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Thursday, March 8, 2007 | The Red a Black
Men ranked No. 5 going into SEC tournament
Eastern division teams
1. Florida
Record: 26-5, 13-3 SEC
Record iJist 10 Games: 7-3
RPI: 9
Key Players: Joakim Noah
(12.2 ppg, 8.1 reb), A1 Horford
(13.1 ppg, 8.9 reb)
Note: Florida was domi
nant for most of the season,
but the Gators have lost
three out of their last five
games.
T
2. Tennessee
Record. 22-9, 10-6
Record Last 10 Games: 8-2
RPI 6
Key Players: Chris Lofton
(20.6 ppg), JaJuan Smith
(15.3 ppg)
Note: Tennessee may be
the hottest team heading
into the SEC Tournament as
they have won four games
straight, including a 10-point
win over Florida. With Chris
Lofton healthy again, the
Volunteers are playing its
best basketball this season.
3. Vanderbilt
Record: 20-10, 10-6
Record Last 10 Games: 6-4
RPI: 36
Key Players: Derrick Byars
(16.9 ppg, 3.3 ast), Shan
Foster (15.5 ppg)
Note: The Commodores
have been streaky down the
stretch, defeating then-No.l
Florida but later losing to
Mississippi State in
Starkville and to Arkansas at
home.
Dogs lose ‘lights out’ game to Owls
By JAMIE CWALINSKI
jcwalinsk@randb.com
A bizarre electrical power
outage delayed last night’s
baseball game for 21 minutes.
A separate power outage
at the plate stalled the
Diamond Dogs' offense for
the entire evening.
As has been the case more
often than not this season,
Georgia’s anemic offense
failed to support a strong
effort on the mound as the
team fell to Kennesaw State,
3-2.
The Diamond Dogs (4-8)
managed to put two across in
the seventh to slice the
Owls' lead to one, but the
team continued to leave
the tying and go-ahead
Club wrestlers head to championship
By NATHAN POWELL
For the Red & Black
Five Georgia wrestlers left
for Dallas before sunrise on
Wednesday to compete in the
National Collegiate Wrestling
Association National
Championship.
Jordee Williford, Clint
Casteel, Shane Anderson,
Mike DeNoia and Mark
Feeley will represent the
University club wrestling
team at the championship
that starts today and runs
through Saturday.
They will compete with
333 wrestlers from 68 col
leges and universities all over
Lemon returns to practice after losing mother
By MEGAN HARRISON
mharrison@randb.com
In shorts and a practice
Jersey for the first time this
year, defensive lineman
Michael Lemon returned to
football practice Wednesday.
The redshirt freshman,
from Lizella, lost his mother,
Phada LaDon Hollingshed
Lemon, in February and has
been dealing with the loss
since then.
Lemon returned to school
Wednesday.
"I’m Just trying to focus on
something else," Lemon said.
4. Kentucky
Record: 20-10, 9-7
Record Last 10 Games: 5-5
RPI: 12
Key Players: Randolph
Morris (15.3 ppg, 7.3 reb),
Ramel Bradley (14.1 ppg)
Note: A strong RPI helps
Tubby Smith and Kentucky’s
dancing hopes as the
Wildcats have lost five out of
the last seven games.
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5. Georgia
Record: 17-12, 8-8
Record Last 10 Games: 4-6
RPI: 61
Key Players: Takais Brown
(14 ppg, 15.6 reb), Levi
Stukes (12.1 ppg)
Note: The Bulldogs will
need to make a deep run in
the SEC tournament if they
want to play the NCAA
Tournament. Georgia unlike
last season is guaranteed at
least an NIT birth.
6. South Carolina
Record: 14-15, 4-12
Record Last 10 Games: 2-8
RPI 101
Key Players: Tre Kelley
<19.1 ppg). Brandon Wallace
(9.7 ppg, 9.2 reb)
Note: Barring a miracu
lous SEC tournament, the
defending NIT champions
likely will miss out on the
“nation s oldest postseason
collegiate basketball tourna
ment.”
