AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 01
Thursday, February 1, 2007
‘Youth’ is no excuse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I read on a previous blog that nobody should be surprised Tech is struggling because while the freshmen are gifted, they’re just freshman. That’s hooey.
The ACC is littered with freshmen making major impacts, and in some cases being heavily depended upon.
Thaddeus Young was the preseason pick as ACC rookie of the year. If voting were today, UNC’s Wright (who trailed Young among Tennessee prep players), perhaps Lawson, Duke’s Scheyer, and N.C. State’s Brandon Costner (a medical redshirt last season) likely would finish higher in voting. There may be others I can’t think of.
There are nine regular-season games left, though, plus the ACC Tourney to change perceptions and reality.
Tech doesn’t need to worry only about getting Young un-tracked. The Jackets need freshman PG Javaris Crittenton to straighten up. The offense starts there, and he more than any player on the team is by virtue of position and personality stationed to affect a makeover. He’s very gifted, but not playing with confidence, or well. That’s as much a surprise to me as Tech struggling the way it is.
He came in head-strong yet very, very receptive to coaching. But this four-game stretch has sunk him. He’s forcing his shots and his passes (five straight failed alley-oop attempts by my unofficial count), and worse, it appears to be bothering him to the point where it’s affecting the way he plays.
Freshmen can get it done, period. Again, if voting were today, the national player of the year would probably be Kevin Durant, of Texas. He killed Texas Tech last night (37 points, 23 rebounds), and this time a year ago, he and Young were ranked neck-and-neck nationally by many. And he’s been doing this all season, not quite to the extent of last night, mind you.
Young, by his nature, is not aggressive. He needs to be moreso, and Hewitt and the staff were on him about that from before Tech’s very first game. He went through a stretch in December where he played with more purpose, and he was the only Tech player who pushed that way at North Carolina, albeit late in the game. Ditto at Maryland. And he was ill at the time, and coming off a root canal against Maryland.
Then he vanished against Virginia Tech while still sick, but feeling better he said. And after his very nice start at Wake Forest, he and Javaris faded into the woodwork.
I know Hewitt has said all along that for this team to do anything significant, it couldn’t depend on its freshman past a point, that upperclassmen would have more say in it. Nobody can disagree that the upperclassmen have to get busier than they have been.
But there is three year’s worth of evidence to suggest that Tech’s upperclassmen cannot be prudently counted upon to perform past a point. It’s a bonus when they do.
It’s too early, isn’t it, for Young and Crittenton to be programmed that way?
Because of their positions, especially Crittenton’s, and their talent, they have the ability far more than any other two players to change this team’s lot. Maybe it’s time to turn them loose, although I admit I don’t know exactly what
