AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November
November 2006
Keeping it simple on offense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Judging from what people are saying to me, and what I’m reading, all the suggestions for Tech offensive coordinator Patrick Nix leading into the ACC Championship Game can be boiled down to two: 1. Throw in some easy passes (screens, etc.) to boost Reggie Ball’s confidence, and; 2. Run the heck out of Tashard Choice.
Can’t argue the logic on either one. I really have to wonder if, despite what Reggie said after the game, he wasn’t so geeked up for the Georgia game that he played the way he played. I bet he’s in a much better frame of mind for this one, the recent avalanche of criticism notwithstanding, and therefore a pretty good bet to play much better.
With regards to Tashard, what’s to argue? Dude led the ACC in rushing even though Clemson’s James Davis had a huge head start through six or seven games, and Branden Ore plays for a run-oriented coach.
Hate to beat a drum here, but I can’t stop wondering if fullback Mike Cox and the tight ends might not help Tech, if Nix will use them. Maybe that’s just me.
Scattershooting …
If the rumors about Texas making a run at DC Jon Tenuta prove to be true (and if they are, it may not happen until next week, after Tech’s finished playing), he certainly has a track record for changing jobs. Just look at his resume. That said, Tech’s paying him about $400,000, on par with the very highest-paid assistants in the nation, and even though Texas has deep pockets, I think he and his wife and boys are quite happy in Atlanta.
What he really wants is to be a head coach, and at a BCS school, not some D-IAA program, or low level D-I job. Texas would offer more exposure, not to mention the chance to work with — and recruit — a hell of a breed of athlete. Of course, Michigan had plenty to offer last year, and he didn’t end up at Michigan.
As for Patrick Nix and Tulane, I doubt it. That’s a tough job, very difficult, and not helped by Katrina. But what do I know?
Crime of the week: Tashard not being first team All-ACC.
Lower-level surprises: Philip Wheeler not being first team, Kenny Scott not even being mentioned (guess his reputation for inconsistent work habits, and low interception total hurt, huh?).
Funny thing, the player on that defense who may translate into one of, if not the best, pro is DE Michael Johnson. What an athlete. I can’t say that enough. Reminds me of Julius Peppers.
Later.
Permalink | Comments (25) | Post your comment |
Defense rules the day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In keeping with the bizarre notion of Wake Forest being in the ACC championship game, the Demon Deacons run a bizarre offense. They don’t pass much, although they pass very efficiently with redshirt freshman quarterback Riley Skinner, whose father, Chip, played baseball at Tech.
And they run the ball all weird sorts of ways. The good news is that they don’t run it like Clemson, which is to say with two blinding fast backs behind a behemoth line. The Deacs don’t have that kind of personnel. But they have some speed, and they use it in something of a non-traditional fashion.
Coach Gailey spoke about it yesterday. “The thing you have to worry about with Wake is that they’re trying to run the ball horizontally,” he said. “They are speed to the corners trying to get outside. Then when you get caught up in that is when they throw it down the field. They catch you off-guard with all that sideways stuff, then they run North and South or they split that big fullback up the middle. They’re one of the few teams in the country that get you thinking sideways, and then you have to worry about North and South. They’re unique in that respect.”
If I had to make a prediction, I’d say Tech’s defense is built to be a problem for this style, what with good to very good speed in most positions. In particular, linebackers Philip Wheeler and KaMichael Hall have serious lateral quicks. Although nobody on that defense could touch Clemson running back C.J. Spiller in a straight-line race (who can?), Wake doesn’t have any Spillers.
On to hoops. The Jackets are disjointed on defense. They’re losing track of folks on the weakside, and as Paul Hewitt said after last night’s win over Penn State, they’ve slacked defending on the ball once the ballhandler drives.
Those zones that Penn State laid on the Jackets forced them to shoot outside, and fortunately Tech shot well enough. But PSU also put Tech’s inside guys, other than Jeremis Smith (12 points, eight rebounds), to sleep. It was like Peacock and Dickey had no idea what was going on. When your centers combine to hit 1 of 4 shots, and that’s a 3-pointer, and grab a combined three rebounds (Dickey also had four turnovers in just 14 or so minutes), that’s awful.
That won’t work over the long haul, although nobody will play 39 or 40 minutes of zone like Penn State, which kind of has no choice. They don’t have the athletes to play man.
As I’ve said, the pieces are there. The assembly continues.
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment |
Jackets focused on the future
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If there are any residual effects from Tech’s loss to Georgia, they weren’t evident today when coach Gailey and a few players were available to the media.
That game didn’t come up much, although Joe Anoai said a win in Jacksonville would mean more than a win in Athens. And it would. As somebody said, they don’t hand out rings for beating Georgia. They hand out rings for winning the ACC.
Having thought about it for a few days, I no longer subscribe to the theory Tech will be down going into this game, and Wake sky-high. I think both teams are coming off very emotional games. Tech’s been playing erratically, on offense at least, and just getting by for weeks (I’m not counting the Duke game).
Maybe the game at Georgia flushed something out of the system. Reggie Ball does have a bit of a track record for bouncing back from his worst games by playing much better. I just have a hunch he won’t be as uptight for this game as he was last Saturday.
Wake is a very well-coached team, with several very good players, including kicker-punter Sam Swank. That guy’s been a difference maker. They’re a very good example of the principle that you don’t always have to have the biggest and fastest players so long as you’re well-coached, play within your systems, and play very, very hard. Gailey said something to that effect.
It’ll come down to turnovers, I bet, and I have a hunch Calvin Johnson’s going to have a big game. It would sure help if Tech doesn’t give up any defensive or special teams touchdowns. The defense has played very well for a very long time, particularly at not giving up touchdowns.
More football later this week.
As for hoops, Thaddeus Young’s not going to start tonight, and probably won’t play. He has tendonitis on the outside of his left knee (not patellar), which he twisted last Monday in Maui. He’s practiced and everything, but it’s still bothering him. It needs rest. That’s about the only proven long-time cure, although some treatments can ease discomfort. The Jackets will open with three guards, Mario West taking Young’s place. Mohammed Faye will play more tonight, Dickey and Peacock (probably more together than in any game so far), too. Wouldn’t be shocked to see either D’Andre Bell or Alade Aminu get some time as well.
