AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > February > 08 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTech’s turnaround may not be too late
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Paul Hewitt, who was fairly well beaten up publicly for the first three months of this season, finally admits what we could have assumed: He was blindsided by losing two freshmen to the NBA after last season.
The problem isn’t that Hewitt can’t coach. The problem is that college basketball coaching has become less about X’s and O’s than about avoiding the temptation of recruiting too many one-and-done playground legends — and anticipating when you make that mistake.
Georgia Tech plays Saturday at Connecticut (17-5), having already played nonconference games against Notre Dame (17-4), Indiana (19-3), Vanderbilt (19-4) and Kansas (22-1), all Top 25 opponents.
“You look at our schedule,” said Hewitt, “and we’re like a mid-major team, for crying out loud.”
Yes, and notwithstanding a recent turnaround that has jolted Tech’s once-dead NCAA tournament hopes, the misguided schedule-maker who set up all of this was Hewitt. He laughed, in that I-know-I-have-only-myself-to-blame kind of way.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said. “Well, I know what I was thinking. But I was wrong. I thought I’d have at least one of those guys back. There was a point last year when I thought both would be back. I thought it would be good to have a strong schedule. It would challenge us.”
The referenced absentees: Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young, both freshmen, both starters, both of whom turned pro after relatively average seasons, individually and team-wise.
Hewitt: “We all knew there was a chance they would be gone. But as the year went on, the way it was going, I thought they’d be back. You throw in Mouhammad Faye [who struggled and eventually transferred] and Ra’Sean Dickey [academic and injury problems], and we’re a different team than what I expected.”
There is an upside to all of this. In the past three weeks, the Yellow Jackets have evolved into as mentally and even physically tough a team as Hewitt has had in three seasons. Only supremely talented or resolute teams win road games in the ACC, and Tech has won three straight.
The Jackets are now 5-4 on the road this season. In the previous three seasons combined, they were 5-24. They haven’t won this many road games since going 7-5 in 2003-04. That season they went to the Final Four.
No, that doesn’t mean we’re projecting a duplicate feat this March. Nor even a win Saturday. But it does suddenly make Tech a team worth watching. After consecutive losses to Georgia and Miami dropped them to 7-8, they won four of six. The losses: to North Carolina by one point, to Maryland by two. In the last two wins, they trailed by double-digits in the second half at Virginia and Wake Forest.
Hewitt knew there would be early struggles, even if he could not have foreseen face-plants against UNC-Greensboro and Winthrop. The changeover largely began when Moe Miller took over at point guard.
“Moe has gone from being just a sweet kid to understanding that you’re either going to hit somebody or get hit,” he said.
After several body blows, here’s where Tech is: still six feet deep in a 12-foot hole. But at least now there’s a season to salvage. Maybe even a tournament bid.
How many wins will it take?
“I don’t know,” he said. “We just have to keep playing well. What you don’t know is who else is going to be in contention. I don’t know what it’s going to take because I think this year more than ever it’s going to be impossible for the selection committee to get it right. If you asked me that question five years ago, I’d say 17 wins. But the criteria now is so up-down.”
He’s not surprised his team has turned it around. He just didn’t know when it would happen, saying, “I knew we were running out of time. We still have very little margin for error. But with the way we’re playing now, the Connecticut game is actually like a Godsend for us. If you win it, you’re right there. If you lose it, well, people will say, ‘Go back and finish your conference.’ “
Godsend might be overstating things. But at least the rest of the season isn’t looking like a funeral procession.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Jeff Schultz, Tech / ACC
Comments
By Ross
February 8, 2008 7:15 PM | Link to this
Paul Hewitt rocks. The blame goes to the NBA for allowing underclassmen to jump ship. It ruins both the college game and the pro game - these wunderkinder get their hats handed to them in the pros, lacking game experience and the steadiness gained by riding out a long season.
I think a good idea would be to allow the NBA to draft underclassmen say a year or two in advance, and to have that draft pick rebated if something goes wrong (injury, crime, terrorism etc.). The player could have a trust fund set up for him that would open up after his college playing days were concluded. It’s a thought.
-drl
By LongBeachJacket
February 8, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this
Jeff. Nice take. A well-reasoned review.
I..and I hope many others…are proud of the way this team has “manned-up” and turned it around.
It is still going to be very, very hard for them to make the NCAAs. Every game is just very tough down the stretch. There are no easy outs.
I was very, very close to removing my “benefit of the doubt” criteria on Coach Hewitt earlier this year. As a fan, none of us really know…but I was beginning to question.
