“There has been this growing trend in the last decade, at least, of fan behavior getting worse. We’re not going to totally solve the problem, but hopefully we can turn the corner a little bit.”

– Vince Dooley on a Sportsmanship Summit he will chair to address unruly fans

It’s gotten to this point. Vince Dooley will chair a discussion on fan sportsmanship after unruly fans dominated the headlines in 2002, especially late in the season.

When Iowa fans (the visiting team) carried off Minnesota’s goal posts from inside a domed stadium, things reached an absurd head. This discussion is a good first step, but real change will only come after campus authorities start handing out real penalties for unruly behavior and treating these fans as the hoodlums they are.

“The main ingredient of mat drills is mental toughness, but the second is team unity. We are all working together. There are no stars, no heroes, there are no great players, we are all a team. We are all dressed alike, we are all doing the same exact drills, we are all getting treated alike, and then the unity comes.”

– Coach Dave Van Halanger on the philosophy behind the infamous mat drills

“Right now, I plan on coming back. College is fun. I love it here. I still need to work on some things.”

– Jarvis Hayes on his plans for next season.

Although lots can change, Jarvis Hayes sounds as if he’ll be back in Athens next year. It makes sense – with the (relative) struggles this year and a mid-season injury, he would have been in better shape leaving after last season.

Should Jarvis stick to this and return, the Dawgs appear to be loaded next season. Ezra Williams is the sole loss among the regulars. The Dawgs welcome in a class big on size and talent. Jarvis’s return will mean that Georgia will still have a proven outside threat while they develop a strong post game.

Hayes’s return also means that Mohamed Abukar, perhaps the top recruit coming in next year and Georgia’s future at the wing position, can spend a year learning as the understudy to one of the best wingmen in the game.

Jay Bilas: Georgia is 2-5 on the road, but four of its losses have come against RPI top 50 teams — and all have been nail biters. Plus, two of those losses came without Steve Thomas and Chris Daniels. That has to be factored in when the selection committee meets during the second weeken of March.

Very true, and it’s good to have national recognition for the quality of Georgia’s schedule (again). But sooner or later you have to win some of these quality matchups on the road. The biggest remaining road game for Georgia is Tuesday evening at Alabama. The Tide has been even poorer on the road with a lower-quality schedule, but like Georgia, they have proven nearly unbeatable at home.

Win in Tuscaloosa, and the Dawgs have a very impressive road win to pretty much lock up an NCAA bid. Lose, and Georgia can point to all of the tough, marquee road losses they want as they drop dangerously close to wrapping up a finish in the lower half of the SEC East.