Spring primer: Caleb King

It was only one practice before a 12-day break, but it felt good for Caleb King to be back in uniform.

“For me especially, it had been awhile. Too long,” King said after last Thursday’s opening of Georgia football spring practice. “It was good to go out there and be out with the team again, work hard, sweat and run some plays.”

There were a lot of people who thought King may not be back out there. The tailback had a rough junior season, being suspended two games following an arrest on traffic charges. His late fumble probably cost the Bulldogs a win at Colorado. And he didn’t even make the Liberty Bowl trip after being ruled academically eligible.

But King said his academics are in order and cheerfully spoke last week about finishing his college career the right way.

That includes mentoring the star incoming recruit, Isaiah Crowell, who many expect to start at King’s position.

King said that when Crowell committed in February, he shot the Columbus standout a couple text messages, offering his congratulations.

“I said get ready to work, because that’s what we do at Georgia,” King said. “And he said OK.”

But what was it like watching Crowell get all the attention during the recruiting process, and be seen as the savior of the team’s running game?

“I know when I first came in ’07 it was similar to what I experienced,” said King, who was rated the top recruit in the state by Rivals.com. “So I understand what he’s going through, I understand what’s happening right now. Of course – I’m not gonna say boost it up, because he’s probably gonna come in here and be a great player. But I think it’s more for the fans, so they can get excited for next season.

“But he’s still gotta come in here and work hard. Because I know the rest of us are working hard. Me, Carlton Thomas, Washaun Ealey, Ken Malcome, I know we’re all working hard, busting our tails. Once he comes in he’s gonna do the same thing; I’m gonna try and lead him and get him under my wings and go from there.”

King, Ealey and company still have time to hold off Crowell. More likely, they’re auditioning this spring to see who can share carries with the freshman.

For his part, King said he’s gained six pounds, up to 223, thanks to the team’s new offseason workout program.

“Fifth year senior, that’s crazy. I never thought I’d be here this long,” King said. “I’m motivated. I’m focused. Because it’s my last year. One and done.”

For your football fix ...

.. Athlon Magazine is putting together its preseason issue, which will include a preseason All-SEC team, so Athlon asked me to "nominate" some Georgia players for its first-, second- and third-teams.

Now granted, I answered without breaking down the other 11 teams. But here's what I sent in:

First-team worthy
QB Aaron Murray (maybe a stretch, but arguably best returning QB, better than Garcia)
T Cordy Glenn
TE Orson Charles
K Blair Walsh
P Drew Butler

Second-team worthy
T Trinton Sturdivant
C Ben Jones
CB Brandon Boykin

Third-team worthy
ILB Christian Robinson
WR Tavarres King
NT John Jenkins
OLB Jarvis Jones
S Bacarri Rambo
DE DeAngelo Tyson

Agree? Disagree? And for the record, I didn't list Isaiah Crowell because I didn't need to break down the rest of the league to know that in a league with Marcus Lattimore, Michael Dyer and others it would be a stretch to crown him right away.

Notes: UGA also in women's NCAAs, updates on Johnathan Taylor, and more

Some updates from around Georgia athletics:

Women's basketball

The Georgia women’s basketball team is going to the NCAA tournament too, but that’s not anything new. It will be the 17th straight appearance for the Lady Bulldogs, and the 28th time overall, the second-most in the nation.

Georgia earned a No. 6 seed, and will open against Middle Tennessee at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The winner faces either No. 3 Florida State or No. 13 Samford. The regional pod is being hosted by Auburn.

"It doesn't get old," head coach Andy Landers said in a release by UGA. "I was thinking about it this morning. We've been very fortunate through the years to have the players and teams that have allowed us to play in the NCAAs so many times. I think it's something that you appreciate more and more. I know I do. It's much more competitive and much more difficult to make the field now. It may be more difficult than it was when only 32 teams got in because there are so many more good players and good teams out there now."

The Lady Bulldogs enter the tournament with a record of 21-10 – almost identical to the Georgia men – and advanced to the semifinals of the SEC tournament.

Baseball

The Georgia baseball team has recovered from its rough start and won five in a row. That included a sweep of three games in Los Angeles last weekend, beating UCLA, USC and Saint Mary’s.

The Bulldogs (8-8) play Kennesaw State on Wednesday before opening SEC play with a three-game series at defending national champion South Carolina. That starts Friday.

Here’s also an update on Johnathan Taylor: The junior outfielder is still in the intensive care unit at the Shepherd Center, where he was transported last week. You can get updates from his family at this site.

Softball

The Bulldogs softball team is still ranked No. 1 in the country, and is 21-1. Its only loss came last month to Oklahoma State.

Starting pitcher Morgan Montemayor is 9-1 with a 1.22 earned run average, striking out 60 batters in 51 2/3 innings. Left-fielder Megan Wiggins is leading the team with a .479 batting average and 29 RBI, and first baseman Brianna Hesson leads the team with six homers.

Gymnastics

The SEC championship begins Saturday at 5 p.m., and Georgia will be aiming for its 17th league title, more than all other teams combined. But this year the Bulldogs, ranked eighth in the nation, have to compete with No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama.

As a team, the Bulldogs’ best event is the beam, where they rank fourth nationally. Junior Kat Ding is tied for fourth nationally on the bars.

Isaiah Crowell visit results in UGA reporting secondary violation, penalties for Richt

The "missing man" formation that Georgia used during Isaiah Crowell's January official visit may have helped influence the highly-ranked tailback recruit to pick the Bulldogs. But it has also resulted in Georgia reporting an NCAA violation, Crowell being temporarily ruled ineligible and head coach Mark Richt being penalized during the April recruiting period.

Crowell, who attends Columbus Carver High School, has since been reinstated by the NCAA, according to UGA.

In a letter sent to the NCAA, Georgia reported that an "interpretation" from the SEC office ruled it to be a violation.

UGA also reported that Richt received a “letter of admonishment” and will be prohibited from speaking by telephone to recruits or families during the April 2011 evaluation period.

The SEC's interpretation was the "missing man" formation was an improper gameday simulation, which is prohibited by NCAA rules. UGA asked that once Crowell was reinstated that the letter be forwarded to the NCAA's director of secondary infractions, an indication it believes this will only be ruled a secondary violation.

The event took place on Sunday, Jan. 23, the final day of Crowell’s visit. Richt and his staff arranged for the team’s offensive lineman, receivers, fullback and quarterback to gather during Crowell’s exit meeting in the indoor facility. The current players were dressed in gameday jerseys and looked up to Richt’s office, which overlooked the practice field.

At that point Richt, Crowell and his family left the office and went down to the field. By the time they arrived there, according to the letter, “the team was in an offensive alignment without a running back.” Crowell was then handed a jersey and stood in the vacant running back position.

