Tompkins & Leslie Announce Decisions

BASKETBALL

University of Georgia junior Trey Thompkins will enter the 2011 NBA Draft and also plans to hire an agent, effectively ending his career as an amateur, head coach Mark Fox announced today.

Additionally, UGA teammate Travis Leslie, also a junior, will add his name to the list of underclassmen in the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent, thus preserving his collegiate eligibility.

Thompkins, a 6-10 forward from Lithonia, Ga., earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors the past two years. He has led the Dawgs in scoring and rebounding each of his those years and will finish his UGA career with 1,396 points and 693 rebounds. Those figures rank 13th and 10th, respectively, on the school's career charts.

"I have spoken with my family and coaches about my situation, and I feel that it's best for me to forgo my senior season and enter the NBA Draft,"

Thompkins said. "I would just like to thank everyone who has supported me in this decision."

"We certainly appreciate Trey's contributions to the program and we wish him well in the pursuit of his dreams," Fox said.

Leslie, a 6-4 guard from Decatur, was a second-team All-SEC pick by the league's head coaches this past season. He averaged 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 2011, second on the team behind Thompkins in both categories, and he also handed out 97 assists. Like Thompkins, he surpassed the 1,000-point mark in 2011 and finished the season with 1,099 points, which ranks 30th on the UGA career scoring chart.

"Travis has exercised his right to 'test the waters' as a junior," Fox said.

"We will help him manage that process in a timely manner."

The deadline for collegiate underclassmen to withdraw their names from the draft and preserve eligibility is May 8. The NBA Draft will take place June 23 in Newark, N.J.

Edwards Elected To Hall Of Fame

BASKETBALL

Teresa Edwards, who led Georgia’s Lady Dawg Basketball program to national prominence in the 1980s and is the only U.S. basketball player to participate in five Olympic Games, has been selected to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"It doesn't get any better than this," Edwards said. "There's no other place to go. My first hero was 'Dr. J' and my basketball hero is Michael Jordan. This all started with the boys in Cairo letting a girl play with them and now this girl is being inducted into a hall of fame alongside the greatest men's players of all time. So many people played a part in my journey and I hope each and every one of them knows how much I appreciate them. I feel like a kid all over again, and I'm a little nervous, too. It's like I'm going to be on the grandest of stages. I think I belong, but that doesn't mean I'm not nervous about being there."

Edwards is part of the 10-member Class of 2011 the Hall of Fame announced on Monday in Houston in association with the NCAA Men's Final Four. Edwards was one of six previously announced finalists elected along with players Dennis Rodman and Chris Mullin and coaches Herb Magee, Tara VanDerveer and Tex Winter. The additional inductees selected via committees are: ABA star Artis Gilmore, international honoree Arvydas Sabonis, veteran Thomas "Satch" Sanders and Harlem Globetrotter Reece "Goose" Tatum. They will be enshrined during ceremonies at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on August 11-13.

"She's going in as part of a group, but in my mind she's a one and only," Georgia coach Andy Landers said. "Teresa is obviously one of the greatest players of all time, but I think what separates her is her competitiveness. Each and every time Teresa laced up those hightops there was only one thing on her mind – winning. We're so blessed to call her one of our own at Georgia."

Edwards remarkable career spanned three decades at the highest levels of competition.

In the summer of 1981 following her junior year at Cairo (Ga.) High School, Edwards became the youngest women's basketball player ever invited to compete in a USA Basketball national tournament when she played for the South team at the National Sports Festival. That began a long and unparalleled career representing the United States on the hardwood.

Edwards was named Georgia's all-classification Player of the Year in 1982 after leading Cairo High's Syrupmaids to the AAA state championship and a 30-1 record. That fall, she began a stellar collegiate career at the University of Georgia. Edwards helped lead the Lady Dawgs to their first-ever NCAA Final Four as a freshman in 1983, an NCAA runner-up finish in 1985 and SEC Championships in 1983, 1984 and 1986. Edwards was a two-time All-American and finished her collegiate career with 1,989 points, 653 assists and 342 steals. Georgia compiled a 116-17 record during her four seasons in Athens.

Edwards earned a spot on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team following her sophomore year at UGA and went on to compete in the 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Games. She captured four Olympic Gold Medals ('84, '88, '96 and '00), as well as a Bronze in 1992, and holds the unique distinction of being both the youngest and oldest women's basketball player to win Olympic Gold.

Edwards also represented the U.S. in virtually every significant international competition for the rest of the 20th century. All told, she played in 216 games representing the U.S., scoring 2,000 points, handing out 890 assists, grabbing 576 rebounds and collecting 372 steals while shooting 50.2 percent from the field. The National Teams that Edwards played for compiled a 205-14 record.

Edwards' reputation transcended basketball. In 1996, she was the one competitor among the 10,318 athletes from 197 nations at the Centennial Olympics chosen to read the Athlete's Oath at the Opening Ceremony in Atlanta.

Edwards also enjoyed an ultra-successful professional career. She played in Italy, Japan, Spain, France and Russia before occupying a formative role in the advent of professional leagues in the U.S. Edwards was a member of the ABL's board of directors and served as a player/coach for the Atlanta Glory. She wrapped up her career with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, Edwards received the WNBA's Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.

The Naismith honor represents the seventh Hall of Fame that will enshrine Edwards. She was a member of the inaugural class for UGA's all-sports Circle of Honor in 1995 and was inducted into the State of Georgia's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the Grady County (Ga.) Sports Hall of Game in 2009, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Earlier this year, Edwards received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which annually recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletics careers. She also was named the No. 22 greatest female athlete – and No. 2 basketball player – of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated.

