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SEC EAST 2009*10 RECORD COACH
jMMHk 21 -13 Billy Donovan
Donovan leads what looks to be his best team since
winning the 2006 and 2007 national titles.
QD 24 - 9 Kevin Stallings
Stallings couki very well have the SEC's top team
following his best season in Nashville in 2010-11.
W HF 35 -3 John Calipari
nTnr After losing four NBA draft picks, Calipari hopes to
reload on the fly with another top recruiting class.
14-17 Mark Fox
The return erf Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie has
the Bulldogs poised for a breakout season in 2010-11.
6 15-16 Darrin Horn
The Gamecocks will need to find anew scoring option
after bang SEC leading scorer Devan Downey.
P M| 28-9 Bruce Pearl
It was an offseason of turmoil for Pearl’s program.
JflL The Volunteers will look to prove the doubters wrong.
Freshmen play pivotal role for team
Forward Marcus Thornton
impresses in early minutes
By MITCH BLOMERT
The Red & Black
With so much buzz about Georgia’s returning starters
and the amount of experience on the team, it’s easy to
forget about the newcomers.
Case in point: The freshmen.
The Bulldogs boast a quiet, yet talented freshman
class, and they’re still pulling their own weight so far
despite the spotlight shining elsewhere on their veteran
teammates.
“It’s been great to mesh with these guys,” freshman
forward Marcus Thornton said. "We have a good level of
chemistry and unselfishness and no ego.”
Thornton, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Atlanta, highlights
the freshman class. He is joined by fellow forward Donte’
Williams and recent walk-on Elliott Long to compose
Georgia’s trio of first-year players.
Both Thornton and Williams come to Georgia highly
touted out of high school as two of state's top in-state
prospects, something head coach Mark Fox has empha
sized in his recruiting.
Upon his arrival at the University, Fox stated recruit
ing the hotbed of talent in Georgia would be his No. 1
priority on the recruiting trails, and his signing of
Thornton was the first of what appears to be many to
come for the Bulldogs.
Thom ton was named the 2010 Georgia Mr. Basketball
by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club and the Atlanta Journal-
Constitution, a title given to the state’s overall top bas
ketball player.
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SEC WRAP UP
Thornton was a highly sought-after prospect on the
national scale as well. He was ranked the 26th-best
power forward in the country by Scout.com.
So it’s no surprise that Thornton’s high potential has
made him an important player early on his career at
Georgia.
In his first game as a Bulldog, he played 19 minutes
and scored seven points the Bulldogs'
85-48 win against Augusta State last
Thursday. He also excelled on the defen
sive end of the floor, tallying two steals
and two blocks In his limited playing
time.
“I thought that Marcus, for the first
team out as a freshman, did a lot of nice
things,” Fox said. “He shot the ball in,
rebounded the ball well. I thought it was
a good first outing for Marcus.”
Williams, a 6-foot-9 forward out of
Ellenwood, was even more dynamic In his
Bulldog debut, scoring nine points against
Augusta State and leading team with
seven rebounds.
If both players are able to play with
similar success during the regular season,
they will add even more depth to a
Georgia lineup that has more talent than
last season.
“I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here
and I feel good about It,” Thornton said.
“I don’t know what my playing time will
be. I just know whenever coach Fox needs
WILLIAMS
me I’m going to go out there and do my best to contrib
ute and produce.”
Long, who walked on last Wednesday, is a 6-foot-4
guard from Atlanta. He helped Greater Atlanta Christian
School win a Class AA State Championship in 2010.
SPORTS
SEC WEST
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The Red a Black | Wednesday, November 10, aoio
2009*10 RECORD COACH
14- JohnPelphrey
Although returning three starters, it could be another
underachieving season for the Razortoacks.
i‘i ■ r
17-15 Anthony Grant
In his second season, Grant returns three starters to
the Tide, including standout forward JaMychal Green.
15- Tony Barbee
In Barbee's first season, the Tigers will look to begin a
turnaround from a recent stint of lackluster basketball.
11-20 Trent Johnson
After a disappointing season in 2009-10, it would be a
shock for LSU not to be a factor in the SEC West
24-11 Andy Kennedy
After its best season under Kennedy, the Rebels will
need to replace four starters from last year’s squad.
24 -12 Rick Stansbury
Stansbury’s program will need to find a replacement
for its graduated defensive stud, Jarvis Vamardo.
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