“Coach Richt reported that the idea was to create a feeling for the PSA (prospective student athlete) that he was needed at the running back position that was left empty by the team,” the letter reads, adding that Richt was aware off the gameday simulation rule, but did not believe it applied in this case.

“The Compliance Office has interviewed the PSA’s family and coach Richt regarding the activity,” the letter goes on to state. “UGA does not believe that a recruiting advantage was gained as the PSA’s mother has stated that her son knew he was going to attend UGA since he was a young child. Further, the PSA did not know it was impermissible to participate in the alignment. Coach Richt knew that the activity could not occur in the stadium for the public to view, equipment to be used or for an actual play to be run and did not believe this constituted a game day simulation.”

You can read the letter in its entirety at this link.

McGarity sees hoops making 'huge step .. by being relevant'

Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity sees an NCAA tournament bid for the men’s basketball team as a step forward for the program. Not just because of the bid itself, but because of the build-up.

“I told Mark (Fox) this before the announcement: What you’ve got to look at it is the big picture,” McGarity said Monday morning. “Whether you’re in or out, we’ve kind of made a huge step in our program by being relevant. And to be relevant you have to play in the postseason. … We just haven’t been there in so many years.”

Three years ago the Bulldogs made the NCAAs, but that was after an unexpected run to the SEC tournament title. The last at-large berth came nine years ago, and was later vacated. Since then the team has undergone two coaching changes, with Fox being hired two years ago by previous athletics director Damon Evans.

Fox opened his post-selection press conference Sunday night by thanking Evans, McGarity and school president Michael Adams.

McGarity was hired last August to replace Evans. While football drives the train at Georgia, McGarity’s background at Florida – which won consecutive NCAA titles while he was there – makes him aware of the process it takes to become a factor in basketball. And it starts with the drive to the NCAAs.

“That’s the goal of any program when you’re really starting over, and you’ve gone through so many years of not really being in the position to go to a postseason,” McGarity said. “The amount of pressure builds up as you get closer to (the tournament.) Players have friends telling them what they need to do to make it. People tell them you’ve got to win this game, you’ve got to win that game.

“I think being able to handle that is part of the growth process of the program. Not just for coaches but for everyone. To have a program established, you’ve got to kind of break that door down. And playing in that tournament. You’ve got to kind of get over that hump.”

There is one hazard with improvement in a program: Other schools might come after your coach. McGarity said any discussions of a contract extension or raise for Fox would come after the season, but intimated that he would make sure to show the coach his support.

“August 14th, that day after the announcement of the A.D. position being filled, that’s the first day I met both Marks. And since that day he knew he was going to have an A.D. that was going to be right there at his side,” McGarity said. “Our relationship, it’s very strong. We enjoy each other’s company. And we’ve had some conversations before the year ever started about the future of our program. Consistent goals, consistent future plans.

“I think you always have to worry about that (other schools targeting your coach), but you want to make sure you’re proactive rather than reactive.”

Reaction from Georgia on its selection

Here's the story I filed from Stegeman Coliseum tonight. A very cheery, somewhat surprised group at Stegeman, I might add.

ATHENS - After 48 hours of nervous helplessness, the players and coaches of the Georgia men’s basketball team met uneasily in their locker room Sunday night. They settled in for the NCAA tournament selection show, having spent two days hearing they might be out or might be in, but if they were in it wouldn’t be by much.

“Everybody was tense, sitting in our locker room, biting fingers, looking at each other like, ‘Oh man, we don’t know what’s gonna happen,’ ” junior forward Trey Thompkins said.

The tension turned to surprised joy a short time into the show as Georgia was revealed to not only be in the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years, but a No. 10 seed, higher than predicted by most experts.

“The way we were jumping around, it seemed like we won the national championship,” guard Travis Leslie said.

Here's a few other notes and quotes that didn't make the story:

- Mark Fox spoke about the importance to the program of getting to the NCAAs.

“Eventually you have to say: This is what you did,” Fox said. “So it was a very important step for us. Because what we’ve been telling people came true, and now we can push forward.”

- Fox on the moment the team saw it was picked:

“When we saw the play-in game that was listed right before us, I felt like in my research that we were ahead of those teams,” Fox said. “So when I saw our logo, when I saw the G, I think the players saw the G … they jumped around like seven-year-olds who just won a Little League championship. And guys that maybe didn’t have great relationships when I walked in the door were hugging each other and it was really a terrific moment.”

- Thompkins described the scene after the selection as “mayhem in our locker room. Everybody was throwing stuff, grabbing each other, jumping around. It was a joyous occasion.”

And yes, it validated his decision to return for his junior year.

“This is exactly why I came back, so I could be in the tournament, and feel what we felt,” Thompkins said.

- Forward Connor Nolte was appointed as the team's official "bracketologist" by Fox a couple weeks ago. I have a bit about that in the above story. Nolte was monitoring the experts throughout the weekend, including the most famous one, ESPN's Joe Lunardi, who had Georgia out.

“It was surprising for him to have us out of his final bracket. But I liked what the other people were saying,” Nolte said.

- The team will be bussing to Charlotte. The NCAA has a new rule mandating teams go by bus if the regional is less than 350 miles away.

- I'll leave you with one last quote from Leslie:

“It was hard thinking that we were probably not getting in. Everyone wants to get in the NCAA tournament. And then we saw our name.”

NCAA selection announcement: Georgia is .... No. 10 seed in the East

10 p.m.: Times and other details

Get ready for a late night of basketball on Friday night.

The Georgia-Washington game will be the final one in the Charlotte bracket, and will follow the North Carolina-Long Island game, which will start at 7:15 p.m.

It's also scheduled to be on CBS, and be broadcast by Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg. That's the network's A-team, almost certainly chosen for Charlotte because of the presence of Duke and North Carolina.

That's going to be quite a pod this weekend: Duke and North Carolina, Bruce Pearl, the Hampton band, and other big state schools Michigan, Washington and Georgia.

7:35 p.m.: NCAA teleconference note

Gene Smith, the selection committee chairman, mentioned road record several times on a conference call just now. So Georgia’s 9-7 record away from home, including 7-4 when taking away neutral sites, helped its case.

Smith was asked about not picking Alabama, said "Alabama was seriously under consideration.” Then the reporter followed up by asking what leaving out an 11-win SEC team said for that league.

“We never look at conference strength. We don’t have a consideration of that," Smith said. "We look at the individual teams, what they did relative to their schedule. We … The SEC’s a great conference, but this is a national tournament. So we look at individual teams and not the conference.”

6:40: More news and notes

For those asking, the game time and television station for Georgia's game on Friday will be announced later.

Also, the bracket is officially announced, and the top teams left out appear to be Alabama, Colorado and Virginia Tech. All of those teams had lower RPI rankings than Georgia, as well as UAB, which may be the biggest surprise in the at-large category.

