UGA Men’s Basketball
Dasher UGA Sports: White back in familiar territory
UGASports - White back in familiar territory
ABH: Mike White on Georgia football, a return to Florida and UGA basketball's upset of Auburn
Gadogs.com: Georgia Travels To Gainesville To Face Gators
MBB Game Notes: Georgia Travels To Gainesville To Face Gators - University of Georgia Athletics
Game Notes:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/georgiadogs.com/documents/2023/1/6/15_florida_game_notes.pdf
Florida
FloridaGators.com: Florida vs Georgia (Saturday, 1 pm)
UF………………………………………………..UGA
“It's been decades since they had a losing overall record this early in the SEC season, but that's what's at stake (among other things) for the Gators Saturday. They need wins. To get 'em, Florida will have to shore up a number of areas, especially after allowing a second straight opponent infuriating success on the offensive glass, but also with ball security, after turning the ball over a season-high 20 times against A&M. The biggest turnover culprits were also the two Gators who kept their team in the game. Guard Trey Bonham helped his club crawl out of a miserable 3-point shooting slump (5-for-41 the previous two games) by dropping four of seven on his way to a game-high 21 points. Bonham, though, also had seven turnovers vs. four assists. Forward Colin Castleton made some huge offensive players in the second half to put UF in position to win on the way to 14 points and five boards over a team-high 36 minutes, but equaled his career-high of six turnovers. Two players, 13 giveaways, as the Aggies scored a total of 21 points off the Florida turnovers. ... Guard Will Richard snapped out of his cold spell by scoring eight points (2 of 4 from deep), grabbing five boards and dishing two assists without a turnover in the loss. He'd been held to just 11 points and missed 14 consecutive attempts from 3 the previous four games combined. ... Forward Alex Fudge had three points and five rebounds before fouling out after 21 minutes. Two of his fouls were on the offensive end, with another a flagrant hook-and-hold that cost the Gators two technical free throws in the first half. ... Point guard Kyle Lofton had nine points (2-for-7 from the floor), but just one rebound, pair of assists and a turnover. Lofton was one of three Gators (along with Richard and Fudge) to post a positive plus-minus ratio in the game. ... Backup wing Kowacie Reeves continued his up-and-down scoring trend with six points on 2-for-7 shooting and 0-for-4 from 3 after going into the game at 40.8 percent from deep on the season. His point totals over the last six games look this: 12, 7, 20, 5, 15 and 6. He continues to look for consistency in his role as the team's most explosive scorer off the bench.”
“Up until the Auburn victory, Georgia's 10 wins had come against teams with an average NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) of 264, but the Tigers currently sit at No. 48, which is far better than the best win Florida has posted to date (Ohio U at 130th). ... White managed to convince guard Kario Oquendo, the team's best player from last season, to return after flirting with the portal. Oquendo, the team's No. 2 scorer, is shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 36.0 from deep (with team-high 18 makes) and nearly 77 percent at the line. He's yielded scoring honors to Bradley transfer Terry Roberts, who the Gators chased aggressively, as well, after his first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference and Freshman of the Year season. Roberts' in-game percentages aren't eye-popping (41.6 overall, 30.2 arc), but he gets to the free-throw line and converts (81.4 percent) and leads the team with 35 assists and 24 steals. He was great in the win over Auburn, finishing with 26 points. ... Post man Braelen Bridges is shooting 57.5 percent on the season and has yet to attempt to a 3. ... Oklahoma State transfer Matthew-Alexander Montcrieffe is shooting 79 percent from the floor and had a solid 9-point, 9-rebound outing against the Tigers, as well as a plus-15 ratio. ... Reserve point guard Justin Hill (7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg) is second on the team with 37 assists. ... Backup forward Jabri Abdur-Rahim (6.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) is in his second since transferring from Virginia. He's averaging just 15 minutes off the bench, but his 17 makes from 3 (at 39.3 percent) rank second on the team. ... UGA assistants Erik Pastrana and Akeem Miskdeen were on White's last UF staff last season, both coming from Florida Atlantic.”
https://floridagators.com/news/2023/1/6/florida-vs-georgia-saturday-1-pm.aspx
FloridaGators.com: Business As Usual, Both Sides Say, for White Reunion
“Eight current members of the UF basketball team were brought on board by Mike White, who will be back at Exactech Arena as coach of the Georgia Bulldogs for Saturday's much-anticipated reunion game. “
https://floridagators.com/news/2023...y-for-white-reunion-at-o-dome-jan-7-2023.aspx
Gainesville Sun: Florida basketball: Mike White says return to O'Dome will feel like 'Twilight Zone'
"Colin Castleton is one of the best players in the league of course and a guy who I care deeply about and always root for obviously other than tomorrow," White said. "We hope we can do a pretty good job of him. (Florida) has got other good pieces, they've got shooting wings, they've got athleticism and depth and picked up good players out of the portal in the spring so they are very good.”
"Their record is misleading. They've played a very challenging schedule and they can beat anybody in our league."
https://www.gatorsports.com/story/s...ite-brings-hot-uga-team-to-odome/69785672007/
Recruiting
Mari Jordan
Dylan James
Dylan James of Winter Haven HS is doing just fine as well…
Winter Haven is not just the top team in the county, it also is the top team in the state according to the FHSAA power rankings.
“Dylan James is averaging 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.”
The Ledger: Midseason report: Here's a look at Polk's top 5 boys basketball teams
Midseason report: Here's a look at Polk's top 5 boys basketball teams
2024
History
SEC Basketball
Alabama
"It's part of being Kentucky, I think," Oats said. "If they're not No. 1 in the country, I think the fans get a little restless. [...] I think they were upset that they didn't have enough shooting before and now they're leading the SEC in 3-point percentage."