Permalink | Comments (55) | Post your comment |
Whom was Ball trying to kid?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I wouldn’t normally spend a lot of time looking back on a game that was played two days earlier, especially with a conference championship game coming up, but … sorry; I’m having a hard time digesting the Tech-Georgia game.
Tashard Choice rushed for 148 yards, Tech allowed a modest 84 rushing yards, a palatable 171 passing yards, dominated in special teams (44.6-yard punting average to 27.7, added a 53-yard kickoff return, made two field goals while Ely-Kelso missed one) — and still the Jackets lost.
That doesn’t happen often unless something strange takes place, like a whopping turnover edge (3-1 deficit’s not exactly whopping, but it sure is close), the other team returns a turnover for a score (happened), or the one primary element that I haven’t listed is drastically askew.
It was. Reggie Ball played as poorly as I can imagine a D-I quarterback playing against a worthy opponent and still have his team in the game. All three turnovers were his, even though I’m still not getting the fumble Georgia returned for the touchdown (the ball might’ve still been loose under that pile; I’m not sure).
To be fair, dropped passes were a problem. James Johnson dropped a long one down each sideline, including a ball on Tech’s last possession that was thrown, if not perfectly, then darn close. That play alone would’ve moved Tech to roughly midfield.
But there were a lot of bad throws, including the would-be touchdown to Calvin Johnson when he had to twist around just to get his hands on it, even though it was a short throw. A lot times, he catches that ball, but Oliver whacked him or the ball to break it up.
Decisions with the ball, whether trying to run, or run to gain time to pass, were poor throughout.
And although it doesn’t have anything to do with the game itself, Reggie’s countenance with the media afterward was ghastly. To suggest that Georgia is not a rival, that it just another game, was atrocious. Reggie said that all that rivalry stuff is the media’s doing.
Reggie, that game’s been determined to be a rivalry by thousands and thousands of players, fans, coaches and media members in scores of games over many years pre-dating your arrival on Earth by many decades. It is not a figment of anyone’s imagination. To dismiss the rivalry label in such a cavalier notion does a disservice to teammates, not to mention players on the other team, fans, coaches and both institutions.
You’re privileged to be on scholarship, and play in a game many dream of but cannot. To say that it’s not different than playing against a bunch of old ladies in a game of flag football, as you did, is again, bone-headed.
That Reggie did all this while peppering his comments with “dog” was offensive. Reggie has been characterized a lot of ways while at Tech, and there’s no denying that he’s taken a heap of critical analysis. But he hasn’t helped himself with his mouth, on or off the field.
In reality, Reggie knows the Georgia game is not just another game, and he played like it, which is to say he pressed. Chan Gailey was very tight-lipped after that game, figuratively and literally. He admitted that Reggie didn’t play as well as he’s played in some past games. Asked if he thought his quarterback pressed because this was a big game, Chan said, “I think he competes hard in most every game, and in big games he really competes extra hard.”
It doesn’t take a linguistics expert to read between the lines. Reggie pushed because of the nature of the game. The results were absolutely disastrous.
I was wrong in a post-game blog in saying the game wasn’t as close as the score. It was. That’s the downside of being asked to provide instant analysis.
I hope I’m wrong about this: Whether you believe it or not, Reggie has taken on a greater leadership role this season in the locker room, and I don’t know if he’s still in a position to pull that off.
His preseason sermons, some dating back to last winter and spring, have provided a directional arrow of sorts. Even after that game, in a totally disconsolate locker room, he was allegedly telling teammates to blow off the Georgia game because Tech has the more important ACC title game coming up.
Maybe the timing of that particular speech was wrong. Maybe it was right.
But isn’t it possible to wonder whether it was coming from the wrong messenger? No matter what teammates think of Reggie’s performance on the field, his actions off of it both while blowing the Georgia game off in the guise of getting ready for the next game and then suggesting it was just another game — and one in which the other players simply made more plays — was inauthentic.
How effective can a leader be when he’s made the egregious mistake of becoming the one thing that can render all else almost weightless — disingenuous?
Permalink | Comments (157) | Post your comment |
Not even as close as the score
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fresh from Athens, Tech lost to the Bulldogs again, and it wasn’t as close as the 15-12 score. Statistics will bear that out. Georgia won despite missing a field goal. Tech didn’t miss any field goals, but blew up in the red zone in the first half, and then was done in by poor quarterback play.
The Dogs, meanwhile, got veteran play - relatively speaking - from freshman quarterback Matt Stafford.
A lot of this is running, folks, kind of a stream of thought deal.
Tech just got a big break. Facing fourth-and-13 from their own 18, with 1:08 left, coming out of a timeout, the Jackets false-started. But Georgia defensive end Quentin Moses, who tipped a pass to create an interception, got chippy after the whistles and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct call. First down Tech, at the 25.
It doesn’t matter. Ball threw an interception down the right sideline, in the direction of Calvin Johnson. Picked by Paul Oliver, underthrown and inside as well. Oliver broke up a would-be touchdown pass to Johnson in the end zone in the third quarter, although that was a poor throw that forced Johnson to twist his body around in an awkward position. He got his hands on it first, then Oliver knocked it away as they were falling down.
After the pick, Reggie pushed Moses and got away with it.
Earlier, with time winding down, and Tech holding three timeouts as Georgia’s inside the Tech 5, it’s easy to wonder whether the Jackets should try to stop the clock.
Third-and-goal from the 4, 2:00 and counting. If Georgia scores, the Jackets won’t have much time. Too much time for Stafford, Mohamed Massaquoi has time to wiggle open over the middle. Stafford doesn’t panic, backpedals a tad to give his receiver a second to find space. Touchdown. Two-point conversion try is good.
Tech’s in a pickle.
Through three and a half quarters, Ball played miserably, and not just overthrowing some passes. His decisions were periodically bizarre.
Hard to understand Patrick Nix’s run call in the second quarter, on third-and-9 from Georgia’s 12. The way Ball executed it was stranger still. Ball - assuming it was a called run, and it looked like it - hit the hole off right end. He was not going to get the first down, in all likelihood. But to reverse field, stop again, and then start again - all to lose 6 yards, made no sense. Travis Bell kicked a field goal, though.