I tried to tell people that the Alabama-Georgia game last Friday wasn't necessarily a play-in game. So did people like Jerry Palm. Well, that's why I roll with Jerry Palm. And RPI matters. We've been reminded of that again this year.

6:24 p.m.: Some quick facts

According to the Georgia media guide, the Bulldogs have never played Washington in men's basketball. And Georgia and North Carolina last met during the 1998-99 season.

Washington, which made the Pac 10 championship game, is 23-10 this year, and went 11-7 in league play.

6:14 p.m.: Drama ends quickly: Georgia is IN

Georgia is in the NCAA tournament, and gets a No. 10 seed. It will face seventh-seeded Washington.

It will play in Charlotte on Friday, with the winner facing the winner of the North Carolina-Long Island game.

So there you go. Surprised.

6:07 p.m.: First commercial break

The No. 1 seeds were announced and Georgia is not one of them. I know, shocking.

The only thing we did learn pertaining to the Bulldogs is that the "first four" games on Tuesday and Wednesday will be on Tru TV. It also appears that they aren't going to announce the "first four" before the rest of the bracket, so there won't be that instant knowledge.

5:25 p.m.: Mark Fox states his case

Georgia head coach Mark Fox just stated his case for a bid on ESPN’s “bracketology” show.

“I think we have more top 50 wins than North Carolina and people are talking about them being a No. 1 seed today,” Fox said. “We’ve avoided a bad loss, and have a winning record in our league, and hopefully created a resume’ that the committee respects.”

Asked about Alabama, Fox answered that he felt Alabama was a tournament team too. He pointed out the four SEC teams that are locks for the tournament, and mentioned that Georgia finished ahead of one of them (Tennessee) in the standings.

“We’ve done all that we can do, and hopefully done enough,” Fox said. “And all we can control now is just our emotions. And I think these kids are pretty poised and we’ll see what happens.”

5 p.m.: Mr. Blog Man imparts his thoughts

I’m posting this an hour before the start of the selection show – at 6 p.m. on CBS, for the many Georgia fans not used to having a reason to watch. I’ll try to update it as warranted during the show.

I don’t know whether they’re going to announce the Dayton matchups (first four) at the start of the show, or announce those matchups inside the bracket. (As in, “No. 5-seeded Arizona will face the winner of the game between No. 12 seeds Georgia and Clemson.”)

In any case, it will be bad news for the Bulldogs any time they announce one of the following teams: Virginia Tech, Clemson, Alabama, St. Mary’s, VCU, Colorado, Harvard, Southern California.

That is unless, Georgia has been announced already.

My quick pre-selection thoughts: I’m giving Georgia a 60 percent chance of making the field; most likely in one of the play-in games in Dayton, but possibly an 11 or 12 seed that avoids that.

If Georgia does make it, that’s because it did generally what the committee asks in terms of scheduling. The Bulldogs may not have the “wow” factor, but they have a solid RPI and schedule rating, good overall and league records, and avoided the bad loss.

But if the Bulldogs don’t make it, they really have no one to blame but themselves. They had plenty of opportunities to seal up a bid: both Alabama games, home against Vanderbilt, that first overtime against Florida, and against Notre Dame in the Old Spice Classic.

Essentially, Georgia’s bid comes down to whether it’s solid resume’ is enough to overcome its lack of signature wins. We’ll find out shortly.

My All-SEC basketball ballot

Here’s the ballot I just sent in for the Associated Press all-SEC men’s basketball awards. These are based on the regular season, and are due to be announced Monday.

FIRST TEAM

F-Chandler Parsons, Florida

F-Terrence Jones, Kentucky

F-Trey Thompkins, Georgia

G-John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

G-Scotty Hopson, Tennessee

SECOND TEAM

F-JaMychal Green, Alabama

F-Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt

G-Erving Walker, Florida

G-Brandon Knight, Kentucky

G-Chris Warren, Ole Miss


PLAYER OF THE YEAR-John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

COACH OF THE YEAR-Billy Donovan, Florida

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR-Terrence Jones, Kentucky

A few notes:

- Thompkins may not have had a great year, at least compared to expectations, but I still ended up giving him the edge over Green for the final spot on the first team. Their numbers were very similar, but I took into account Thompkins playing through a ton of injuries. Honestly, it could have gone either way.

- Why Jenkins over Parsons for POY? I have a general rule when I vote for these things: If the award says MVP, then I lean more towards how important a player is to his team. If it says player of the year, then I pick the best player. In my mind that was Jenkins.

- Donovan got my vote even though most people, including me, picked the Gators to win the East because of everyone coming back. Anthony Grant would have been my other choice, but given how weak the West was, and that Florida ran away with the East – I expected a closer battle for first – I went with Donovan.

- I wanted to find room on my second team for Georgia’s Travis Leslie and South Carolina’s Sam Muldrow, but I just couldn’t. Leslie didn’t really have a bad year, but there were a few games where he just disappeared. Muldrow was probably the league’s best defensive player and South Carolina might have gone winless without him. But I couldn’t find anyone to take off the second five. Erving Walker was the 10th guy on my team: While his stats weren't eye-popping, he was vitally important to Florida and hit a number of big shots, as Georgia can attest.

The final bubble watch

I asked the NCAA if I could put a web-cam in the conference room where the selection committee is meeting. For some reason they turned me down, so as we sit here on Sunday morning, I can’t tell you with any huge degree of confidence whether Georgia will make it.

The bracket projections are still all over the place: Jerry Palm is predicting Georgia as a No. 11 seed, not in the play-in round, not among his last four out; but Joe Lunardi has Georgia among his last four out, along with Alabama. SI.com’s Andy Glockner has Georgia among his last six teams in (and Alabama among the last four out).

(Incidentally, if the above links don't gel with what I wrote, that's because a Sunday result has caused a change, or someone has altered their projections. One of the above experts has been known to just up and change his bracket on Sunday for no apparent reason, and I'll be curious to see if he does so again.)

There are really just two games that matter for the bubble on Sunday:

- The Atlantic 10 final: Richmond is likely in the field regardless, so if Dayton were to pull of the upset, a bid would probably be stolen. This game starts at 1 p.m.

- The Big Ten final: Is Penn State absolutely, positively in the field already? The experts think so, but you never know, so an Ohio State win couldn’t hurt. This is the final game (starting at 3:30 p.m.) before the committee’s announcement.

As I put on my own bracketology hat - and a very clunky hat it is – I think there are 12 at-large spots available, when you figure in league champs and lock teams. And that’s putting it conservatively, not assuming some teams that everyone has in, because the committee has been known to pull some surprises. And this year, with the expansion of the field, that’s even more true.