"They're spoiled," Oats said. "It's probably like Alabama football fans, to be honest with you. Like, we're not in the College Football Playoffs and everybody's upset and acts like this is a bad year. Shoot, I don't know what the final football polls were but after I watched those two games previous it looked like we might be in the top three or four teams in the country still and people are upset around here.
"Well, if Kentucky's not in the top three or four, people are probably pretty upset there. They're a really good team, though."
Florida
WRUF: Pat Dooley’s High Five (January 6th)
“I hate to start off The Return of the High Five with a negative vibe, but there hasn’t been a ton to cheer about for Florida fans of late.
So, here is the start of the Friday series as Dooley Downer gives you five things to know about Florida’s 7-7 basketball record heading into Saturday’s game against Georgia:
* The original idea was to look back at other Florida basketball teams who have been 7-7 or worse at this point in the season. I quit somewhere in the John Lotz Era because there were so many. That gives you an idea of the late success this program has had and how bad it was B.B. – Before Billy. This is the first team this century to be at .500 at this point in the season but there were plenty in the previous century.
* Of course, that means neither Billy Donovan or Mike White, the previous two coaches, were among the teams that were in this bad shape at this point in the season.
* The last coach to have a team with a worse record than the current team at this point of the season is the man they are honoring Saturday — Hall of Famer Lon Kruger. His first team at Florida — after the house had been cleaned – was 6-8 after 14 games. That was after Don DeVoe’s 6-8 start the year before as interim coach.
* The most remarkable team to ever start 7-7 was the 1988-89 team. After that start, the Gators won the SEC regular season title (with a 13-5 record). It was the first time in school history the Gators won it and they also played in the SEC Tournament final losing to Alabama. They lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Colorado State.
* There was also the 1981-82 team which started the season 7-7 and still made the NIT. Those Gators lost to South Alabama by a point in the first round. But they did rally to finish third in the conference.”
https://www.wruf.com/headlines/2023/01/06/pat-dooleys-high-five-january-6th/
Kentucky
Lexington Herald Leader: Kentucky will start playing with a double-edged sword as NCAA Tournament bubble nears
https://amp.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article270772172.html
Missouri
St.Louis Post Dispatch: Mizzou basketball looks to rebound — in more ways than one — vs. Vanderbilt
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/col...cle_4d6430dc-a032-52e7-bb1e-f11f96f5c99d.html
Texas A&M
Dallas Morning News: 3 players exceeding expectations for Texas A&M basketball this season: New additions lead
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/t...his-season-new-additions-lead/?outputType=amp
College Basketball
Rothstein: The Breakfast Buffet: UConn/Creighton, Kentucky, Scott Drew versus Jerome Tang
“That is not hyperbole. The Wildcats do not own a single Quad 1 win on their resume and need to start stacking some if they hope to earn a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament. The irony of today’s matchup in Tuscaloosa? Three of Alabama’s top four scorers — Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney, and Jaden Bradley — are true freshmen while four of Kentucky’s top five scorers — Oscar Tshiebwe, Jacob Toppin, Antonio Reeves, and Sahvir Wheeler — are transfers. For years the Wildcats were always loaded with a high volume of blue chip freshmen under John Calipari, but things have shifted in the transfer portal era. The Crimson Tide already own wins this season over Houston, Michigan State, Memphis, and North Carolina.”
https://collegehoopstoday.com/index...ghton-kentucky-scott-drew-versus-jerome-tang/
Washington Post: As college basketball season comes into focus, Rutgers is causing a stir
“Oh, about the top 25: Charleston is the first CAA team to crack the Associated Press rankings since Navy did it in 1987 — David Robinson’s senior year in Annapolis.
The Cougars probably don’t have a future Hall of Famer on their roster, but they have a bunch of options. Guard Dalton Bolon (12.9 points per game) is the top scorer on a team with five players averaging in double figures and nine guys collecting at least five points a game. Charleston routinely goes 10 players deep.
What are the chances Charleston flirts with 30 wins? Pretty good. The Cougars” have only three more road games against teams with winning records, and the next one — Wednesday at UNC Wilmington — could put Kelsey’s bunch in firm control of the CAA less than a third of the way into league play.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/06/rutgers-basketball-college-games-to-watch/
NCAA.com: What happened in 5 days of riding the 'roller coaster' that is Big Ten men's basketball
https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketbal...ng-roller-coaster-big-ten-mens-basketball?amp
Florida State
Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State men's basketball: Matthew Cleveland showing confidence, improvement in latest surge
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/s...owing-confidence-in-latest-surge/69770525007/
North Carolina
Raleigh News & Observer: If UNC basketball has turned a corner this season, Tar Heels may need to thank Pitt
https://amp.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article270709342.html
Texas Tech
Rivals.com: Georgia transfer KyeRon Lindsay returns home, commits to Texas Tech
Q&A with KyeRon Lindsay
Why was Texas Tech the right fit for you?
"The style of play fits my game perfectly, also the coaching staff is great."
What are you goals for your Texas Tech career?
"I'd love to play for a national championship and win a Big 12 championship."
What's your message to Tech fans who are excited to watch you play in Lubbock?
"I'm here and ready to work hard everyday. The fans here are amazing and I look forward to showing them how appreciative I am of each of them."
https://texastech.rivals.com/news/georgia-transfer-kyeron-lindsay-returns-home-commits-to-texas-tech
Wichita State
Wichita Eagle: Wichita State basketball looking to shore up rebounding in South Florida road game
https://amp.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article270884137.html
NBA
Atlanta
AJC: Hawks’ rally falls short after Lakers race out front
https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-...rally-falls-short/W4UHL3S5JZEMLLX5KBWJQAOMJ4/
Brooklyn
NYP: Nic Claxton starting to be big-impact player for Nets
NEW ORLEANS — “This past summer, Nets fans questioned whether Nic Claxton could handle a full-time starter’s role and whether he was worth the contract the team have given him.