In the third quarter, when he turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, his interception was the result of a nice play by Moses, who tipped it, and a poor decision - and type of throw - by Reggie. He fired a rope, where a lofted ball might, and I stress might, have had a chance.
There was a play where he scrambled left, didn’t appear to have anybody open, and was about to get smashed. Instead of throwing it out of bounds, he ducked his head and took another loss.
His fumble wasn’t a terrible play, but he was hit or stripped from behind.
He slipped on the extra point try. Might’ve been a better play to toss the option to Rashaun Grant, although I didn’t get to see a replay.
Tashard Choice, though, was an engine most of the day, and the line did some very nice work for him. If the Jackets had any kind of a passing game going, this game would’ve had a very different feel, and perhaps outcome.
Permalink | Comments (587) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
Terps or Deacs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now that Miami has eliminated Boston College from the Atlantic Division race, which would you rather see win that division and play Georgia Tech: Maryland or Wake Forest?
Maryland has been held to fewer than 100 yards rushing in each of the last four games and has scored 16 points or fewer in its last three. Receivers haven’t been doing Sam Hollenbach many favors. Tech had to rally to beat the Terps at home; what would a rematch look like?
Wake might be the more interesting matchup, with its team-of-destiny story line and the fact that it hasn’t played Tech this season. Like Tech, Wake had to hang on to beat North Carolina and had its hands full against N.C. State. Wake intercepts a lot of passes but gives up Duke-like passing yards; if you want to make the championship game a Calvin Johnson-and-Reggie Ball affair, this is the matchup for you. Tashard Choice, though, might have a tough day against the Deamon Deacons.
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment |
Tech men still a work in progress
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m going to be more brief than I have been because I’m in hurry (brief layover in Salt Lake City; clothes to change, kids to buy gadgets for, etc.).
I’m going to bet a lot of you were in a hurry to anoint Georgia Tech. Last night was a bit of a rude awakening, although I wouldn’t agree with one snotty dork I heard in the media room last night who said, “The clock struck midnight on them Yellow Jackets.”
No way. No fluke, this team reaching the finals by beating a much improved Purdue squad, and a very good Memphis team which went on to smoke a pretty darned good Kentucky team that had scrapped with UCLA a day earlier.
No, these Jackets are anything but poseurs. They are young, although the Bruins are not exactly old men themselves. Tech was out-played and out-schemed. The loss, which was quite ugly at times, was not purely about players.
The Jackets didn’t look as if they’ve been schooled on how to get out of the traps UCLA threw at them, not that they won’t be much better the next team an opponent so adeptly double-teams the ball on the perimeter to stall the offense and also to quickly slide double teams into the post.
That’ll be the book on Tech for the short term; watch Penn State try it Tuesday.
There’s plenty of talent on this team to be special, and plenty of coaching acumen, too. Time for some teaching, though, as you can beat Hewitt and Co. will work on this and other predicaments in coming days. It looked like the UCLA plan was simply one the Jackets haven’t spent enough time preparing to face.
So there’s some work to be done. Hewitt said there would be an adjustment period for his freshmen, and it’s arrived. Javaris Crittenton (and his teammates) will in all likelihood improve at seeing ahead of time where these double teams are likely to come from. Then, off-the-ball players will start to move more smartly to open spots, particularly from the weak side of the floor, and the ballhandlers will better anticipate where their next pass needs to go rather than realizing that too late -when they’re encased by defenders making it tough to get the ball out.
Otherwise, Thaddeus Young (4 of 12 from the field, back-to-back games of dubious shot selection) must find his fit in the offense, an I wonder if Jeremis Smith was right when he said his right knee, injured late, will be fine. Anthony Morrow’s gradually rounding into form, it looks like.
Coaches pat each other on the back almost all the time, but I believed UCLA’s Ben Howland when he said after the game the Jackets are going to be a real menace.
The pieces are there. Their assembly continues.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
Cover Tech a thankful job
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some of the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:
That I get to cover one of the best football teams in Georgia Tech history. Sports writers aren’t fans, but they love a good story, and this team has been an excellent one. Plus, I watch every game, and good football is a lot easier on the eye than bad football.
That I get to see Calvin Johnson’s amazing feats. No explanation needed for this one.
That I get to work with Matt Winkeljohn, a guy who cares passionately about what he does.
That the players I interview week after week not only have the patience to answer my questions, however repetitive or poorly worded those questions might be, but also that their answers are in complete sentences and sometimes insightful.
That I have a job doing something I enjoy doing, and that I still enjoy doing it after 21 years in the business.
That you read what I write and sometimes share your thoughts — up or down — on what I wrote. Without readers, there would be no AJC, in print or online. Thank you. Thank you very, very much.
Permalink | Comments (38) | Post your comment |
Upperclassmen come to the rescue
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sitting here about 15 yards behind the baseline watching UCLA play Kentucky, the Bruins uber-blonde cheerleaders right in front of me buried in makeup leading a raucous timeout cheer, “UC . . LA,” which fans love. This is surreal.
But it ain’t as unreal as watching Georgia Tech freaking flip out and beat Memphis. Folks, that was sick. I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it.
Honestly, we all knew this would happen, but Javaris Crittenton suddenly became a man without a plan, a player without a handle, and Tech’s offense was all out of whack. In the first half, they were taking crappy shots, and half the time getting them blocked (six) in great measure because Crittenton, who’s been so good, wasn’t running the offense. He was merely in it, when he wasn’t getting picked clean or forcing a pass into a double team.
“I was frustrated that we were going no passes and a shot, one pass and a shot,” Hewitt said.
So in the second half, about two minutes in when Hewitt wanted the ball to go into the paint only to have Crittenton force a drive, that was it. Enter Mario West. Crittenton still played plenty, but usually off the ball.
And West, who combined with Ra’Sean Dickey to do most of the halftime pep-talking rather than Hewitt, ran the show.
Now, it helped a tad (or a ton) that everybody was crashing the boards like rabid animals in the second half (29-9 edge, are you kidding me?), but if the offense hadn’t calmed down, even that might not have been enough.
