AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > April > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTech basketball’s in limbo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
People think college basketball coaches earn their money in March. Wrong. College coaches gain bigger jobs in March, but the real strain comes in April. As we speak, Paul Hewitt has no idea what sort of team he’s going to have when practice commences in the fall.
It might be a good one, a Top-10-in-preseason sort of team. It might be a picked-to-finish-ninth-in-the-ACC sort of team. It might fall in between. And whether Tech is good, bad, or indifferent in 2007-2008 is now out of Hewitt’s hands. Think how that must feel.
Nobody at Georgia Tech was surprised that one freshman decided to explore NBA draft options. Some Tech folks figured it would be Thaddeus Young doing the exploring; others were guessing it’d be Javaris Crittenton. That both have taken the step qualifies as a surprise. Neither seems a lock to go even in the lottery, which consists of 14 picks, and NBAdraft.net has Crittenton at No. 25. (Then again, Jarrett Jack left early two seasons ago and was taken with the 22nd pick, and he started 79 games for Portland this season.)
The guess here — just a guess — is that one of the two will return to Tech. If I’m Hewitt, I’d rather have Crittenton for a second season than Young, who’s the bigger talent but who plays a less essential position. Tech without Crittenton next season would be akin to the rudderless team without Jack in 2005-2006.
If both leave, the Jackets of next season will look pretty much like an older version of that team — Anthony Morrow, Jeremis Smith, Ra’Sean Dickey and maybe Lewis Clinch — plus incoming freshman Gani Lawal. And how did Tech do in 2005-2006? It finished 11-17.
As the Jackets were struggling to win a road game over the winter, some Tech fans looked on the team and said, “We’re just young. We’ll be better next year.” Alas, contemporary college basketball holds no assurances for any next year. Ohio State was young, and it played for the national championship. Syracuse was young in 2003, and it won the national championship. A coach had better win big with what he has when he has it because he might not have it for long.
Hewitt is still trying to live down the inability to reach the NCAA tournament in Chris Bosh’s one collegiate season. Will he now have to face similar scrutiny for not being able to win an NCAA game with two one-and-done’ers on his roster? He doesn’t yet know. He doesn’t know who’s coming back. More to the point, he doesn’t know who isn’t.
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley, Quick Hit
Comments
By EJ
April 26, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this
They both should stay. If they stay not only could they better their chances of winning a national title but they would have a better cance of being lottery picks. Tech is a top 3 team with both of them returning along with the depth they have now. Also we don’t know of any Europeans who’s name is in the draft. We all know that their chances of being in the NBA is almost bigger since most of them are playing pro ball at 15 years old.
By ben
April 26, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this
This is what you get from an overachieving coach as far as recruitment goes. We all knew these two guys were one and done. Hewitt has to prove he knows how to coach these sort of guys or it does us absolutely no good to recruit them. UNC and Duke can recruit them because its a lock they’ve got 5 more coming in next year. We don’t have that luxury. Dion Glover was the death of Cremins and these two could be the death of Hewitt. But, who can blame them? It’s like being a lefthanded reliever. If you can have a mediocre season and choke in the conference and NCAA tourney and still be offered a milllion dollars a year to play pro ball, why the hell not? Its the fan that suffers, both college and NBA. Its screwed up both games and no one seems to care.
By ben is a retard
April 26, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this
j critt has two grandmas with medical bills that’s only reason he is considering it and thad is going to be disappointed cause he won’t be a lottery pick, there is a good chance both of them come back.
By Rick
April 26, 2007 11:52 AM | Link to this
Neither Young nor Crittendon have accomplished anything at Tech. Nothing! Okay, that’s not true. Crittendon was 3rd team All ACC and All Freshman. Young was honorable mention All Freshman team.
Neither have won a ACC or NCAA tournament game. They helped Tech make the NCAA tournament, but couldn’t get past a less talented (although more experienced) team once there.
Neither will see playing time at the NBA level next year and the development league wouldn’t be out of the question.
It took Bosh 5 years to become an NBA All Star, and I doubt either Young or Crit will ever come close to that level.
Simply put, neither would have seen playing time at Florida. Those players stayed even after they won it all, and they will reap the benefits having succeeded as amateurs when they reach the NBA.
Young and Crittendon just aren’t ready yet.
By Tech Turnstile
April 26, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
GT basketball will continue to be a turnstile until Hewitt shows he can compete consistently. With the up and down years that Hewitt turns in, can you blame a player for leaving? I wouldn’t risk hanging around to have a year where Tech finishes at the bottom of the ACC and maybe gets an NIT appearance. Hewitt needs to man up and take control of these boys he is recruiting. The results will be the same as long as the inmates are left to run the asylum.
By Mike
April 26, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this
Players leaving have nothing to do with Hewitt. It has everything to do with $$$, and it is not rational to blame the players. If you were offered that kind of money, you’d take it too.