This may turn out to be a cathartic season for his program and career at Tech. I hope so. I want him to succeed. Also, I want Championships. And Tech, with its location, heritage, conf affiliation, and all the other reasons…has every reason to expect them.
Even if this team can make the NIT that would be a success to build on.
Coach mentions Moe Miller and perhaps rightly so.
He also has praised Matt Causey in other interviews. More than any other player…if you take away Causey during this turnaround run, the team is “toast”.
GO JACKETS!!!
And how about the Lady Jackets! Did they beat Miami?
By OLD MAN
February 8, 2008 7:31 PM | Link to this
Sorry Tech faithful, but this time I’m afraid the hole we dug earlier is just too deep.
Hope I’m wrong, ‘cause I want Hewett and Tech to maintain their tournament streak.
Go Jackets!
By John
February 8, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this
We win one game and everyone thinks we could make the NCAA’s. What are you people on?! We are 11-10 with losses to Winthrop and UNC-G’boro! We just lost at home a week ago in a game that needed to be a ‘W’. We would definitley need over 20 wins and AT LEAST 2 wins in the ACC conference to have a chance. Can we do it? Ah…..NO! We have 9 regualr season games left - so, we would have to win 11 games in a row! Not even remotely going to happen. Sign me, a realistic fan.
By bravesfan79
February 8, 2008 10:52 PM | Link to this
Jon, this team could make the NCAAs just by finishing in the top 6 of the ACC… and beating UCONN on the road would definitely help!
Pple..next year…this team will be special (sucks we loose the seniors tho)…especially Morrow. But having a 5 year big man in Dickey will help more than most think… and add him with Lawal…man thats gonna be a damn good front court!! The only question for next year is…who shoots the 3’s??
I hope that new top guard were getting next year can shoot!
By Navigator
February 8, 2008 11:07 PM | Link to this
Hewitt is an enigma, a final four run, and nothing since. How can you not wish that he could turn around a lot of flaws in coaching, recruiting, scheduling, etc. The real world says you’ve got to perform, and his teams just don’t live up to their potential, and really never have. At no time has his teams been more than second tier in the ACC, except that one year. I think some things have to change right now, the first being recruiting. We forget that some of his best players were in his first recruiting classes. He also needs to look at his assistant coaches, as the quality of play by his team indicates that his coaches really aren’t getting the job done. Thirdly he needs to understand that he is not a national program, and scheduling as if it is, well, that’s why the record is mediocre. He’s a coach in the ACC, and that should be the driving force for all of his decisions. To date, I don’t think he’s grasp the last point.
By dig003
February 8, 2008 11:19 PM | Link to this
I don’t think the team is concerned about what it takes to make the tourney just yet because we aren’t in that conversation. The ACC is weaker than I can remember so if ever there was a time for a team as inconsistent as ours than it would be now.
We don’t have that top-level athlete who can take over games do we’ll have to grind it out with defense and different guys (we’ve seen Causey, A-Mo, Gani step up) at different games, which is kind of a crap shoot because you never know what you’re going to get.
Outside of the game @ Duke, tomorrow’s matchup in Stoors will be our toughest left. If we drop those 2, we’d have to win every other game to get to 17 wins, which I think puts us firmly on the bubble entering the ACCT… this means beating Clemson (the ACC’s 3rd best) TWICE and an improved VT team on the road.
I think splitting with Clemson and dropping Duke/UConn is reasonable, putting us at 16-13… we’d have to make a run in the ACCT to give ourselves a shot, which I think is definitely possible. The next two games (@UConn, @Clemson) will determine how we finish this season. There is ZERO doubt that this team is improving…
By techer head
February 8, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this
john, ur an idiot. when has it ever taken an ACC team 22 wins to get un the tourny
By nebraskka option faithful
February 9, 2008 1:07 AM | Link to this
a HUGE deal in the decision of who gets in is how you finish. Right now it seems like Techs just about as good as anyone, and has a chance to prove it. If they can go 7-3, 8-2, 9-1, or even possibly 10-0 in the last ten they will get in. But if they dont finish strong they wont even be on the bubble come march.
