Category Archives: Hoop Dawgs

Warde Manuel, We Hardly Knew Thee

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Man, Michigan folks are melting down right now at the recent news that their NCAA Championship basketball coach is leaving to take over the NBA.s Dallas Mavericks.

Feels like the U-M is becoming a stepping stone. I thought they were a “Blue Blood”, no? Hmmm.

Anyway, the few more interesting aspects of the furor over losing May is interesting…first, there’s the rumor mill, that says May is leaving to evade tampering charges (does that even really happen?).

Then there’s more logical explanations, which actually make more sense to me:

And then, the Geniuses let their anger be known:

Ah, Warde Manuel. Or, A Lewd Manure, as I liked to call him by his anagram, or better known as the head of the first expanded CFP Committee who continued to piss off the entire country through the 2024 season with convoluted rankings systems, “quality losses”, and a clear preference to award the B1G over the SEC as much as he could. Once championed by his own conference as the man who advocated for the B1G and succeeded in getting Ohio State in and through to a National Title, is now being targeted to be ousted from Michigan.

Not that it would be without cause. Let’s face it, from the 2023 Michigan National Championship forward, it’s not like Michigan has been looking great in the news. Cheating scandals, sign stealing, domestic violence and kidnapping, and that’s just from the football head coaches. Never mind a potential tampering scandal for basketball…what in the world is going on in Ann Arbor…and why, oh why, would anyone plop Manuel up to be the head of the CFP Committee, ever?

Maybe they knew all this, and they had the goods to put him under duress to get what the big donors up north wanted?

Who knows…but it should be a bad look, maybe for all involved, but it definitely continues to add more asterisks to nattys than fake nattys claimed by the Barners of east Alabama. Maybe the Texas Techs, Auburns, and Michigans of the world need to form their own conference where anything goes, and no one is a real winner at the end of the season’s conference championship.

Call it the Terry Bowden Invitational, and I might even watch.

Who is Playing Duke? In BASKETBALL?

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I really had to check to see if this was an April Fool’s joke.

Let me get this straight…Duke, Houston, and Alabama all make deep NCAA Tournament runs in 2026, and Georgia loses over half of it’s first-round-faceplanting basketball roster and someone out there said “hey, Georgia will be competitive in this contest!”

Were they drunk? Why are we having to do this? If anything, if it’s any more embarrassing than the losses to St. Louis and Gonzaga, maybe Brooks will be compelled to invest more in the program. Or maybe he won’t.

I think I’m going to have to go back to not watching Georgia basketball again.

Your Interesting Fact for Today: A One Sport School?

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I admittedly didn’t know this.

So…I’ll leave this without much context and let y’all discuss in the comments.

Enjoy.

PeeWee Gets a Purse

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Well this came out of literally nowhere.

Adam Wexler, a 2007 graduate of Georgia and the founder of PrizePicks, is committing $10 million to the Bulldog men’s basketball program. The money will be used for “personnel and operating expenses within the Georgia men’s basketball program, with a portion going toward the Athletic Director Excellence Fund”, according to a release from Georgia.

The commitment is the largest philanthropic commitment in UGA Athletic Association history.

“The University of Georgia has always meant a tremendous amount to me and my family,” Wexler said in a statement released by Georgia. “Watching my father’s lifelong connection to this university shaped my appreciation for what Georgia represents: opportunity, culture, and excellence. There has never been a more interesting time in the history of collegiate athletics for donors to make a difference, and I’d love for this to be the start of something much bigger for the Bulldog community.”

Wexler’s father, Alan Wexler, was a two-sport athlete at Georgia, playing on the football team alongside Fran Tarkenton. The senior Wexler also spent time as the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Red & Black.

Say, let’s use that money to attract some of those pros back from the NBA to Athens. Here’s one we can go for:

I mean, if LSU and Alabama can do it, why can’t we? We just need a local judge’s blessing and we’re good to go.

Your Fun “Auburn Sucks” Stat of the Day

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This…this is, this is great.

How it started:

How it continued:

How it ended (ignoring Saturday’s hiccup):

Works for me. Go Dawgs!

