More bad news for Georgia…

As if Georgia, after suspending three players, needed more bad news - coach Dennis Felton has released Georgia’s leading returning scorer, Takais Brown, from the men’s basketball team due to a “violation of team policies”.

Brown was already suspended for nine games for undisclosed reasons, and will now miss his entire senior season.

The loss of Brown virtually eliminates Georgia from the NCAA’s and will all but keep the Bulldogs from any postseason. The Bulldogs should now resemble many Georgia teams of the past - lots of guards and little inside presence. Holding down the paint now will be Dave Bliss, a 6′10 255lb senior who averaged 4.0ppg and 3.2rpg last season, along with Rashaad Singleton, a 7′0″ 270lb junior who averaged 3.3ppg and 3.0rpg last season. With Albert Jackson suspended for six games and little talent or depth under the basket, Georgia will struggle mightily against teams with any big-men playmakers.

After such a promising season coming up, everything has fallen apart in front of coach Felton’s eyes. His rebuilding efforts will continue, but this is an obstacle that will be a devastating set-back towards the process.

2007-2008 Preseason All-SEC Second Team

As we count them down, second team is our next stop…

All-SEC Second Team

Quantez Robertson (Auburn - Point Guard - Junior - 8.2ppg, 3.9rpg, 5.0apg, 1.7spg) - An outstanding pure point, Robertson has a remarkable eye for the floor and finding the open man. Robertson finished third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.26, and broke Auburn’s record for assists given in a career by his sophomore season. Not a great shooter - only 30.6% from the floor last season - but Quantez is the life and soul of the Tigers’ basketball team.

Charles Rhodes (Miss. State - Power Forward - Senior - 13.7ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.8bpg) - Rhodes is an impressive big man who can dominate down low when he wants to. “When he wants to” being the operative words there. Rhodes has the potential and talent to be one of the best all-around players in the conference, but suffers greatly from a large head and a small work ethic. If Rhodes can step up his rebounding numbers and give everything he’s got, there won’t be many who can stop him.

Joe Crawford (Kentucky - Shot Guard - Senior - 14.0ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.4apg) - One of only two seniors on the Wildcat roster this season, Crawford has battled a knee injury during the offseason which slowed his conditioning and practicing. If Crawford can rebound from the knee troubles, he looks to build on last season’s conference-game surge and continue to be relied on heavily to provide points from both behind the arc and in the lane.

Takais Brown (Georgia - Forward - Senior - 14.2ppg, 5.6rpg) - A junior college transfer a year ago, Brown led the Bulldogs in scoring with a 56.6% mark from the field, third in the SEC. Brown gives Georgia a physical threat inside, of which they have been short for a good while, but could work on his effort. Brown’s potential is very high, and is a great tool for Felton to use against the more physical teams in the conference.

Barry Stewart (Miss. State - Guard - Sophomore - 9.8ppg, 3.2rpg) - Stewart ranked third in the SEC from behind the line with a 39.1% mark, and hit 41.0% in conference play….as a freshman. He also broke Mississippi State’s all-time freshman record for most three-pointers made, at 68. Stewart also handled and distributed the ball excellently, recording a 1.59 - and 2.00 in conference - assist-to-turnover ratio. Known as “ice-cold Barry”, Stewart could be one of the best pure shooters in the league as he matures and gains confidence.

And coming up….All-SEC First Team.

Huge loss for Georgia…

Due to academic problems (aka: skipping class), two absolutely vital Georgia players have received massive suspensions.

Mike Mercer, the Bulldogs’ star guard - who suffered an ACL tear last season - will be suspended 15 games AFTER he receives his medical release. This could mean the Bulldogs losing Mercer for the remainder of the season - or close to it - and thus badly effect their chances at an NCAA bid and competing in the East. If Mercer is gone much more than 15 games, Felton will be back in the cellar of the SEC and experiencing an ever-heating coaching seat.

Takais Brown led the Bulldogs in scoring last season (14.2 ppg), and shot a team-leading 56.6%. Brown is suspended for nine games, beginning with the first exhibition game (although that hasn’t been confirmed) and will make games like Wake Forest, Gonzaga, and Georgia Tech that much more difficult before the conference slate. And for the record, this will force Brown to miss nearly half of his senior season of basketball.

Needless to mention the amount of practice these two will be missing, and the chance to improve team chemistry lost.

This will prove a nearly insurmountable obstacle for Felton this season…could be a long one for the Dogs.

Schedule Breakdown: Georgia

Predicted wins and losses, with wins in bold and losses italicized.

vs. Jacksonville State
vs. Grambling State
vs. Elon
@ Wisconsin
vs. Deleware State
vs. Augusta State
vs. Wake Forest
vs. East Tennessee State - Rainbow Classic (Honolulu, HI)
vs. Presbyterian College
@ Gonzaga
vs. Georgia Tech
—————————–
@ Mississippi State
vs. Alabama
vs. Arkansas
@ Tennessee
@ South Carolina
vs. Kentucky
vs. Vanderbilt
@ Florida
vs. South Carolina
vs. Tennessee
@ Kentucky
@ Vanderbilt
vs. Florida
@ LSU
@ Auburn
vs. Ole Miss

This count would set the Bulldogs at (16-11) and (7-9) in the SEC. Keep in mind there should be 1 or 2 more games in the Rainbow Classic, which could boost the Dawgs up near 17 or 18 wins. With a weak overall RPI, this should set Georgia up with an NIT bid, near a 3 or 4 seed.

Georgia releases schedule…

Here’s the Bulldogs’ schedule…

vs. Jacksonville State
vs. Grambling State
vs. Elon
@ Wisconsin
vs. Delware State
vs. Augusta State
vs. Wake Forest
vs. East Tennessee State - Rainbow Classic (Honolulu, HI)
vs. Presbyterian College
@ Gonzaga
vs. Georgia Tech
————————–
vs. Alabama
vs. Arkansas
vs. Ole Miss
@ Mississippi State
@ LSU
@ Auburn

The Bulldogs’ schedule is a matter of extremes. A trip to Wisconsin should be a loss, but Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Gonzaga all should be good games. The record versus the West should be favorable, hosting both Alabama and Arkansas - a trip to Mississippi State will be a challenge.

Now waiting on Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt.