Accounting For Every Hour

"The worst part was that people thought our program was out of control academically again," Felton said, referencing the Jim Harrick era that ended in chaos before Felton was hired. "One of the reasons I was hired [after going 100-54 and winning three straight conference titles at Western Kentucky] was because all my kids graduated. All our kids here have graduated, too. In fact, Mike Mercer was 30 credits ahead of schedule to graduate when he was suspended. It hurt me that people thought that because I knew it wasn't true.

"The good news was that the kids we had left really pulled together. Sundiata Gaines and Dave Bliss [the two remaining seniors] are quiet kids by nature but they were able to get those younger kids to follow their lead. We really did stay together even through tough losses."

There were plenty of losses -- 12 in the SEC, which sent Georgia to Atlanta for the SEC tournament with a 13-16 record amid all the rumors that Felton was going to be fired.

"You know the funny thing is I thought I'd done a really good job this year given everything that went on," Felton said. "I think people who follow us closely know that. I think we've got three really good freshmen coming in next year. I felt bad for them and for their families because of all the uncertainty."

Felton, 44, is used to overcoming obstacles. A reasonably good high school player at Surrattsville, he received one scholarship offer -- to Bluefield State in West Virginia.

"I lasted a week," he said. "I hated it. I decided to come home and enroll at Prince George's [Community College], so I wouldn't blow an entire semester."

He played there for two years before. Royal Mason, who had worked in the gym at Andrews when Felton was a kid, knew A.B. Williamson, then the Howard coach, and persuaded him to take a look at Felton. He also got Mike Riley, then an assistant to John Thompson at Georgetown, to take a look.

"Howard offered me a scholarship," Felton said smiling. "Georgetown did not."

Felton majored in radio, TV and film production and graduated cum laude leading to his high-powered job as a gofer. Getting laid off led him into coaching. He moved up the ladder, eventually going to work for Rick Barnes at Providence and Clemson. That led to Western Kentucky and Georgia, where he took over in the wake of the Harrick scandal. It has been a long five years trying to rebuild on the court and off.

Until this past remarkable weekend, it looked as if it might not work out.

"You know after everything happened Friday and they were talking about alternatives I suggested playing the semifinals Sunday morning and the final in the afternoon," he said. "I thought that was fairer: Have two teams played twice on the same day rather than one. The funny thing is, I think when they made us play twice on Saturday, that was the thing that brought us together. Once we got by that Kentucky game [on a three-pointer by freshman Zac Swansey as time expired in overtime], we were a team on a mission. That night, we had three guys playing with four fouls and two guys in the training room hurt. I sent word back: 'Get those guys out here or we may not have enough players to finish the game.'"

They finished that game against Mississippi State and the next day, huffing and puffing at the finish, beat Arkansas to go from nowhere to this tournament -- and back to Felton's home town -- in what felt like the blink of an eye.

After the net-cutting and the news conferences and the congratulations, Felton walked outside into the parking lot. His phone rang. It was Barnes, his old boss.

"He didn't even say hello," Felton said, smiling again. "He was on the tarmac getting ready to get on the team plane. He was screaming, 'Do you understand what you just did? It's impossible to do what you just did.' "

Felton laughed. "That's what I love about all this. Apparently nothing is impossible."

When Felton and his team walked on to the court for their practice today, the PA announcer said, "Please welcome to the NCAA tournament, Coach Dennis Felton and the Georgia Bulldogs."

Apparently, nothing is impossible.