Here are the remaining candidates, with a quick resume’. Again, I see 12 spots available – 11 if Dayton beats Richmond today – and I’ve listed the teams in best guess of the pecking order:

Florida State (21-10, RPI: 54, SOS: 82, 1-5 vs. top 50, 6-9 vs. top 100)
Richmond (26-7, RPI: 44, SOS: 130, 3-3 vs. top 50, 5-6 v. top 100)
Michigan (19-13, RPI: 50, SOS: 16, 6-9 vs. top 50, 10-12 vs. top 100)
Penn State (19-13, RPI: 39, SOS: 6, 5-9 vs. top 50, 10-12 vs. top 100)
Michigan State (18-14, RPI: 45, SOS: 11, 5-13 vs. top 50, 10-13 vs. top 100)
Colorado (20-13, RPI: 65, SOS: 49, 5-7 vs. top 50, 8-10 vs. top 100)
Clemson (21-11, RPI: 56, SOS: 58, 0-6 vs. top 50, 9-8 vs. top 100)
St. Mary’s (23-8, RPI; 46, SOS: 101, 1-4 vs. top 50, 3-6 vs. top 100)
Georgia (21-11, RPI: 48, SOS: 40, 3-9 vs. top 50, 5-11 vs. top 100)
Alabama (21-11, RPI: 80, SOS: 114, 4-4 vs. top 50, 5-7 vs. top 100)
Virginia Tech (21-11, RPI: 61, SOS: 74, 2-5 vs. top 50, 8-8 vs. top 100)
VCU (23-11, RPI: 49, SOS: 87, 3-6 vs. top 50, 8-8 vs. top 100)
Southern California (19-14, RPI: 69, SOS: 39, 5-5 vs. top 50, 8-8 vs. top 100)
Boston College (20-12, RPI: 58, SOS: 38, 1-5 vs. top 50, 7-11 vs. top 100)
UAB (22-8, RPI: 31, SOS: 77, 1-4 vs. top 50, 10-7 vs. top 100)
Oklahoma State (19-13, RPI: 62, SOS: 37, 3-6 vs. top 50, 7-11 vs. top 100)
Harvard (21-6, RPI: 35, SOS: 142, 1-3 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100)
New Mexico (20-12, RPI: 66, SOS: 79, 2-5 vs. top 50, 5-8 vs. top 100)
Missouri State (25-8, RPI: 42, SOS: 127, 0-1 vs. top 50, 3-6 vs. top 100)

I'll check in with any updates during the day as warranted, and of course will have coverage of the announcement itself and reaction from Georgia. It promises to be an interesting night.

Bubble update: Dayton or bust for Georgia?

Pretty much nothing broke Georgia’s way on Friday, which could go down as the day its NCAA tournament hopes went kaput – or it was relegated to the play-in round in Dayton. That remains to be decided.

(Just to be safe, I made a hotel reservation for Dayton, where the NCAA is holding its four play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be two games between the last four at-large teams, and two between the worst four league champions. And incidentally, the NCAA is calling these four games, which pare down the field from 68 to 64, as the “first round,” and the round of 64 the second round, and so on. That seems silly, so until that terminology takes hold, or the AP so orders, I’m calling it the play-in round.)

Anyway, it sure looks like Georgia would be headed to Dayton if it makes the NCAAs. It wasn’t just Georgia’s come-from-ahead loss to Alabama, which incidentally dropped the Bulldogs’ RPI to 45. The bubble squeezed further on Friday, with teams like Michigan State, Michigan, Clemson and Virginia Tech winning. And the Atlantic 10 could end up with a non-contender winning, which would steal a bid from somewhere.

By my estimation, there are 36 current teams that are locks to at least get an at-large bid. There are 13 teams that have already won their league titles, and eight other league champions to be decided, where the loser will most likely not be an at-large candidate.

That leaves 11 spots open.

But there are two leagues where bid-stealing could happen: The Atlantic 10, where either Dayton or St. Joseph’s will play for the league title on Sunday, and the WAC, where Utah State is an at-large candidate if it doesn’t win the league title on Saturday. Some might also say Conference USA if UTEP beats Memphis, but either team’s case for an at-large is kind of dicey. And some would also argue Harvard if it doesn’t win the Ivy League today.

Here are the remaining at-large contenders, with an x- noting the teams that are eliminated from their league tournaments. I put these teams in my own estimated pecking order:

PROBABLY IN (3)
Michigan State (18-13, RPI: 38)
Michigan (19-12, RPI: 48)
x-Colorado (20-13, RPI: 65)

THE BUBBLE (8 spots left)
x-St. Mary’s (23-8, RPI: 44)
Richmond (25-7, RPI: 56)
Clemson (21-10, RPI: 53)
Virginia Tech (21-10, RPI: 61)
Alabama (21-10, RPI: 77)
Memphis (24-9, RPI: 31)
UTEP (24-8, RPI: 49)
x-Georgia (21-11, RPI: 45)
x-Boston College (20-12, RPI: 58)
x-Missouri State (25-8, RPI: 41)
x-VCU (23-11, RPI: 51)
x-UAB (22-8, RPI: 30)
Penn State (18-13, RPI: 42)
x-Oklahoma State (19-13, RPI: 60)
x-New Mexico (20-12, RPI: 66)
Harvard (21-5, RPI: 32)
x-Cleveland State (24-8, RPI: 40)
x-Colorado State (18-12, RPI: 50)
x-Southern California (19-14, RPI: 67)

So by that, I have Georgia as the last team in, assuming no bid-stealing. But it can swing a lot today. Some quick thoughts:

- A lot of people were placing the two ACC teams (Clemson and Virginia Tech) in with their quarterfinal wins. I’m not so sure. If one or both gets blown out in today’s semifinals (they play North Carolina and Duke, respectively), Georgia still has a chance to get in ahead of them.

- If Alabama loses to Kentucky – again, Georgia would prefer a blowout – then Mark Fox’s favorite phrase, “body of work”, could still help Georgia overcome the two losses to the Tide.

- Keep a close eye on Richmond’s A-10 semifinal against Temple. If Richmond loses, they’re neck-and-neck with Georgia, in my opinion.

- The preferred Conference USA result is a blowout win by Memphis.

- Penn State needs to lose to Michigan State in today’s semis.

- Utah State (28-3, RPI: 18) needs to win the WAC today to be sure. It plays Boise State at 10 p.m.

- Harvard plays Princeton at 4 p.m. I don’t think Harvard is a serious at-large candidate, but I’m not on the committee, so you never know.

Mark Fox on the timeout, and where it leaves the NCAA hopes

Some quick quotes from the Georgia locker room and postgame press conference:

- Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox said he didn’t call the timeout after the Alabama basket because he didn’t want to go the length of the court after the defense had a chance to set.

“We didn’t want to have to go the length of the floor because of their pressure,” he said. “I thought we would have a little more time than 0.8. I thought we would get the timeout with a couple seconds.”

