Column: After loss to Vanderbilt, is Fox running out of time?
Georgia’s basketball season was already heading in a downward direction but after Wednesday night’s 81-66 loss to Vanderbilt, well, let’s just say it's not looking any better for head coach Mark Fox.
Take nothing away from Vanderbilt.
The Commodores have played better ball of late, including a two-point loss to Kentucky and 81-78 win over TCU, but otherwise, the Bulldogs were rolled by the last-place team in the SEC.
Wednesday’s victory improved Vandy’s record to a mere 9-15, but you would never have known of the Commodores' struggles based on their game against the Bulldogs, who dropped to 13-10, 4-7 in the SEC.
Instead of getting better, this team is getting worse. Georgia’s 9-2 start seems eons ago.
“You have to continue to develop throughout a season,” Fox said. “We got a decent night out of Yante (Maten) and Derek (Ogbeide) but it has to be more than that.”
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs don't seem to be developing at all.
This is what’s been most disappointing about this Bulldog squad, which coming into the year was thought to be one of the better squads in Fox’s nine years as head coach.
Granted, the graduation of J.J. Frazier has hurt more than perhaps many first realized.
But the fact is, the rest of the team - particularly Georgia’s guards - have not developed in a way to help take some of the scoring pressure off Maten.
Allow me to pause for a few moments.
Yante Maten is one of the fiercest warriors I’ve ever seen compete for the Georgia basketball team.
He didn’t have to come back for his senior year, but he loves Georgia and wanted to give it one more go in hopes of leading the Bulldogs back into the NCAAs.
Barring a miracle finish – not only in the regular season but in the SEC Tournament in St. Louis – that’s not happening.
Maten seems frustrated, and who can blame him?
Although the effort is certainly still there, the fact he can’t depend on any of his teammates to be that consistent second and third scoring option has put Georgia in a bind that’s going to be hard to break. Teams know that the Bulldogs don’t have anybody else who can consistently hurt them offensively, so they’re diverting even more attention to containing Maten. It’s working.
Here’s another concern.
Georgia’s calling card - its defense - is not playing up to standards. Wednesday, it seemed to be getting worse.
Yes, there was an impressive showing in the team’s 72-60 win over Florida, but efforts the last two games against Mississippi State (72-57) and Wednesday night against the Commodores were simply not acceptable.
“We never could stop them consecutively, consistently except for one little stretch in the second half,” Fox said. “But our defense has disappeared on us and Vanderbilt made us pay.”
If you’re Georgia, that’s a HUGE concern.
The Bulldogs already rank last in the SEC in scoring (68.9-point average coming in) and have to play quality defense to have a chance. If not, well …
So, here’s the deal.
When I asked Greg McGarity to give his take on the men’s program, he predictably deferred, pointing out that there were still 10 games to play.
That number is now down to seven and with regular season games left against league-leading Auburn (Saturday), Florida, Tennessee (twice), South Carolina, LSU and Texas A&M, Georgia’s remaining three-plus weeks won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination.
I believe Mark Fox is a good guy. He graduates his players, runs a clean program and his support for the Bulldogs’ other sports programs – primarily football – is well documented.
However, with the way this season is going, barring that late-season turnaround I spoke about earlier, Fox is making it even harder on himself and making any eventual decision by McGarity easier to make.
It’s certainly no secret that Bulldog hoop fans are growing more and more disenchanted with every loss. Fans are fed up.
McGarity knows this. He’s heard plenty over the weeks from upset fans, something he admitted during our brief conversation last week following the recent athletic board meeting.
It’s going to be interesting to see what happens.
The SEC is having a bounce-back year in terms of quality teams. The league is very good. Georgia’s opponents are trying hard, too.
But ultimately – no matter the competition – it still comes down to wins and losses, and right now that’s a problem.
Since starting 9-2, the Bulldogs have won just four of their last 12 games, including losses in five of their last six.
It’s an unsettling situation.
For a good a guy as Mark Fox is and the admirable way in which he runs his program, his future – as it is with every coach in any sport – is going to come down to wins and losses.
That's just the way it is.
The clock is ticking.
