The defending SEC tournament champion Georgia basketball team heads into the 2008-09 season hoping to be a better squad than the 17-17 club that won the SEC Tournament a year ago. The play of senior point guard Sundiata Gaines was a catalyst for last year’s team, but youth will serve as a determining factor in how this club performs. Small forward Terrance Woodbury and shooting guard Corey Butler are the team’s lone seniors, as the Bulldogs have only four upperclassmen.
“We’re real young,” said point guard Zac Swansey. “We’ve got four sophomores and five freshmen. Chemistry is going to be big for us the next few weeks.”
A major piece of the team’s plans, freshman power forward Howard Thompkins, will especially need to mesh with teammates. Thompkins has played in parts of only two practices, as he has battled an MCL sprain. Despite the missed practice time, Georgia head coach Dennis Felton will still rely on the 6-foot-9 Thompkins, who may miss the start of the regular season.
“We expect him to make a big impact on this team,” Felton said.
Freshman guard Ebuka Anyaorah is already out for the season with a stress fracture in his left leg. Thompkins’s 3-point shooting, as well as his athleticism, could give opponents a tough matchup. Sophomore post player Jeremy Price could also be a tough matchup for opponents this year, as he has dropped 31 pounds and is playing at 264, saying, “I feel much more comfortable and confident. The weight loss was a big thing.”
Taking Gaines’s spot as the lead guard is Swansey and he will be backed by freshman Dustin Ware. Felton admits that the point guard position will be “very young and inexperienced,” but Swansey welcomes the challenge, stating, “I’m putting that weight on my shoulder to lead these guys to be the best players they can be.”
Woodbury, Butler, Drazen Zlovaric and Troy Brewer will provide more outside shooting for a team that could conceivably play as many as 12 players. Center Albert Jackson’s health is currently a concern, as he rolled an ankle in an exhibition against Albany State.
Georgia will be tested early on, when they play four games in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament, which starts Monday. Purdue, Boston College and St. John’s are possible opponents. The Bulldogs will also travel to play Illinois and Georgia Tech and host Virginia Tech in the nonconference schedule. Georgia was picked to finish last in the SEC by the media, but may surprise in a conference where only two teams are ranked in the preseason (Tennessee and Florida).
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
Loading ...
