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Losing your top two scorers, your only true center and two other players to injuries is not a coaches fault. Just growing pains right now. He needs to have a chance at having a full allotment of scholarship players. He has NEVER had that. He took over a program that basically had to start from scratch. However, he may need to tone down on the militaristic style.

pcdawg | 03/04/08, 08:55 AM

That's the problem... He won't tone down his approach to coaching... No one wants to play for a military man... And, obviously no one has... I have never been a fan of his, but I knew we were going to suck this year after he kicked Takais and Mike off the team...

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 09:15 AM

I wonder if anyone would complain about his militaristic approach if they had a winning season. Rebuilding is always tough.

Pathetic | 03/04/08, 09:37 AM

Quote for picture above...."Stop! Hammertime"

Josef Stalin | 03/04/08, 09:40 AM

I wonder if he would be on the hot seat if he had a winning season... He has been rebuilding for the past 5 years

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 09:43 AM

Part of it is recruiting! There is a kid coming out of Georgia Perimeter College this year who is going to make a program wherever he goes! The kids name is Jacquiese Holcomb! He was named Player of the Year in that school conference and appears headed to UNLV. It's a shame to let such a talent get out of UGA's back yard, especially since the kid has an interest in staying home in Georgia!

Cowboystar | 03/04/08, 11:50 AM

Like I said, I have never been a fan of Felton's... And now that I know that , Cowboystar, I want him out... My question is who is out there?

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 11:56 AM

The sad thing is most of the Georgia talent is jumping the border to Tennessee... It's obvious they would rather play for a guy like Pearl over Felton the Dictator...

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 12:07 PM

Part of the problem is the type of players he is recruiting. There always seems to be discipline issues. Secondly, if he is such a dictator as you indicate obviously he is not dictating and enforcing rules to prevent the indescretions by his players. That seems to be the norm with UGA basketball presently and in recent history. Just think of how many players have been dismissed from the program in the past 10-12 years which goes beyond Felton. I live in Georgia and follow UGA sports though I'm a USC (Gamecock) fan. Getting back to the recruiting thing, last year the Player of the Year from a different school out of that same JUCO conference I mentioned was not recruited by UGA, but ended up at USC and is a starter for them this year!

But UGA and USC are football schools and it takes an influential strong recruiting coach to get the top prosepects! of course winning always helps! To answer your question there are not a lot of those caliber coaches out there right now!

Cowboystar | 03/04/08, 12:25 PM

He is dictating and enforcing rules by KICKING PLAYERS OFF THE TEAM.. That is how he believes players should be punished... You mess up by missing classes, you're off the squad... He recruited these players, so he is the one ultimately responsible... Bring in a coach like Pearl, a coach who gets out there and treats his players FAIRLY, and there will probably be more players who would want to play for UGA... But as long as we have a dictator, instead of a teacher, players will continue to leave the state or choose Tech over UGA! And by the way, compare how many players have been dismissed from the team in the previous 10 years to the number of players who were dismissed or quit this past season!

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 01:12 PM

What is wrong for having a coach that is doing the right thing? If you want thugs and screwups playing for your program, that's on you. If you want a clean program that actually graduates players instead of turning them lose back to where they came from, then that's negligent as a fan base.

Felton was a great coach at Western Kentucky, my alma mater. He had the same approach there and turned it into a perennial conference contender and NCAA bubble team. It's unfortunate that he is under such scrutiny for running a tight ship.

Dores311 | 03/04/08, 01:25 PM

*Edit - Turning them "loose" and if you don't want a clean program, it's negligent.

Dores311 | 03/04/08, 01:26 PM

Dores,
If they were thugs and screw ups, then why did he recruit them? Shouldn't he have known that upon recruiting them? And I am happy that he was successful at Western Kentucky, but this is UGA... There is a tad bit more competition in the SEC... We have all sat and watched while he has attempted to bring back UGA basketball, but in his FIFTH season he is 3-11 in the SEC with a chance to go 3-13! How long does it take to rebuild? 10 years? I don't believe the school should have to wait that long!

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 01:41 PM

And he's not under scrutiny for running a tight ship... He is under scrutiny because he continues to lose both games and recruits!

The True #7 | 03/04/08, 01:43 PM

I can think of another coach in the ACC who should be on the hot seat, but for some reason isn't (YET). 3 NITs in 4 years isn't getting it done at this school and many fans are upset. Guess who?

Julia11 | 03/04/08, 03:46 PM

The True, you sound very close to the situation and there's little doubt that waht you say can't be far from the actual truth. Especially given his record. Incremental gains are the barometer for judging the success of any coach, there has not been much at UGA in that regard. South Carolina has long labored under a ruse that a couple NIT championships were sufficient therefore accepted mediocrity! Thank the great lucky stars Odom is leaving! Maybe we can get a Coach who is legit and whose legend was not built on the backs of players like Tim Duncan!

Cowboystar | 03/04/08, 04:03 PM

Gotta Be Georgia Tech. Hewitt should be on the hot seat but seems to get a pass because he's a nice guy.

DukeLover | 03/04/08, 10:49 PM

Since Mark Richt came to town, I had forgotten we fielded a basketball team. There is no such thing as a hot seat for basketball coaches when Football is King! Go Dawgs!

HeavyLunch22 | 03/05/08, 07:17 AM

DukeLover, the pressure is growing on Hewitt. You're right - he has been given a pass because people like him and he doesn't generally embarass the fans (unlike our recently dismissed football coach, Gailey). His problem seems to be recruiting players who are too good to stay in school for more than one year, so he can't build any kind of continuity. This could be his last year, but I suspect he'll get an extension.

RamblinGator | 03/05/08, 09:13 AM

What is important to everyone seems to be victories or else. What about the players who seek an education under the guise of playing basketball. They seem to feel that they are entitled, yet they continue to screw up and get booted off the team. Well, good for the (Dictator) for enforcing rules that everyone there should be under. Maybe if more coaches followed the same edict, we wouldn't have 1 year wonders and then have them go to the NBA.

Jjrdot | 03/05/08, 10:15 AM