After turning in a career season so far — and sitting among the top 10 Eastern Conference frontcourt players in the first fan returns for All-Star voting — the 23-year-old Claxton has gone a long way toward answering both questions.
The recognition was unexpected, but inspiring.
“Yeah. It was a surprise to me. It’s definitely a big deal. But it just makes you want to climb up on that list even higher. So I’ve just got to stick with it and keep doing what I’m doing,” Claxton said before the Nets beat the Pelicans 108-102 on Friday night. “I feel like I can play even better, I can be more consistent. I can produce even more when I’m out there. So I’m not getting complacent. That’s good that my name is on that list, but I still have a lot more work to do.”
Claxton had nine points, nine rebounds and five blocks, giving him 23 blocks in his past five games.
“He was a confident player always looking to get better. I think when opportunity meets preparation, you become a good player,” Kevin Durant said of Claxton. “These last couple of years he’s tried to figure out his role around Kyrie [Irving] and myself and James [Harden], when he was here, and now Ben [Simmons] that he’s here.
“Being that anchor as we expect him to be, that’s a tough transition from a young college player, young guy in the league to being on a team that is trying to play deep into the playoffs. … You’ve got to be that anchor. He’s commanded a lot out there as a big, cutting to the ‘D’, switches, protecting the rim, rebounding the basketball. He’s done a lot for us.”
Claxton has three or more blocks in five straight games, the longest streak for a Net since Brook Lopez in November 2012 (five straight).”
https://nypost.com/2023/01/07/nic-claxton-starting-to-be-big-impact-player-for-nets/
Denver
Denver Post: Nikola Jokic’s NBA-leading 10th triple-double paces Nuggets over Cavs
https://www.denverpost.com/2023/01/06/nikola-jokic-triple-double-nuggets-beat-cavs/
Milwaukee
Mil JS: Bucks allow 51 points in first quarter and suffer blowout loss
https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...s-at-fiserv-forum-january-6-2023/69782133007/
New York
NYP: Miles McBride drills two key 3-pointers to secure Knicks’ win
https://nypost.com/2023/01/07/miles-mcbride-drills-two-key-3-pointers-to-secure-knicks-win/
History
Hoops Birthdays 1-07-23
Jordan Bell C Oregon GS, MIN, MEM, WAS, GS, CHI 2017-2022 1-07-1995 27 YOA
Marquis Daniels SG Auburn DAL, IND, BOS, MIL 2003-2013 1-07-1981 42 YOA
Todd Day SG Arkansas MIL, BOS, MIA, PHO, MIN 1992-2001 1-07-1970 53 YOA
Johnny Macknowski G/F Seton Hall SYR 1949-1951 1-07-1923 100 YOA
Citizen Tribune: In the classroom or on the court, Johnny Macknowsky gave his all (2017)
“Still regarded as arguably best hoopster in the history of Lincoln High School in Jersey City, N.J., where he earned All-City, All-County and All-State honors while winning the Hudson County scoring title his senior year in 1941, Macknowsky had more after-school hobbies than just basketball.
His mother came home one day his freshman year and instructed him to help Ms. Ragozine, a family neighbor who, like Johnny’s parents was in the poultry busin,ess.
After three days of assisting Ms. Ragozine, she hugged Macknowsky and teared up, saying she couldn’t pay him but could teach him Russian — the language of his forefathers.
“I was with her for three or four hours every day for four years while I was in high school, and I got to like the language,” Macknowsky recalled. “I became quite fluent in Russian.”
Though he admitted it was the “most difficult language in the world to learn,” he eventually received a scholarship to study Russian at Northwestern University.
Heavily recruited out of high school for his basketball skills, Macknowsky initially chose to attend George Washington University.
In fact, he was all dressed and ready to attend the school when it wired a telegram to his home saying his scholarship no longer existed and was filled by somebody else.
“They only had so many scholarships. I would imagine some politician got his kid in there,” Macknowsky said.
Without notice, Whitey went to Seton Hall University the next day. Unfortunately, the scholarships had already been filled due to his announced intent to attend GWU, thus leaving him without one.
A commuter student who rode the bus to college daily, the school initially wanted to charge him $600 to eat on campus since he wasn’t a boarding student.
Upon hearing this, Macknowsky’s friend Joe told him they were going to Seton Hall “to correct this thing.”
Not knowing what to expect, Macknowsky cleaned out his locker as instructed by Joe, who accompanied him to the admissions office and said, “Whitey isn’t coming here anymore.”
Realizing it was a major deal since Macknowsky and teammates routinely beat the Pirates’ varsity squad which at one time won 41 straight games, the director of admissions tried desperately to contact coach John ‘Honey’ Russell in addition to the athletic director and superintendent to no avail.
After stating to admissions that Whitey can go “to any school in this country if he wants to,” Joe took a visibly upset Macknowsky home and assured him things would work out.
And they did, as Whitey suddenly had a private room on campus the next morning.
With the United States entering World War II at the time, Macknowsky enlisted in the United States Navy after his sophomore season in which he started for the Pirates.
He starred for the powerful Sampson Naval Base team and not surprisingly needed money to spend while he was on liberty.
He received money from home until his father stopped sending it, wanting money to be there in a savings account for Johnny when he left the Navy.
