Mark Fox explains what happened with Auburn player joining Georgia’s huddle

ATHENS — Georgia’s huddle was not breached. It was all just in good fun.

That’s according to head coach Mark Fox, who says he and his players were “fully aware” that Auburn guard T.J. Dunans was in their huddle late in last Thursday’s game. In fact, they had invited him in.

“And obviously people have had some fun with it,” Fox said. “We’ve been laughing awful hard ourselves.”

At the tail end of last Thursday’s 96-84 win at Auburn, Fox called his players over to discuss strategy. The Bulldogs were about to shoot a free throw, leading by 11 with 1:30 to go.

Dunans came into the huddle, and instead of being booted out, Georgia players Derek Ogbeide and Juwan Parker put their arms around him. Fox appeared to continue going over strategy for after the free throw. The only visible realization of the enemy listening in was Georgia director of operations Kent Davison, looking at an official annoyed and pointing at Dunans.

But Fox said he and the players were in on the joke.

“Actually, we were having some fun,” Fox said Monday. “It was very late in the game and we were up double figures, and their kid to his defense was trying to listen in, and we actually invited him in. I said: If you want to listen, come on in. We were just having some fun. We were fully aware.”

Fox pointed out that in the video Parker steps back to let Dunans in the huddle. Nobody in Georgia’s huddle is smiling. But given the situation, and Fox’s deadpan manner, his version of events is believable.

“I had said, Yeah c’mon in if you want to listen, because there was nothing of any substance that I was showing our team,” Fox said. “We were just trying to have some fun.”

@SethEmersonAJC @barkeruga1 Funny to watch! pic.twitter.com/pDAF4fJC1K

— Joel Kennedy (@yldawg) December 30, 2016