As the Dawgs begin

the 2001-2002 basketball season with an exhibition game against on November 5,

we take an in-depth look at the big changes that have happened on and off the

court and the prospects for this season.

The Georgia men's

basketball team wrapped up a comeback season with a return to the NCAA Tournament

before ending the year with a loss to Missouri. On the surface, a 16-15 record

might not be one for the scrapbook, but a several ingredients made the 2000-2001

season memorable:

record in 1999-2000 had lowered expectations for the program to sickly levels.

The NCAA Tournament was the goal but after the previous season, the postseason

was pretty much a pipe dream.

efforts of big men Shon Coleman and Anthony Evans personified a fight in this

team that got fans interested.

to a winning record both overall and in the SEC against the nation's toughest

schedule.

streak in January propelled the Dawgs from obscurity to the Top 25 and further

into the Big Dance.

against ranked Tennessee and Florida shocked the conference. A sweep of Tennessee

and Vanderbilt enabled the Dawgs to have a .500 record in the SEC East - one of

the toughest six-team groups in the nation with Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee.

Tech in Atlanta gave UGA a modest two-game streak over Tech and a 4-2 advantage

since the series left a "neutral" floor in 1995.

from Robb Dryden and big impacts from freshmen Rashad Wright, Stephen Thomas,

Chris Daniels, and Ezra Williams gave the Dawgs the role players they needed to

balance the contributions of Coleman, Evans, and Layne.

With some big conference

wins and despite an inexplicable losses to South Carolina (twice) and LSU, the

blue-collar Dawgs earned their way into the NCAA Tournament and also earned a

good deal of national respect and recognition for the way in which they came through

a tortuous schedule.

The positive from

last season is that the program finally broke through and gave some legitimacy

to what Jim Harrick is building. The Dawgs had impressive wins against an impressive

schedule and were rewarded accordingly.

The negative is

that the core of that team is gone. Only four players with significant experience

from last season remain on the roster, and only one of the top five scorers from

a year ago is back. The entire frontcourt is gone except for Stephen Thomas. The

situation closely resembles two years ago in Harrick's first season where D.A.

Layne was the only playmaker returning and the Dawgs were forced to use walk-ons

and midseason transfers to survive a rough season. In that 1999-2000 season, newcomers

Evans and Coleman prevented the year from challenging the 1962 New York Mets for

futility. In 2001-2002, newcomers will also have to have a big impact in order

for the team to have any chance at success.

PG Rashad Wright

(6'0" Soph. - 4.7 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.5 Asst/TO)

Last season, neither Adrian Jones nor D.A. Layne appeared to be comfortable handling

the point guard duties after Moses White left the program. Out of options, Harrick

turned to true freshman Rashad Wright. Wright was never a threat to be a scoring

machine, averaging under five points per game. But he filled a critical role handling

the ball and getting it to the scorers. The offense did not flow nearly as smoothly

when Wright was out of the game. As important, Wright was one of the top defenders

on the squad and handled quality opposing guards such as Tony Akins well.

WG Ezra Williams

(6'4" Jr. - 12.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 37% 3PT in SEC)

The 1999-2000 season was made tougher knowing that Ezra Williams had to miss the

season with academic problems. Finally able to play last season, Williams lived

up to his hype and emerged as the second-leading scorer behind Layne. If Ezra

had something to improve on from last season, it was consistency. He would disappear

for a few games but also took over plenty of big games with unconscious shooting.

With Layne gone, the Dawgs will look to Williams as the main source of points,

and he will likely be the first objective for opposing defenses to neutralize.

SG Mike Patrick

(6'4" Jr. - 1.5 PPG)

Patrick became a celebrity of sorts in 1999 when Harrick started the former walk-on

early in the season. Patrick has always been known for his effort and intensity,

but it is unknown what role he'll have on this year's team with the real needs

being on the frontcourt.

WF Chris Daniels

(6'7" Soph. - 3.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG)

Daniels was touted coming into his freshman year as an inside-outside wing forward

who could use his size down low but could also step outside for jumpshots. He

provided valuable minutes last season when Georgia wanted to go with a quicker

lineup. Daniels impressed with his fluidity and athleticism and became much more

confident in his offense as the season went on. This year, Daniels looks to move

from a role player to a key member of the starting frontcourt.

