Spring Break
Fox: Team 'working hard and getting better each day'
DREW KANN
Issue date: 7/3/09 Section: Sports
With the Southeastern Conference poised to reclaim its spot as one of the toughest men's college basketball conferences in the nation, Mark Fox and other SEC head coaches answered questions from the media during the 2009 SEC Basketball Coaches Teleconference.
With a number of different media outlets in attendance, Coach Fox spoke on a wide range of subjects.
Fox seemed optimistic about next season, noting several times the progress he has seen in his brief time as Georgia's head coach.
"Certainly we have some improving to do," Fox said. "Our kids have had a nice response to our coaching staff and the direction we want to go and they're working hard and getting better each day."
When asked about rising sophomore forward Trey Thompkins, who is currently in New Zealand training with the USA U19 World Championship team, Fox said that although he won't be able to make it down under to see him suit up in red, white, and blue, he has spoken with Trey several times since making the team.
"I think it will be a great experience for him and as he and I talked about, it's not very often that you get to wear the USA across your chest," Fox said. "It's an experience that he should cherish and I think he'll do well."
Fox also fielded questions about his assistant coaching staff, expressing confidence in particular in new assistant coach Phillip Pearson, who served as an assistant coach at Alabama for 11 years prior to joining the Georgia program in April. Coach Fox said the program will benefit tremendously from having a great basketball mind and recruiter in Coach Pearson.
"For me, he's been a real benefit just because he's allowed us to get a really good start here at Georgia and he's someone who has recruited this region for a long, long time and we're very excited he's with us," said Fox.
Fox and several other SEC coaches who took part in the teleconference were asked to weigh in on the newly created NCAA Basketball Focus Group, aimed at increasing the NCAA's ability to monitor and enforce rules, specifically those dealing with recruiting of high school players.
Both Coach Fox and Vanderbilt men's basketball head coach Kevin Stallings shared the sentiment that such groups are needed to monitor the recruiting environment and to deter the growing number of secondary recruiting violations, for which the NCAA has come under fire.
The NCAA's penalties for secondary violations, or minor, isolated recruiting infractions, have been increasingly criticized for amounting to little more than a slap on the wrist for some schools that see monetary fines and other sanctions as well worth the risk of signing a highly touted recruit.
"Violations are violations and I know that some are committed unintentionally but the vast majority are probably not," Stallings said.
"I do think that right now our game can be cleaned up in some ways and can be improved and I think the focus groups are needed," Fox said. "I think you'll probably start reading about much stiffer penalties with secondary violations."
With a number of different media outlets in attendance, Coach Fox spoke on a wide range of subjects.
Fox seemed optimistic about next season, noting several times the progress he has seen in his brief time as Georgia's head coach.
"Certainly we have some improving to do," Fox said. "Our kids have had a nice response to our coaching staff and the direction we want to go and they're working hard and getting better each day."
When asked about rising sophomore forward Trey Thompkins, who is currently in New Zealand training with the USA U19 World Championship team, Fox said that although he won't be able to make it down under to see him suit up in red, white, and blue, he has spoken with Trey several times since making the team.
"I think it will be a great experience for him and as he and I talked about, it's not very often that you get to wear the USA across your chest," Fox said. "It's an experience that he should cherish and I think he'll do well."
Fox also fielded questions about his assistant coaching staff, expressing confidence in particular in new assistant coach Phillip Pearson, who served as an assistant coach at Alabama for 11 years prior to joining the Georgia program in April. Coach Fox said the program will benefit tremendously from having a great basketball mind and recruiter in Coach Pearson.
"For me, he's been a real benefit just because he's allowed us to get a really good start here at Georgia and he's someone who has recruited this region for a long, long time and we're very excited he's with us," said Fox.
Fox and several other SEC coaches who took part in the teleconference were asked to weigh in on the newly created NCAA Basketball Focus Group, aimed at increasing the NCAA's ability to monitor and enforce rules, specifically those dealing with recruiting of high school players.
Both Coach Fox and Vanderbilt men's basketball head coach Kevin Stallings shared the sentiment that such groups are needed to monitor the recruiting environment and to deter the growing number of secondary recruiting violations, for which the NCAA has come under fire.
The NCAA's penalties for secondary violations, or minor, isolated recruiting infractions, have been increasingly criticized for amounting to little more than a slap on the wrist for some schools that see monetary fines and other sanctions as well worth the risk of signing a highly touted recruit.
"Violations are violations and I know that some are committed unintentionally but the vast majority are probably not," Stallings said.
"I do think that right now our game can be cleaned up in some ways and can be improved and I think the focus groups are needed," Fox said. "I think you'll probably start reading about much stiffer penalties with secondary violations."
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