Thompkins’ big night lifts Georgia

Athens — Memories of Georgia’s improbable 2008 SEC championship are tucked away high on a banner in the rafters at Stegeman Coliseum. That was then.

This is now — a team in search of an identity on offense, looking for anybody who can step up and make the scoreboard operator pay attention. And on Tuesday night, in their fourth and final NIT Season Tip-Off game, the Bulldogs found all of the above in a pair of freshmen.

Trey Thompkins and Drazen Zlovaric combined to go 15-for-17 from the field, and the Bulldogs thrashed confidence-boosting Mississippi Valley State 98-57 before a crowd of 4,207.

Thompkins, still hobbled by an injured right foot, scored 23 points in the second collegiate game of his career. Zlovaric added 16, and would’ve had more if his size-15 feet hadn’t consistently draped over the 3-point line.

“I’m going to have to start buying [size] 14s,” Zlovaric quipped. “Coach has been telling me, ‘Drazen, step back a little bit, step back a little bit.’ Finally at the end, I stepped back and made a pair of threes.”

Despite his freshman inexperience, the 6-foot-9 Thompkins looked comfortable taking the lead on offense — especially in the second half, when he scored 15 points.

“I’m going to do whatever my teammates need me to do,” the former Wesleyan star said. “If they need me to score, I’ll score. If they need me to rebound, I’ll rebound. If they need me to block shots, I’ll block shots.”

The Dogs (5-1) did all that and more as a unit. They clobbered the Delta Devils (0-7) on the boards, outrebounding them 51-25, and blocked five shots to MVSU’s none. And they were positively jovial after recording their biggest offensive outburst since they scored 107 against Jacksonville State last season. Until Tuesday, the most they had managed was 72. The Bulldogs shot 61 percent from the field.

Georgia coach Dennis Felton, as might be expected from somebody looking ahead to a long season, tempered his praise for Thompkins and Zlovaric.

“Most freshmen tend to be inconsistent. These guys are talented, and they are going to be terrific,” Felton said. “The more Trey gets back on the court, the stronger and stronger he will become. He is a pretty special player offensively. He is still gaining experience, and he will get stronger and stronger. He is in horrible shape, still playing on a foot that’s not nearly 100 percent.”