PF Steve Thomas

(6'8" Soph. - 2.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG)

Thomas, along with Daniels, was a big contributor as a freshman and provided an

option when the Dawgs wanted to go a little quicker than a lineup of Evans or

Dryden. Where Steve impressed most last season was on the defensive end both as

a shotblocker and rebounder in his limited playing time. Thomas's quick reflexes

and good vertical jump made him a presence. His offense will have to continue

to improve as a starter this year.

WF Ryan Pevey (6'5"

Sr.)

Pevey has seen very limited time since transferring into UGA a couple of seasons

ago and appeared in only eight games last year. That probably will not change

much this season.

Georgia returns

no true center (and no player taller than Thomas's 6'8").

PG Tony Cole (5'11"

Jr.)

Cole has bounced around from prep school to community college over the past couple

of years but has hopefully gotten his academics enough to stick in Athens. Cole

was originally recruited and signed by Harrick at Rhode Island in 1999 but did

not qualify. What he might bring to the table is the threat to score out of the

point guard role. Georgia since G.G. Smith has either had point guards without

much scoring output or has had to put scorers like Layne at point to get more

offense into the game. If Cole can handle and distribute the ball plus contribute

more than eight or ten points, he should challenge Wright for the starting PG

role.

WF Jonas Hayes

(6'6" Soph.)

Jonas is a transfer from Western Carolina (along with twin brother Jarvis). He

should be able to help at either forward spot and in the middle in a pinch, but

Jonas will most likely be counted on for depth on the blocks providing a backup

for Thomas or Daniels.

WF Jarvis Hayes

(6'6" Soph.)

Jarvis was voted Freshman of the Year in the Southern Conference in 1999-2000

before sitting out last year as a transfer. He averaged over 17 points per game,

but the most important thing was his consistency - he had no fewer than 12 points

in any SoCon game. Depending on the mix of guards Harrick chooses to use or if

he decides to use a three-guard lineup, Jarvis could be a starter at small forward.

Even if he doesn't start, he will get plenty of minutes on the frontcourt.

G Mike Britton

(6'4" Fr.)

Britton comes to Athens from Rockford, Illinois.

WG Richard Wehunt

(6'4" Jr.)

Wehunt has put up some big scoring numbers at smaller schools like North Georgia

before coming to Athens for his final two seasons. UGA says that he scored 696

points as a sophomore at North Georgia in 2000, ranking 2nd nationally among all

NAIA Division I players. He might find a role as a sharpshooter off the bench.

This season could

go up or down a lot depending on the fortunes of three players whose status with

the team is uncertain entering the first game. These are three potential starters,

so any resolution concerning their status will have a huge impact on the team's

prospects.

G Michael Dean

Liggons (6'2" Fr.)

Liggons is a scoring machine from NW Georgia whose reputation as an offensive

sparkplug approaches the fanfare given to D.A. Layne several years ago. The team

was counting on him to help shoulder, along with Ezra Williams, some of the scoring

vacuum left by Layne's departure. Unfortunately, Liggons ran into transcript problems

and was not admitted to UGA for Fall Semester. It is expected Liggons will join

the team at the end of the semester in early December, but since the Ezra Williams

saga, nothing is concrete until he sets foot on the court.

F/C Larry Turner

(6'10" Fr.)

The Dawgs went head-to-head with Maryland to land Turner, and his signing was

considered a key component to replacing the production down low of Evans and Coleman.

He and Thomas would be Georgia's only true post players. Turner's ACT score was

flagged, and he is in the same boat as Liggons - word is he may be able to join

the team in December, but that also is something that will not be known for certain

until it happens.

WF Damien Wilkins

(6'6" Jr.)

Wilkins, the nephew of Dominique, transferred to UGA from NC State after last

season leaving behind an ugly scene of bitterness and finger-pointing between

the Wilkins family and the Wolfpack staff. Wilkins came out of high school with

a lot of hype and skills and is hoping that Athens is the place where all of that

finally comes together under Harrick's tutelage. Under the NCAA's transfer rules,

Wilkins must sit out this season. However, circumstances around Wilkins's departure

from NC State may provide away around the transfer requirements. UGA is investigating

every way to get this talented small forward on the court, but it will be a longshot.

Unless something unexpected happens, Wilkins will most likely be someone to talk

about for next season.

It's nowhere near

the killer schedule of a year ago, but the 2001-2002 slate for the Bulldogs is

still very respectable.