Edwards will become the second University of Georgia basketball player in the Naismith Hall of Fame, joining 2006 inductee Dominique Wilkins.

Diamond Dawgs Ranked 30th

BASEBALL

With one of the nation’s toughest schedules and nine wins over ranked opponents, Georgia made its debut at No. 30 in the weekly Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s Top 30 poll Monday. Also, junior Tyler Maloof has been named the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week, the league announced.

The Dawgs completed a three-game Southeastern Conference series sweep of No. 24 Mississippi State this past weekend to even their record at 14-14 including 6-3 in the SEC. Currently in the rugged Eastern Division, they are one game behind No. 2 Vanderbilt (26-3, 7-2 SEC), No. 3 South Carolina (22-5, 7-2 SEC) and No. 4 Florida (24-5, 7-2 SEC).

Eighteen of Georgia’s games this season has come against ranked teams, and the Dawgs are 9-9 in those contests. That’s the most games versus Top 25 teams and the most wins of any team in the SEC. Up next, Georgia plays host to Charleston Southern in a two-game set starting Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, Maloof leads the nation with 11 saves and is 11-for-11 in save opportunities this year. A 6-1, 185-pound native of Winder, Georgia, he is in his first season as the closer.

He registered three saves in helping Georgia post its first SEC sweep since 2009. In three appearances versus #24 MSU, he tossed 2.1 innings, did not allow any hits, runs or walks and struck out one.

In Friday’s win, he came on in the 9th with two on and nobody out in a 4-1 game and got a fielder’s choice and double play to get a save. On Saturday, Maloof came on in the 9^th with a runner at second and two out in a 4-3 game, and he struck out Adam Frazier for the save. Then on Sunday, he pitched the 9^th in a 4-1 game, retiring three straight hitters to get a save and clinch the sweep.

Maloof is the second Dawg pitcher to be honored by the SEC this season, joining Alex Wood who got it on March 14. This week, Maloof shares the SEC pitching award with Florida’s Hudson Randall who fired a four-hit shutout of Tennessee on 74 pitches.

Dawgs Defeat UT-Martin

SOFTBALL

Junior Ashley Razey went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in to lead the second-ranked Dawgs to a 6-0 victory over the University of Tennessee Martin on Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium in front of a crowd of 1,018.

With the victory, Georgia (32-4) completed a two-game series sweep UT Martin (20-14) and extended its NCAA Division I leading active home winning streak to 37 games.

From the circle, freshman Morgan Montemayor and senior Katie Murphy dealt the Skyhawks a one-hit shutout. Montemayor (16-2) earned the win after pitching the first six innings striking out seven, and she carried a no hitter into the fifth before Megan Latimer recorded a leadoff single. Murphy entered to pitch the seventh and retired UT Martin one-two-three to close out the contest. Skyhawk starter Kate Vanderham (3-5) pitched just 2.1 innings allowing four runs to suffer the loss.

Razey plated the first of her two RBI in the opening frame on a single to center that scored seniors Megan Wiggins and Brianna Hesson, who reached on a walk and a fielder's choice, respectively.

In the second, Georgia extended the lead to 3-0. Senior Laura Trout led off with a triple down the right field line, and two batters later, senior Taylor Schlopy picked up an RBI on a groundout to second base.

The Dawgs extended their advantage to 5-0 in the third inning. Hesson drew a one-out walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a double off the right center wall from Razey. After sophomore Maya Branch entered as a pinch runner, junior Kristyn Sandberg added a run-scoring single to shallow right.

In the fifth, Razey notched her fourth RBI on her second double of the game, this time a line shot to left center that scored Hesson from first. Hesson started the frame off with a single to left.

Sunday's game marked the midway point of a 10-game home stand for the Dawgs. The stretch of games at Jack Turner Stadium continues on Wednesday with a Southeastern Conference double header against 10^th-ranked Tennessee. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Dawgs Hold First Scrimmage

FOOTBALL

The Dawgs scrimmaged at Sanford Stadium for 90 minutes on Saturday morning as the they continued preparations for the annual G-Day spring game on April 16.

“I thought we had an outstanding scrimmage today in regards to the guys playing with energy,” said head coach Mark Richt. “There was great competition throughout the scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”

Richt singled out several players who had particular strong outings. He mentioned redshirt freshman receiver Michael Bennett, junior receiver Marlon Brown and junior tight end Orson Charles as three of the players who stood out on offense.

“Michael Bennett did some things to catch my eye today,” Richt said, adding that Bennett had a touchdown catch in the back of the end zone. “Marlon also had a touchdown. He reached up and snatched it away from a defender, it was a great catch.”

He also noted the play of redshirt freshman walk-on tailback Brandon Harton. Harton, a native of Reidsville, Ga., made several impressive runs during the scrimmage, including a 65-yard touchdown run.

On defense, Richt said that sophomore outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and senior cornerback Brandon Boykin both made notable plays and that sophomore nose guard Kwame Geathers is showing more development in the middle.

“I thought Kwame had some nice plays out there,” said Richt. “Going against a guy like Ben Jones is not an easy task and Kwame handled it well today.”

Georgia wrapped up their scrimmage with a series of goal-line stands, which Richt said ended in a tie. But the defense won the tiebreaker to end an evenly matched battle on Saturday.

Richt noted that one of the best things to come out of the scrimmage was that no one was injured.

The Dawgs return to action on Tuesday at the Woodruff Practice Fields.