Musical Palate Cleanser: Participation Trophies

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Thank God they’ve got all those advanced analytics to squabble and argue over who is going to the 76th team to get into a tournament. I’m sure the team will go far, although in the expanded bracket you’ll have to go farther to get to the end, it seems.

In one sport, the rivalry games are becoming less significant.

In another, “Making the Tourney” is becoming less significant.

You know what’s not becoming less signficant?

To quote the great Robert Murtaugh, “I’m getting too old for this shit”.

Yes, But Can He Get a Defensive Rebound?

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Mike White went out and got some size in the front court.

From On3:

Georgia basketball continues to reshuffle in the transfer portal. The Bulldogs have landed the pledge of former St. Bonaventure center Andrew Osasuyi on Thursday.

Osasuyi averaged 3.3 points per game, 2.2 rebounds per game, and a team-high 1.7 blocks per game in 2025-2026 as a true freshman. He played 12.1 minutes per game. He signed with after coming to the United States from Magenta, Italy.

Osasuyi helped Italy’s U20 team to the 2025 FIBA U20 EuroBasket Gold Medal with 7.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists over seven games.

Osasuyi fills another hole for Georgia in the front court at 6-foot-9. The Bulldogs lost Somto Cyril to the transfer portal earlier this month. Cyril has since landed at Miami for his junior season.

Sounds promising, but the most glaring weakness the Dawgs had this past season was their inability to pull down a defensive board. I wonder if there’s a stat out there for third and fourth chance field goals? If there was, we woud’ve been dead last (or seemed like we could’ve been).

Sigh.

Help Behind the Arc

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Mike White picked up a pretty good one out of the portal. 45% from 3 point land last year, and we know how we like to shoot (and miss) the three pointer a good bit. Live by the sword, die by the portal.

From On3 Sports:

Dunlap will arrive in Athens by the way of Saint Louis. He was a key contributor for the Billikins last year, playing in 34 games. However, the role Dunlap developed did come off the bench, as there were only two starts. Still, Dunlap’s 17 minutes per game were the most of his career.

Production then followed as a result of the opportunity. Dunlap averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and just under an assist. Shooting numbers are likely what drew Georgia to sign Dunlap out of the portal. On over three shots from deep a game, Dunlap made them at a 45.1% clip.

Not a bad pickup, here’s hoping he can be a contributor to what should be a pretty well-stocked 1-3 position group in 2027.

Now we just need a little more length at the 5, but I can appreciate Stagg’s versatility as a big guy who can play inside and also step out and make a bucket.

On other news, speaking of big men:

The Georgia Bulldogs basketball team had a late entry into the NCAA transfer portal. Forward Justin Abson, who is out of eligibility, entered the portal and is hoping a court ruling or rule change could give him an extra year of eligibility for the 2026-27 college basketball season.

Abson helped Georgia make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances during the final two years of his college career. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward provides an intimidating presence in the paint. He posted 2.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game during the 2025-26 season. Abson played an average of 11.4 minutes per game and appeared in 31 contests including one start. The talented big man posted an impressive amount of blocks for his limited playing time.

Abson helped Georgia stand as one of the nation’s leading team in blocks, coming in 2nd on the team with 50 second only to Cyril’s 74.

You’ll Be Smurfing Soon

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It’s a family tradition, apparently. First, Jonas and Jarvis Hates join the Hoop Dawgs staff and now Smurf Millender’s brother has joined the team, too.

And we also signed the center from Senegal who stands at 6’11”.

But wait, there’s more!

The number 7 SG in the portal, he averaged 14 ppg at the State Penn last year. He started his career as freshman at Tennessee before heading to State College.. Nice to know the kid might finish his career somewhere decent for a change.

Sleeping with the Enemy: Wilkinson Lands at Arkansas

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Well, the signature win from White’s season in Athens just made Calipari recruit more guys out of the portal. So much for him only playing high school guys. Insert foot in mouth, John.

“These guys are gonna struggle when they get out college getting a 75k job in a company” or some such shit from Calipari on the recent NIL roudntable.

Blow me, John. It’s Chinatown.