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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2009 > January > 14
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Derrick Favors brings hope to Georgia Tech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
All they wanted to know inside Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday night was the answer to a simple question: Is he coming? That’s all. Oh, and if their Yellow Jackets ended their shaky ways in the ACC against lordly Duke, well, they wouldn’t mind that, either.
But is he coming? Inquiring minds wanted to know, ranging from your average screamer in old gold and white to the person who would benefit most (hint: the head coach) from Derrick Favors bringing his splendid gifts from South Atlanta High School to the extremely needy basketball program at Georgia Tech.
He’s coming. The top recruit in the nation according to Scout.com is coming to the Jackets, and just so you know coach Paul Hewitt is ecstatic. He just can’t say it. Nobody around the Jackets can say anything about their 6-foot-9 gem in waiting, because it would violate NCAA rules until he signs in April.
So, before, during and after the Jackets showed how far they haven’t come by turning a wonderful spurt throughout much of the first half into a dreadful fade near the end of a 70-56 loss against their No. 3-ranked opponent, there was non-verbal joy everywhere among Tech officials. A wink here from associate athletics director Wayne Hogan. A nod there from athletics director Dan Radakovich.
Mostly, there was a little extra bounce in Hewitt’s step, especially with his Jackets trying to escape a third season of mediocrity in four years.
“I think he’s going to be real happy. He might get emotional a little bit,” said Favors, referring to Hewitt after choosing Tech over Georgia and North Carolina State on Wednesday at his news conference at ESPN Zone. Hewitt was at Favors’ South Atlanta game on Tuesday night at Eagle’s Landing, but Favors said he purposely avoided his future collegiate skipper.
Said Favors, easing into a grin, “I just wanted to mess with his head a little bit. I think deep down, he probably knew I was coming.”
Hewitt isn’t saying. If he could have said something about Favors, it would be something like, “We needed that big guy right now.”
For the longest time, the Jackets looked nothing like the 0-2 bunch in the conference that dropped games to mediocre Virginia and beatable Maryland. They used high energy and exceptional defense for an eight-point lead of 25-17. They had much help from a highly charged crowd doing its poor man’s version of Cameron Indoor Stadium with a steady diet of noise and chants favoring the hometown.
Then Duke became Duke in the second half, with Kyle Singler making shots and grabbing rebounds when Gerald Henderson or Jon Scheyer weren’t. It also didn’t help the Jackets’ cause that they continued their season-long embarrassment by failing to understand that it’s called a “free” throw for a reason. They missed 12 of 19. Then again, only four teams in the country are worse at the foul line than Tech.
Suddenly, the only buzz in the crowd was Tech’s mascot by that name. That is, until the man of the moment strolled down the aisle toward a seat about five or six rows behind the Jackets’ bench. The more Favors came into view with 14:53 left to play in the game, the more the crowd roared. It didn’t matter that Tech trailed 33-38. It didn’t matter that Favors likely will join Stephon Marbury, Chris Bosh, Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young as one-and-done Jackets.
What mattered was that Favors represented hope. At 9-7, and with three losses in their past four games, that’s exactly what the Jackets need most.
That and Favors’ talent.
Permalink | Comments (66) | Categories: Tech/ACC
Good wishes to Asher Allen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years, I was a hardliner when it came to whether your average college player should stay in school or jump to the pros before the end of his eligibility.
Don’t go. Get your education. Win one for the Gipper, or at least try.
Well, I’ve changed my mind. Except for rare cases, I now look at it like this: If somebody wants to go, they should go. Only they know the full extent of their financial situation. Plus, only they know the full extent of their commitment (or lack thereof) to the dual responsibility of studying playbooks and textbooks for another year at their old university.
Which brings me to the case of Georgia cornerback Asher Allen, among the most enjoyable collegiate athletes I’ve encountered. He’s sharp. He’s polite. He’s charismatic. He also can play.
The thing is, unlike Allen’s more celebrated Georgia brethren on offense during the last couple of seasons - Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno - Allen isn’t a cinch to get drafted in the first round. In fact, there isn’t a guarantee that the Tucker High School graduate will go before the third round by skipping his senior year with the Bulldogs. He was a good college player, not a great one.
That said, Allen has it exactly right in saying that his ultimate worth to the NFL will be determined during individual workouts with teams.
I wish Allen well.
So should you.
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: UGA/SEC
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