Fox said he thinks he hollered for the timeout with about two seconds left, but granted that the refs went to the monitor.

“The ball went in, so sure I wish I hadn’t called it,” Fox said. “That’s a tough, tough break.”

- As for the NCAA tournament hopes, Fox used the painful end of regulation as evidence that his team should still be in.

“If I don’t call that timeout, and the ball goes in, you don’t ask that question,” Fox said. “That’s how close it is. But this team, I think, has put itself in position to get serious consideration.”

- Some people think Alabama may have punched its ticket by beating Georgia a second time. Fox had a quick comeback when asked if the Tide’s two wins over the Bulldogs should be a factor between the two teams’ bids:

“If it does, then Georgia-Colorado will factor in. I think they look at the body of work really more than they do anything else,” Fox said.

- Dustin Ware on his reaction to his would-be game-winner not counting:

“I thought it was a clean shot. But then I kind of saw the referee waving it off, so I knew coach had called a timeout.”

I'll have more in my stories later.

SEC tourney hoops blog: UGA vs. Alabama

Final: Alabama 65, Georgia 59 (OT)

Brutal. Just brutal. Georgia led by 14 with 7:33 left in regulation, and instead it may have frittered away its season. We'll have to see how the NCAA tournament selection committee feels about it on Sunday night.

The Bulldogs may still be in the field, but the next two days promise to be very nerve-wracking for the team's hopes. It could have ended any questions, but once again, they couldn't hold what seemed a commanding lead.

Story of the season.

End of regulation: Georgia 53, Alabama 53

Yup, it happened again. The Bulldogs have yet again blown a big second-half lead, and if they can't win this one in overtime, it will be the most important blown-lead loss of the year.

It was almost the most stirring last-second victory, but Dustin Ware's banked-in prayer was negated by Mark Fox's timeout. The result of that was an airball from Trey Thompkins.

You could just tell the knowing panic in the faces of the Georgia players as the lead evaporated there. Now they have to recover.

2:02 left in second half, Georgia leads 52-49

Alabama may not have much of a half-court offense, but its defense is solid, and it just forced enough turnovers to get back in this game. And Georgia has seen this scenario before.

The Bulldogs discombobulated on offense again, falling prey to the trap. The same thing happened at South Carolina. They'll need to collect themselves to hold on here.

5:39 left in second half, Georgia leads 49-36

As I just tweeted (I have to copy myself sometimes) Georgia has taken control of this game. The score, the tempo, and the energy all are on its side. But there's still plenty of time left.

Still, Alabama is showing its offensive impotence, which it will have to overcome if it can pull off the comeback. When Charvez Davis isn't nailing 3s, the Tide just don't have very much.

11:24 left in second half, Georgia leads 40-32

This game is entering a pretty crucial stretch. Georgia's lead has been between six and 10 for awhile now, and if it can extend the lead, or at least keep it around 10, that's great because Alabama is not a high-scoring basketball team.

That said, Georgia's two best post players are alternating in with three fouls. So Travis Leslie continues to take it upon himself, and is now sitting at 21 points, two off his season high.

The Bulldog rebounding has been very good so far, a necessity considering how many poorly the Crimson Tide are shooting.

14:47 left in second half, Georgia leads 36-28

The Bulldogs have started this half slow offensively. Luckily for them, Alabama isn't a strong offensive team, so the lead remains eight.

One worrisome sign is Trey Thompkins picking up his third foul, just now before the media timeout. I imagine Mark Fox will take Thompkins out and try to buy as much time as possible without his star. The problem is, Jeremy Price also has three fouls, and I don't imagine a frontcourt of Chris Barnes and Donte' Williams or Marcus Thornton in this important a game.

Halftime: Georgia leads 30-21

Things got a bit sloppy in the final few minutes, and almost a bit chippy. But the final minute boded well for Georgia: Travis Leslie drained a jumper, and Alabama couldn't convert around the basket in the final seconds.

As we all know, Georgia has blown its share of halftime leads. On the other hand, Alabama is only 1-5 when trailing at halftime. And it had the lead at Tuscaloosa last Saturday.

3:44 left in first half, Georgia leads 28-19

Well, that was a somewhat important sequence of basketball there: Three straight 3s by Georgia, by three different players, and in about a minute the game goes from tied to a nine-point Georgia lead.

First Gerald Robinson, who up till then had missed all his shots. Then Dustin Ware, who celebrated with a whoop as he went back downcourt. And then after a nice steal by Jeremy Price - who honestly had been having a pretty bad game so far - Trey Thompkins nailed a 3 from the corner. Timeout, Alabama.

That sequence could end up being the story of the game, if the lead holds up. But there's plenty of time.

7:30 left in first half, Georgia leads 19-14

Mark Fox called a timeout a minute ago, seemingly for the purpose of yelling at his team. He also spent the subsequent defensive possession constantly snarling at his players.

It seems Fox is worried about his players slouching off and this turning into a sloppy game, just like happened in Tuscaloosa. Georgia got off to a hot start in that game too.

I also think the Georgia offense is going to be geared towards getting the ball inside, at least for as long as it can be. Trey Thompkins just scored on a nice hook shot, as Georgia caught Alabama in transition and was able to dart the ball downcourt and in to Thompkins.

11:45 left in first half, Travis Leslie 13, Alabama 12

Apparently, Travis Leslie came to play in this one. The Georgia junior is dominating so far, scoring 13 of his team's 17 points as Georgia leads by five.

Georgia is using Leslie's athleticism, posting him up inside, and running ball screens to allow him to get to the basket. It's been a thing to behold so far, but I'm sure Anthony Grant is working on something to combat it during the current timeout. So look for things to perhaps open back up for Trey Thompkins, or Dustin Ware from outside.

15:28 left in first half, Alabama leads 9-8

Georgia came out firing and jumped out to leads of 6-0 and 8-2, but Alabama has awoken. The Tide have sped the game up the last few possessions, a tempo more to their liking.

That illustrates the difference in opponents from yesterday: When Georgia jumped out early, it was able to almost dictate the gameplan, getting the ball inside with impunity. But Alabama has the athleticism and, with JaMychel Green inside, the ability to hold its own in the paint.

Pregame thoughts

ATLANTA - When I arrived here on Thursday morning, I had a pretty good idea that I'd be back for another day. This time? It could probably go either way.

Georgia and Alabama seemed pretty evenly-matched when I saw them play just six days ago, and this one is on a neutral court. Yes, it's an hour from Athens, but judging by the fans I saw milling outside the Georgia dome, the Crimson Tide will have a fair share in the stands. At a minimum it shouldn't be as dead inside as it was for the Georgia-Auburn game.

