Brother supports Pelphrey

ATHENS, Ga. — Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey’s younger brother, Jerry, drove from Johnson City, Tenn., to Athens for the Razorbacks game at Georgia on Saturday night.

Jerry Pelphrey, a commercial loan bank officer, said it was his first chance to see his brother coach the Razorbacks since his hiring last April.

“This is what John’s always wanted, to coach at this level,” Jerry Pelphrey said. “I’m excited for him.”

Jerry Pelphrey, 6-6, played at East Tennessee State. John Pelphrey 6-7, played at Kentucky.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jerry Pelphrey said he hopes to attend Arkansas’ games at Tennessee and Kentucky later this season. Sweet home

Georgia enjoyed a homecourt advantage Saturday night after the visiting team had won in the series the past two years.

Arkansas won 74-57 at Georgia two years ago and the Bulldogs won 67-64 at Fayetteville last season. Rebounding guards

Two 6-1 guards came into Saturday night’s game as their team’s leading rebounder.

Arkansas sophomore guard Patrick Beverley came in averaging 6. 0 rebounds while Georgia senior guard Sundiata Gaines was averaging 5. 8

Beverley had five rebounds Saturday night while Gaines had four.

Darian Townes, a 6-10 senior, led Arkansas with six rebounds while 6-10 senior Dave Bliss led Georgia with six. Where’s Newman ?

Remember Steve Newman ? He’s the Georgia player who hit a a three-point shot at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs a 67-64 victory over Arkansas at Walton Arena last season.

Adding to the degree of difficulty, the 6-9 Newman nailed the three-pointer from 26 feet and shot over Arkansas 7-0 center Steven Hill.

Newman was a senior last season and now is playing professionally for a team in Ehingen, Germany. Mercer with Stan

Saturday night’s game was supposed to mark the return of junior guard Mike Mercer to Georgia’s lineup after he served a 15-game academic suspension.

But Mercer wound up being dismissed from the team by Bulldogs Coach Dennis Felton in late November and has since transferred to South Florida, which Stan Heath is in his first season as coach after coaching at Arkansas the previous five seasons.

Mercer, who averaged 13. 6 points in 23 starts last season before being sidelined by a knee injury, chose South Florida over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I could step in and play immediately,” Mercer said after transferring.

Mercer will have two years of eligibility to play for Heath and the Bulls after sitting out the years of this season.

“I am pleased to see it, especially after talking with Coach Heath,” Felton said after Mercer transferred. “I am very, very hopeful that Mike will have a great second half of his career there.”

Said Heath, Sometimes kids grow, they change, and they find a new scene to be good for them. And we hope that’s the case with Mike. ” Here comes the Sun

Saturday night’s opposing coaches, Arkansas’ John Pelphrey and Georgia’s Dennis Felton, both got their head coaching starts in the Sun Belt Conference.

Pelphrey came to Arkansas last April after being at South Alabama for five seasons. Felton came to Georgia for the 2003-2004 season after being at Western Kentucky for five seasons.

Pelphrey’s first two South Alabama teams lost at Georgia, 94-82 during the 2002-2003 season and 65-63 during the 2003-2004 season.

Felton’s last Western Kentucky team beat Pelphrey’s first South Alabama team 86-69 at Bowling Green, Ky., during the 2002-2003 season.