How about Mario West? A former walk-on, he’s graduated already, and came back this season after Hewitt practically tried to talk him out of it. “I told him if he’s coming back just for basketball, don’t,” da coach said. “Because I can’t guarantee you’re even going to play.”
West, though, said he returned not only to work on furthering his education, but, “to make a difference on this team.”
Uh, that’s happening, huh? Better believe it.
The upper classmen bucked up today. Jeremis goes 21 and nine, Dickey 14 and 10. And we’re talking about some major muscle buckets, almost all hotly contested.
The Jackets are still looking for Anthony Morrow (one of seven from the field), but they’ve found plenty more.
Though Hewitt let West and Dickey - despite losing his starting job - do some of the principal halftime administering, he had a major hand in this one.
Handing over the keys to West, re-calibrating on defense in the second half, and more. It all mattered. “We backed off the defense because they were beating us off the dribble,” he said. “It was more about playing intelligently than playing emotionally.”
In the interest of accuracy and balance, Memphis helped. Even when the Jackets backed off a little, the Tigers - like Tech a young team - didn’t react very well. “We tried to drive in the second half, when we had some open [jump] shots and didn’t take them,” said Memphis coach John Calipari. “It was not pretty.”
Mostly, though, the Jackets worked over the Tigers. “I don’t want to take any shots, but last year happened. From coaching staff on down we didn’t have the mindset that we were tough enough to make things happen, and to make things happen down the stretch.”
Smith would second that emotion. “It’s just about grinding up. Last year we didn’t’ win because we didn’t play hard in last five minutes,” he said. “This year we can win games because we play hard.”
I’m curious what kind of pep talk Hewitt feels he needs to give Crittenton to get his psyche ready for the title game. And I do think the coach has to go on feel for that one, not over-think it if you know what I mean. Sometimes, it’s about thinking, sometimes it’s just about doing.
I don’t know the answer, but I know this: Play hard AND smart, and very good things happen when you’re talented and deep.
Permalink | Comments (26) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
Jackets show mettle in first test
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So Tech was finally tested Monday, getting kicked where it hurts in the first half by Purdue. And then, the young Yellow Jackets bowed up. Good stuff.
You knew this was coming, it had to happen. After three scrimmages in which it was easy to rave about so much of what the Jackets did, somebody had to bang ‘em around a bit. And Purdue did. Tech didn’t help itself much in the first 17 minutes or so, jacking up some ridiculous shots while missing 19 of the Jackets’ first 26 — often even when covered by multiple defenders.
And Paul Hewitt acted exactly like he knew it was coming, and hardly cared (though you know he did). The Tech coach was much louder and more animated in the second half, even after the Jackets pulled away. As he low-keyed it in the first half, it was like watching a parent let his kids climb a tree for the first time, knowing they’d fall and hurt themselves.
So after flailing repeatedly, and slipping behind 24-17, the Jackets got up, didn’t bother dusting off, and climbed like mad. They scored just a point a minute for the first 17, and then 62 points over the next 23 minutes. They sorted out their own mess and cleaned it up. Purdue could do little about it, and this Purdue team, by the way, is considerably better than the mess that was 9-19 last season with a slew of injuries.
There’s a moxie about this squad unlike whatever pox draped the Jackets last year, and it starts where it should, at the point. Javaris Crittenton not only gets it, but he can play. It’s quite possible to have one of the two going for you, but not the other. He has both, and enough fussing about him forcing his offense. He took just nine shots, hit four, and nailed 11 of 12 free throws. Add five assists, and you have more good stuff.
Subplots abound for Tech, which figures to be tested even more today by No. 12 Memphis, which, like Tech, is young, deep and frenetic (and similarly poor at the free-throw line, other than Crittenton, Lewis Clinch and Anthony Morrow).
Talking to Ra’Sean Dickey after the game, he made an interesting comment on how he’s decided to focus on rebounding and defense. He lost his starting job to a freshman, yet hasn’t caved. He’s leading the team in rebounding off the bench, scoring some, defending far better than ever (he had two blocks and disturbed several other shots Monday). Now there’s a team mentality, although I still think the Jackets may find themselves counting on his scoring at points this season.
The guy who replaced him, Zach Peacock, hit a three-pointer and a few jumps shots on the way to 13 points. Before you say a center shouldn’t be shooting treys, know that Hewitt has warned to watch for that part of Peacock’s game. Paul doesn’t have a problem with Peacock taking that shot, as long as it’s in rhythm, and within the flow of the offense. That’s diversity.
Plenty of hoops to be played, and who knows whether injuries will be a factor. One potential problem that jumps out at me concerning Morrow. Clinch has started because Morrow missed the first few weeks of practice while mending from a stress fracture in his back. He’s still not completely right physically, I don’t think. There’s a real possibility that as long as Clinch keeps playing the way he is, Morrow remains a reserve even when he returns to full health. How will he react? If he handles it the way Dickey handled his move, good news (not that Ra’Sean was happy, but he was professional even though he’s not a pro). It doesn’t seem like Morrow’s personality, but if he were to go the other way, or even to brood too openly, what effect might that have?
Tech’s top two players from last year, Dickey and Morrow, are coming off the bench now, and another who struggled down the stretch last season while battling back and knee problems, Jeremis Smith, is playing like a rejuvenated — and healthy — man. Who couldn’t predicted such a turnaround? Can he stay healthy?
Who knows if any of this will matter? Nobody. But it might.
There’s a lot of positive mojo around the Jackets, and I don’t think a loss will derail it. Hewitt says defense will determine his team’s success rate. Perhaps it’ll come down to something else that’s much more difficult to predict, or explain. Ebb and flow will come. It always does. The freshmen eventually will struggle. Morrow probably will get healthy. Players will ail. None of that may be as important as egos remaining so wonderfully checked and balanced as they are right now.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment |
Will rivalry fervor take a holiday?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s talk turkey. Or will you be talking Georgia-Georgia Tech, instead? I imagine a lot of Thanksgiving conversations will be about the upcoming game.
Will Tech finally break through against the Bulldogs? Is this the game you care about most, or is next week’s ACC championship game a bigger deal? How will Matthew Stafford react to Georgia Tech’s pass rush? Will Calvin Johnson get 50 or more receiving yards against Georgia for the first time in his career?