While on liberty in New York City, Macknowsky would participate in three-round fights for spending money. He recalled one match in which he was bloodied and beaten badly in the ring, but Macknowsky remembered his manager encouraging him to pursue a boxing career.
But Whitey already had that on the hardwood.
“I was a tough nut when I played ball,” he said. “If I had to fight a guy, I fought him.”
After serving from 1942-45 and earning the rank of First Class Petty Officer, Macknowsky had the right to attend school at any institution he desired per the G.I. Bill. But feeling comfortable at Seton Hall, he chose to stay and finish his collegiate career with the Pirates and guided them to a 24-3 record in 1946-47 and an 18-4 record his senior year — in which he received the honor “King of the Campus.”
Interestingly, Macknowsky appeared in four games for the Scranton Miners, a professional team in the American Basketball League, that same year.
Playing under the name Johnny Mack, Whitey received $50 per game from the Miners. Macknowsky remembered after one game that he and his teammates were told they would receive just $25 due to lack of attendance, after which the players demanded to be paid between quarters or they would not return to the court. Not wanting to anger the crowd who had paid admission, the Miners obliged and on occasion gave players $75 for a good night.
But it didn’t last for Macknowsky, as a fan who recognized him and several Seton Hall teammates called the university with the knowledge that playing pro ball makes them ineligible at the collegiate level.
“Why didn’t you tell us you needed money?” a school official asked Macknowsky and his teammates after questioning “what the heck” they were thinking.
Whitey earned extra money his senior year by working in the school library performing simple tasks from arranging books to sweeping floors, and not often being required to stay the full four hours he’d been assigned there.
Initially planning to sign with the Rochester Royals upon graduating Seton Hall in 1948 due to his familiarity with the players and the money being offered, Macknowsky had scheduled a meeting with the owner at the Paramount Hotel in New York. But the owner never showed. Angry, Macknowsky signed with the Syracuse Nationals.
As he found out, Syracuse had told the Royals owner that Macknowsky played for the Scranton Miners, who in reality had nothing to do with the situation as Whitey never signed a contract with the Miners and played under an assumed name.
Joining a Nats team which consisted of Hall of Famers Dolph Schayes and player-coach Al Cervi, Macknowsky scored a total of 1,243 points, an average of 6.9 per game, during his three-year NBA career at Syracuse which saw him earn second-team All-Rookie honors. He averaged 7.5 per game in the playoffs including a 10.6 average in 11 games during Syracuse’s run to the 1950 NBA Finals. Not too shabby for an era with no 10-second rule, no shot clock, no 3-point shot and 10-minute quarters.
Reaching the Finals with playoff series wins over the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks before a semifinal bye, Syracuse lost in six games to the Minneapolis Lakers, highlighted by Bob Harrison’s buzzer beater to beat the Nats on the road 68-66 in Game 1 which was the first known Finals buzzer beater according to reports.
Macknowsky laughed as he recalled a heated exchange between himself and Cervi due to limited playing time at one point despite the home fans clamoring for him. Knowing he’d have to score quickly at home, road games were a different story as Whitey played more often particularly if he had the hot hand.
But during one game, Cervi substituted Macknowsky in at the last minute, and Johnny Mack wasn’t having it.
“I’d never cursed,” Macknowsky said as he remembered this instance as the only time he had ever done so with Cervi as he uttered “(expletive) you.”
Cervi confronted Macknowsky in the locker room saying, “I’m the coach. When I tell you to go in, you go in.”
“I grabbed him by the neck and was ready to clock him. (Paul) Seymour was near me, and Dolph Schayes jumped in front of him or I would have hit him, would’ve plastered one good one in his face,” Whitey laughed.
Despite the exchange, Macknowsky remained with the Nationals until a wrist injury cut his pro career short in 1951.
On Whitey’s pinky finger is a ring he received after the 1950 NBA Finals, a ring which is not for sale as Macknowsky intends to pass it on to his family’s future generations.
There’s a story behind the ring, as Nats owner Daniel Biasone had initially announced to the players he would give them each $1,000 in addition to their $5,000 salary if they reached the Finals.
Instead, Biasone presented the team with inscribed gold rings.
“Some of the guys threw the rings back at them, but I’ve kept mine,” Macknowsky said.
The players’ yearly salary of $5,000 — a respectable amount at the time but a far cry from the millions NBA players earn today — had to last them the entire offseason as Macknowsky recalled, not to mention the “six to eight” exhibition games for which the players weren’t compensated and the fact that the NBA Finals ended in April as opposed to June, making for a longer offseason than now.
Macknowsky admitted he doesn’t watch the NBA today for various reasons, but mainly because of how much the game has changed since his playing days.
“The big guys today they go out and lay a physical block on the guys outside. That was a foul. If I got rid of the ball and I just touched a guy, that was a foul,” he said. “Now, I guess the fans like all that to happen because the refs don’t call it. It’s a different game entirely.”
