Brooks Brown was named SEC Pitcher of the Week today, and I’m not sure if there has been a better pitching performance in the SEC this season. 14 strikeouts, three hits allowed, a shutout – I feel fortunate just to have seen it in person. Unfortunately, it was the only bright spot of the weekend. Even in that 3-0 win, the Dawgs missed several scoring chances as the struggles on offense continue.

A year ago, Georgia barely qualified for the national gymnastics championship as the 12th seed out of 12 teams. They had an unheard-of losing streak during the middle of the season. But they peaked and got it together just in time for an incredible performance at the national championships and won the most improbable of the program’s six national titles.

This week they return to the national championships to defend their title under completely different circumstances. They have been a steamroller this season winning every meet and maintaining the #1 ranking. Nearly everyone from last year’s championship team is back. Instead of entering the championships as the wounded but dangerous underdog, they are the strong and dominant favorite. It’s a very different mindset, but they’ve handled it very well all season. As much as it was a surprise that they won title #6 last year, it might be as big of a surprise if they don’t return home next week with title #7.

Chad Simmons of UGASports.com reports that Takais Brown, a 6’8″ power forward from Southeastern Illinois Junior College, signed with Georgia this morning. Georgia went head-to-head with programs like Purdue, Indiana, UNLV, and Cincinnati for this out-of-state prospect – really one of the better unsigned posts still out there – and got him. Dennis Felton identified Brown early in the process, and his persistence was rewarded as Brown favored the Bulldogs over a slew of teams who only recently began to show interest.

His junior college coach Todd Franklin said, “He could be the missing piece for UGA to go to the tournament.” From your mouth to the selection committee’s ears, coach.

Things are looking up for Georgia’s chances with JUCO PF Takais Brown. The 6’8″ Brown is exactly what Georgia needs on the inside heading into next season. Though not the widebody that Anthony Evans was, Brown’s impact could be the same – a capable, physical presence on both ends of the court and on the glass who will make Georgia much more competitive against the frontcourts of the SEC. Brown is down to Georgia, UNLV, and Purdue, and he has reportedly eliminated the home state Boilermakers.

Brown, along with Albert Jackson, could give Georgia their best recruiting haul on the frontcourt since the class that brought Steve Thomas and Chris Daniels to town.

This just doesn’t make sense…

Prior to SEC play, the Diamond Dawgs were perfect at Foley Field. They remain perfect against nonconference competition, even beating highly-ranked Clemson.

But in SEC games, Georgia is 1-5 at home. Meanwhile, they are 4-2 on the road in the SEC including a series win at #3 Mississippi State this weekend. It’s still a bit too early to think of things in these terms, but a road series win over a Top 5 team is pure gold come NCAA selection time.

Is there any way we could contact future home opponents like Tennessee and South Carolina and see if they wouldn’t mind hosting the series instead?

The good news is that Georgia is at Tech this Wednesday. Let’s hope the road is kind once again.

This should come as no surprise. That smile was too big for Georgia. It was too big for Pittsburgh or even the United States. In his first visit to South Korea, the home country of his mother, Ward’s infectious personality has made him as much of a hit there as he’s been at every stop along his path to NFL superstardom.

Ward of course is not just a sports icon; he’s also a symbol of hope for the historically-repressed children of mixed race in Korea. “You came back a hero,” South Korean President Roh said. “Children growing up in South Korea can have big dreams by watching Hines Ward.” We think Ward’s a pretty decent example for kids back here in Georgia as well. Character like his crosses borders and cultures.

Chad Simmons of UGASports.com reports that Mark Richt has picked up his second commitment for 2007 – DE Conrad Obi of Grayson, Ga. Always a plus to get a quality in-state player, but check out this list of offers: “Obi already had offers from Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and some others, but he was waiting on this Bulldog offer.”

The recruiting decision is more difficult for some than others, and that frustrates fans who think that the team should only recruit those who really want to be a Dawg and that those prospects shouldn’t dare hesitate on that decision. Of coure that’s not realistic, but Obi is a commitment that should make those fans giddy. He’s an outstanding prospect, waited on a Georgia offer after hearing from some of the top programs in the South, remained in-state, and got his decision overwith early in the process to be able to concentrate on his senior season.