It figures to be a friendly, good-natured, analytical discussion, unless of course your Thanksgiving dinner includes one or more fans of the other team. For those of you in that kind of situation, do you make Tech-Georgia talk off-limits? Do you stay on opposite sides of the room, sit as far away as possible at the dinner table, or tackle the issue head-on and vow this time not to let anyone or anything get under your skin?
I grew up in a UCLA family, had Thanksgiving with UCLA people and spent many a Thanksgiving discussing the Bruins’ prospects. But I don’t remember any USC people being invited. A good thing, too. Of course, if a Trojan had slipped through the door, I would have known exactly what to do … talk basketball.
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment |
Many questions for Tech in Maui
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s warm in Maui, of course, and quite humid. I don’t remember it being this humid when I was here before, but maybe that’s because I came during summer, when I was on my way from real humidity.
Anyway, the Jackets should feel at home in this weather. More to the point, will they play as they did in their first three games, all at home? I’m not asking if they’ll blow people out, because that seems unlikely.
But will they move the ball around with dispatch, as they have so far, and hit the boards, which was easier against undersized opponents than it will be here?
I’ll say this: With the schedule coach Paul Hewitt has players on, he’s taking this very seriously. This is not a vacation, although anybody with knowledge of Hewitt could’ve predicted that.
I’ll have a better feel for this once I get in the gym (and yes, it’s a gym, as the Lahaina Civic Center holds about 2,500), but on my flight from L.A., and in the airport there, Purdue fans outnumbered all others. I saw several Kentucky fans, too, and one Tech fan.
That’s not a scientific study, of course, and I know there will be dozens of Tech fans, maybe more, just from talking to some folks before I left. No matter the count, it figures to be a cozy atmosphere.
It’ll also be interesting to see if/when Anthony Morrow gets his legs under him. Nobody should be surprised that he’s off to a slow start. The stress fracture that was diagnosed in his back in September kept him out of the first two-plus weeks of practice. You can tell he’s not getting off the floor quick when he goes to jump, and his shot is lagging.
He led the ACC in three-point shooting percentage last year (42.9), and so far he’s hit just two of 10. He’s hit but seven of 20 shots, and he’s a shooter. I suspect that’ll change. Wonder if the transformation will start here. If it does, and he gets back around to shooting lights out, does he return to the lineup instead of Lewis Clinch, who’s merely leading the team with a 16.7-point average?
How will Tech buck up in the face of legitimate defense, like Purdue will play, and Memphis for sure, if those two teams meet in the second round?
Questions, questions.
The answers start coming in about five hours.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
Forecasting a 20-win season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ll stick with basketball today, and then a little sidelight.
I’m going to be very surprised if Tech doesn’t win at least 20 games, and perhaps 22 or more, because I think the Jackets have every ingredient: perimeter offense, post game, defensive ability, a point guard, and heart.
Now, I’m not saying all this is tried, true or proven. Tech obviously will be tested more than so far, almost certainly as soon as Maui. But I think they’re a solid two-deep or better at every single position (I’m counting some players in multiple positions, like Peacock at center and power forward).
And for the record, I think Lewis Clinch is the most underrated, or least appreciated, player on the team. More to come from Maui; I get there Sunday.
I hated Bo Schembechler when I was a child. That was part of the curriculum growing up in Columbus, Ohio, as I did in the ‘70. Hated him. And his team. And the “M” on his hat.
But then as a child, everything in the world of sports that I didn’t like, I hated, to use a word and emotion I rarely seem to use anymore. Loathed Ali. Despised the Yankees. The Redskins. The Celtics.
Mostly Michigan, and Bo.
It seems very strange to think back on all that now, and not just because Schembechler died Friday. I’ve reflected on these ancient emotions before. Yeah, I was a kid, but it’s so foreign to think about how personally I took things when I was a lad.
I still have some favorite teams, none pulling at my heart more than Ohio State, and pull for them. But when they lose, I don’t feel resentment, or anger, as I once did. Sometimes, I’m indifferent (never with the Buckeyes), sometimes I’m disappointed. I never loathe anymore, at least not teams, athletes or coaches.
I respect, or I don’t. That change came years ago, most notably in the latter years of Ali’s career, when I began to appreciate what he meant to his sport, to society, even if some of it was circumspect in the eyes of others. My love of Joe Frazier didn’t wane; my appreciation of Ali simply grew because of his drive.
Same with Schembechler. He had that passion to the day he died, railing about Ohio State to the end. In a way, it was humorous, and I smiled a few times this week reading his comments. Some might construe his attitude toward the Buckeyes as hatred. It wasn’t. It was respect. It was about wanting to compete at the highest level, and win. We all have certain measuring sticks that matter most. To Bo, that measuring stick was most important, just as Woody Hayes cared most about beating Michigan.
I’m not saying I teach my children to approach rivalries, or competition, like Woody and Bo did, but I won’t teach them not to go about life this way, either. I suspect their surroundings, and upbringings, won’t produce fuses like Woody and Bo had.
The best thing about Bo, whom I’ve heard many tales about over the years from former coaches, players and fans, was that he was genuine. I’ll take genuine every time, temper or not. That man was the real thing, no gimmicks, no manipulation (although he was prone to gamesmanship). What more can you ask for?
Rest in peace, Bo. And say hi to Woody, another genuine — and bombastic — article.
Assessing the Ball era
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Reggie Ball sets a Georgia Tech record on Saturday when he starts his 47th career game. It’s also his last game at Bobby Dodd Stadium. I bet Ball also has set a school record for most criticism absorbed (by a player, of course, not by a coach; a dozen years later people still moan and groan about Bill Lewis).
A Division I-A quarterback job is not for the thin-skinned, but I wonder what it’s like to hear what Ball has heard and read what Ball has read for four seasons. This guy has been chased and hit as much as any player who ever put on a Tech uniform. He has won 28 games. I don’t think it’s a reach to guess that he has given pretty much everything he has. He hasn’t had the extra couple of inches of height that would have let him see some of those open receivers so easy to spot from the stands and the press box, and he hasn’t had the accuracy to hit many of the open receivers he did see, and he didn’t used to have the experience and judgment to avoid throwing interceptions when his intended receiver was covered. But he has had plenty of determination and will, and he has put them on display every time he takes the field.