He went on to earn his Master’s degree from Montclair State and become a schoolteacher and coach at the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District in New Jersey while also coaching basketball for seven seasons at Drew University…”
https://www.citizentribune.com/spor...cle_ea0b4b6c-9718-11e7-a215-3f1a0721284d.html
Jarnell Stokes C Tennessee MEM, MIA, DEN 2014-2017 1-07-1994 29 YOA
Dasher UGA Sports: White back in familiar territory
UGASports - White back in familiar territory
ABH: Mike White on Georgia football, a return to Florida and UGA basketball's upset of Auburn
Mike White on Georgia football, a return to Florida and UGA basketball's upset of Auburn
While Mike White returns to his old stomping grounds Saturday at Florida, here's how he says Georgia football has helped grow UGA's hoops program
www.onlineathens.com
Gadogs.com: Georgia Travels To Gainesville To Face Gators
MBB Game Notes: Georgia Travels To Gainesville To Face Gators - University of Georgia Athletics
Game Notes:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/georgiadogs.com/documents/2023/1/6/15_florida_game_notes.pdf
Florida
FloridaGators.com: Florida vs Georgia (Saturday, 1 pm)
UF………………………………………………..UGA
| 74.2 | Scoring | 71.6 |
| .451 | Field-goal percentage | .438 |
| .343 | 3-point percentage | .342 |
| 66.6 | Scoring defense | 64.0 |
| .409 | Field-goal percentage defense | .410 |
| .336 | 3-point percentage defense | .284 |
| 57th | KenPom.com overall ranking | 91st |
| 100th | KenPom.com offensive efficiency | 131st |
| 26th | KenPom.com defensive efficiency | 80th |
| 45th | KenPom.com adjusted tempo | 225th |
| 73rd | NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking | 110th |
| 43rd | Overall strength of schedule ranking | 238t |
“It's been decades since they had a losing overall record this early in the SEC season, but that's what's at stake (among other things) for the Gators Saturday. They need wins. To get 'em, Florida will have to shore up a number of areas, especially after allowing a second straight opponent infuriating success on the offensive glass, but also with ball security, after turning the ball over a season-high 20 times against A&M. The biggest turnover culprits were also the two Gators who kept their team in the game. Guard Trey Bonham helped his club crawl out of a miserable 3-point shooting slump (5-for-41 the previous two games) by dropping four of seven on his way to a game-high 21 points. Bonham, though, also had seven turnovers vs. four assists. Forward Colin Castleton made some huge offensive players in the second half to put UF in position to win on the way to 14 points and five boards over a team-high 36 minutes, but equaled his career-high of six turnovers. Two players, 13 giveaways, as the Aggies scored a total of 21 points off the Florida turnovers. ... Guard Will Richard snapped out of his cold spell by scoring eight points (2 of 4 from deep), grabbing five boards and dishing two assists without a turnover in the loss. He'd been held to just 11 points and missed 14 consecutive attempts from 3 the previous four games combined. ... Forward Alex Fudge had three points and five rebounds before fouling out after 21 minutes. Two of his fouls were on the offensive end, with another a flagrant hook-and-hold that cost the Gators two technical free throws in the first half. ... Point guard Kyle Lofton had nine points (2-for-7 from the floor), but just one rebound, pair of assists and a turnover. Lofton was one of three Gators (along with Richard and Fudge) to post a positive plus-minus ratio in the game. ... Backup wing Kowacie Reeves continued his up-and-down scoring trend with six points on 2-for-7 shooting and 0-for-4 from 3 after going into the game at 40.8 percent from deep on the season. His point totals over the last six games look this: 12, 7, 20, 5, 15 and 6. He continues to look for consistency in his role as the team's most explosive scorer off the bench.”
“Up until the Auburn victory, Georgia's 10 wins had come against teams with an average NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) of 264, but the Tigers currently sit at No. 48, which is far better than the best win Florida has posted to date (Ohio U at 130th). ... White managed to convince guard Kario Oquendo, the team's best player from last season, to return after flirting with the portal. Oquendo, the team's No. 2 scorer, is shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 36.0 from deep (with team-high 18 makes) and nearly 77 percent at the line. He's yielded scoring honors to Bradley transfer Terry Roberts, who the Gators chased aggressively, as well, after his first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference and Freshman of the Year season. Roberts' in-game percentages aren't eye-popping (41.6 overall, 30.2 arc), but he gets to the free-throw line and converts (81.4 percent) and leads the team with 35 assists and 24 steals. He was great in the win over Auburn, finishing with 26 points. ... Post man Braelen Bridges is shooting 57.5 percent on the season and has yet to attempt to a 3. ... Oklahoma State transfer Matthew-Alexander Montcrieffe is shooting 79 percent from the floor and had a solid 9-point, 9-rebound outing against the Tigers, as well as a plus-15 ratio. ... Reserve point guard Justin Hill (7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg) is second on the team with 37 assists. ... Backup forward Jabri Abdur-Rahim (6.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) is in his second since transferring from Virginia. He's averaging just 15 minutes off the bench, but his 17 makes from 3 (at 39.3 percent) rank second on the team. ... UGA assistants Erik Pastrana and Akeem Miskdeen were on White's last UF staff last season, both coming from Florida Atlantic.”
https://floridagators.com/news/2023/1/6/florida-vs-georgia-saturday-1-pm.aspx
FloridaGators.com: Business As Usual, Both Sides Say, for White Reunion
“Eight current members of the UF basketball team were brought on board by Mike White, who will be back at Exactech Arena as coach of the Georgia Bulldogs for Saturday's much-anticipated reunion game. “
https://floridagators.com/news/2023...y-for-white-reunion-at-o-dome-jan-7-2023.aspx
Gainesville Sun: Florida basketball: Mike White says return to O'Dome will feel like 'Twilight Zone'
"Colin Castleton is one of the best players in the league of course and a guy who I care deeply about and always root for obviously other than tomorrow," White said. "We hope we can do a pretty good job of him. (Florida) has got other good pieces, they've got shooting wings, they've got athleticism and depth and picked up good players out of the portal in the spring so they are very good.”
"Their record is misleading. They've played a very challenging schedule and they can beat anybody in our league."
https://www.gatorsports.com/story/s...ite-brings-hot-uga-team-to-odome/69785672007/
Recruiting
Mari Jordan
Dylan James
Dylan James of Winter Haven HS is doing just fine as well…
Winter Haven is not just the top team in the county, it also is the top team in the state according to the FHSAA power rankings.
