Prior to Florida game, Tyree Crump approached Mark Fox about losing streak. 'I just want to win'
When Georgia was in the midst of its three-game losing streak, Tyree Crump stepped into his head coach’s office. Emotional, he shut the door behind him and let Mark Fox know they needed to have a conversation.
“What’s wrong?” Fox said.
“I’m upset about our team and I don’t care if I ever play, Coach,” Crump told his head coach. “I just want to win.”
Fox, after dealing with the ebbs-and-flows that come with developing any young player, was “proud” of Crump's leadership gesture. As Georgia's record was slipping, the sophomore guard had seen inconsistent playing time. Nonetheless, he wanted his team, which lost the previous three games, to win again.
Crump might not play in one contest but then receive double-digit minutes in the next. Crump has taken to social media throughout the season to insist his time would come. With the Bulldogs needing a win Tuesday against Florida, Crump came up with some valuable plays in a 72-60 victory.
“It doesn’t matter who (Fox) puts in,” Crump said. “I knew that I would get my chance and I would go shine. It’s whatever I can do to help my team win, then I’m in.”
Crump played nine minutes in Saturday’s loss to Kansas State, and another opportunity came against a guard-heavy, perimeter shooting team in Florida. When he entered the game against the Gators, the confident shooter was sure he would shine. Before tip-off, Crump hit six consecutive 3-point shots in warm-ups and felt some offensive production was in store.
Crump was subbed in at the 8:59 mark of the first half and sparked a crucial momentum swing in the game’s early stages. Georgia had a stretch where it hit three consecutive perimeter shots, which brought Stegeman Coliseum to its feet. Crump led the charge with a 3-point conversion on back-to-back possessions.
“Oh, yeah. I knew that if I got in and hit one that I would hit another one,” Crump said. “I didn’t get enough open looks, but if I did, that would’ve been great.”
Crump found himself in a similar groove as he did on Nov. 26 – when he put in a career-high 17 points against nationally-ranked Saint Mary’s. Statistically, the results weren’t the same as the sophomore finished with six points against Florida. But the momentum swing he provided was just as crucial.
While he is only a sophomore, Crump thinks of himself as a team leader. After his latest performance, Crump is hopeful his coaches see the burst of energy he can provide.
“He has a better understanding of what we’re doing,” Fox said. “He continues to get better and has an unbelievable attitude. Normally, guys like that get rewarded and he was tonight by playing well.”
Georgia senior forward Yante Maten said Crump and freshman Nicolas Claxton are the two who provide the most energy. It was a mandate of Crump’s after he saw a somewhat-dejected locker room after yet another narrow loss to the Wildcats on Saturday.
As the team returned to practice, he had one message.
“Have fun and smile. This is just basketball,” Crump said.
This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Prior to Florida game, Tyree Crump approached Mark Fox about losing streak. 'I just want to win'."