My inclination is that Georgia won't play as sloppy as it did in Tuscaloosa, where it committed 16 turnovers, Dustin Ware had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio for the first time in SEC play, and point guard Gerald Robinson was a horrendous 2-for-12 from the field. And I also tend to think the Bulldogs will have an answer this for Charvez Davis, who had five 3-pointers last week. Trey Thompkins also looked like a different player on Thursday, and if he carries that into this game, Georgia will be tough to beat.

Plus, Jeremy Price did very little in Tuscaloosa (6 points, 5 rebounds), and his production often mirrors whether Georgia wins.

But Alabama still has JaMychal Green inside, and it didn't get much from its other guards (Trevor Releford and Senario Hillman) last week. So while I'd say the point spread - Georgia by 2 - is fair, let's just say I wouldn't want to tell you how to bet.

What to watch Friday

The bubble did start to squeeze on Thursday – Colorado probably in, UAB probably out - making Friday a potentially decisive day for Georgia. Unless Thursday was good enough. Honestly, anybody who claims to know for sure is full of it, unless they’re sequestered in a conference room in Indianapolis.

I think the best way to put it is that Georgia can feel safe by beating Alabama, while a loss would leave it all depending on what happens elsewhere. So in that spirit, here’s your guide for the day. The bubble team is listed first, unless both teams are, and RPI ranks are in parenthesis:

1 p.m.: Georgia (39) vs. Alabama (85): Here’s a stat for those who believe the Tide are in with a win. Since 2004, when the RPI was tweaked to its current formula, the lowest RPI rank for an at-large team was 63. (N.C. State in 2005 and Stanford in 2007). And the highest rank for a major-conference team NOT to make it was 40. (Cincinnati in 2006). So for those who continue to say that this is a play-in or elimination game … Hold your horses.

2 p.m.: Boston College (46) vs. Clemson (60), 2 p.m.: Some will also call this a play-in game, but I see it as a matchup of two teams that could still go either way. If you believe both teams are in good shape, you root for BC because it would likely knock Clemson out. If you believe both are in trouble, you root for Clemson in the hopes neither make it.

2:25 p.m.: Michigan (56) vs. Illinois (38): The Illini should be safely in, so the rooting interest in this one is clear. The Wolverines would have a hard case to make if they lose today.

4 p.m.: UTEP (55) vs. Tulsa: There’s still no certain at-large team from Conference USA. If bubble teams in other conferences could design a final, it would be between two teams that have no chance of making it as an at-large. So you root for Tulsa in this one.

6:30 p.m.: Michigan State (45) vs. Purdue: The Spartans were nearly knocked out Thursday but rallied to beat Iowa. If they beat Purdue, they’re almost certainly in.

6:30 p.m.: Memphis (33) vs. East Carolina: Same rule applies from the UTEP-Tulsa game.

7 p.m.: Colorado (64) vs. Kansas: The conventional wisdom is the Buffaloes stamped their ticket by beating Kansas State on Thursday. That’s probably true, because just playing Kansas today should improve the Buffaloes’ RPI. So does Georgia start rooting for the Buffaloes because it would improve their resume’? I don’t know, hard to say.

8:55 p.m.: Penn State (51) vs. Wisconsin: The Nittany Lions, whose record is 17-13, should be out by now. A loss today would do it, but an upset would make them a real threat for a bid.

9 p.m.: Richmond (58) vs. Rhode Island: A loss should knock the Spiders out.

9 p.m.: Utah State (17) vs. San Jose State: Utah State should get an at-large bid, so if it doesn’t win its league tournament, that likely means a bid is being stolen.

9 p.m.: New Mexico (66) vs. BYU: You don’t hear New Mexico in much discussion for an at-large bid, but an upset of BYU would change that.

9 p.m.: Southern California (67) vs. Arizona: A clear-cut case of bubble teams needing USC to lose.

9 p.m.: Virginia Tech (65) vs. Florida State: Another obvious one here.

10 p.m.: St. Mary’s (47) vs. Weber State: This isn’t a tournament game, just an extra non-conference game. St. Mary’s is probably in, but not yet.

11:30 p.m.: Washington (41) vs. Oregon: And the night finishes with another obvious rooting decision.

Alec Ogletree discusses move to ILB, Trey Thompkins on his injury, and more

A long day of covering the first round of the SEC tournament, and then the first day of spring football practice, is finally over. Well, I didn't cover the whole first round, just Georgia's game, but you get the point.

Here's my story from football practice, leading with Alec Ogletree talking about how his move from safety to inside linebacker came about.

ATHENS - Early last week, Alec Ogletree was called into the office of Todd Grantham, the Georgia football team’s defensive coordinator. Ogletree was asked (not told, he says) if he wanted to move from safety to linebacker.

Ogletree, who started the final few games at safety for Georgia last year, hadn’t played linebacker since Pop Warner. But Grantham went to the board and showed the freshman what the Bulldogs planned to do with him at inside linebacker. Then he told Ogletree to mull it over.

...

“That’s my goal, just to be a playmaker, whether it’s inside, safety or whatever,” Ogletree said. “I’m just trying to help the team. Coach just felt like I could be a much better player at inside linebacker, make more plays. So I’m just willing to try it out.”

There are other notes in that story, including on Aaron Murray, Washaun Ealey and Justin Anderson.

Meanwhile, why did Georgia have much less trouble with Auburn on a neutral court than it did in Athens? It may have had something to do with the health of Trey Thompkins. The star forward hasn't talked much about his health this season, but he said in the locker room on Thursday that this was the first game he'd been "100 percent" this year.

ATLANTA - Trey Thompkins sat on a small chair in the Georgia locker room, a roll of ankle tape on the floor next to his bare feet. In quick-hitting answers, he pointed to where the injuries had been.

The right foot was where the high-ankle sprain had been. Above that had been the shin injury. The latest malady, an ingrown toenail, had been on his left foot.

...

“I feel like I’m more fluid on the court, rebounding and running,” Thompkins said. “I feel like I’m myself again.”

We'll see whether that's enough to push Georgia past Alabama on Friday. Talk to you then.

SEC tourney hoops blog: UGA vs. Auburn

Final: Georgia 69, Auburn 51

The Bulldogs did the minimum that they needed to do here, surviving the first-round game. Now it sets up the important quarterfinal against Alabama, although just how important that is remains up for debate.

(The fact that Oklahoma State didn't upset No. 2 Kansas helps. So far, there haven't been a lot of bid-stealing upsets, but there's plenty of time to go.)

3:01 left, Georgia leads 65-45

Barring some sort of calamitous event, which at the Georgia Dome for an SEC tournament you can never safely rule out, Georgia will be playing Alabama in Friday's quarterfinal. As expected.

Trey Thompkins came out a few minutes ago, probably just for some rest. He may not go back in. Say what you will about Thompkins' play over the last stretch of regular-season play - and he did under-perform at times - but he had a big game today. His team just may need it again on Friday.