“Dylan James is averaging 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.”
The Ledger: Midseason report: Here's a look at Polk's top 5 boys basketball teams
Midseason report: Here's a look at Polk's top 5 boys basketball teams
2024
History
SEC Basketball
Alabama
"It's part of being Kentucky, I think," Oats said. "If they're not No. 1 in the country, I think the fans get a little restless. [...] I think they were upset that they didn't have enough shooting before and now they're leading the SEC in 3-point percentage."
"They're spoiled," Oats said. "It's probably like Alabama football fans, to be honest with you. Like, we're not in the College Football Playoffs and everybody's upset and acts like this is a bad year. Shoot, I don't know what the final football polls were but after I watched those two games previous it looked like we might be in the top three or four teams in the country still and people are upset around here.
"Well, if Kentucky's not in the top three or four, people are probably pretty upset there. They're a really good team, though."
Florida
WRUF: Pat Dooley’s High Five (January 6th)
“I hate to start off The Return of the High Five with a negative vibe, but there hasn’t been a ton to cheer about for Florida fans of late.
So, here is the start of the Friday series as Dooley Downer gives you five things to know about Florida’s 7-7 basketball record heading into Saturday’s game against Georgia:
* The original idea was to look back at other Florida basketball teams who have been 7-7 or worse at this point in the season. I quit somewhere in the John Lotz Era because there were so many. That gives you an idea of the late success this program has had and how bad it was B.B. – Before Billy. This is the first team this century to be at .500 at this point in the season but there were plenty in the previous century.
* Of course, that means neither Billy Donovan or Mike White, the previous two coaches, were among the teams that were in this bad shape at this point in the season.
* The last coach to have a team with a worse record than the current team at this point of the season is the man they are honoring Saturday — Hall of Famer Lon Kruger. His first team at Florida — after the house had been cleaned – was 6-8 after 14 games. That was after Don DeVoe’s 6-8 start the year before as interim coach.
* The most remarkable team to ever start 7-7 was the 1988-89 team. After that start, the Gators won the SEC regular season title (with a 13-5 record). It was the first time in school history the Gators won it and they also played in the SEC Tournament final losing to Alabama. They lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Colorado State.
* There was also the 1981-82 team which started the season 7-7 and still made the NIT. Those Gators lost to South Alabama by a point in the first round. But they did rally to finish third in the conference.”
https://www.wruf.com/headlines/2023/01/06/pat-dooleys-high-five-january-6th/
Kentucky
Lexington Herald Leader: Kentucky will start playing with a double-edged sword as NCAA Tournament bubble nears
https://amp.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article270772172.html
Missouri
St.Louis Post Dispatch: Mizzou basketball looks to rebound — in more ways than one — vs. Vanderbilt
https://www.stltoday.com/sports/col...cle_4d6430dc-a032-52e7-bb1e-f11f96f5c99d.html
Texas A&M
Dallas Morning News: 3 players exceeding expectations for Texas A&M basketball this season: New additions lead
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/t...his-season-new-additions-lead/?outputType=amp
College Basketball
Rothstein: The Breakfast Buffet: UConn/Creighton, Kentucky, Scott Drew versus Jerome Tang
“That is not hyperbole. The Wildcats do not own a single Quad 1 win on their resume and need to start stacking some if they hope to earn a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament. The irony of today’s matchup in Tuscaloosa? Three of Alabama’s top four scorers — Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney, and Jaden Bradley — are true freshmen while four of Kentucky’s top five scorers — Oscar Tshiebwe, Jacob Toppin, Antonio Reeves, and Sahvir Wheeler — are transfers. For years the Wildcats were always loaded with a high volume of blue chip freshmen under John Calipari, but things have shifted in the transfer portal era. The Crimson Tide already own wins this season over Houston, Michigan State, Memphis, and North Carolina.”
https://collegehoopstoday.com/index...ghton-kentucky-scott-drew-versus-jerome-tang/
Washington Post: As college basketball season comes into focus, Rutgers is causing a stir
“Oh, about the top 25: Charleston is the first CAA team to crack the Associated Press rankings since Navy did it in 1987 — David Robinson’s senior year in Annapolis.
The Cougars probably don’t have a future Hall of Famer on their roster, but they have a bunch of options. Guard Dalton Bolon (12.9 points per game) is the top scorer on a team with five players averaging in double figures and nine guys collecting at least five points a game. Charleston routinely goes 10 players deep.
What are the chances Charleston flirts with 30 wins? Pretty good. The Cougars” have only three more road games against teams with winning records, and the next one — Wednesday at UNC Wilmington — could put Kelsey’s bunch in firm control of the CAA less than a third of the way into league play.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/06/rutgers-basketball-college-games-to-watch/
NCAA.com: What happened in 5 days of riding the 'roller coaster' that is Big Ten men's basketball
https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketbal...ng-roller-coaster-big-ten-mens-basketball?amp
Florida State
Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State men's basketball: Matthew Cleveland showing confidence, improvement in latest surge
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/s...owing-confidence-in-latest-surge/69770525007/
North Carolina
Raleigh News & Observer: If UNC basketball has turned a corner this season, Tar Heels may need to thank Pitt
https://amp.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article270709342.html
Texas Tech
Rivals.com: Georgia transfer KyeRon Lindsay returns home, commits to Texas Tech
Q&A with KyeRon Lindsay
Why was Texas Tech the right fit for you?
"The style of play fits my game perfectly, also the coaching staff is great."
What are you goals for your Texas Tech career?
"I'd love to play for a national championship and win a Big 12 championship."
What's your message to Tech fans who are excited to watch you play in Lubbock?