By 9906inBoston
February 9, 2008 3:26 AM | Link to this
Ok. So my feeling about tech basketball has nothing to do with starts or finishes, but rather the composition of the team and how it seems to follow the same patterns in every game. Under Hewitt, the talent level has been fine as far as competitive levels go. The team has had the talent to be a top 4-5 ACC team every year under Hewitt except the first two years. And every year Hewitt’s teams have had similar qualities, excepting some of those early teams. His teams have had a nice collection of big guys every year. It really started with Ed Nelson. And since then his teams have had a strong inside presence from Bosh through Schenscher and now Jeremis Smith and the future is Lawal. I haven’t done any research, but my perception is that when the team focuses on the inside game GT takes leads and holds leads, but once they get away from it, the opponent gains an upper hand and can win the game. Maybe I’m wrong, but these are casual observations that have been consistent for years now under Hewitt. Sure, a stronger inside team can prove me wrong, but for the most part, the NCAA game is played on the outside and Tech teams actually excel on the inside which most other teams cannot, thus giving them an advantage. Even in the Maryland game recently, when Tech tried to play outside they got behind, but when they actually went inside they were coming back in that game. I even notice that announcers praise Tech’s inside game but don’t call out Tech when they go to a small lineup and cannot score. My point is that if this seems so obvious to me, why is it that the coach cannot seem to stick with a game plan for 40 minutes? And it’s not like I only noticed this in one game, I’ve seen this happen for over 5 years now. It’s like once the opposing team makes a run, GT changes their game plan and goes away from the inside game even though the inside game is providing the best offense. Maybe I’m an idiot, but I feel like 5 years worth of watching this has provided me enough data to make this statement. Unless GT gives up at the beginning of the game, which is another disturbing trend that happens far too often, the inside game is almost always effective and announcers actually acknowledge it. But if GT is playing a perimeter game and not being effective other than being scrappy, the announcers don’t mention the ineffectiveness and this seems to be a consistent thing over the Hewitt regime. Do you all agree? I’ll try and see if I’m just paranoid over the next few games I see on TV.
By Dadgum
February 9, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
GT must win all remaining home games to have any realistic shot at the NCAA. In addition they need a big nationally recognized win on the road which means either UCONN or Duke and then at worst a split with VT/Clemson on the road. That would do it. That’s 17 wins and a .500 or better in the ACC. Good enough for a #9 or #10 seed in the Big Dance. Go Jackets!
By Barry
February 9, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
We don’t have a shot at the tourney. Too little too late. Hewitt is at fault for the kids he recruited and he’s paying the price. He’s paid to make these decisions for the school. He needs to make better recruiting decisions for he should not get paid as much as he’s making. PERIOD!
By Reasonable fan
February 9, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
You would think writers like Jeff Shultz could figure out that Tech is getting better cause they played worse teams. Beating NC ST, Wake and Virginia are not indications Tech is better but could indicate they just played 3 of the Conferences weaker teams. They lost to MD at home and will lose to UConn on the road. Looks like a pattern to me. Beat someone good before we act like we are a force.
By LongBeachJacket
February 9, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
There are no weak teams in the ACC. Every win is a quality win. When your co-champ (UVA) from last year is in last place…with basically the same roster…it means the conference from top to bottom is strong. It will be tough, but you have to give the team credit for ANY win on the road in conference. Period.
Notice that the only team “blowing” others out is Duke. Clearly UNC and Duke are at the head of the class…with Duke ahead by a bit… Most games are decided by a few points….just as our close losses to UNC and MD were (and Kansas for that matter).
It’s going to be a tough, tough slog, but I like the team’s competitiveness.
I don’t think they’ll fritter away any games for lack of effort. Less than stellar execution my bite them a time or two…but I hope not.
GO JACKETS!
By LongBeachJacket
February 9, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
There are no weak teams in the ACC. Every win is a quality win. When your co-champ (UVA) from last year is in last place…with basically the same roster…it means the conference from top to bottom is strong. It will be tough, but you have to give the team credit for ANY win on the road in conference. Period.
Notice that the only team “blowing” others out is Duke. Clearly UNC and Duke are at the head of the class…with Duke ahead by a bit… Most games are decided by a few points….just as our close losses to UNC and MD were (and Kansas for that matter).
It’s going to be a tough, tough slog, but I like the team’s competitiveness.
I don’t think they’ll fritter away any games for lack of effort. Less than stellar execution my bite them a time or two…but I hope not.
GO JACKETS!
By Whuh Happened in Winston?
February 9, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
Tech will be fine today at UConn if the Jackets get more than twice as many foul shots as the home team… like they did Wed. at Wake.
WTF?!?
By stings to lose
February 9, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this
Is there any doubt why CN shot more free throws? (psst…it did not seem to be bad whistles…just toooo many Tech chops!) Tech looked good…for a while….