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 > September > 14
Friday, September 14, 2007
Felton’s program gaining momentum
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just a short time ago got off the phone with the Serbian guy that committed to Georgia this week. If you haven’t heard, his name is Drazan (pronouced DROW-sun) Zlovaric. I’ll be filing a story this afternoon that will be up on the site later and in tomorrow’s paper but, in the meantime, I think it’s safe to say coach Dennis Felton got him a good one here.
I’m not sure how much Zlovaric, a 6-foot-9 two-guard, might be able to help them immediately. He’s still thin and still learning the more physical American game. But Georgia got him over Texas and Arkansas and he had offers from literally dozens of Division I schools and he plays on the Serbian National team. He also has a 3.8 grade-point average, according to his high school coach, and wants to be a doctor one day. And after talking to him on the phone I can tell you he’s fluent in English.
Anyway, all of this is to provide a kind of update on the men’s basketball team. I’ve been trying to get around to it for a while but obviously football is kind of heavy on everybody’s brains this time of year. To put it succinctly, I think Georgia basketball fans have a lot to be excited.
First of all, I went to the grand opening of the new $30 million practice and training facility two weeks ago and I’m here to tell you that place is going to be a difference maker for the three programs that are going to operate out of it: men’s and women’s hoops and gymnastics. The gymnastics portion of it — quite appropriately named the Suzanne Yoculan Gymnastics Center — is state of the art and I’m not sure there is anything as nice as it anywhere. But the men’s and women’s basketball offices, locker rooms and practice gyms are also breathtaking.
To give you an idea, the men’s lockers are in a rotunda room, all wood circling some posh benches in the center. Adjacent is the team meeting room, with auditorium seating for a giant widescreen to watch game video and MTV or whatever they desire. Killer built-in sound system is piped in. Speaking of MTV, the lounge portion, which is the first thing you see when you enter, is out of an episode of Real World. Pool table on black felt with a big Georgia in the center, at least a half-dozen video game machines and an actual bar. They serve only sports drinks, water and juices but it’s definitely cool. Also big gyms with lots of goals and some pretty cool graphics painted high on the walls. Downstairs on the first floor is a huge weightroom and training facility that would be the envy of the football team.
This will — and already has — attracted some blue-chippers Georgia’s way. Some folks say, yeah, but they still have to play in Stegeman. Well, yeah, but this new place is where these players are going to spend 90 percent of there time. It was somewhat patterned after the one Kentucky built and, from everybody I talked to, they said this one is better.
But never mind all that. In attendance at the grand opening were all of Georgia’s players. We’ll have to wait to see how they play this year but, as they say, they’re going to look pretty darn good getting off the bus this year. The Bulldogs have some serious bigs this season. Singleton, Jackson, Price, Barnes, Bliss, Woodbury and Brown, all 6-7 and up. Takais Brown looks very trim and fit. Singleton and Jackson have beefed up considerably. Lot of good feedback leaking out about Price.
The only possible snag is Mike Mercer, who spent the summer at home in Snellville working at a dealership rather than rehabbing with UGA’s exceptional training staff. I’ll see if I can get an update on him during the next couple of weeks because Mercer failed to return my phone calls to him this summer. But other than that, the Dogs look like they’ll be able to run with the big dogs this fall.
OK, so football has Western Carolina on Saturday. Think you guys can bring yourselves to talk some hoops for one weekend? Practice starts one month from today!
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