Edwards, UGA Take Season Opener 91-72

ATHENS - The start of the season is usually a rough look at what basketball teams can do - and more so what they the need to work on. 

If you watched the Bulldogs play on Tuesday night and were wondering what Anthony Edwards would look like, what you saw in the opener against Western Carolina is about what you should expect. Edwards can be more explosive. He can also play defense at a higher level when he wants to. 

But there’s not much wrong with starting your career with a double double, and that’s what Edwards did tonight. His efficiency was +24 - that’s a lot. 

Georgia will get better, but that will be a real challange for Tom Crean, who is throwing together a brand new team for the season time in as many years. 

Crean said Monday: "I’m feeling a little animosity. I wish we were practicing better.”

These young guys probably don’t know how to practice yet. That’s the part where Georgia could really improve over time. 

“The concentration, focus and adaptability isn't always so good, but we're learning,” he said. 

Bingo. 

If you were looking for signs that this program has turned the corner in the off season… it wasn’t there tonight. It’s also pretty dangerous to make sweeping generalizations about game one when you are dealing with a Southern Conference team.

Edwards pushed the game out of the Catamounts’ range with a left-handed and one to put UGA up 79-65 under the three-minute mark. 

The Bulldogs are going to need to get better on defense. Frankly, that got better as the game went on, but the Dawgs got beat up by a solid WCU big man. If Carlos Dotson is beating you up inside what’s that mean for SEC programs? Dotson went for 17 with 15 boards. 

He killed the Dawgs inside. He was the difference. 

Sahvir Wheeler was a bright spot for the Dawgs, too. He gave UGA a +22 efficiency, and that’s a lot for someone most UGA fans are only seeing for the first time. 

Crean is still figuring this roster out. He’s got a win under his belt now, and another week to move forward with this team. Can we draw a line where this team is going to finish this season? I can’t yet.