Having said that, I will agree that I am tiring of this system. It puts great pressure on getting what you can out of your one year with a player, and it fails to build loyalty between fans and team.
While I do not blame TY or JC, at the same time I feel a much stronger bond of loyalty and support for a Mario West than I do for either of those guys.
Yet, Tech with the Mario Wests of the world will be a middle of the pack team.
This system sucks.
By JustMe
April 26, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this
No real reason for these two to go….
If j crit has 2 ill grandparents, I am sure that he can get a loan against his future earnings to help out. I cannot believe that his grandparents would want him to leave school for their sake.
Both of these players need more time to develop before the NBA. They leave now and they will be bench warmers and will be very frustrated.
Both of these players can get insurance for next year’s season. They will not lose anything by doing this and will be protected.
One more year for each of them and then the NBA. That’s how I see it.
By Ernest
April 26, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this
I’m not sure it’s up to any of us to say whether they should or should not stay. If they feel this is their best opportunity to ‘get paid’ and begin playing at the highest level, they should move on. If they are enjoying the college experience and can wait, they should stay. They shouldn’t stay just to entertain me or allowing me bragging rights around the water cooler after a game. Heck, if Bill Gates was offering them 6-8 million to join Microsoft at this time, no one would say a word. Only when it has to do with athletics do folks get riled up.
Hey JustMe, see you post over here also. You are all over the site… :)
By Najeh Davenpoop
April 26, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this
Every other major college coach is in the same position. At least there’s a chance Young and Crittenton return. Ask Thad Matta how he feels about his three best players possibly leaving. Good coaches can deal with it and continue to excel. Paul Hewitt did a fine job the year after Chris Bosh left. We’ll see how he handles this, if Young and Crittenton keep their names in the draft.
The wise choice for the two players would be for Crittenton to leave and Young to stay. Crittenton in my opinion is more ready for the NBA, and is entering a draft weak at the point guard position. With good workouts, I could see him go as high as 14 or 15. Considering his size and skill set, it’s not out of the question. Young, on the other hand, is more raw and is entering a draft stacked at small forward. The chances of him leapfrogging 4 or 5 players to make it into the mid first round or the lottery is slim. Next year’s draft is much weaker at his position — if he comes out next year, he’s guaranteed to make a lot more money.
By brian
April 26, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this
In case everyone forgot, the only one really quality all around year GT has had since Hewitt has been there was the 03-04 season when they almost won the title. Why was that year so good? They had a deep bunch of good solid college players that played well together and had been around each other for awhile. Jack was the only player from that team that got drafted and Bynum and Schensher have gotten a taste of the league but lets be serious, there were no lottery picks running around on that team. The only way Tech is going to get back to that level is to come up with that type of team again or get lucky and make a run with a bunch of McDonalds All Americans who aren’t going to be around the next year. Its unfortunate that since the 03-04 season, they haven’t been able to keep the program up to that consistant level.
By Chopdawg
April 26, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this
I admit I only saw them play in person once last year, but I didn’t see how either player could possibly be in the top 20 or 25 draft-eligible basketball players. They both better stay in school, it’s a money-losing proposition for them to enter this year’s draft.
By Tech Turnstile
April 26, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this
While leaving for the NBA is about the money, the timing of such move concerns the opportunity cost of playing another year. Most draftworthy players carry insurance against injury anyway so it’s not an all or nothing scenario. Would Young and Crittendon be better served to stay in school another year to improve their draft positions? Probably. Why are they coming out now? Part of the reason is due to their lack of confidence that Tech will be a formidable contender next year. Look at the starters from Florida coming back this past year to win another title. Look at programs like UNC & Duke who don’t lose players at near the rate Tech does. Why? Because Tech players leave absolutely nothing on the table by leaving early. If they stay in school, they risk their status falling because Tech so frequently turns in one of their patented sap years where it is void on the national sceen. Hewitt is in charge of the basketball program and it is up to him to turn things around to give players reason to stay in the program. Until that happens, the turnstile will be active.
By fred preddy
April 26, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this
Coaching, management and leadership involve recruitment and retention. Always have always will. No secret.
Roy Williams keeps three, loses one. Hewitt loses two of two.
No secret.
By SATechAlum
April 26, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this
These guys are not as bright as I thought. They will cost themselves Millions if they leave early. How many career ending injuries are there in Basketball? Statistics are low. These guys will possibly never achieve much of a NBA career. However, I hope they go because they both suck, and next year looks ok. We have a 7 foot redshirt freshmen and a better point guard coming in along with a transfer.
By Ramble ON!
April 26, 2007 3:10 PM | Link to this
Hewitt has won less than half his ACC games, and I don’t think it’s going to change unless both come back and that’s a one year fix.
If anyone went to the NBA I wish it was Hewitt. Great guy/recruiter…not a good coach.
By will c
April 26, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this
Both kids should do what’s best for their situation. Personally, if someone offered me a million dollars to play basketball, I would take it. If Microsoft offered any of you guys a job making $400,000+ while in college, chances are you would have taken it.