"I'm here and ready to work hard everyday. The fans here are amazing and I look forward to showing them how appreciative I am of each of them."
https://texastech.rivals.com/news/georgia-transfer-kyeron-lindsay-returns-home-commits-to-texas-tech
Wichita State
Wichita Eagle: Wichita State basketball looking to shore up rebounding in South Florida road game
https://amp.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/article270884137.html
NBA
Atlanta
AJC: Hawks’ rally falls short after Lakers race out front
https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-...rally-falls-short/W4UHL3S5JZEMLLX5KBWJQAOMJ4/
Brooklyn
NYP: Nic Claxton starting to be big-impact player for Nets
NEW ORLEANS — “This past summer, Nets fans questioned whether Nic Claxton could handle a full-time starter’s role and whether he was worth the contract the team have given him.
After turning in a career season so far — and sitting among the top 10 Eastern Conference frontcourt players in the first fan returns for All-Star voting — the 23-year-old Claxton has gone a long way toward answering both questions.
The recognition was unexpected, but inspiring.
“Yeah. It was a surprise to me. It’s definitely a big deal. But it just makes you want to climb up on that list even higher. So I’ve just got to stick with it and keep doing what I’m doing,” Claxton said before the Nets beat the Pelicans 108-102 on Friday night. “I feel like I can play even better, I can be more consistent. I can produce even more when I’m out there. So I’m not getting complacent. That’s good that my name is on that list, but I still have a lot more work to do.”
Claxton had nine points, nine rebounds and five blocks, giving him 23 blocks in his past five games.
“He was a confident player always looking to get better. I think when opportunity meets preparation, you become a good player,” Kevin Durant said of Claxton. “These last couple of years he’s tried to figure out his role around Kyrie [Irving] and myself and James [Harden], when he was here, and now Ben [Simmons] that he’s here.
“Being that anchor as we expect him to be, that’s a tough transition from a young college player, young guy in the league to being on a team that is trying to play deep into the playoffs. … You’ve got to be that anchor. He’s commanded a lot out there as a big, cutting to the ‘D’, switches, protecting the rim, rebounding the basketball. He’s done a lot for us.”
Claxton has three or more blocks in five straight games, the longest streak for a Net since Brook Lopez in November 2012 (five straight).”
https://nypost.com/2023/01/07/nic-claxton-starting-to-be-big-impact-player-for-nets/
Denver
Denver Post: Nikola Jokic’s NBA-leading 10th triple-double paces Nuggets over Cavs
https://www.denverpost.com/2023/01/06/nikola-jokic-triple-double-nuggets-beat-cavs/
Milwaukee
Mil JS: Bucks allow 51 points in first quarter and suffer blowout loss
https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...s-at-fiserv-forum-january-6-2023/69782133007/
New York
NYP: Miles McBride drills two key 3-pointers to secure Knicks’ win
https://nypost.com/2023/01/07/miles-mcbride-drills-two-key-3-pointers-to-secure-knicks-win/
History
Hoops Birthdays 1-07-23
Jordan Bell C Oregon GS, MIN, MEM, WAS, GS, CHI 2017-2022 1-07-1995 27 YOA
Marquis Daniels SG Auburn DAL, IND, BOS, MIL 2003-2013 1-07-1981 42 YOA
Todd Day SG Arkansas MIL, BOS, MIA, PHO, MIN 1992-2001 1-07-1970 53 YOA
Johnny Macknowski G/F Seton Hall SYR 1949-1951 1-07-1923 100 YOA
Citizen Tribune: In the classroom or on the court, Johnny Macknowsky gave his all (2017)
“Still regarded as arguably best hoopster in the history of Lincoln High School in Jersey City, N.J., where he earned All-City, All-County and All-State honors while winning the Hudson County scoring title his senior year in 1941, Macknowsky had more after-school hobbies than just basketball.
His mother came home one day his freshman year and instructed him to help Ms. Ragozine, a family neighbor who, like Johnny’s parents was in the poultry busin,ess.
After three days of assisting Ms. Ragozine, she hugged Macknowsky and teared up, saying she couldn’t pay him but could teach him Russian — the language of his forefathers.
“I was with her for three or four hours every day for four years while I was in high school, and I got to like the language,” Macknowsky recalled. “I became quite fluent in Russian.”
Though he admitted it was the “most difficult language in the world to learn,” he eventually received a scholarship to study Russian at Northwestern University.
Heavily recruited out of high school for his basketball skills, Macknowsky initially chose to attend George Washington University.
In fact, he was all dressed and ready to attend the school when it wired a telegram to his home saying his scholarship no longer existed and was filled by somebody else.
“They only had so many scholarships. I would imagine some politician got his kid in there,” Macknowsky said.
Without notice, Whitey went to Seton Hall University the next day. Unfortunately, the scholarships had already been filled due to his announced intent to attend GWU, thus leaving him without one.
A commuter student who rode the bus to college daily, the school initially wanted to charge him $600 to eat on campus since he wasn’t a boarding student.
Upon hearing this, Macknowsky’s friend Joe told him they were going to Seton Hall “to correct this thing.”
Not knowing what to expect, Macknowsky cleaned out his locker as instructed by Joe, who accompanied him to the admissions office and said, “Whitey isn’t coming here anymore.”
Realizing it was a major deal since Macknowsky and teammates routinely beat the Pirates’ varsity squad which at one time won 41 straight games, the director of admissions tried desperately to contact coach John ‘Honey’ Russell in addition to the athletic director and superintendent to no avail.
After stating to admissions that Whitey can go “to any school in this country if he wants to,” Joe took a visibly upset Macknowsky home and assured him things would work out.
