The calling card for the Georgia basketball team over the past few years has been defense. That defense is what propelled the team to its first win in the Cayman Islands Classic and it has helped the team get to a 5-3 mark on the season. The defensive consistency and intensity has carried over from the Mark Fox era. This was easily one of the best things Mark Fox added to this program.
Now in the first season with Tom Crean leading the helm, the team has turned a corner. Last year, the Dawgs averaged 68.1 points per game as a team and they did not score over 100 points once. This year, the team scored 110 in the season opener and while every game has not been pretty, Georgia has averaged 79.3 points per game.
After the Texas Southern game in Athens, Tyree Crump and Derek Ogbeide were asked about the offense and some of the things they noticed about the new style. A reporter told Crump about the increase in volume of 3-point shooting, Crump's face instantly lit up while he and Ogbeide shared a laugh.
Crump said when coach Crean told them he wanted to shoot more threes, he was thrilled because that is the aspect of the game he does best. Crump was always known as the energy guy off the bench; the fan favorite who comes in jacking up threes.
The 3-point shot is one that the entirety of college basketball is beginning to embrace. Much like the NBA, the NCAA has upped their three-point output immensely to the point where Savannah State attempted 57 3-pointers when they made their trip to Stegeman.
The Dawgs are beginning to follow suit all while they begin to unleash their sharpshooter in Tyree Crump. Crump is averaging a career-best 10.8 points per game while shooting 4.9 threes a game. There is a correlation in the games Georgia wins and the ones they lose. In the recent win over Texas Southern, Crump led all Dawgs in scoring with 25 points in just 25 minutes played.
The Georgia Bulldogs are a good basketball team. They are just not great. With the recruiting track record of Tom Crean and development of talent already on the roster, this program is going to turn around quickly.
Crean and the Dawgs are starting to figure things out on offense. Add that to the already strong defense and these guys can really win some games.
The Bulldogs will be in the tournament once again within the next three years.
The biggest test so far this season though, is the number 20 ranked Arizona State.