I just can’t go very far into the Lady Dogs’ loss last night. Just heartbreaking. Andy Landers put it best.

“We didn’t lose. You lose when you go out and don’t apply the ability and talent that you have to the challenge that is ahead of you. There’s no shame in getting beat. The shame is in not fighting the fight.”

Amen. I don’t want to talk much about the game, but I must say something about Alexis Kendrick. Sunday night’s start meant that Kendrick had started more games than any other Lady Bulldog. From the moment she stepped on campus, she earned a starting position. In what turned out to be her final game, she played like the senior leader she was.

It wasn’t just that Kendrick scored 14 points or was a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc. It’s when those points came that mattered. She had two three-pointers early on as Georgia built a lead. But early in the second half, UConn stretched its lead out to seven points, the largest margin they would have. Kendrick hit her third three-pointer to start a 7-0 run which would tie the game and start the back-and-forth heavyweight fight that ended the game. Then on Georgia’s final offensive series an offensive rebound was kicked out to Kendrick on the left baseline, and she buried what seemed like the biggest shot of her career.

It’s been a tough senior season for Kendrick. She hit an early-season gamewinner against Santa Clara, but that was her only basket of that game on a frustrating night. That’s more or less been the tale. Kendrick’s high-profile mistakes at the end of the LSU game in Athens were more the stuff of a shaky freshman than a veteran senior. She has struggled to find her place on offense this season while Sherill Baker flourished. But in the NCAA Tournament, Kendrick ended her Georgia career looking very much like the McDonald’s All-American that arrived four years ago. She nearly had a triple-double in Georgia’s first round win over Marist, and she came up with big play after big play on offense and defense last night.

Alexis is resilient, independent, smart, athletic, kind, and humble. She has survived four years 3,000 miles away from home without much of a support structure away from the team, and in the process she wrote herself into the Georgia record books. She was a rock that Coach Landers depended on to hold the team together on the court, and she did it every night and never missed a start. She has transformed from a shy role player to a confident woman who will be successful in any area of life. Last night’s loss was heartbreaking and a tough loss to get over, but Kendrick and fellow senior Sherill Baker can walk away knowing that they gave absolutely extraordinary efforts in their final game and played up to the standard of excellence they created in four incredible years at Georgia.

There have been 25 NCAA women’s tournaments. Georgia has appeared in 23 of them. In those 23 trips, Georgia has now advanced to the regionals (Sweet 16) 16 times. It’s an amazing feat of consistency matched or bettered by less than a handful of programs.

Georgia advances to the 2006 Sweet 16 with some hard-fought wins over a pair of double-digit seeds. Neither Marist nor Hartford matched up with the talent of Georgia, but both had reasons to be confident. Marist gave Georgia a lot of trouble in a game in December 2004, so they weren’t intimidated. Hartford had just defeated a Temple team that had beaten Georgia earlier this season.

But Georgia’s talent won out in the end both times. In Tuesday’s game with Hartford, you could see the energy drain out of the underdogs as Georgia turned up the defense and went on a 15-0 run behind the play of Hardrick and Baker. It must have been demoralizing to see Georgia still blazing fast and creating turnovers while the fatigue of two tournament games caught up with Hartford.

Sherill Baker is doing her best to shed the “defensive specialist” label. She can’t shoot a sick 12-of-16 (most of which were jumpshots) and continue to have the improvement in her offense overlooked. Tasha Humphrey summed up what makes her different and special on one play in the second half – she drove from the perimeter (how many posts can even do that much?), did a spin move to create space in the lane, and instead of shooting an open mid-range shot, she in one motion came off the spin move to find Sherill Baker cutting to the basket for an easy catch-and-shoot layup. Call it vision, court-awareness, basketball smarts…it’s just there.

Tasha has piles of double-doubles now. If she ever records a triple-double, that third stat is likely to be assists. When some true centers and post players arrive in or return to the program, Humphrey could be a devastating distributor of the ball. Whether it’s from the high post to other interior players or an inside-out pass to the perimeter, she can sense where the open shot is and get the ball there.