And they did, as Whitey suddenly had a private room on campus the next morning.
With the United States entering World War II at the time, Macknowsky enlisted in the United States Navy after his sophomore season in which he started for the Pirates.
He starred for the powerful Sampson Naval Base team and not surprisingly needed money to spend while he was on liberty.
He received money from home until his father stopped sending it, wanting money to be there in a savings account for Johnny when he left the Navy.
While on liberty in New York City, Macknowsky would participate in three-round fights for spending money. He recalled one match in which he was bloodied and beaten badly in the ring, but Macknowsky remembered his manager encouraging him to pursue a boxing career.
But Whitey already had that on the hardwood.
“I was a tough nut when I played ball,” he said. “If I had to fight a guy, I fought him.”
After serving from 1942-45 and earning the rank of First Class Petty Officer, Macknowsky had the right to attend school at any institution he desired per the G.I. Bill. But feeling comfortable at Seton Hall, he chose to stay and finish his collegiate career with the Pirates and guided them to a 24-3 record in 1946-47 and an 18-4 record his senior year — in which he received the honor “King of the Campus.”
Interestingly, Macknowsky appeared in four games for the Scranton Miners, a professional team in the American Basketball League, that same year.
Playing under the name Johnny Mack, Whitey received $50 per game from the Miners. Macknowsky remembered after one game that he and his teammates were told they would receive just $25 due to lack of attendance, after which the players demanded to be paid between quarters or they would not return to the court. Not wanting to anger the crowd who had paid admission, the Miners obliged and on occasion gave players $75 for a good night.
But it didn’t last for Macknowsky, as a fan who recognized him and several Seton Hall teammates called the university with the knowledge that playing pro ball makes them ineligible at the collegiate level.
“Why didn’t you tell us you needed money?” a school official asked Macknowsky and his teammates after questioning “what the heck” they were thinking.
Whitey earned extra money his senior year by working in the school library performing simple tasks from arranging books to sweeping floors, and not often being required to stay the full four hours he’d been assigned there.
Initially planning to sign with the Rochester Royals upon graduating Seton Hall in 1948 due to his familiarity with the players and the money being offered, Macknowsky had scheduled a meeting with the owner at the Paramount Hotel in New York. But the owner never showed. Angry, Macknowsky signed with the Syracuse Nationals.
As he found out, Syracuse had told the Royals owner that Macknowsky played for the Scranton Miners, who in reality had nothing to do with the situation as Whitey never signed a contract with the Miners and played under an assumed name.
Joining a Nats team which consisted of Hall of Famers Dolph Schayes and player-coach Al Cervi, Macknowsky scored a total of 1,243 points, an average of 6.9 per game, during his three-year NBA career at Syracuse which saw him earn second-team All-Rookie honors. He averaged 7.5 per game in the playoffs including a 10.6 average in 11 games during Syracuse’s run to the 1950 NBA Finals. Not too shabby for an era with no 10-second rule, no shot clock, no 3-point shot and 10-minute quarters.
Reaching the Finals with playoff series wins over the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks before a semifinal bye, Syracuse lost in six games to the Minneapolis Lakers, highlighted by Bob Harrison’s buzzer beater to beat the Nats on the road 68-66 in Game 1 which was the first known Finals buzzer beater according to reports.
Macknowsky laughed as he recalled a heated exchange between himself and Cervi due to limited playing time at one point despite the home fans clamoring for him. Knowing he’d have to score quickly at home, road games were a different story as Whitey played more often particularly if he had the hot hand.
But during one game, Cervi substituted Macknowsky in at the last minute, and Johnny Mack wasn’t having it.
“I’d never cursed,” Macknowsky said as he remembered this instance as the only time he had ever done so with Cervi as he uttered “(expletive) you.”
Cervi confronted Macknowsky in the locker room saying, “I’m the coach. When I tell you to go in, you go in.”
“I grabbed him by the neck and was ready to clock him. (Paul) Seymour was near me, and Dolph Schayes jumped in front of him or I would have hit him, would’ve plastered one good one in his face,” Whitey laughed.
Despite the exchange, Macknowsky remained with the Nationals until a wrist injury cut his pro career short in 1951.
On Whitey’s pinky finger is a ring he received after the 1950 NBA Finals, a ring which is not for sale as Macknowsky intends to pass it on to his family’s future generations.
There’s a story behind the ring, as Nats owner Daniel Biasone had initially announced to the players he would give them each $1,000 in addition to their $5,000 salary if they reached the Finals.
Instead, Biasone presented the team with inscribed gold rings.
“Some of the guys threw the rings back at them, but I’ve kept mine,” Macknowsky said.
The players’ yearly salary of $5,000 — a respectable amount at the time but a far cry from the millions NBA players earn today — had to last them the entire offseason as Macknowsky recalled, not to mention the “six to eight” exhibition games for which the players weren’t compensated and the fact that the NBA Finals ended in April as opposed to June, making for a longer offseason than now.
Macknowsky admitted he doesn’t watch the NBA today for various reasons, but mainly because of how much the game has changed since his playing days.
“The big guys today they go out and lay a physical block on the guys outside. That was a foul. If I got rid of the ball and I just touched a guy, that was a foul,” he said. “Now, I guess the fans like all that to happen because the refs don’t call it. It’s a different game entirely.”
He went on to earn his Master’s degree from Montclair State and become a schoolteacher and coach at the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District in New Jersey while also coaching basketball for seven seasons at Drew University…”
https://www.citizentribune.com/spor...cle_ea0b4b6c-9718-11e7-a215-3f1a0721284d.html
Jarnell Stokes C Tennessee MEM, MIA, DEN 2014-2017 1-07-1994 29 YOA
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