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Knoxville, Tenn., of all places, Blue was headed to Georgia Tech where Josh Pastner was the head coach, but Pastner was fired before Blue enrolled. Disappointment segued into rapture. The entire Bulldog staff worked overtime to make him feel at home in Athens. He came, he looked, he stayed. He now feels that it was somewhat providential. “I couldn’t be happier than I am here,” he says. “This is a great place and the coaches are all outstanding. I love being a Bulldog.”

He is helping UGA elevate its basketball program under the introspective Mike White, who underscores the teaching element of his line of work. Blue and his teammates are athletic. They can make plays, they fight for the ball, and they uplift the sold-out crowds which have become commonplace.

It is like the line from, “Field of Dreams.” “Build it and they will come.” Put a selfless fivesome on the court, a compatible group proud to wear the “G” with a competitive underscoring of team effort and you have something that brings a collection of Dawg mania proponents to Stegeman night after night.

“The Steg” is a cozy den of energy, moxie and verve. Occupants want to help their team gain the advantage, make it uncomfortable for visitors and help basketball resonate with the fan base, a long-suffering core that is now being fulfilled.

“I’m so glad that Mike White is leading the Dawgs back to prominence,” said former coach Tubby Smith in town for the honoring of the Sweet Sixteen team of 1996. “He is a fine coach and his team is fun to watch.” How ‘bout that endorsement!

If White keeps recruiting players like Blue Cain, “The Steg” will continue to rock. The SEC, long known for its football prowess, can compete with the best at Dr. Naismith’s game. You have missed something if you don’t watch the basketball Dawgs raise a little “Cain” at “The Steg.”