It will be interesting to see how much further they carry him and this Georgia Tech football team.
Pondering PT for backups
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s been enough rumination on how much Reggie Ball and/or Taylor Bennett should play against Duke that I figure it’s about time to go another direction?
What about Rashaun Grant, Jamaal Evans, or Trey Dunmon?
Evans is the No. 3 tailback, and I’m not suggesting he should play because Tashard Choice is injured because as far as I know he’s not. Choice has been on a roll, a huge, huge reason why the Yellow Jackets are in the ACC title game. But I’m curious to see Grant and/or Evans in extended time.
Dunmon’s become the backup guard with the season-ending injury to Jacob Lonowski, and if Nate McManus is still dinged, why not give him a few shifts off?
I was wondering … how many snaps have backup linebackers played this season? We sure haven’t seen much of Shane Bowen, Matt Braman or Taalib Tucker, huh?
Moving onto hoops. I bet the atmosphere for Thursday’s Tech-Ga. State game will be pretty good, at least compared to Elon or Jackson State. The men have the unusual starting time of 6 p.m., which probably won’t help draw working stiffs. Then again, they’re not generally the ones who make the noise, are they? And State figures to bring fans, too.
Women follow. I’ll be covering both, and watching to see if momentum carries.
Here’s a tidbit of note. Of the 72 field goals scored by the men in two games, 52 have been dunks, layups or other shots in the paint. No wonder Paul Hewitt was talking the other night about having, “finishers,” huh?
Weird week at Tech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Seems like a weird week. Tech’s getting ready to play a game that, while not meaningless, doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, and for the right reasons. Obviously, the Jackets’ present ranking and future rankings stand to benefit from what would be win No. 9, and their bowl standing could be affected too. Maybe. Even if, no, don’t even think it, say things don’t go right Saturday against Duke, if the Jackets win in Jacksonville in two weeks, they’re in a BCS bowl.
Lose in two weeks, and, well, who knows? But their prospects would be made better by each win between now and then.
There’s a school of thought, of course, that quarterback Reggie Ball might benefit from a game off, that having a chance to mend would help the Jackets in the long run, you know, when they need him more. That’s not Chan Gailey’s school of thought, though. And so it goes.
I don’t think the Jackets’ other injuries are especially problematic (PR Tyler Evans, DT Elris Anyaibe, possibly) TE Michael Matthews.
As for basketball, gee, Tech looks pretty good. Sure, the schedule’s been soft so far, but the Jackets have done what good teams need to do in games like the first two, rolled.
Having a bonafide point guard makes a huge difference, having more talent helps, having competition at several spots sure doesn’t hurt, and an increased energy level is good for everybody.
As impressive as the freshmen are, and they’re mighty impressive, nobody’s jumped out at me more in two games than Ra’Sean Dickey. Talk about highly motivated? Coach Paul Hewitt says he didn’t start Zach Peacock to send a message to Ra’Sean, but one got sent anyway.
I think Hewitt’s plan to have a nine-man rotation where nobody’s guessing at their role is a good move, too, although it could see it shrinking to eight for some ACC games.
The 10th man, D’Andre Bell, looks kind of stuck without a position for the time being. He’s played a little in each game at No. 3 PG, but I don’t know if he’s got the handle for that spot. D’Andre can play, but I wonder if he’s not a two or a three. What do I know?
Reasons for sticking with Ball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As poorly as Reggie Ball played on Saturday, I didn’t expect to see Chan Gailey pull him. Here are a few reasons, I think, that he didn’t:
1) When Ball played poorly in the past, he was throwing interceptions and taking sacks. Now when he plays poorly, he’s only throwing incompletions. (There was just one interception.) As well as Tech’s defense was playing Saturday, incompletions weren’t likely to get Tech beaten. Fans look at a seven-point performance and say, try something else, because things can’t get worse. But what about the risk of turnovers if you put in a quarterback who hasn’t played since September?
2) Ball had led Tech to comebacks in three of Tech’s previous four games. History suggested Ball’s performance might improve.
3) Tech was 7-2 going on 8-2, with everyone agreeing the team has good chemistry. Change quarterbacks and you risk creating a quarterback controversy and uncertainty on a team that, judging by e-mail, anyway, is far more unified than its fan base.
Degree worth more than title
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sometimes we in the newspaper business are accused of timing the publication of a story to embarrass someone, or to hurt somebody’s recruiting, or to rain on someone’s parade. It’s as untrue as most conspiracy theories.
But just as Georgia Tech is set to win a football championship for the first time in eight years, I wrote a news story about Tech finishing last in the ACC … in athlete graduation rates. I know from the reaction to past stories what some of the reactions will be to this one, whose timing, by the way, was set by the NCAA’s decision to release the figures on Thursday.
Sure, Tech’s curriculum is challenging. So are the curricula of most other ACC schools. Sure, the graduation rate for all students at Tech is lower than the graduation rate for all students at Duke or Boston College. But that doesn’t explain why the gap between Tech’s student body graduation rate and athlete-only graduation rate is so huge. Sure, Tech doesn’t have “easy” majors in which to hide lower-talent students. But that doesn’t affect the responsibility of the institute to recruit players who can compete in the majors it does have.
The numbers released Thursday are for athletes who enrolled in 1999. Those figures tell nothing about the athletes on campus today. One can only hope they fare better. Tech says it sees signs — in the academic progress rate, for instance — that they will.
In the end, a Tech degree will be far more valuable to the players than an ACC Coastal Division championship.
Cremins believes the hype
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a hurry today. Just got off the phone with Bobby Cremins, talking about the hype attached to great recruiting classes as Tech prepares to start three true freshman for the first time since 1997 (Alvin Jones, Travis Spivey and Dion Glover).
Check out this quote:
“People get excited when you bring in new freshmen who can play right away. When I left Georgia Tech, we lost the edge, that buzz. Paul’s got it back. Even though they had a tough year last year, the buzz is still there … and these freshmen are going to keep it going.”