Now in the Sweet 16 the Lady Dogs get into a situation where their talent advantage is no longer as great. UConn doesn’t have the otherworldly superstars of some of their powerhouse teams of the past decade, but they still have plenty of weapons. It’s ridiculous that people are talking about a “down” season for UConn when they have won 30 games and earned a #2 seed.

So while we congratulate them for getting this far and for some stellar performances in the first two games of the tournament, there have been some weak spots in those wins:

• Slow starts on defense. Whether it was the adrenaline of the tournament or Georgia’s own lapses, both Marist and Hartford matched Georgia on offense for at least the first half. Shots were half-heartedly contested, and Hartford was even shooting well over 50% until Georgia turned up the defense in the second half. Though Tasha Humphrey had a tremendous game against Hartford in most areas, Landers had to call a first-half timeout to light into her about soft defense. I understand the limitations: Georgia’s depth situation prevents aggressive defense for 40 minutes. Exhaustion sets in, and foul trouble isn’t easy to overcome. Still, UConn likes to come out with guns blazing, and playing from behind is not a situation Georgia wants to face in this game. They need to set a defensive tone early and especially prevent Strother from catching fire.
• Unforced turnovers. For the amazing control of her hands Sherill Baker shows on the defensive end, she too often loses control in the transition offense. One such turnover killed Georgia’s big run against Hartford and keyed a small rally by the Hawks that was fortunately short-lived. With points at a premium in this stage of the tournament, easy transition chances can’t be wasted. This was a problem in the SEC Tournament as well. Against Hartford, Georgia generally took much better care of the ball in the second half and gave Hartford very few chances to get out and run. Let’s hope that continues in the first half of the UConn game.
• Contributions from everyone. The win over Hartford was a three-player show. Baker and Humphrey stood out, but Hardrick was also key in the win. Darrah had two points on 1-of-7 shooting. Kendrick didn’t score. Chambers was still in a bit of post-suspension hangover and had seven points, far below the level at which she was playing towards the end of the season.
• Alexis Kendrick needs to play like a senior leader. Alexis played much better against Marist, coming close to a triple-double. As she struggled against Hartford though, her minutes increasingly went to Hardrick. Points have been at a premium for Kendrick lately, scoring 27 in the entire month of February. She didn’t score at all in Georgia’s final two regular season games. Of course Alexis brings so much to the team other than scoring. She doesn’t look for a lot of shots. Her defense is typically solid, she can rebound, and she runs the offense under control – just what you hope for in a point guard. But without much of a scoring threat from all but three positions opponents will have the opportunity to help on Georgia’s shooters, and Georgia’s execution is made more difficult. Kendrick is going to get some open looks, and whether or not she can provide the kind of contribution she had in the Marist game might have a big role in deciding how her Georgia career ends and her next career begins- the WNBA draft isn’t far away, and this is the biggest stage there is.

UConn can be beat, but they are still plenty good and as strong as any team Georgia has faced this year. A Georgia win will require much more steady play than they have shown so far in the tournament, and they’ll need stronger contributions on offense from some key starters. This game is a great opportunity for the Lady Dogs. With all of the good that has happened in this season of adversity, they still lack the big landmark win that would turn a nice season into a very memorable one. Getting that win over UConn in their own home state and advancing to within sight of the Final Four would be one of the biggest accomplishments in the history of this tradition-rich program.

A lot of people remember the late Bill Hartman, who passed this week, as Georgia’s kicking coach during their run of great kickers from the 1970s through the early 1990s. I don’t, since that was about the time I became a fan. But of course Hartman was much more to the program than just an assistant coach, and that job was just one step along the way in a life that took him from All-American football player at UGA to a soldier in WWII to a long career alongside Vince Dooley to a strong force heading up the GSEF and fundraising efforts in the 1990s for the school he loved so much.

I didn’t know much about Hartman. But I do know three things…

1) When Herschel Walker begins a parade of Bulldog greats to visit you in the hospital, you’re someone special.

