The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Sports

PARKER

Throughout Dennis Felton's tenure at Georgia, one thing became clear - he couldn't keep the home-state talent home.

And on Jan. 30, after his team was thrashed by rival Florida, Felton was relieved of his duties. Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans later made a surprise hire in Mark Fox from Nevada.

Upon Fox's official unveiling to the Bulldog Nation, Evans said the Athletic Department is in it for the long haul and made a commitment to the people of Georgia to grow basketball. And unsurprisingly, Fox emphasized the importance of getting the home-grown players to play for their in-state school - a task Hugh Durham and Tubby Smith proved possible. If Evans and Fox truly meant what they said about the importance of in-state prospects, then it's quite dumbfounding that the top two uncommitted players in the 2010 class, Jalen Kendrick and Trae Golden, haven't received a letter, much less a call, from Fox or anyone on his staff since his hiring almost two weeks ago.

"No, I haven't heard anything from the new coaching staff at Georgia," Kendrick said. "This is honestly the first I'm hearing about coach Fox being hired. I didn't ever really hear who took over the new UGA job."

Golden was in the same boat, as he had no prior knowledge of Fox before his hiring.

"I never heard of him before he got the job, but I'm sure UGA thought he was right for the job or they wouldn't have hired him," he said. "I'm sure he's a great guy."

But don't mistake their lack of knowledge about Fox for lack of interest. Take Kendrick, a 6-foot-6 slasher who boasts offers from Kentucky, Texas, Wake Forest and Georgetown, to name a few. Rivals.com ranks Kendrick as the No. 26 player in the nation and the No. 1 player in Georgia. Kendrick is still open to Georgia.

"I want to be a lawyer, and they have great academics up there," he said.

Golden, a former Ohio State commit ranked in the top 75 by Rivals.com and third in Georgia, has received offers from Florida, Georgia Tech, Marquette and Kentucky, among others, and plays AAU ball for the Atlanta Celtics - a squad Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Randolph Morris have laced up their shoes for.

"I haven't heard from anyone on the staff, and they haven't even expressed interest, but I am wide open right now, so I would be open to anyone," Golden said. "I loved UGA before coach Felton got fired, and nothing has changed, I just don't know the new staff."

In Nevada, Fox showed he could recruit well, as he kept Luke Babbitt, a consensus top-20 player, at home. His track record shows he can do it. But if he expects similar results in Athens, he might want to start by getting in touch with the two best uncommitted players in the state before Evans' commitment turns to resentment.

If Fox needs help, signee Demario Mayfield has some advice for him.

"Just go out and recruit some of the top guys in the state and out of the state, so we can win some big games," he said.

He could start by picking up the phone - I can think of two guys eager to pick up that could have him well on his way.

- Nick Parker is a sportswriter for The Red & Black

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