McManus ailing; raves for Crittenton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’re going to lose a starter, the next two games look like a good place. That said, other than starting guard Nate McManus, whose injury remains unknown although he returned to the game some time in the second half after being replaced by Trey Dunmon, I don’t think Tech has any serious issues. As Mike Knobler wrote in the paper today, McManus is questionable. We may learn more today.
That doesn’t mean all starters will play at North Carolina, but they might. Safety Djay Jones (shoulder/arm) entered the game on about the third N.C. State possession in passing situations. I don’t think there was a problem with Avery Roberson or Jamal Lewis playing at safety. My guess is coaches - again - became unhappy with Pat Clark at nickel back, and wanted to move Lewis from safety to that spot in passing situations. That left Roberson and Jones at the safety spots in passing situations. Pat Clark’s had a frustrating season, huh?
Reggie Ball missed the final snap at N.C. State because his foot was kicked or stepped on, Chan Gailey said after the game. I think he’s good to go, inasmuch as he’s been beaten to death the past month and probably could use a week at a spa. I don’t think the foot will keep him from starting, though.
Regarding basketball, coach Paul Hewitt has said many good things about his freshmen, of course, but I was surprised when he raved about Javaris Crittenton, and his conditioning.
“Javaris is probably the best-conditioned player on our ball club, and that’s hard for a freshman. As coaches, we sit around and tell freshmen they have no idea what it’s like to be in tip-top shape,” Hewitt said. “This guy from Day one has literally won every single sprint. The other day we were doing lunges, kind of grueling, and he and Mario West were way out in front. We looked at each other and said, ‘This ain’t no normal freshman here,’ physically. Now, from a mental standpoint, he’s got a lot to learn.”
Surprised by Hewitt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holy smokes … a lot to say,
First, from the world of the surprising …
Count me on that list with regards to Paul Hewitt saying that it was no fluke that freshman Zach Peacock started at center against Morehouse in the exhibition, and that he also will start the season opener against Elon because he’s beaten out Ra’Sean Dickey.
I even blogged as much yesterday. I was admittedly at a disadvantage because I didn’t get to see Saturday’s scrimmage, let along talk to Hewitt afterward, as I was in Raleigh with the football team. Still, gadzooks, Batman!
From listening to Hewitt, and by process of extrapolation, it seems to me that since the coach feels that he has plenty of players who can score yet has stated concerns about defense, Peacock gets the nod - at least for now.
Hewitt admits Peacock is not as good with his back to the basket as Dickey, but is better, “playing face up.” He also said this will not change anything they do offensively. And Hewitt couldn’t say enough about what a physical presence Peacock provides, raving about his defense and work on the boards. Yes, he’s a couple inches or so shorter than Dickey, but apparently very strong and willing to use the muscle.
For those who wonder, a lion’s share of the recruiting work on Peacock was done by assistant Charlton Young.
Two more basketball notes: Hewitt raved about Crittenton’s physical conditioning, saying he’s the best on the team already, “which is hard for a freshman,” but, “mentally, he has a lot to learn.” Also, in general, he loves how hard his freshmen are practicing.
I’m not surprised that Brad Sheehan is going to red-shirt. Hewitt said he needs to get a lot stronger.
Looking back to a story in Tuesday’s paper about AD Dan Radakovich saying there are going to be some “paradigm shifts” in fund-raising/gathering at Tech.
Wow, this was a lively topic on The Hive today, at least until the Peacock news hit. Some reactions:
First, the very first post states that that article is “vague,” and asks for reliable information.
The article is no more vague than Radakovich. As he said, some changes will begin rolling out within a few weeks. Other than to suggest that the Alexander-Tharpe fund will focus more on sizable donations and smaller contributions may be funneled through another arm of the AA, he was general in his comments. If he’d been more willing to be specific, the story would’ve been moreso as well.
I, too, would have preferred more specifics, but it’s Radakovich with the keys to the palace, so to speak. If he doesn’t want to roll out details before their time, it’s his call. Perhaps he’ll have more to say this week. I’ll try to check.
Secondly, somebody (nickname DoddDude) suggested the story was “second-hand information at best.” Wanna explain that? Do you think I just guessed that Radakovich said there were paradigm shifts coming? Or maybe that I taped what he said in the meeting, and asked more questions afterward?
If you can’t guess the answer, e-mail me and I’ll clue you in.
Yes, as mentioned, Radakovich was vague. That’s just the way it was. But the suggestion that changes are coming is not second-hand. It’s coming from the athletics director. There is, um, a big difference, huh?
Third, a whole lot of people on those threads seem ready to operate on assumptions driven by rumors — either on the internet (I haven’t seen them) or elsewhere — that there will be a “right-to-buy” tickets fee, and/or ticket increases and more.
Some even suggest the article in the paper suggests these things. It does not suggest any of this in any way, shape or form. I’m not going to report such a thing without knowing it. I have absolutely no information that these things are or are not coming.
People need to realize that much of the chatter on this topic is based on rumor and innuendo, growing like a wind-stoked wildfire.
I’d suggest patience. Answers will avail themselves eventually.
Lastly, as for the suggestion made by someone that the athletics budget deficit could be pulled in line by whacking programs that drain the budget … to maintain Division I status, an athletics program must have at least 16 sports, including some very specific breakdowns as to male-female opportunities provided.
Tech has 17. If a sport gets cut, it’d almost certainly have to be a mens sport (this is why wrestling’s all but dead at the D-I level in the Southeast, for example) - a varsity sport, not club. So which one would you whack? Tennis? Golf? Track and field? Swimming and diving. Cross country? Baseball?
Tough one to answer, eh? My answer: none. No way a Division I school, in the ACC, in Atlanta, should run a bare-bones athletics department. No way, whatsoever. So, you either find other ways to trim costs, and/or add revenue.
Why not wait and see what specifics the athletics department and Radakovich have in mind before blowing up?
Late scattershooting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry to chime in late, Techsters. I didn’t realize I was on point today until it was too late to hit the magical 4 p.m. post time.