2) Former Bulldog kicker and Hartman protegee Allan Leavitt once graciously gave me a Jack Davis print commemorating Hartman’s infamous on-field incident with Uga. Leavitt treated it as if he were giving a sacrament.

3) During my last season in the Redcoats, we broke with the tradition of spelling G-E-O-R-G-I-A after halftime and instead spelled H-A-R-T-M-A-N to honor the coach who had been basically forced into retirement by NCAA rules. It was the first and only time I had seen an honor of that magnitude while at Georgia.

I think I get why now.

So Tony Cole has resurfaced. Good for him. If anyone deserves a second seventeenth chance, it’s the oppressed and misunderstood Cole.

But the real money quote comes from Robert Morris faculty athletics representative Larry Dionne. Remember, this is a faculty representative…supposedly from the academics side of things.

Asked if he was aware of Cole’s past, Dionne said, “I am aware of it a bit, but I don’t need to know all the details. My job is to make sure he is academically eligible, and he is.”

Very nice – right from the Dave Bliss (no, not that Dave BLiss) school of “look the other way”. (Unfortunately I’m sure there are several Bulldog fans who wish that our admissions folks didn’t “need to know all the details” about the athletes they admit.) And if “(making) sure he is academically eligible” ever becomes a problem up there at Robert Morris, perhaps some new blood on the faculty might be in order.

When Robert Morris gets hauled into court in the wake of Cole’s latest stop in his heroic cross-country pursuit of academic opportunity, Mr. Dionne will wish he paid a little closer attention to those pesky details about Cole’s past.

Justin Young of Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting reports that East Hall’s Walter Hill has committed to play basketball at Georgia for the 2007-2008 season. Hall is a developing 6’5″ small forward who had offers from Georgia and Alabama and had begun to get attention from all over the South. Though Georgia’s recruiting has focused on the frontcourt, they also need that classical swingman who can handle and shoot the ball outside but is also a leaper who can get to the basket. When you think about recent Georgia players in that mold, you think of Jumaine Jones, Jarvis Hayes, Shandon Anderson…will Hill be the next explosive Georgia small forward? Here’s another article on his commitment from the Gainesville paper.

As I had hoped, the selection committee saw a very strong season from Georgia with no bad blemishes and rewarded them with a #3 seed.

Much will be made of the location disadvantages – Marist, Temple, and UConn won’t have to travel far at all – but to be honest, I’m very happy with the seeding. If you had asked me before the selection which four teams in the field I’d like to avoid, they would have been UNC, Tennessee, LSU, and Oklahoma. The bracket sees to it that Georgia wouldn’t face any of them until the Final Four.

I’ll go deeper into the bracket after a night’s sleep, but Georgia is in a pretty favorable position as I see it now.

The NIT bids are out, and Georgia was shut out as expected. The 1-7 end to the season after starting 14-8 was just too poor to merit postseason consideration.

As you might guess, the record against NCAA-bound teams isn’t good. The Dawgs played six NCAA Tournament teams and posted a 1-10 record against them:

• Kentucky: 0-2
• Tennessee: 0-2
• Florida: 0-2
• Arkansas: 0-2
• Alabama: 1-0
• LSU: 0-1
• Nevada: 0-1

Georgia played five NIT-bound teams and posted a much better 5-2 mark against them:

• Old Dominion: 0-1
• Vanderbilt: 1-1
• South Carolina: 2-0
• Clemson: 1-0
• Western Kentucky: 1-0

All of those NIT teams, except Western Kentucky, are seeded in the upper half of the NIT bracket. So while Georgia didn’t earn an NIT bid this year, they certainly showed they could play with the better teams in that tournament. I think that would have not been the case a season earlier. Another win – just one more – probably would have put Georgia over the top and earned them an NIT bid. The return to .500 is a nice first step, but a postseason berth – even in the NIT – would have been a really nice achievement to take from this season and build on next year.

OK, enough of the basketball navel-gazing for a second. UGASports.com reports that South Carolina lineman Clifton Geathers signed a (late) letter of intent with Georgia. Clifton is of course the brother of Bulldog alum Robert. We’ll see on which side of the ball and at which position he ends up, but regardless this is a big cherry on top of the recruiting class.