It’s better to get paid while on the job playing against the best talent in the NBA than playing college kids. You never no when an injury will occur that will shorten your career(Shaun Livingston, Clippers. If he would have went to college, chances are he would not be in the NBA. Take the guarantee money and set your family up for life.
Rich Guys Trophy Wife http://www.richguystrophywife.com
By silver
April 26, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this
Its just a game Mark, not a war. If a kid can go to college for just one year, and get a job that pays a million plus per year, then I say that is a great deal! Most kids coming out of college start at less than 40k per year with a BS degree. Quick, how many years would a kid have to work to earn a cummulative 1 million bucks? That would be 25 years Mark. So what if they only last two years in the NBA, they have just earned the equivalent of 80 k per year for 25 years. Invested well, they are set for life.
By Theedge
April 26, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this
I am a loyal Tech fan and having them stay would help the team for sure. However, my belief that they should stay is based on the fact neither of them is really ready. The farther away from the ball you are the easier it is. With that said Young needs to step up his game outside the paint and his ball handling if he thinks he will be a 3. Both should stay in school hit it hard next year work their way into the lottery.
By Braves Fan 79
April 26, 2007 7:45 PM | Link to this
I think both would make ALOT more $$ next year by staying a 2nd season! That said id be more hurt loosing crinennton than young. Crint wanted to be a jacket his whole life and with him this upcoming season looks VERY promising!!
By greg
April 26, 2007 8:39 PM | Link to this
Though I cant blame them for turning pro, I think both would be better served coming back for another year. Next years team has a chance to be special maybe even make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, both could parlay that into certain lottery picks. From Tech’s standpoint, losing Crittendon would be more troubling, but you really need at least one of the two to come back to have a chance at a decent season.
By '78 grad
April 26, 2007 11:49 PM | Link to this
We are losing players because our “tickle piles” no longer measure up. When I was in school we never lost SA’s because they didn’t want to miss our tickle piles. Tech students today just don’t have the same type of piles. Ours lasted and lasted. Now they can’t wait to get to their Dungeons and Dragons games.
By surfrider
April 27, 2007 1:57 AM | Link to this
How can one say this is a top 10 team even with them coming back? We finished way down the ACC and were booted one game into the tournament. The key for Hewitt is to start recruiting a little bit more different. Yes recruit the one or two stars every year but get some better role players that will stay all four or five years. Kind of like coach K did at Duke early in his career.
By WFC
April 27, 2007 7:05 AM | Link to this
The problem is not Crit or Young. It’s the system. Why doesn’t the NBA follow the lead of major league baseball? A player can be drafted right out of high school but must otherwise wait til after his junior season. That way… the truly ready for the NBA (Oden & Durant) can go and all the pressure is off the marginal guys (Crit & Young).
By NNK Jim70
April 27, 2007 7:52 AM | Link to this
For their future (and Tech’s future) they should stay. BUT, for money today, they should go. All of us would like to earn what they will for the next three years if they go pro. If they can develop while bench-warming, then they can have a longer career. But staying at Tech will enhance their chances to play earlier at the next level.
CONCERN - I don’t believe Hewitt has any highly rated point guards coming into the program. The only one available a few months ago was John Lucas’s son. Maybe there is a foreign player out there, but withone a true and good PG, we will be toast this coming season. It would have been hard for Hewitt to successfully recruit a PG with JC staying, thus a big problem for Techies now!
By GE
April 27, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
It sure is good to see that so many responders have the best interests of TY and JC at heart and not a Final Four appearance.There are many solutions for Tech to recruit and keep players. Here are a few of them.
2.Recruit players from the USA from middle to high income homes who have no financial issues. There are a lot of them here in Atlanta within 30 miles of the campus.
4.Provide some financial stipend to the players. Everyone else makes money, so why not the players.
Ban the viewing of TV to all players so they cannot see how those with resources live.
Let the experts commenting here play and coach at Tech. The game will never be the same.
By steven
April 27, 2007 10:25 AM | Link to this
This is the ideal time for Cittendon to go. With Mike Conley Jr as the only true point guard in front of him, and Acie Law as a combo guard, he is guaranteed a first round spot. Next years draft is going to be loaded with PGs with Rose, Mayo, Gordan (all of whom would go higher than Crittendon if they came out this year), not to mention other point guards like Darren Collison and Ty Lawson who could also rise above Javaris depending on their performances next year.
By RicFlair
April 27, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this
There’s more chance of Jessica Simpson dating Dick Vitale than either Thad or Critt coming back to school.
By F Troop
April 28, 2007 12:36 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley,
The only one who would possibly pick Tech for a pre-season top ten slot next season would be you. Your love affair with the Jackets last season was hard to understand—almost a kind of puppy love.
You should have been deeply embarrassed when this talented team’s season ended with a thud.