Scattershooting …
*The Yellow Jackets were at least two touchdowns better than N.C. State, but when you give up a kickoff return (aargh! again?), and a interception return for touchdowns on the road, you’re usually going to be in trouble. That’s two defensive touchdowns allowed in the past two games, yet two wins. You’re living right when that happens.
*Calvin Johnson is sick — there’s breaking news for you — and he’s gotta go pro after this season. I understand he and his parents want that degree from Tech, and that’s admirable. But it won’t be prudent for anybody if he doesn’t strike while the iron is hot.
And I’m not sure it can get any hotter. Quarterbacks (see Brady Quinn) tend to be the preferred commodity as No. 1 picks unless there’s an over-whelming choice at another position. But when a potential game-changing WR (of which there are at least a couple in nearly every draft) is sitting there with absolutely every tool (speed, size, hands, work ethic), and — this is critical — you have NO reason to worry that the guy’s also going to be a knucklehead in the locker room like so many of the truly great NFL WRS, he’s gotta be your guy. Wouldn’t it be sad, though, if Calvin ended up with the Raiders?
*Tashard Choice doesn’t look spectacular in doing it, but he’s like a train that almost never stops rolling.
*There’s no question who the center will be for the Tech basketball team, folks, despite some chit-chat about that. It’s Ra’Sean Dickey, and there is no competition.
A very good offensive player (better than even many ardent Tech fans might realize), and a good rebounder, he’s got to get better at post defense. As for the minutes behind him, that will flesh itself out. Aminu’s got a shot, Faye could fill in depending on matchups (he’s not going to guard any true centers, at least not for long, because he’s light).
Zach Peacock? Forget it. He’s a power forward, swing guy. No way he can man-up in the pivot, at least not yet, if ever. Brad Sheehan? Too light and raw this year. A potential red-shirt.
*Back to football, and recruiting, after the addition of DE Derrick Morgan. This from Rivals.com analyst Jeremy Crabtree: “When we updated our team rankings on Thursday, Georgia Tech was already ranked as the No. 15 team in the country. And that was before the addition of Derrick Morgan. Morgan is the top-ranked player in Pennsylvania and one of the nation’s top 100 players in the nation. You add him to the list, it could push Tech toward the top 10.”
Later.
Some recruiting loose ends
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The good times are rolling at Georgia Tech, huh?
In the driver’s seat in the Coastal division, another big recruit in the fold, hoops season about to start with the Jackets as the only team in the coaches pool that had a losing record last season, and Durant Brooks has made the semifinals for a national award. Not bad
Brooks, by the way, is on scholarship. I asked Gailey the other day.
On recruiting, there will be stories in the next couple weeks or so about kids who like Tech, or are considering Tech, or are leaning toward Tech, etc.
The Jackets have three recruits far above all others on their radar now: S Morgan Burnett, S-LB Lorenzo Edwards, and DE Jason Peters.
There’s a story out there about a WR who favors Tech, but the Jackets have greater depth issues, or will in the next year or two, at S. Coaches really, really want to get either Burnett or Edwards, who may translate to linebacker at the next level. He’s 6-2, and 220 or so, and likely to grow some more. He’d be a very big safety in a scheme that favors guys that can really move in the secondary (he can).
Gonna be cold tomorrow night in Raleigh, folks.
Some stats mean more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Statistics can be misleading, some very much so, and Georgia Tech’s a great example.
In ACC games, the Yellow Jackets are ranked No. 8 in rushing defense, No. 7 in pass defense, and No. 7 in total defense. They’re also No. 8 in passing offense, No. 7 in punt return average, No. 11 in kickoff return average, and No. 11 in kickoff coverage statistics.
First, one game, against Clemson, skewed many of these numbers badly.
More importantly, in my opinion, are some other statistics where Tech fares much, much better.
A few years ago, a member of the Falcons staff told me about a study done in the NFL that suggested the most impactful plays in football by far are sacks and turnovers. It’s not a play, but you’ve got to add field position.
The Jackets are in a spot to make it to the ACC Championship Game because - again, my opinion - they’re rocking in all three of these areas.
Yes, Calvin Johnson is leading the ACC in receiving, but Tech’s passing game is only marginally better than last season, when it ranked ninth in the ACC.
In a nutshell, the biggest differences this year (in no order) are the way Durant Brooks is punting (No. 1 in the ACC), turnover ratio (No. 1), and the fact Tech runs the ball well (No. 3) again. The Jackets’ success in these areas outweighs their struggles in others.
When Reggie Ball fumbled the other day on the first play against Miami, it was only Tech’s third lost fumble all season. In five ACC games, Tech has turned the ball over six times, and taken the ball away 13 for an ACC-best +7 ratio. Boston College, which can put a near stranglehold on the Atlantic division with a win over Wake Forest this week, is No. 2 at +4 in one less conference game.
Many of those turnovers are forced by sacks, where Tech also leads the ACC in conference games, with 18 (tied, oddly, by Virginia). Whether it’s a fumble or a rushed throw leading to a pick, pressuring the quarterback is huge.
That dovetails into the pass defense, where the Jackets are allowing 199 yards per game. That’s not great, but reflective of a team that’s been ahead more than behind (although Tech’s overcome two 10-point deficits to win ACC games, another very big factor). The Jackets are No. 5 in pass efficiency defense, garnering as many pix as TDs allowed (five each).
Protecting the ball, taking it away, the ability to run it with a realistic big-play threat from the passing game (if not a high percentage of completions) added to punting that leads to big field position changes when the offense bogs down … that’s a solid formula by any measure.
Staying healthy helps
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Calvin Johnson and Reggie Ball and their teammates deserve credit. Chan Gailey and Patrick Nix and Jon Tenuta and the rest of the coaches deserve credit.
But when you’re looking for the people to thank for Tech’s 6-2 record and first-place position in the ACC Coastal Division, don’t forget Jay Shoop, Clay Farr, Dr. Angelo Galante and Dr. John Xerogeanes.
The Yellow Jackets, knock on something, have stayed amazingly healthy this season. Darrell Robertson missed the first game. Djay Jones missed the third. By my count, those are the only two games starters have missed due to injury.
The number is likely to rise this week because of another injury to Jones, but the Jackets still will be far ahead of their ACC rivals in their ability to stay on the field.
Services »