8:21 left in second half, Georgia leads 57-41

The Bulldogs haven't quite put the clamp down on this one yet, but there also doesn't appear any imminent danger of an Auburn comeback. Still, Mark Fox has his starters in right now, perhaps figuring that the Tigers, if they're going to make their run, would do it about now.

I think Georgia needs to put this one out of doubt soon for a couple reasons. (Besides the obvious one.) First, it wouldn't hurt to get the starters some late-game rest, considering the short turnaround. Secondly, if people at the NCAA selection committee are watching, a rout would look a lot better than a 10-12 point win.

15:42 left in second half, Georgia leads 45-27

Georgia is doing what it didn't the first time against Auburn, or a number of other games the past month: Put a team away when it should. The Bulldogs have their biggest lead of the game, thanks to a couple 3s by Trey Thompkins - who now has 20 points. His season-high is 26.

There have been times this year when Thompkins has not looked like the first-round pick that some have projected. But he did a moment ago, when he step-dribbled and nailed a spot-up 3 from the top of the key. For someone 6-foot-9, that's why he's an NBA prospect.

Halftime: Georgia 34, Auburn 23

The Bulldogs were on the verge of a pummeling in the final stretch of the first half, leading by as many as 15. Auburn got the final four points of the half after some Georgia sloppiness, but the Bulldogs still look like they could put this one away early.

Georgia's inside play, especially the rebounding, has been the story so far: UGA has a 24-14 advantage on the boards, with 13 offensive rebounds.

Trey Thompkins (14 points) came to play, appearing to know the team is playing for its NCAA tournament life right now. Thompkins has had only 20-point game since Jan. 25. And Travis Leslie, while he's shot two airballs, is getting his chances inside, and has nine points.

Cause for concern: Not much really, other than the final minute or so, and a lack of outside shooting for the Bulldogs. Auburn is also probably due for a run at some point, but that's no guarantee.

4:32 left in first half, Georgia leads 24-17

Auburn is playing a zone, as it usually does, in the hopes that Georgia will try to find the seams on the outside and hoist 3s. The Bulldogs aren't biting, and instead are continuing to feed it inside, where the Tigers have been killed defensively all year.

So far it's working for Georgia, but Mark Fox has to be worried that his team isn't getting anything from outside. On the other hand, he has to love the fact that his team has eight offensive rebounds.

11:25 left in first half, Georgia leads 16-11

If this game ends up being decided by points in the paint, it bodes well for Georgia. The Bulldogs are making an obvious effort to get the ball inside every possession, and the result so far has been seven points for Trey Thompkins, two for Jeremy Price, and four for Travis Leslie, off of free throws.

On the defensive end, Auburn isn't getting anything inside, other than free throws resulting from a suspect foul against Price. But the Tigers have hit a few jumpers. Georgia will take that as long as those shots don't start coming from beyond the arc.

Earnest Ross, who single-handed kept Auburn in the game in Athens, has been held scoreless so far.

15:40 left in first half, Georgia leads 7-4

The game started with Georgia missing a shot, Auburn flubbing the loose ball rebound, and Dustin Ware hitting a 3. Yup, sounds about right.

The Bulldogs look like they have the right energy level, but keep in mind they jumped out on Auburn very early in Athens too.

Hello from the Dome

ATLANTA - It's going to be a long day for a few of us scribes: This game is at 1 p.m., and then we have to hustle back to Athens for the end of the first spring football practice. Pray for my sake that Georgia and Auburn don't go to triple overtime. (They only went one the first time.)

As expected, fans of the Kentucky basketball program are quickly taking over Atlanta. Even though Auburn and Georgia are the closest two programs to Atlanta, we fully expect that there will be more Wildcat fans in the stands for the game. And that's with Kentucky not playing until Friday.

Oh well, at least it gives it some flavor.

As for this game, Georgia checks in at an 11.5-point favorite. Check this space for updates throughout the game, and perhaps afterward if there's time.

What to watch Thursday

You know how Saturday at a golf tournament is moving day? Well Thursday of championship week should be called that too. There’s going to be a ton of movement on the bubble today, and a bit more on Friday. Saturday and Sunday just tend to be for arguing.

Today, obviously the most important game for Georgia is its own. If it doesn’t beat Auburn it will plummet down and maybe all the way off the at-large list. But with a win it would at least hold steady – and possibly improve its position if things fall right elsewhere.

But I continue to resist the notion that a Friday matchup with Alabama would set up as an elimination game. So does analyst Jerry Palm.

“Not a play in game for Georgia-Alabama,” Palm, the CollegeRPI.com and CBSsports.com bracket analyst, said on Wednesday night. “Bama out for sure if they lose. Georgia might still make it if they lose. Bama not in by winning.”

But let’s focus on Thursday, or moving day as I will unsuccessfully try to coin it. Here are the other games to watch, with the bubble teams listed first:

12:30 p.m.: Oklahoma State vs. Kansas: The Cowboys eliminated Nebraska on Wednesday, but a loss to the Jayhawks may eliminate them too.

1 p.m.: UAB vs. East Carolina: Nobody from Conference USA is assured an at-large spot, so Georgia would prefer UAB, which it beat in December, get the nod. But the Bulldogs don't get to choose.

2 p.m.: Boston College vs. Wake Forest: BC is in very similar position to Georgia. It has nothing to gain in this ACC first-round game, but everything to lose.

3 p.m.: Colorado vs. Kansas State: Forget that Georgia beat Colorado. The NCAA isn't going to put the Bulldogs in ahead of the Buffaloes just because of head-to-head. Georgia needs Colorado to lose this game.

3 p.m.: Southern California vs. California: USC (RPI rank of 71) is starting to inch into the discussion. It would inch out with a loss here.

4 p.m.: Memphis vs. Southern Miss: Memphis is the next Conference USA at-large candidate to play today.

4:55 p.m.: Michigan State vs. Iowa: Wait, the Spartans (16-13, RPI of 47) are still alive? Yup, they are.

5:30 p.m.: Colorado State vs. New Mexico: CSU (RPI of 43) needs a few wins in the Mountain West tournament, starting here.

7:30 p.m.: Tennessee vs. Arkansas: A lot of people will tell you the Vols aren’t in any danger of missing out. I’m not so sure, if they don’t open play in Atlanta with a win.

7:30 p.m.: Penn State vs. Indiana: The fact the Nittany Lions (16-13, RPI of 56) are still in contention speaks for how weak the bubble is this year.

7:30 p.m.: UTEP vs. Marshall: An elimination game in the Conference USA tournament.

9 p.m.: Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech: Root for the arch-rival Yellow Jackets? It might be wise, considering the Hokies are a direct threat for a bid.

11:30 p.m.: Washington vs. Washington State: They’re both bubble teams, so .. root for a tie.

