WHEN: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum
RECORDS: Georgia 5-8, Texas A&M 11-2
TV/RADIO: ESPNU (Kevin Fitzgerald, Jimmy Dykes); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Chuck Dowdle, Adam Gillespie)
Georgia basketball head coach Tom Crean said he’s not above talking some intangibles he’s learned watching Kirby Smart’s football team and applying to his squad.
“Absolutely, when it comes to the intangible part of it. With the effort, the relentless, I just think they play with incredible joy,” Crean said Monday. “Joy is such a unique thing. When I watch my brother-in-law’s teams with the Ravens, there’s a joy, even though they’ve gone through so many injuries. I thought Jim’s team had joy, well Kirby’s team has tremendous joy. They truly play for each other.”
Unfortunately for the Bulldog basketball team, Crean admits that’s been a bit of a problem.
If Georgia (5-8) wants to upend visiting Texas A&M (11-2) in Tuesday night’s SEC opener, that needs to change now.
“The biggest thing we’re trying to get all the time is to get guys to play for each other. Obviously, with Georgia football, there’s been so much of a bonding experience into year after year and the things that they go through,” Crean said. “We don’t have that, but we’ve got to try and continue to build it. So, no question we use them every chance we get when we’re talking about building a formula for success.”
Junior Jaxon Etter watched the football team’s 34-11 win over Michigan.
There was one particular page he took from the game that he said he and his basketball teammates need to learn to apply.
"Everybody knows that our biggest obstacle this year has been coming out slow. When you watch the Orange Bowl, that game wasn't a game for very long,” Etter said. “That's the kind of attitude that we need to take to our games. Look what they're doing. They're in the National Championship Game. That's because they come out hard, and they go hard every single day. From the jump, they're playing Georgia football."
The Bulldog basketball team has certainly had its recent issues.
Back-to-back losses in the team’s final two non-conference games to East Tennessee State and Gardner-Webb left the Bulldogs with a sour disposition.
“After that last game against Gardner-Webb, we sat down as a team and talked about a lot of things, just a players-only meeting,” graduate Aaron Cook said. “I think we got a lot of the stuff that we needed to get out of our circle. A lot of the stuff that we needed, we’ve brought in. The last couple of practices have been full of energy. The coaches have brought really good energy and so have the players. I think we’re going to be really excited come tomorrow.”
Crean-who took the blame for the loss to Gardner-Webb said he’s also re-energized and hopes the results will be positive against the Aggies (11-2).
“I think it’s very good because my mood is good. We didn’t go Thursday, we went Friday, and it was very spirited. On Saturday we had small group workouts and weightlifting, Sunday and Monday we practiced.
Spirits are high,” Crean said. “We’re just trying to make adjustments, additions and trying to make the game easier for us in every way that we can knowing that it’s going to be harder in the league. But we’re trying to make it easier for us.”
NOTES: Crean revealed that assistant coach John Linehan will miss the week while recovering from Covid-19. “He tested positive,” Crean said. “He got the booster when I got the booster. Our entire coaching staff got the booster and he still got it.” … Etter will play against Texas A&M after missing the Gardner-Webb game with back spasms.
