Georgia took a couple lumps to start the SEC season with double-digit losses to Alabama and Florida. The Dawgs begin the conference slate 0-2 and will travel to Nashville Saturday in search of their first SEC win of the season.
Despite the losses, however, the young and rebuilding Bulldogs showed some positive signs. Nemi Djurisic, a freshman forward from Montenegro, led the team with 14 points against the Gators and also tied for the team lead with six boards. Djurisic also had 10 points and again led the team with five rebounds in the Alabama game.
Meanwhile, former Georgia Mr. Basketball Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (or KCP for short) poured in a game-high 22 points against the Tide and looked like the scorer that the Dawgs have so desperately been looking for in recent years. After the Florida game, KCP was leading the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game.
With these two freshmen, the future at Georgia looks bright, even if the present is cloudy and grey. Look for Mark Fox’s squad to improve as the season progresses, especially when sophomore forward Marcus Thornton returns from a knee injury.
SWAMPED IN GAINESVILLE …
Georgia started slowly and shot poorly in getting boat-raced by No. 19 Florida 70-48 in Gainesville. The Bulldogs trailed 35-21 at the half and didn’t break the 30-point barrier until midway through the second half. As if that was not bad enough, Georgia shot 1-for-9 from the free throw line.
“We lost to a really good team tonight,” said Georgia head coach Mark Fox. “We didn’t get enough stops. I don’t know if we were too excited to start the game, but we missed some easy plays early and played from behind all night, which is so hard to do.”
Aside from Djurisic’s 14, no other Bulldog scored in double digits.
DROWNED BY TIDE …
The Fox Hounds were a bit more competitive with the Crimson Tide Saturday in the SEC opener for both teams. Despite trailing by 12 at the half, Georgia fought back and cut the deficit to four points with 9:18 left in the game.
The big and physical Tide controlled the glass throughout the game which led to a 35-20 rebounding edge.
“Without (Thornton), we knew rebounding would be an issue,” said Fox. “They whooped us on the glass.”
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