UGA has paid under $40,000 to recruiting services since 2009

The Oregon football program is reportedly being investigated by the NCAA over payments to a recruiting service. While using such services is not a violation, the NCAA is looking into whether a company helped steer recruits to Oregon.

But the use itself of recruiting services, while largely unknown to the public, is not unusual. Georgia is one of the many college football programs that use them.

In response to an Open Records Act request, UGA released five payments to recruiting services since 2009, totaling $37,619 to three different companies:

- The biggest expenditures were to LRS Sports, Inc., a service based in Springfield Ill. LRS states on its web site that it “delivers detailed, up-to-date, state-by-state databases of available high school and junior college athletes in the Southeast.”

In an invoice dated Feb. 17, 2011, Georgia was billed $12,519 from LRS Sports. That invoice specifies that UGA purchased reports and video on players in five states in the South. And twice in 2009, the Bulldogs paid LRS a flat fee of $4,800 for recruiting services.

- In August of 2010, Georgia gave $11,000 to Bluechip Athletic Solutions, an Atlanta-based company.

- And also in August of 2010, Georgia paid $4,500 to Elite Scouting Services, which is based in Hollywood, Fla. According to its web site, Elite Scouting Services provides a database of high school players, game film of players and access to scouts.

There’s nothing secret about the associations.

Bluechip touts its association with a couple dozen schools, including Georgia. Bluechip, established in November 2005, says on its site that it “provides a unique blend of Marketing Strategy, Technology and Supporting services designed to help collegiate coaches showcase their program.”

Elite Scouting Services lists Georgia among its many clients, numbering 81 college football programs.

LRS’ web site has quotes from a number of clients, including UAB head coach Neil Callaway, the former Georgia offensive line coach.

Georgia’s total recruiting budget is $600,000, according to the athletics department.

UGA associate athletics director for communications Claude Felton said the following about the team's use of the services:

"The recruiting services we subscribe to provide an assortment of information including video of requested high school games and various kinds of data such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, and testing information."

Since the Oregon story was broken by Yahoo Sports, several other news outlets have delved into what schools spend on recruiting services. The Seattle Times reported that the Washington football program spent just under $40,000 over the past year to nine different services. And Oregon State spends about $40,000 on services, according to the Corvallis (Ore.) Gazette-Times.

UGA reports five violations stemming from Ray Drew's announcement

Ray Drew’s announcement in January brought plenty of joy to Georgia fans. As it turned out, it also brought a few NCAA violations.

Georgia reported five violations to the SEC office as a result of Drew’s announcement, according to a copy of a letter athletics director Greg McGarity sent to the SEC. It doesn’t appear that the Georgia football program is itself at fault, and the violations seem to be secondary in nature. The eligibility of Drew, rated the nation’s ninth overall prospect by Rivals.com, isn’t likely to be jeopardized. (The AJC reported the violations first on Wednesday.)

Here's a copy of the letter McGarity sent the SEC.

The violations center on Drew’s decision to have two former Bulldogs, David Pollack and Randall Godfrey, present at his announcement in Thomasville. That’s a no-no according to NCAA rules, although Georgia says neither player is officially a booster or associated with the program, other than being former players. (McGarity’s letter does not name Pollack and Godfrey, but the pair of former players were prominently in attendance at Drew’s announcement.)

“UGA regrets that this violation occurred but believes this was an isolated/one-time incident with some unusual and atypical circumstances,” McGarity wrote to the SEC.

McGarity’s letter detailed five specific violations:

1. 13.1.2.1 — General Rule (regarding unauthorized off-campus recruitment)
2. 13.1.2.2 (g) — General Exceptions/Unavoidable Incidental Contact
3. 13.1.2.4 (d) — Restrictions, Athletics Representatives/Visiting Prospective Student-Athlete’s Institution
4. 13.1.2.5 — Off-Campus Contacts or Evaluations
5. 13.10.2 — Comments Before Signing

In the letter, McGarity said the incident showed there was “a gap in our education efforts to our former letter-winners.”

The letter outlines in detail all contact between Drew and the former letter-winners, including three run-ins before Drew’s announcement. Those are included among the five reported violations.

Georgia became aware of the potential violations after Drew’s announcement, upon hearing that the former Bulldog players were there. It undertook its own investigation and then McGarity addressed the letter to SEC commissioner Mike Slive earlier this week.

McGarity's letter said the decision for the two former players to attend Drew's announcement came "without the knowledge of UGA's football staff." Drew told the AJC that “Georgia coaches knew nothing about it.”

Bubbly blogging: Wednesday update

So far the bubble has been kind to Georgia and other at-large hopefuls. Butler won the Horizon League championship on Tuesday night, following up Old Dominion's win of the CAA on Monday. That prevented at least two bid-stealers.

Yes, Marquette did win its first-round Big East tournament game, and had the Eagles lost it would have been helped the bubble teams. But Marquette is the likely 11th team from the Big East anyway. If it beats West Virginia today, Marquette is almost certainly in, but if it loses it's still got a good chance.

The Big 12 tournament tips off today, and that's what bears watching: Nebraska, Colorado and Baylor are all on the bubble, and in that order they play today, starting at 12:30 p.m. Every time one of them loses, you might say an at-large candidate goes away - or, at a minimum, falls behind Georgia in the pecking order.

I still think Georgia's chances are good as long as it beats Auburn ... and there aren't a string of upsets and long tournament runs that suddenly makes the quality of the at-large candidates stronger.

This is a point I've made (perhaps too strenuously) on Twitter the past few days: It's simply inaccurate to say the Georgia-Alabama game (if it happens) is a play-in game for the NCAAs, or that Georgia is definitely in if it beats Auburn. Either of those could end up being true, but not necessarily. You have to watch the rest of the field come together, and today that means watching the Big 12.

Thompkins makes coaches' all-SEC team

Trey Thompkins may not have had a stupendous junior season, but it was still good enough to make the SEC first-team, according to the league's coaches.

Thompkins, the preseason player of the year, was one of eight members of the coaches' SEC first-team. Thompkins enters this week's league tournament averaging 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds a game.

The Georgia forward was a unanimous first-team pick last year, when he averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. This year the Lithonia product has been hampered by ankle and toe injuries.

Georgia junior Travis Leslie was one of nine members of the coaches' second-team. Leslie, a guard, is averaging 14.3 points and seven rebounds a game.

The SEC doesn't break ties in the coaches' vote, which is why the first and second teams each have more than five members.

The Bulldogs (20-10 overall, 9-7 in the SEC) were shut out of the other individual honors and all-freshman and defensive teams.

Florida head coach Billy Donovan, whose team captured the league title, won SEC coach of the year for the first time. The Gators also had the league player of the year, senior forward Chandler Parsons.

Here's a link to the full list of honorees. The media all-SEC honors are expected to be announced early next week.