Jason Butt
runners stranded.
Georgia left 12 men on
base, including six in scoring
position
“We're still trying to figure
it out,” head coach David
Pemo said. "We've got one
guy hitting over .300
(Jonathan Wyatt) and we're
trying to stretch the lineup to
keep him (in that spot).”
The game was delayed by
21 minutes when half of
the lights and the PA system
at Foley Field fell victim to
a neighborhood power out
age
Closer - turned - starter
Joshua Fields and three
reliever were lights out early,
shutting out Kennesaw State
(8-6) through the first five
innings on just two hits.
the country, according to the
pre-tournament bracket.
The National
Championship in Dallas wUI
take place in the Garland
Special Events Center, which
holds around 7,500 people.
The Coliseum holds 10,523.
For senior wrestlers
Casteel and Williford, this
tournament will end long and
successful careers.
This might cause some to
reflect fondly on the past.
Casteel got anew haircut.
Sporting a mullet with
shaved stripes on the sides,
Casteel grinned and bounced
on his toes before his last
practice on Tuesday.
He said he plans to stay at
the University unless he must
change plans to help his fami
ly.
According to head coach
Mark Richt, Lemon is doing
well and working hard on the
field and in the classroom.
“It looks like he is going to
be able to salvage this semes
ter and maybe even thrive.”
Richt said, adding that pro
fessors are helping Lemon at
this time.
"The busier you are, the
less you have time to dwell on
the sadness,” Richt said of
the time Lemon spends on
Western division teams
1. Mississippi State
Record: 17-12, 8-8 SEC
Record Last 10 Games: 6-4
RPI: 65
Key Players: Jamont
Gordon (16.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg),
Charles Rhodes (13.6 ppg)
Note: Gordon, a 6-foot-4-
inch, 225 pound point guard,
and Rhodes, a 6-foot-8-inch,
240 pound forward, give MSU
plenty of size inside and out.
TEAM
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2. Ole Miss
Record: 19-11 (8-8)
Record Last 10 Games: 6-4
RPI: 62
Key Players: Clarence
Sanders* 16.5 ppg) Todd
Abemethy(lo.9 ppg, 5.8 apg)
Note: Coach Andy
Kennedy guided Ole Miss to
an opening round bye in his
first season with the pro
gram. The Rebels are led by
a trio of seniors in the back
court: Bam Doyne, Sanders
and Abernethy.
♦
3. Arkansas
Record: 18-12, 7-9
Record Last 10 Games: 5-5
RPI: 49
Key Player: Patrick
Beverley (14.3 ppg, 4 4 rpg)
Note: The Razorbacks
beat Mississippi State and
Vanderbilt to lock up the
third seed in the West.
Beverley, the high-scoring
freshman, has emerged as
the Hogs number one option
on offense.
Then the lights went out,
curbing Georgia's momen
tum.
The Owls came out swing
ing after the delay, putting
two on what was left of the
scoreboard against Nick
Montgomery on two hits, an
error and a hit batter.
Citing that all three of
Kennesaw’s runs were
unearned. Pemo was pleased
with his seven-man attack on
the hill.
"Obviously, we gave up no
earned runs, so we must have
done something right,” he
said. “Everyone's fighting for
innings, and I'm proud of all
of them."
Three of Georgia’s losses
on its current four-game skid
have come by one run.
Asked if he was excited
about the tournament, he
said, “Yeah, I’m pumped."
Head coach Mike Kemling
said of the tournament, “It
means a lot, not just for their
personal goals, but also for
the sport in Georgia as a
whole.”
Georgia wrestling has
made annual trips to nation
als over the years.
Kemling has sent at least
three wrestlers to the tourna
ment in the past four sea
sons.
This year's group of five is
the second-largest group ever
to have gone to a tourna
ment.
the field and in classes.
Lemon said he was taught
by his mother to be responsi
ble and watch out for his
younger brother, Marquez, 15,
from a young age, so the extra
care is not something he is
pressured about.
“I think he has a lot of
comfort in knowing Marquez,
his younger brother, is back in
school,” Richt said.
