Georgia basketball fans psyched over Tyree Crump

Georgia basketball fans are doing their job – filling the Stegeman Coliseum. They need to keep that going and stop worrying about Tyree Crump.

Three years ago, Tyree Crump joined the Georgia basketball team with a simple plan and a simple motivation.

“I just go hard as I can every time I step on the court – and do it for her.”

“Her” is Crump’s mom, Shantell Crump. She battles Lupus, a potentially fatal disease, and raised Tyree alone. Tyree’s father, Tyree Wilborn, was shot and killed before his son Tyree Crump was born.

Ms. Crump still looks out for Tyree, as she did with her response to Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean’s recent post-game misstep.

But while the team has moved on from Crean’s comments and the Twitter dust-up that followed, Georgia basketball fans can’t get past Tyree’s game minutes.

Fan obsession

Why only a shade under 20 minutes of playing time each game for Crump? Could Crump be a practice day problem child? Not likely. He received this assessment from Mark Fox after some early career frustrations. “That’s a heck of a kid. That’s a heck of a kid.”

So what’s the problem?

Or is there one?

Could Georgia basketball fans just be a little obsessed with Crump?

Those pesky numbers

Georgia has four guards playing significant minutes. Turtle Jackson –  21.4 minutes a game, Crump – 19.9 minutes a game, Teshaun Hightower -19.3 minutes a game, and Jordan Harris – 16.7 minutes a game.

Jackson is averaging 5.4 points a game, Crump 10.0 points a game, Teshaun Hightower 7.6 points a game, Jordan Harris 6 points a game.

(Crump’s shooting percentage is 39.5, 37.5 from behind the three-point line. Jackson’s average percentages are 37.8 and 35.4, Hightower’s are 41.4 and 30.3, and Harris’ 43.0 and 36.4.)

Potential difference maker?

Would Crump become a difference maker at 26 minutes a game? The point projection based off his average is 13 points with 26 minutes of game time.

If you drop Jackson’s, Hightower’s and Harris’ court time by two minutes each and give the total six minutes to Crump,  the projected point loss is 2 points per game. The result is a net plus of 1 point per game playing Crump 26 minutes.

Only Turtle Jackson is receiving more playing time than Crump. If Jackson gave his entire 21 minutes to Crump and Crump plays all 40 minutes, Crump projects to score 20 points a game. After giving back Jackson’ 5.4 points, that’s a net increase of 4.6 total points

A Georgia basketball family

Crump came to Athens with his best friend and South Georgia cousin, Jordan Harris, in 2016.  Georgia basketball fans expected Tyree to get the ball a lot, shoot a lot, and score a lot of points.

Could Georgia basketball fans just be a little obsessed with Crump?

Crump’s plan was more practical. “Doing the dirty stuff,” he said. “Rebounding. Playing defense. Scoring a little bit. Just everything.”

Pretty good plan, and Crump receives no complaints  from Georgia basketball fans. Georgia fans just want Crump on the court. When he’s not, they burn up the message boards with complaints.

Do your job, and do it over and over

Georgia basketball fans just need to let Tyree Crump be Tyree Crump – let him give everything he has for his mom – and let Tom Crean coach him.

Both Crump and Crean will be fine if the fans keep doing their job – fill the Steg over and over and over.