss Mercer and now the losses of Kevin Brophy and Channing Toney are really exaggerated.
I was talking to some Georgia administrators on Sunday and it’s incredible the misfortune Georgia’s basketball program has had to overcome over the years. Seems like every time they get things going something happens to screw it up.
So let’s hear it. Do the Dogs still make the tourney without Mercer? Who do you see stepping up more in this situation, “Dolla Bill” or “T-Wood?” Somebody else?
P.S. Not to sound like a certain someone who posts here regularly, but did anybody catch Georgia’s announcement it had moved Brandon Miller to middle linebacker? That little tidbit was forecasted here weeks ago.