However, with the already
huge changes in their lives,
Lemon said his younger
brother will remain in
Lizella and not come live with
him.
SPORTS
4. Auburn
Record: 17-14, 7-9
Record Last 10 Games: 4-6
RPI: 103
Key Player: Josh Dollard
(12.5 ppg, 6 7 rpg)
Note: Auburn had its first
winning record of Jeff Lebo's
three-year stint as head
coach. The Tigers feature no
seniors and have no starters
taller than 6-foot-7.
5. Alabama
Record: 20-10, 7-9
Record Last 10 Games: 5-5
RPI: 42
Key Players: Richard
Hendrix (14.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg),
Jermareo Davidson (14.2
ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.36 bpg)
Note: Alabama limped to
a disappointing record in the
conference. The Crimson
Tide's success in the tourna
ment hinges on the availabili
ty of point guard Ronald
Steele (tendinitis in knee).
6 LSU
Record 16-14. 5-11
Record Last 10 Games. 3-7
RPI: 93
Key Players: Glen Davis
(17.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg). Tasmin
Mitchell, So. F- 14.7 ppg, 6.0
rpg
Note: The Tigers are 1-9
on the road this season and
tied for first in SEC in scor
ing defense (62.0 ppg). At
neutral sites LSU is 1-1.
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Experience great
for former walk-on
By JOSH MOYNIHAN
For The Red & Black
While only playing in six
games over a two-year span
and scoring a total of two
points, one former walk-on
mens basketball player has
become one of the team's
biggest fans.
Sam Greavu, of
Gainesville, came to the
University in the fall of 2004
looking to earn a spot on the
men's basketball team. He
made the team and joined
the family that is Georgia
basketball.
His most memorable
moment came during his
freshman year. After begin
ning conference play with
four straight losses, the
team beat Vanderbilt.
The win was memorable
especially because a player
had skipped class earlier in
the week, causing the team
to be up at 6 a.m. the next
morning to run.
"We were all really excit
ed about the win, and we
tried to reason getting out
of running in the post-game
talk. But Coach Felton was
not letting that happen,”
Greavu said.
The team finished
Greavu's freshman year 8-
20, but rebounded his soph
omore year 15-15.
Despite its .500 record
during Greavu’s sophomore
year, the team was not invit
ed to a postseason tourna
ment, which Greavu men
tioned as his biggest disap
pointment. Greavu's playing
days would end after the
2005-06 season, and his
experience with the team
shifted from the court to the
stands.
Greavu has made all but
one of the'Bulldogs’ home
games this year and consid
ers himself “one of their
biggest fans.”
Even though this year’s
team went 8-8 in conference
play, Greavu likes the team's
chances in the SEC
Tournament, which starts
today.
"Even without Mercer, I
believe the team can take on
any team in the SEC,”
Greavu said.
No matter what happens
this season, Greavu believes
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▲ Sam Greavu, of
Gainesville, played for the
Georgia basketball team
2004-2006 and now con
siders himself one of the
Bulldogs’ biggest fans.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia (17-12, 8-8 SEC) vs.
Auburn (17-14,7-9)
When 7:30 tonight
Where Georgia Dome Atlanta
TV: Lincoln Financial Sports
Radio: WSB-AM 750 and
WPUP-FM 103.7
the team is headed in the
right direction.
“I think Coach Felton
knows where he is going.”
Greavu said.
Fans can look at the
team’s record over the past
few years to see the direc
tion the team is going. The
Bulldogs already have more
than doubled their win total
from two years ago.
“Within the next few
years, I believe Georgia bas
ketball is going to be a
feared team in the SEC,”
Greavu said.
As for Greavu’s own
future, he plans to graduate
with a degree in exercise sci
ence and enter the field of
physical therapy.
He still plays a little pick
up basketball with friends
and high school teammates
sometimes, but school is
Greavu’s top priority.
Greavu warns future
players attempting to walk
on to be aware of severe
time constraints.
“It is a lot harder than
most people think," Greavu
said.