November is highlighted

by a tilt with Georgetown in the Tip-Off Classic (in Springfield, MA) in among

three other likely wins. South Georgia fans will get to see the Dawgs in Savannah

on November 21 against Georgia Southern.

Things get much

more heated in December beginning with Colorado. The Dawgs host Minnesota on December

7 and then host Georgia Tech just two days later. Following that Tech game, the

team heads on the road for almost a full month. They start with a stop in Mobile

to play South Alabama and then jet out to California to return a home-and-home

with Pepperdine. From California, it's on to Hawaii for the well-known Rainbow

Classic - the venue the Dawgs used to explode onto the scene in 1996. This year,

the Rainbow field also includes Iona, Holy Cross, Portland, Hawaii, Boston College,

Miami (Ohio), and Arkansas State. The Dawgs open that tournament with Arkansas

State.

After the Rainbow

Classic, Georgia leaves the nonconference part of the schedule and turns to the

always-difficult SEC. They'll have two weeks off to return home from Hawaii and

rest up before Vanderbilt comes to Athens to start the SEC season. Aside from

home-and-home games with SEC East teams, the Dawgs travel to LSU, Mississippi

State, and Auburn and host Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Alabama. One of the best things

about the SEC schedule this year is that the home game with Kentucky is on a Saturday

for the first time in several years.

Who are the tougher

teams on Georgia's schedule? According to ESPN's

preseason rankings, Georgetown and Boston College look to be the class of

the nonconference opponents with rankings in the Top 20. In the SEC, Kentucky

and Florida are preseason Top 5, meaning another brutal SEC East schedule. Tennessee,

Alabama, Ole Miss, and Arkansas are also getting some marginal preseason attention.

Honestly, it would

be a huge accomplishment for this year's unit to duplicate the postseason appearance

of last season's team.

A shift in styles

might be expected as well. In the past two seasons, the Dawgs have depended on

a consistent low-post offense punctuated by the set outside shot from D.A. Layne.

All of those elements are gone now. The Georgia personnel is now much more suited

to a faster tempo and a transition game. Daniels and Thomas are used to taking

things a bit quicker from their roles last season, and until Ezra becomes more

consistent from outside or Liggons becomes eligible, the lack of an outside jumpshooter

will mean that the Dawgs will have to turn to the penetration and slashing skills

of Williams, Cole, and Jarvis Hayes.

The Dawgs lose

a ton of offense from a year ago without many options to replace it. Ezra Williams

has been a big scorer at times but has yet to be consistent enough to be counted

on each night to lead the offense. There are plenty of role players in all elements

of the game, especially defense, but without Liggons and a proven scorer down

low, points will be hard to come by early on. Newcomers Hayes (both of them) and

Cole will have to fill the roles of scorers fairly quickly for this team to have

much success.

The early schedule

is more favorable than it has been the past two seasons. The Dawgs will find out

plenty about themselves against Georgetown, but the ACC battles with Wake and

NC State are gone, and Georgia State is a shell of last year's NCAA Tournament

team. Georgia Tech will be the usual rivalry-fueled war, and the Dawgs will be

looking to extend the winning streak over the Jackets to 3. Georgia has an outside

shot to win the Rainbow Classic, but Boston College will be tough to beat. Even

in their rebuilding state, the Dawgs look to be the second-best team playing out

there.

The SEC will be

just as tough as it was last season and possibly tougher. Florida and Kentucky

are still tops. Tennessee will be retooled under a dangerous young coach. Arkansas,

Alabama, and South Carolina should be matured into quality teams. Matching last

year's 9-7 conference mark will be very difficult.

Let's talk postseason.

If the Dawgs hope to make the NCAA Tournament this year, they can't afford but

three of four losses before the SEC schedule. Four nonconference losses plus a

.500 season in the SEC would put the Dawgs at about 17-12 heading into the postseason.

While the schedule is decent, it isn't the overwhelming test that last year's

schedule was which had a big role in getting the Dawgs a tournament bid.

As it begins, the

2001-2002 season looks every bit as much of a challenge for Harrick as his initial

season two years ago was. He must quickly meld promising but young talent in with

one or two returning stars. The competition will be tough, but there are a few

more opportunities against weaker teams than there have been the past two seasons.

Much focus will be on tuning this team for a big push in 2002-2003, but there

is enough talent on this year's team to make some noise, win some big games, and

have an outside shot at a return to the postseason.